Fred Fearnot's Revenge, or Defeating a Congressman

GOOD READING

For the first time since the Civil War the enlisting strength of the Navy has passed the 50,000 mark, the total now being 50,163. This is a net gain since July 1 of 2,068. Officials said it was expected the maximum strength of 51,500 would be reached shortly.

The Geological Survey reports the world's output of platinum for 1912 as 314,751 troy ounces, of which Russia contributed 300,000 ounces and Colombia 12,000 ounces. In the United States 721 ounces were produced, while the imports into this country aggregated $4,053,682 in value in the same period. Platinum is now worth $46 an ounce, against $20 five years ago.

At Munich, Bavaria, they have been experimenting with carp as purifiers of water supply. These fish eat many microbes and grow fat on impurities. Dr. Hofer demonstrates that carp thrive in polluted water. Fish weighing one pound were placed in August, in ponds into which the sewers of the city pour, and in November they had grown to three pounds' weight. Dr. Hofer asserts that carp so fed may be eaten safely, for they do not eat the poisons, but the microbes that produce these poisons; while cooking guarantees their flesh against any possibility of carrying infection.

What the manager of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Baker, Ore., says is the longest long distance message ever sent from Oregon, was sent by Frank Swayne, a young Baker business man, who talked for eleven minutes to Orange, Cal., thirty miles south of Los Angeles. The distance by wire was 1,658 miles. The bill amounted to $27.50, and this Mr. Swayne paid with a smile, declaring that he was more than repaid by the use of the wire and saying that he had made many times the cost of the message, which he would otherwise have lost by not being able to negotiate his business deal by word of mouth.

Harry P. Stagg, a chauffeur, of No. 89 Graham avenue, Paterson, N. J., leaped into the Passaic River from his auto truck as it was crossing the West street bridge the other day and rescued Harold Reese, a seven-year-old lad, living at No. 34 Clark street. The lad had gone down twice, and in another minute would have drowned. The boy was playing with lads of his own age on Island Market, a small strip of land in the Passaic River, when he went overboard. His companions yelled for help, and Stagg, who was crossing the West street bridge on his motor truck, heard him. He took in the situation at a glance, and without waiting to throw off his coat or shoes he leaped from the seat of his auto into the river.

Two new fuel ships, the Kanawha and the Maumee, are now under construction for the United States Navy. The former will have two three-cylinder triple- expansion engines of 2,600 horsepower each, and is being constructed at a private yard. The latter, however, will be propelled by two Nurnberg Diesel engines of approximately the same power as the steam engines in the sister ship. Although the hull of the Maumee will be constructed at the Mare Island Navy Yard, the engines will be built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from plans purchased abroad, and will be shipped to the Pacific coast. These two ships, says Power, will afford an excellent opportunity for determining the relative merits of oil and steam engines under like conditions.

The feasts that now take place at the close of the harvest season in England are small affairs compared with the old-fashioned harvest suppers held formerly. In some of the northern counties the farmers would give churns of cream, and it was served out in cups to the laborers. Nowadays a glass of ale or cider is the substitute for the old time feast. In some parts of the north of Ireland the ancient custom still lingers as "the churn supper." A very old custom is the baking of a large cake by the farmer's wife. This is cut up and served out to every one, including children, accompanying the "horkey cart" into the farmyard. The "horkey cart" was the cart on which the last load of the season was drawn to the farm.

It has just become known that Quarterback Nicholls, of the Naval Academy team, was handed a telegram just before the Army-Navy football game in New York which stated that his father was very ill. The telegram requested Nicholls to start for home immediately. Certain things in connection with the telegram made Nicholls doubt its authenticity and he played through the game. Still he was uneasy until he received word after the game that nothing was wrong with his father. The Naval Academy authorities are investigating the matter thoroughly. It is hoped that a mistake was made, but there are some who think that some one who had taken the Army side in the betting wished to disconcert the Navy general. No one thinks that any of the Army people had anything to do with the affair.

Two white Esquimau dogs belonging to Ed Reinhardt, a farmer near Medicine Lodge, Kan., gave chase to a rabbit some weeks ago. The animal ran into a skunk hole, hoping to escape capture. The dogs, undaunted at this, dug in after it. After getting in some distance the earth behind them caved in and they were buried, with no room to turn about to escape and with a very little hole for air. Mr. Reinhardt soon noticed their absence and concluded that they had been stolen. After sixteen days had elapsed and he was out hunting skunks he noticed that his remaining dogs went to a hole and began to dig. Thinking that they were after a skunk, he took his spade and began digging. Imagine his surprise when he unearthed his two pets. They had succeeded in catching the rabbit and their total sustenance for the sixteen days had been its carcass.