The Brussels Post, 1912-7-11, Page 7•
.�1 to dissolve it, on to boil and remove
the seem, Put in the oherries and
boil fast from three to Ave minutes,
keeping the fruit under the syrup.
Meanwhile have the jars filled with
Warm water, standing on trivets or
folded towel, in a deep pan of
water, and heat gradually to the
,boiling point, When ready to fill
them turn out the water, skim out
the cooked fruit and fill jars three-
fourths full. Wipe top and put on
rubbers, 'which have been quickly
scalded, Let the syrup boil down
until there is just enough to fill the
jars. Fill to overflowing, run a long
silver knife round the jar to remove
air bubbles. Adel boiling water if
syrup runs short, put on the scald-
ed covers and screw tight or turn
down the clamp. Remove from the
water, wipe, and tighten screw when
cold, or invert and see if they are
air -tight.
Canned Rhubarb.—Cut in inch
lengths and can sante as cherries,
putting in three-quarters of a
pound of rhubarb. Scald quickly,
fill jars and seal.
Rhubarb Canned Without Sugar.
—Cut in half-inch or inch lengths
and MI the: jars as full as you can
easily and then pour in cold water
and seal.
Rhubarb Jelly,—This should not
be made until late in August or
early September. Cut in small piec-
es and boil in jelly kettle until a
soft pulp, then strain through a
jelly bag. For each pint of juice
add a pound of sugar, boil and
skim when necessary, and when it
jells pour into tumblers. If desir-
ed add the juice and boil half the
rind of one lemon for each three
pints of rhubarb juice. Lemon is
such a favorite with many that it
seems almost appropriate to put it,
as aslight flavor,• with almost any
kind of sweet preserves, using die
cretion, of course, as well as
counting the tastes of your family
asguide. Moreor less ismatter
asa n 1
of taste, as lemons vary so in size
and also in juiiee as well as acid.
Genuine Old -Style Preserves. —
The old rule, was a pound of sugar
to a pound of fruit. Make a hot
syrup by adding a little water to
the sugar and letting it boil. If it
needs to be clarified you can add,
just before it boils, the white of an
egg beaten lightly with .two table-
spoons of water. As it boils, skim
lightly as long as any scum rises.
Add the fruit and cook slowly un-
til tender: Large fruits should be
pared and quartered or halved and
small fruits should be put directly
into the boiling syrup and skimmed
out when cooked. Boil down the
syrup a little, if there is too much,
and pour it over the cooked fruit.
These preserves should keep without
sealing, but if specks of mold ap-
pear, or if there is any tendency to
ferment, remove any mold and
scald.
Cherry Preserve. — Allow ten
pounds of sugar to twelve pounds of
stoned cherries. Add the sugar to
the fruit and let stand over night.
In the morning strain off the juice
and boil until it begins to thicken.
Add the cherries and cook until it
is :thick. Keep the preserves in
stone jars, and cover with parafined
or buttered paper and tie one or
two layers of tough paper over that
to protect from dust and insects.
Vff$EtIOLP
PRESERVING AND CANNING.
Hohn "canning" in glass seams
more desirable than tin, at first
thought, and also we can use the
jars over and over again. When we
have oppressive work and little
chance to secure fruits at low cost
and high quality it is probably of
little advantage to now make our
own preserves in most lines, but
still the woman who ie able to save
fruits when .available and who also
has the ability and time to pub up
her own winter supply can at least
take justifiable pride in the accom-
plishment, as well as have her fruit
preserves of the quality which will
satisfy the palate better than the
ordinary grades of boughten sweets
of this kind. One widow of our ac-
quaintance has several large family
.reserves
buyers of her jellies and
Y preserves, 7
marmalades, as well as grape juice,
and, as her patrons are recommend-
ing her to others and buying year
after year at prices which are con-
siderably higher than the store
' goods, it seems fair to suppose that
her preserves are more acceptable
than regular trade brands. Surely
they have no artificial preservatives
in their composition.
Suitable preserving kettles are a
!great easing of the work and also
+• ,r essential to the best results. The
heavy cast iron and porcelain lined
style of kettle was very popular un-
til the lighter stamped sheet gran-
ite ware came into general use. Tho
heavy iron ones have some advant-
ages of considerable importance.
They hold the heat Longer, and also
do not heat so quickly,hence lesA.
tendency to burn on and there is a
much longer life to' the lining with-
out cracking or peeling off. For
convenience in handling the lighter
kettles are far preferable, but must
be handled more carefully and
watched more closely.
The old .proverb that too many
cooks spoil the dish can be slightly
changed, as above, and be even
more applicable. There is very
great tendency to have too great
heat under some portions of the
dish and the uneven heat with the
thinner dish is more directly reflect-
ed in the contents of the dish, as it
may boil very much harder on one
side than on the other. This, while
not making the food as a whole any
hotter by the violence of the boil,
shows that the kettle at that point
is trotter, and that it will possibly
commence to burn on if the heat is
not reduced slightly. This is especi-
ally
specially the case in using gas or oil
stoves. The excessive heat also
cracks the glazing, and we have a
shorter -lived dish than when we are
more moderate in the heating. The
old cast iron was so thick that it
gave mneh .protection against un-
even heat so greatly affecting either
the fruits or the cracking of the
enamel. Asbestos mats are a great
advantage here.
,
To secure quick evaporation and
also rapid heating, it is best to have
the dishes broach and, if not shallow,
to not full them very deeply, so that
the deeper dish may not necessar-
ily have any more of material at a
time than a shallower one. It is
well to have several and of differ-
ent sizes, as we will gain by not
only leaving different sizes, as two -
quart, four -quart and six or eight -
quart sizes, but also we^can attend
to more than one dish at once and
save time.
An old silver-plated knife sharp-
ened, so that only the edge will
bring steel into contact with the
fruit juices is desirable; also a
sharp -pointed knife for Ticking out
defects. Wooden spoons with slots
and also wire and silver spoons are.
well to have at hand with scales; a
hair sieve, a fruit press and a sil-
ver nutpick or sharp wooden ske-
wer, a granite collander and coarse
and fine cheesecloth.
The quick sealing kinds which do
not allow of any metal coming in
contact with the juices of the fruits
are best, and also the wider the
mouths, to a reasonable extent, the
better. For ordinary families the
pint jars should be very numerous,
and for preserving large fruit whole
the two -quart size is gond for large
families, still the pints and quarts:
are the most convenient for most
families,
There is an idea that, for preserv-
ing, almost any fruit which can not
be used .in any other way can be
used, ani it is possible that many
of the poorer grades of boughten
preserves may be, andprobably
are, made from stale or, imperfect
stock. still the beat of the commer-
cial canned ..and 'preserved fruits
are clean and as desirable as
any we can possibly put up our-
selves, as a rule, unless we ate ex-
perts and take unlimited pains in
the progess,
Canned Cherries.—Use the fruit
as soon as possible after picking.
Stone them or not as preferred, and
use three-quarters .of a pound of
'bast granulated sugar to each pound
of fruit, of stoned, and for the sweet
varieties of chorrics, while a sour
cherry will require pound for pound
of sugar. One-third less will suf-
flee if the cherries are net steed.
Put the sugar, with water enough
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.
Cold politeness never makes warm
friends.
Pleasures of youth are a misfit in
old age.
Tho man who sings his own praise
seldom gets an encore.
One way to avoid spending money
foolishly is not to have any.
When you are expecting an op-
portunity it is sure to miss the boat.
Nothing succeeds like the efforts
of some people to be disagreeable.
Charity appears to cover a mul-
titude of sins, but most o£ them
show through.
Yet Solomon in all This glory never
wore an opera hat that would open
and time
Did it ever occur to you that fool-
ish people seem to have a monopoly
on happiness 2
Every rose has its thorn—and the
thorn is still on the job after the
rose has withered.
The love of money is said to be
the root of all evil—and the ma-
jority of us are tireless rooters..
When a woman ceases to ask her
husband if the loves her it's a sign
that she no longer carps whether he
does os not.
Many a girl makes tlre.mistekeof
marrying out of a happy home into
a boarding house.
As a civilization booster tlte'bath-
tub. has clone more for humanity
than all the guns ever made.
A baby ,yells because something
worries ,it, but a college youthyells
because he hasn't any niore sense.
A woman is seldom able to see
that there is a button missing from<
her husband's, garments, but she
always knows when there is a holo
in his pocket.
HOW DUTCH CO'LLEC'T TAXIS.
The Dutch have a delightfully ori -
!skill way of ,collecting their taxes.
If, after due notice has been given,
the money is not sent,' the authori-
ties place ono or two hungry
tiam n ie the house to be lodged
e
, g
x of
and maintained nt the a ]tense
the defaulter until the amount of
the lax is paid,
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDY
INTERNATIONAL LESSON,
JULY 14.
Lesson U.—The seed in the four
kinds of soil, Mark 4. 1-20.
Golden Text, James 1. 21.
Verse 1. Again—On another occa-
sion.
By the sea side—The Sea of Ga-
lilee, not far from Capernaum.
Entered into a boat—To avoid the
jostling of the crowd and thus to
make it possible for himself to
speak.
2. Taught them many things—Con-
cerning the nature of the kingdom
of heaven.
Parables — The word parable
cornea from two Greek words,
"para," meaning beside, and
"bolo," meaning to throw or place
one thing beside another. In com-
mon usage it means also a com-
parison of things thus placed to-
gether. Iris used in the Bible with
various shades of meaning, all of
which involve the idea of compari-
son.
3. Hearken: Behold—A call to
attention, indicating the importance
of what is about to be said.
Went forth—Possibly far from his
home to a distant field.
4, By the way side—The wayside
referred to is the hard trodden path
through the grain field.
The birds came and devoured it—
In some of the Western parts of this
country where are found the
immense grain fields, extending for
miles in every direction, it is not
unusual in seed time to see large
flocks of birds, sometimes even of
wild geese, following ng chase
behind
the plow, from which the seed is
scattered in front of the plowshares
and immediately covered by the
turning soil. These birds are quick
to discover the grains of seed which
have fallen to one side of the plow.
The picture in the mind of Jesus
was not the same as this, but this
reference to .a scene familiar to some
of the readers of these notes will
assist in making plain the method
of Christ's teaching, which was to
take objects and scenes familiar to
his hearers and use them to illus-
trate the truths which he taught.
5. On the rock ground—The,slopes
of the hillsides about Galilee, to-
ward which Jesus was looking from
his position on the edge of the lake,
were in many places rocky ledges
with but a thin covering of loose
earth. These slopes were the first
to assume their covering of green
after the early rains, but were the
first also to become 'parched and
dry after, the rainy season had
passed.
7. Among the thorns—Where the
seeds of thorns and thistles had
fallen. A variety- of thorns most
common in Syria and Palestine was
the Nabk of the Arabs. It was of
this same variety, doubtless, that
the crown was woven which Jesus
was forced to wear at the time of
his trial before Pilate.
Choked it -The thorns being'lhar
Bier, and of more rapid growth, as
well as greater in number, absorb-
ed all the moisture of the soil and
shut out the sunshine, making it
impossible for the more tender
sprouts of grain to thrive.and-grow.
10. Asked of him the parables—
Requested him'to interpret these to
them.
11. Unto you is given the mystery
of the kingdom—The power to un-
derstand its deeper hidden mean-
ing.
Thom that are without—Those
who have not entered the fellow-
ship of believers.
12. That seeing they may see, and
not perceive—Mark hero expresses
in terms of purpose what Matthew
(13. 13) speaks of in terms of result.
Tho lesson in either case is that it
is the receptive attitude of mind
which makes possible the tinder -
standing e£ Christ's teaching, while
the refusal to receive the truth re-
sults in inability to appreciate it,
14. The word—The message of the
kingdom,
15. Straightway , . . taketh away
the worst—Some leen are so preoc-
cupied with their own temporal pur-
suits and so dulled in their sense of
moral distinctions that the mes-
sage of the kingdom of righteous-
ness and love fails to find any per-
manent lodgment in their mind or
hoer t.
16. Receive it with joy—Impul-
sively accept the statements of
truth without realizing their impli-
cations in' conduct.
17. No root in themselves—Shal-
low, unstable natures, not indepen-
dent in their convictions,
Stumble—Lose out in the race and
conflict, discouraged by the perces
ctd:ions and difficulties involved,
19, , The 05.8.05 of the world—Liters
ally, the age; the concerns and
problems of this present life, mat-
ters of business and pleasure.
The deceitfhilnesa of riches—This
lies in the fact that wealth often
blinds those who are seeking to ob-
tain itto the higher values of other
tlrings. To suohet midst in the end
prove a disappointment.
ne t
One-fifth o fthe 18,000 OOO students at
the Univeteity of Paris are foreign -
018,
ORAMPION LAZY MAN.
One Went to Bed at Ten and Got
Up 'Twenty -Nino Years Later.
The "won't works," many of
whose careers of laziness have been
revealed in the police courts during
recent years, have achieved some
remarkable records of idleness,
says a London paper; but the ease
of a gardener who recently com-
mitted suicide out of sheer disin-
clination to go on working is surely
unique.
This man did not mind starting
a job, but he could never be induced
to finish it, and he reminds one of
the man about whom ;the wife re-
cently complained to the magis-
trate at Wood Green Police Court.
She described her husband as a
piece -worker, and it seemed that
he only worked on Wednesday,
when it was his custom to put in
two hours.' 'toil.
Another ease was that of a man
sentenced to three years' penal ser-
vitude for theft. His age was 40,
and it was stated that he hacl only
done one day's work in his life.
This was during the taxicab strike,
when he wheeled a barrow of lug-
gage from Charing Cross to Easton,
There are at least half a dozen
claimants to the title of the laziest
man in England, A good first would
be the lazy man at Tottenham, Al-
though he found it impossible to
sleep all the 24 hours of the day, he
tried very hard.
He was practically dragged from
his bed to the police court by his
indignant wife, but he promptly
went back to bed again when he
had been lectured by the magis-
hitrate and had paid :the penalty of
s idleness.
Then there was the County Clare
man, who went to bed when he was
10 and did notget up u til he was
39. Then, for some snyste'ious rea-
son he an to get bored. d. H rose
fromhis h s couch in 1907, took to this
strenuous life, and was last heard
of escorting a coal truck.
One man, brought up at the Wil-
lesden Police Court, charged with
sleeping out, actually fell asleep in
the dock while the magistrate was
pronouncing sentence.
Another man, who had not work-
ed for so long that he had forgotten
whether he was a gardener or a
printer, when asked by the magis-
trate whether he had anything to
say, replied with a drawl, "Hardly
worth while," and disappeared with
a yawn into the cells belays.
Yet another case was that of the
.man of 59 who, when the policeman
said he had never done a day's work
in Isis lite, protested indignantly
that "he once did a bit of 'oppin'."
CANADA'S GREA.TES'T CHARITY
A Decrease of Nearly 40 Per Cent.
in Death -Rate.
In the decade preceding 1899 the
death -rate in , Ontario from con-
sumption was on the increase, un-
til in that year the figures amount-
ed to 3.405—a rate of 1.4 per 1,000
living estimated population, or 11.8
per cent. of the total deaths. Dur-
ing that time there were no insti-
tutions for the tuberculosis in the
Province, no dispensaries, no
special visiting nurses, no educa-
tional agencies at work, no general
information regarding the preven-
tion of this disease. In 1896 the first
Sanitarium Association—was open -
neer institution of the National
Sanatarium Association—was open-
ed. in Muskoka. In 1902 the Musko-
ka Free Bospital was opened, and
in 1904 the two allied institutions
at Weston, • The work has now
spread elsewhere in the Province.
Result: In 1898 the deaths from
tuberculosis were 2511-a rate of 1.1
per 1000, or 7.6 per cent. of total
deaths—a decline of nearly 40 per
cent. compared with 11.8 per cent.
—the death -rate in the decade end-
ing 1899.
The institutions of the National
Sanitarium Association have been
the largo factor in Sanitarium
treatment of consumption during
the past fifteen years.
nis DUTY.
The Lady -"Look here, you said
that if I'd give yon your dinner
you'd, snow the lawn for me."
The Hobo—"I'd like to do it,
ma'am, but I getter teach yer a
lesson, Never trust the word of a
total stranger."
Manager—"So you are looltiag for
a job. What can you do 2" `14o-
thirig in particular, but work is not
so much au object as geed wages."
OBEIIS SHIPS 11
SAFE?
Their Structural Weakness Pointed Out
by An Expert
When the lifeboat is needed n
thing of course can be imagined th
is of more importance. We can an
must see that all vessels have a fu
equipment of lifeboats. At bes
however, lifeboats are but mod
eine. They will not be needed
the disease can be prevented. Ca
it be 2 If it can even be alleviated
now is the time of all times, whi
the fearful Titanic tragedy is fres
in the public mind, for action.
Lifeboats, generally speaking, wil
not be necessary when there is r
serve buoyancy left in the hull f
the vessel. And there will be re
serve buoyancy left, even when th
vessel's shell is damaged, as long a
the bulkheads, the vertical division
separating compartments, keep th
sea from the other compartments
Making bulkheads sufficient
strong is troublesome, but it is Arae
ticable. Their strength can be cal
culated, but safety can be insure
only by testing each bulkhead o
another bulkhead in the same shi
of exactly the same kind.
It is necessary to review the wor
of investigators along this lin
even at the risk of becoming tech
nical,
The most scientific treatment o
the subject up to its time, was
paper by T. 0. Reed, read in 188
(and there is much in it which ap
plies to -day) before the Institute
of Naval Architects, British. It is
unnecessaryto
go into it here, but
a remark made byi
Sir
Nathaniel
Barnaby, in discussing the paper,
is interesting.
"Whether the bulkheads are
strong enough or not does not a
bit matter," he said, "because there
are not enough of them, nor do
they go high enough, and the ques-
tion of whether they are strong
enough is practically not often
raised."
At that time it was urged that
merchant ships should be capable
of floating when any one compart-
ment was filled with water. (The de-
signers of the Titanic claimed that
vessel would float when any two
compartments were flooded.)
The ,discussion resulted in some
important work in England by what
is known as the "Bulkhead Com-
mittee." This Committee worked,
it seems, principally along the lines
of securing greater water -tight sub-
division for vessels—i. e., recom-
mending a greater number of com-
partments,
They tested bulkheads with a
head of water some distance above
the load water line, because they
knew that when a vessel was dam-
aged she would sink deeper in the
water, and that the strain increas-
ed greatly with increased depth.
Although the United States Navy
has continued the practice, and al-
though the result of the work of the
Constructors was published as early
as 1898, the builders of merchant
vessels including the largest liners
do not yet seem to have realized
its importance.
In Lloyd's rules under which the
greatest number of merchant ves-
sels are built, "thoroughly revis-
ed" for 1910, over ten years after
the publication of Mr. Woodward's
and Mr. Smith's .papers, we find the
following:
"In all cases the foremost of col-
lision In iltl,eads is to extend, etc.
and its water -tightness h be
tested by filling•the peak tank with
water to the height of the load
line,"
"The aftermost engine morn
bulkhead to extend, etc.. . The
bulkhead to be made water -tight,
etc... . and its watertightness is to
be tested by the after compartment
being filled with water up to the
load line."
Other requirements then follow
for other bulkheads. rine remain-
ing requirements relative to testing
bulkheads care in the following
words,
"All such bulkheads to be calked
and made water -tight, and to bo
tested by water from a hose. if con-
sidered necessary, by the surveyors
to insure they are watertight."
o- breaking down of the bulkheads,
at It appears that the engine rooks
d of the Republic, soon after the col -
11 lision, was flooded to a considerable
t, height above the inner bottom. By
i- leakage of the aft engine room bulk -
if head, the water penetrated into the
n aft portion of the ship. The ship
, gradually settled by the stern, and
to finally, as she was going down, sev-
h oral crashes were heard below, one
after the other, probably due to the
1 carrying away of the bulkheads.
e- By a combhnation of fortunate eir
o eumstances there was no loss of life
- after the collision occurred, but had
o the sea been rough at the time of
s the collision, it seems likely that a
s stronger leakage and an earlier
e breaking down of the bulkheads
might have taken place, in which
1y case the .situation would have "be-
- come much more critical, and even
- the heroism and devotion of the
d captain and crew might nob then
✓ have availed to prevent a great loss
rp of human life.
It is, therefore, in the interest of
k the traveling public as well as the
e ship owners and underwriters, that
- the strength of bulkheads should be
f
made the subject of renewed and
thorough inquiry. The dimensions
a of this 'class of vessels have inereas-
5 eci enormously of recent years, and
therewith bulkheads have become
larger and deeper. It seems, there-
fore, not unlikely that the rules of
the e sec classification i
e v
society, which
ri
clh
were made some years ago, may now
need a revision of larger ships,
Prof. Hovgaard continued :—If it
is found that the above explanation
of the loss of the Republic is sub-
stantially correct, then these rules
should be amended where this has
not already been done, so as to in-
sure the requisite strength of bulk-
heads in future vessels, and the
bulkheads of existing liners should
be examined and strengthened
when found necessary.
The above warning is clear. And
the remainder of Mr. Hovgaard's
article, carefully prepared, pointed
out the remedy in unmistakable
terms. Whether the bulkheads of
the Titanic were tested up to the
load water line, or above the load
water line, as they should have
been, to insure stability in a flood-
ed condition, is not a matter of
public record. Perhaps they were.
The point of this article is to urge
public opinion to demand that new
vessels and existing vessels shall
meet such requirements,
Professor William Hovgaard,
Profesac r of Naval Design, Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology,
and formerly a Constructor in the
Royal Danish Navy, probably more
than any living man, has sounded
the warning of the inadequacy in
the strength of bulkheads. 1 quote
from this paper written in 1909 and
showing that the sinking of the
Star Liner Republic was ultimate-
ly due to the leaking and breaking
down of bulkheads.
The problem of the strength of
bulkheads has been with Its ever
since the intrpduction of steam-
ships, Many different eystems of
Onstruction, hems been itsedl &71ii
several methods of estimating the
strength of bulkhead!' have been
hproposed, but it eaahnob be slit 'we
ave yet reached a satisfactorysola-
tion, The most etadive evidence.
ofthis is perhaps erha 's therss of the
White Star Liner
Repute,; whtoh
tt000rding to various aoceent0, was
dtie ulimately to the leakage and
Many ships are fitted with a
"double -bottom," but this is limit-
ed to the bottom of the ship, as may
be noted from the plans of the Ti-
tanic, Olympic, Mauretania and Lu-
sitania.
Cargo space is precious, and per-
haps for a freighter the custom fol-
lowed by naval vessels of extending
the double bottom along the sides
to above the water line would not
be justified, but where the vessel
is engaged in' carrying passengers
there seems to be no justifiable rea-
son for unnecessarily jeopardizing
their lives by departing from an ex-
ample set over fifty years ago by
that marvel of her time, the Great
Eastern, whose double bottom ex-
tended above the water line and suc-
ceeded on one occasion, it is under-
stood, in saving this vessel when a
tear of one-seventh of her length
occurred in her outer shell.
Since doors are so likely to be left
open in times of emergency, the
importance of preserving thorough-
ly intact, without openings, all
water -tight bulkheads below the
water lino can hardly be overesti-
mated. Such openings should be
limited to absolute necessity and
should not be made, es is now the
case, as a matter of convenience.
The ship's force should be so or-
ganized, perhaps at the cost of a
fete additional men, as to do away
with the need for such a largo num-
ber of passageways. Such passage-
ways should be over the bulkhead.
instead of through it, even at the
cost of some inconvenience. Where:
means of immediate escape is neces-
sary, vertical escape trunks with
ladder rungs, similar to encased ole-
eater shafts, should be provided,
or else coal bunkers should be ntil-
ized by arranging separate vertical
escapes from the bunker.
10 1907 in to paper, "Structural
Developments in British Merchant
Ships," read before the Naval Ar-
chitect Society in London, J. Fos -
tor Bing, in referring to the double
shell and other superior qualities
of the Great Eastern, remarked t
, There seems to be no es-
cape from the conclusion that the
lessons to be derived from this
monument of successful structural
design (flit Clrvat gpitern) h ', not
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HOW TO TAME A BACK -BITER
TILE WAY FLEAS ABB TAUGIf'1:'
TO DRIVE MOTOR -CARS..
A Gentleman Writes of the Methods
Ile Adopted in Training
Them.''
Most people are aware from ex-
perience that fleas are able to per-
form, but when I tell my friends
that the training of the common or
household insect is a matter requite.
ing ability, sympathy, and illimita-
ble patience, I am always greeted
with ribald laughter, says a writer
in London Answers, There is some-
thing irresistibly comic in the idea
that a flea can perform any other
antics save biting and jumping. And
yet it is a scientific fact that the flea
is mightier than the horse, propor-
tionately, while many years' study
of his psychology .has convinced me
that his brain is as keen as that of
a monkey.
The harnessing of the embryo per-
former is an exceedingly delicate
operation. He has to be bound
round his waist with very fine gold
wire, and as the chain has to bo
tight enough to prevent his escape
and yet sufficiently slack to allow
him to indulge in his deep breathing
exercises, the difficulty will be ap-
preciated.
THAT JUMPING HABIT,
The first .step in the training pro-
per is to eradicate the jumping ha-
bit, and to give instruction in walk-
ing. This is done by guiding him
over a sheet of white paper. I plan
out my route, and insist upon his
traversing it with dignity. The in-
stant he jumps, Ps, I givesavage jerk
to his chain, and compel :him to
commence again from the starting
point.
It takes as a rule, several days
before the instinct to jump is com-
pletely conquered, but the time
varies considerably. Scotch fleas,
are habitually dour and difficult to
master, but they have great intelli-
gence, and become very willing
workers. I find the Yorkshire breed
quick and bright, but inclined to be
a. bit too tricky.
The only chap I completely failed
to break in came from Dublin. Try
as I would, I was rewarded by noth-
ing but disobedience, when I was
seized with a truly brilliant idea- I
erected a miniature lamp -post on
my show -ground, and tied him to it
at performance -times. Here he
vented his spleen in wild jumps and
gesticulations, to the great amuse-
mint of the spectators, who read the
tiny notice, "Votes for Women," at-
tached to the lamp -post.
SOME EXCLUSIVE EFFECTS.
But the flea is not a Marathon
runner, and his pace must be steel-
crated before he can appear with
distinction before the public. 1
make him walk across a plate held
over a small gas -,stove. As the heat
grows snore intense, lie starts hust-
ling to get off.. I allow him no short
cuts. however, but insist on the
straight road, which he takes at top-.
speed. If any sluggishness is sub-
sequently shown, the hot plate will
always effect a cure.
The theatre proper for displaying
the dusky liliputians consists simply
of a small table with white painted
top, but the "props" and acces-
series are genuine little models,
perfect examples of craftsmanship
in miniature construction, I make
all my own models, and create ex-
clusive "effects." My fleas drive
motors, fire off cannons, set wind-
mills in motion, draw water, ring
bells, etc.
To be perfectly truthful, I must
admit that most of the tricks are
clone merely by the fleas walking,
and by taking advantage of their
great strength; but. of course, dur-
ing my lectures I ass inclined some-
what to overstate their mental at-
tributes.
FEEDING TIME.
I feed my animals every night af-
ter the final performance by placing
then all on my bare arm.. When
they have had sufficient nourish-
ment, they fall off, contented and
tired, leaving tiny punctures where
they had dined. It is strange that
a free -tanto flea making war upoe.
me irritates sue beyond measure,
yet the evening meal •of try little
breadwinners causes me 00 incon-
venience whatever•. Their bed cors-
elets of a .well -ventilated box pad-
ded with cotton -wool.
Popular opinion regards myro-
fessios as rather a low-down ane,.
and my social standing is nob high,
but, then, great things come fram
small beginnings; athd who knows
hilt that the humble trainer, having
achieved considerable success with
fleas, might end a brilliant career
by subjugating elephants)
All men are born free and equal,
and each hes everything his own
way -until he is a year or two old,
Even` if a girl had sense enough
to snake her own dresses no man
would have sense enough to starry
her,
New Zealand honey, exoectling
100,000 pounds in weight, has been
imported into Great Britain during
the past final year,
•