In 4 - lll S a 3 &\ Elbe Banner Weekly? W W Published every Saturday morning at nine o’clock. NEW YORK. MARCH 24, 1888. THE BANNER WEEKLY is sold by all Newsdealers in the United States and in the Canadian Dominion. Parties unable to obtain it from a newsdealer, or those preferring to have the paper sent direct, by mail. from the publication oflice, are supplied at the following rates: Terms to Subscribers, Postage Prepaid: One copy, four months . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.00 “ ‘ one year . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 3.00 Two copies, one year. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5.00 In all orders for subscriptions be careful to give address in full. State County and Town. The aper is always stopped. promptly, at expiration 0 sub— scription. Subscriptions can start with any late number. TAKE NOTICE. In sending money for subscription remit by Am. Express Money Order, Draft, P. 0. Order, or Registered Letter, these being the best forms of remittance. Losses will almost surely be avoided if these directions. are followed. Foreign subscriptions may be sent to our Euro ean agents. the INTERNATIONAL NEws COMPANY. 11 on- verie street (Fleet street), London, England. W All communications, subscriptions, and let- ters on business should be addressed to BEADLE AND ADAMS, PUBLISHERS. 98 WILLIAM ST., NEW YORK. [3‘ The stories appearing in. THE BANNER WEEKLYcan not be had in Library form. 33‘ New readers will please notify their news- dealer of their purpose to take THE BANNER WEEKLYregularly, so as to be sure of secur- ing it. Back numbers always on hand. Starts in No. 282. Old Hawk’s New Romance, Captain Glen, The FightingDetective. A story of the celebrated “Black Stars,” whose career is one of the most remarkable in the criminal annals Of the Great City. Many men occupying prominent positions in the courts, in business circles, lawyers, policemen and “gentlemen of leisure” were members of that powerful and most dangerous organization, whose combined Wickedness, Wrong and Wariness made them a secret terror to the best citizens, who alone seemed to be their prey. The author has had access to all the singular and novel his- tory of the case, and has used it in evolving this powerful work, which will be so full of real persons and events as to be Startling in Its Revelations. b As a romance it has in it, from the first, the double element of interest springing from the use which the conspirators made of a beautiful girl and the love that renders the noted detective a very Nemesis in his sleuthing down the gang, and exposing all Its Secret and Infernal Work. All in all, it is a story to command keen at- tention and excite remark, and as such will find an eager audience. learning liLExperience. BY WILL S. GIJDLEY. AT exactly ten minutes to twelve last Thurs- day a jaunty-looking young man sauntered up the brown-stone steps of a brown—stone front in West Thirty-fourth street and rung the bell. The jaunty-looking young man carried a grip- sack in his left hand, and when the lady of the house appeared on the scene he opened it (not the scene, but the gripsack) and drew forth an instrument looking something like a cross be- tween a toothpick and a carving—knife. “ Madam,” he began, with a downward gladnc?, “I see you are afflicted with bunions, an — That was as far as he got before the door slammed in his face, and it was slammed with no gentle hand at that. For a moment the jaunty-looking young man stood gazing about him in a bewildered sort of way, and then he beat a graceful retreat down the steps and proceeded to tackle the next house. Striding up the steps with the air of a con- quering hero on his triumphal way home from the scene of carnage. he rung the bell in a per- emptory tone of voice, as it were, and then im- patiently awaited the result. The result proved to be a two-hundred-pound female. She suddenly loomed up in the doorway and demanded: “ \Vell, sir; what do you want?” “ I—I—that is, I would like to show you one of my bunion—” u 111 “ Bunion-parers. You have bunions, I pre— sume, madam, and— - Slam! Once more the enterprising but inexperienced dispenser of bunion-parers had been left, both figuratively and literally—left on the outside of the door, in fact, while his intended victim re- mained intrenched behind it. Yet he was not wholly cast down and discour- aged. Not he. He slowly backed down the steps, then struck a dog-trot for the next stoop and cheerfully yanked the bell. The ring was answered by a vinegar-visaged female of pronounced angularity and uncertain years, and when the jaunty young man inquired if she was suffering from bunions, she ex- claimed: “ Bunions! How dare you insult a timid young lady by such insinuations? Bunions. in- deed! If you don’t skip down them steps pretty lively I’ll raise a bunion on your head so big you can’t get your hat onl Understand that?” He seemed to. Anyhow, he lost no time in placing the entire length of the steps between 'mself and the nitric-acid female. He passed on nearly half a block before his nerVe came to his rescue and carried him up an— other brownstone stoop. This time he rung the bell in a timid, half- hesitating sort of way, and when the lady came tothe door he glanced at her understandings. (which were No. 7’s, at least, and knobby as the front section of a bureau) and then suavely re- marked: “ Madam, I was about to call your attention to a patent bunion-parer that I am introducing in the best families, but I see there will be no use trying to sell one to you.” “ Vi —why?” she stamrnered,blushing1y. “ Because a woman with such shapely feet as yours has no need of a bunion—parer.” “La, me! How observing you men are,” she simpered. “ But couldn’t I use it for something else—peelin g potatoes or something?" “ I presume you could. madam. Now that you s eak of it. they make first-class potato-parers. ill one be enough? All right. there’s your change; much obliged, madam; and if I was in your place I’d take the label off from it or keep it out of sight when I wasn’t paring bun—that is, potatoes with it. There is my card, madam, and any time it gets out of order or on want another you can send me word. Ood-day, madam.” - And the jaunt young man gracefully lifted his hat and bac ed d0wn the steps. and as he passed on from house to house his patent bunion— parers went off like hot cakes. Fifteen minutes’ experience had taught him the way to the feminine heart—and pocketbook. Happy-Go-flcly Papers. My Experience as Cashier. DEAR BANNER:— I used to think that paying tellers, cashiers, ticket-agents and Officia s of that class had an easy time of it. But I realize now that this was a large sized delusron on my part. I haVe [Nell posing as cashier in a railroad office for the past few days, and eVery time I look in the glass now it seems as if I had grown a week older. N. B.—I only get a chance to inter'viewa mirror about once a week,anyhow. now, so perhaps there is nothing strange about this. Take to—day, for instance: ' Came down to the office at 7:30. Found six men, two women, a small boy and a dog waiting for me. All had bills to pay except the dog, and he came along as company for the small boy. Opened my wmriow and the hooks and sent the crowd away happy, with rcceipted bills in their hands, to search for their goods. Picked up the morning paper and began read— ing about an exerting runaway in Central Park. Had just got to the point where the horse strikes a 2.16 gait and the frightened maiden in the carriage is fracturing the atmosphere with her wild shrieks for help, when a man with red side- whiskers and a blue woolen comforter around his neck, presented himself in front of the win- dow and inquired: “ Have ye nry a bill inside there fur Owney McGoogin? It’s from Tarrytown it’s comin’, a bar’l of praties his uncle Sent him on his wife’s side fur a St. Patrick’s Day present.” “ Yes, sir, the bill is here. Twenty-five cents charge, please.” “ Phwat fur. I dunno? Sure an’ Owney said the charges were all paid before his uncle iver thought of sindin’ the bar’l at all.” “ Can’t help it. The bill reads twenty-five cents collect." “ An’ I can’t git the bar’l without payin’ the quarter?" “ Not if the railroad company knows it.” That settles it—or rather the cartman does after growling around a few minutes. and then goes off in pursuit of his consignment of “pra- ties.” Next dawns on the scenea business-like female (and of all afflictions that haunt the cashier’s pathway spare us from such as this) who wishes to know if the railroad company has any ad— vices of a sewing-machlne from South Haddam, consigned to Mrs. Jackson. Tell her I’ll hunt the matter up. Carefully search through the J’s, but bill fails to materialize. Ask her if she is sure the machine has been shipped. Oh, yes. She was out to South Haddam last summer and a lady friend of hers told her she would send her the machine soon as she got a new one, which she expected to buy the first of March sure. Asked her if the lady in question had written her that the machine had been forwarded. Well, no: not that she knew of; she might have written and the letter might have miscarried. But it was n0w_the 10th of March, and the machine must be in the city by this time unless some one had made away with it. ' And the business—like female glared through my window as if she more than half—suspected me of having the sewing-machine concealed in the office safe. Asked her if she didn’t think it would be a good plan to write her feminine friend at South Haddam, wherever that is, and ascertain whether the sewing-machine had been shipped before she made any further attempts to com- pel the long-sufl‘ering railroad company to dis- gorge such an article. Female went off in a high state of indignation to report me to the man who owns the road. That’s all the thanks I got for my suggestion. No use trying to help Some folks along through the world—especially a woman on the war-path, with a prospective sewing-machine in one eye and gore in the other. Receipted sixteen more bills, counted the cash and stowed it away, then picked up the paper once more and started in pursuit of the run- away steed. Just reached the interesting part of the story again, when a truck—driver who had paid a bill a few minutes before came back to the window of my private boudoir, shoved the bill through the aperture and shouted: “Where in blankety blank did you say this freight was?” “ Down on the platform, I presume.” “ Not by a thundering sight it ain’t.” “ Well, it ought to be.” “ Iwknow blanked well it orter be; but it ain’t. Sa '! A Well?” “ Are you goin’ to pay me this money back, or what are you goin’ to do about it?” “ Can’t refund money after a bill has been paid. It’s against the rules. If you have a claim to make, present it to the eneral office.” “ General office be hanged! f you’ll step outside of your coop :1, minute, you wall—eyed gaéoot, I’ll take the worth of the bill out of your i e!’ Declined to come forth, and the belligerent truckman finally went off swearing that he “ would have the goods that bill called for if he had to bu’st open every freight-car between here and Chicago.” Hasn’t showed up since, so I don’t know how he succeeded. Just got started in on the runaway episode again when a tall, tired-looking gentleman leaned up against the window, favored me with a whiff of anti—prohibition breath, and solemnly inquired : “ Shay. mister, whash yer damages?” Told him I wasn’t aware he had done any damage yet. but he was liable to if he didn’t re- form. Tired-looking gentleman partially braced up and passed in another sample of illicit distil- lerv breath. with the remark: ‘1 I don’want non’ yer darn nonsense. Got er hill fer me or hain‘t yer? Thash all I wanter know!” “ Name, please?” “ Whash that to you? Shay, young feller, y’wanter look out or y’ll get ’ported to head , quarters fer y‘r ’mpert’nence l" And the weary gentleman. after several at— tempts, straightened up and walked dignifiedly away. Presume he has reported me to “ head- quarters ” by this time, if he didn’t stop to get another drink en route and forgetwhat he start- ed after. En route is a railroad term that I have picked up already during my brief career as cashier: the officials of the road say as long as I don’t pick up anything else, it is all right. After the weary citizen had followed his breath down-stairs, I hunted up the morning paper again and endeavored to make up for lost time. Found the article about the runaway and started in at Chapter I once more. Skimmed along till I reached the point where the young lady rises up in the carriage and shrieks for help, and a young man is about to spring to the rescue, when fourteen truckmen, six or eight expressmen, four messenger-boys and a string of other customers came along and kept me busy for two hours and a half handing out bills, raking in specie and answering ques- tions. To cap it all a Bashi—Bszouk or some other kind of a foreigner came in at four o’clock, just after the daily rush of regular customers was over, and I have been busy ever since, (it Is now 6:30) trying to find out whether he wants to pay a freight bill or merely borrow a dollar till he learns how to speak the United States lan- gungc. I’m going to shut up the safe nOW, get an in- terpreter to ask the Bashi—Bazouk to excuse me till morning, and then I am going home and lock myself up 111 rny room with the morning paper and find out what became of that young woman if it takes all night. But. anyhOW, it’s fun to be cashier. If you don’t believe it just try it. Yours full of business, NOAH NUFF. Notes and Notices. WE have had of late a number of pOems from Mr. Mark IVilton Lquins (which, we presume, is a fictitious name). How much credit is due to Mr. Larkins for his literary success We might not have been able to indicate had it not been for the follownig note, which comes from Miss Abbie C. McKeever. a well-known contributor: “ I see in your last issue, No. 275, a pOem called ‘Memories ’ by Mark Wilton Larkins, and as it hap- pens to be. mine and Mole/1.1 could not resist the tempra'ion to tell you. I send a scrap orit torn from an old scrap-book of my Own contributions. About six month 21 o I sent it to the Chicago Lul- qer and it was pu “~th on first page in it as 'Memories.’ There is where I presume the bright a d ingenious Mr. Larkins saw it -as this I send ap- peared ten wars ago in some paper of that time. I‘m not much of a pOet. but what few rhymes I do get off I don‘tlike appropriated in this style.” We guess Mr. Larkius has been on a literary lark quite long enough, and advise him to paste this note in his hat as a reminder of the quality of the brain which that hat covers; and if Lar— kins is his real name, we suggest that it at once be changed to Steel. Personalities. THE Empress of Austria, having been forced to give. up hunting, has taken up fencing for ex— ercise. A BUFFALO man named Peter Jones, not lik- ing the afi‘ix junior, had his infant son christened Repctcr. A NEW ENGLAND church fair had as its prime attraction two side shOws, in one of which two young women were seen sawing wood, and in the other two young men piecing patchwork. PRINCE WILLIAM of Prussia’s twenty-ninth birthday was on Jan. 27, and the Kaiser’s gift was a colonel’s commission in the Hussars and the command of the Second Infantry Brigade, with rank of Major-General. A YOUNG man in Davenport, 13., a drug- clerk, is well off for grandparents. His present supply is nine: two greatgreat-grandfathers, three great—great-grandmothers, two grand- fathers, and two grandmothers. THOMAS MURPHY, of Enfleld. N. H., ninety- nine years Old. is a bachelor. He lives all alone in a fine farm-house, which he keeps as neat as a pin. He does his own cooking and makes bread that would be the pride of any woman housekeeper. He has a horse that is forty-one years of age. THE Queen of the qusies was lately crowned at Fort George, D. ., twenty miles below Pierre. on the Sioux Reservation. The Queen is Mrs. Douglas Carlin, the intelligent Indian princess, recently married to a white man. The Queen wasloaded down with presents, and looked as pretty as a picture. A UNIQUE election recently occurred in a small community in Germany. The vote was taken to decide who was the “ best man ” in the commu- nity. Only one man, a shoemaker, voted, and as he voted for himself, he was declared to be unanimously elected to the position of best man in the municipality. FOR several years one of the Nashville Peni- tentiary convicts has employed odd moments in making a large frame for cabinet photographs. It is made of beautifully-carved wood and only with the aid of a pocket-knife. In this frame, which is elaborate in design, there are 20,374 distinct pieces, each being neatly fitted and dove— tailed into the other. A GREAT many people in Paris make as much as $10 a ni ht as “knot—makers” or “tiers of cravats.” uring the social season the good “knot-maker ” jumps into the cab at about six o’clock in the evening and is whirled to his cus- tomers, whose cravats he ties according to the prevailing mode. For two minutes’ work he re- ceives from forty cents to a dollar. A MISSOURI farmer recently learned that the Grand Jury was about to indict him for working on Sunday. He didn’t try to evade the charge, but on the contraryhad his four sons summoned as witnesses against him. He was fined 81 and costs,a total of $5. But as the mileage and wit~ ness fees of his sons amounted to $10.40, the family cleared $5.40 on the transaction. THOSE who have recently seen General Ben Butler declare the current stories of his decrep- itude to be untrue. He is seventy years older than he was at the time of his birth in 1818, and the trying winter weather of Boston has its ef- fect upon his joints, but his mental powers are in their full strength, and he looks as though he could yet enjoy many years of active life. IN a recent issue of a Kentucky country per is found the following item: “ Widow and ed- ding—John Hanks was married on Wednesday, the 23d inst., to MiSS Sarah Follis. The groom is aged 50, the bride 22. Our last issue contain- ed a notice of the death of the wife of John Hanks, which occurred on the 11th ind)" and it was lack of enterprise on the art of the News, and not on the part of Mr. anks, that pre- vented the same paper containing a notice of his marriage.” MADRID boasts of a woman one hundred and nine years old, with a daughter aged sixty, whom she takes out to walk every day. leading her by the hand. All of her life she has been a washerwoman, and only two years ago went with the rest of her craft to wash a basketful of linen at the river-edge. The astonishing thing is that she has always lived in one of the dirti- est streets in the city—a very dirty street in a Spanish city is a terror—and the sanitary ex~ ports are consequently in great despair at the failure of their theories. THE Dempsey Clarke Institute, a school for colored pupils. opened a few days ago in Hawk- insville, Ga. Dempsey Clarke. for whom it was named, years ago was sold as a slave on the block by the sheriff at the court-house door in Hawkinsville. He ran away from his new mas- ter, took to the swamps, and for years lived as a runaway slave. He was at length captured by dogs, but again ran away. His owner sold him While he was still in the woods. Dempsey was pleased with his new owner, and became his most trusty servant. After the war he became a landowner, prospered. and is n0w one of the‘ most prominent [planters of Houston county, and his liberal gifts have resulted in the new school. A “ PROMINENT” citizen of Beaufort, S. C., with more obstinacy than self-re. ect, met a big colored woman on a narrow wal as he was going home to dinner. One must turn back or step into deep mud. Neither would give way, but both stood their ground for awhile. and then the man sent for a chair and sat down. The woman sent for a chair and her knitting- work and planted herself in front of the prom— inent citizen. He in turn sent for a table and a dinner from a neighboring restaurant and ate heartily, surrounded by a big crowd that had assembled to see the curious contest. After he finished he told the woman that he no longer wanted to go in that direction, but was oing back to his office. and thereupon turned ack, followed by the triumphant negress. Wine of the Wits. THE OLD MAN’S ASSISTANCE. “REMEMBER. my boy,” said Uncle James, as he gave Bobby acoin, “that if you take care of the pennies the dollars Will take care of themselves.” Bobby looked a trifle dubious. “ I do take care of the pennies,” he replied, “ but as soon as they get to be dollars pa takes care of ’em.” A LUCKY DOG. “ PAPA.” said a beautiful girl, “ I found sev- eral cigars scattered about the front yard this morning. Did you drop them?” “ No, they don’t belong to me,” responded the old man. ‘Shortly after young Sampson left you last night I thought I heard anoise outside, and I shouldn’t be surprised if Nero had been shaking him for the cigars. Evidently the dog won.” WELL UP IN GRAMMAR. PRETTY SCHOOL TEACHER—“ James, is ‘ to kiss ’ an active or passive verb?” James (oldest boy in the class)—“ Both.” Pretty School Teacher — " How is that, J ames?" J limes—“Active on the part of the feller and passive on the part of the girl.” Pretty School Teacher blushes and marks James “ perfect ” in grammar. WOULDN’T WORK. WOMAN (to Elevated Road ticket-seller)~— “ Here’s a bad quarter ye gave me last week, an’ I want a good one fer it or I’ll report ye.” Ticket Seller—“Are you sure I gave it to you?” Woman—“ Sure, is it? I would know that wart on yer chin if I saw it in Chiny.” Ticket Ssller—N Well, am sorry, madam, but I only began work this morning.” SU RE PROOF. “ GEORGE, dear.” said Naomi, “ I am afraid you are too industrious in your efforts to win enough money to obtain papa's consent. Your health will break under it." . “ Too industrious? Why, I don’t work very hard.” “ Oh, yes, you do.” “ How do you know?” “ Why, I heard papa say to—day that you were carrying an awful load last night.”-—Lin- 00172 Journal. POOR DOOD! SHE was very stout, very jolly, and a little sarcastic, and she was chiding Mr. De Dood for not speaking to her at a. reception the day be— fore. “ Aw, Miss Laura,” he pleaded, “ I wanted to, but you wouldn’t reco ize me. Really, don’t you know. I walked a] around you. but you wouldn’t see me.” “Clear around me. Mr. De Dood?" she said, sympathetically. “ HOW tired it must have made you l”— W’ashington Critic. TIME’S CHANGES. GOOD CITIZEN (bed—time, 1788)—“ Have you left the latch—string out?” Wife—“ Yes, my dear.” “ And placed a candle in the window?” “ Yes.” “ Let us pray.” THE WAY NOW. Goon CITIZEN—“ Are all the doors and win— dows locked?” IVife—“ Yes, my dear.” “ And the burglar alarm set?” “ It looks all right.” “ And the dogs untied i” H Yes. 7, “ Is my Winchester under the bolster and a revolver under each pillow?” “ Of course, dear.” “ Let us pray.”—Omaha World. PURELY FOR ROMANTIC REASONS. SHE—“ Mr. Qualkcharry, do you ever rise in the morning early enough to see the gorgeous sunrise? I can imagine nothing more beautiful than that. The olden glow falls upon the earth so softly an loving , the heavens smile in unison, and all nature seems to wake and re- joice.” - “ Yes, it’s very nice.” “ Do you see the sunrise often ?” “ Every morning. You see, I have to get my milk wagons started before six o’clock.’ —Lin- coln Journal. A ICINTUCKIAN UPSET. OMAHA MAN—“ Think you have made a big discovery, eh ?” Kentucky Man—“Greatest thing on earth. I’m on the verge of an invention to extract vegetable food directly out of the earth and in any shape desired. I’ll be selling manufactured potatoes at twenty cents a bushel. What do you think of it?” “ That reminds me. A friend of mine who isa chemist thinks he can make alcohol from natural gas, give it a ten-year—old flavor and sell it for five cents a gallon.” “Just my luck. Nobody will want potatoes now.”—0maha World. A BILIOUS OUTLOOK. A PROMINENT ex—member of the Texas Legis- lature, who is simultaneously a chronic inebri- ate, enfered the office of an Austin doctor, who is remarkable for his candor. “ What can I do for you today. colonel?” “ I’m suffering from biliousness.” “ Yes, you look bilious.” “ What would you advise me to do for it, doc— tor?’ “ Quit drinking whisky.” “ But if I quit ’ll collapse right off.” “Certainly.” “ Well, then, it don’t seem to me that it makes much difference what I do. If I keep on drinking I’ll be bilious as long as I live, and if I quit I’ll be bilious until I die. If that isn’t a bilious outlook for me, I’ll give it up.”—Texas Siftings. THE LOT ON TOP. “ SEE here, sir.” Said a man to a Dakota real- estate agent: “ you know that lot you sold me for $50 last fall?” (t 9‘ “ Well, I find you’ve just sold the same lot to an Eastern speculator—just saw the records— warrauty deed, consideration $500. What do you mean by selling my lot?” “ Isn’t your lot under twenty feet of snow?” “ Well, yes; from twenty to twenty-five.” “ Well, this lot l’ve sold to the New-England man is on top. When the snow thaws in June you just go ahead and take possession of your lot and tell the Boston man that his lot has melted and run into the Gulf of Mexico. Oh, there’s more than one way to skin an Eastern capitalist besides holding over him in draw- poker.”—F red Carruth in Chicago Tribune. A CHICAGO LADY ASSERTS HERSELF. HE was a gay youn man and she was the new waiter-girl. He Topped into a seat and hung his hat on a wire underneath his chair, while she tossed a bill of fare in front of him and smoothed out her apron. When he glanced up he noticed that auburn ringlets clustered about her classic brow. But he failed to notice that her jaws were square: that there was a double tier of freckles down her nose, and that her eyebrows grew together. The gay young man smiled softly and said: “A small steak, cup of cofiee, and fried potatoes. And, say, bring me some white horse radish, too.” The new waiter-girl smiled cynically when the cashier docked her seven cents for the wrecked sugar—bowl and remarked: “You bet there can’t no small-steak dood work the white-horse racket on me. My hair may be red, but I’m a lady.”—Chicago News. Correspondpms’ Column. [This column is open to all correspondents. In- quiries answered as fully and as promptly as cir- cumstances will permit. Contributions not entered as “declined” may be considered accepted. No MSS. returned. unless stamps are incloseo.l Declined: “The Ten-Spot‘s Luckz“ “The Road- Raider‘s Hand;" “ Fame to HrrVowz" "A Treas- ure on Wheels;” “The Majorecambusz" “A Rose on a Rock;" " Highway Hankz“ “Four or Five— Which?“ “An En oyable Nuisance:” “Speaking Choctaw:” “The .ett~r Bag Spea ks;" "A Host in Himself';” “ Tin-Kettle Tom;“ “ The Worst Case Ever Known;" “ A Trapper’s Queer Catchz“ “ Bad News From the Gulch ;" “ Counting Up the Cost." DR. B. Will not permit any “ingenious advertise- ment " in a sketch. BaAvo. Cannot. sa presume it is a swmd e. D. N. D Mr. S. S. Cox’s present address is House of Rep” Washington, D. C. Miss L. K. Write to Jenny June for advice as to learning dressmaker‘s trade. FRED. Have sent you list giving terms. viz.: 24 Half-Dime Library Novels for 81.00, or 40 for $1.50 LIGHT HEAD. Learn a trade—learn a trade— learn a trade. These are the “ three things we most advise ” for you to do. WILMINGTON. Littlewood has been in several races. You do not specify which. For his record see N. Y. Clipper Almanac for 1888. SIGNAL Boy. The Government Code of Signals is a printed book. It is sold in some book-stores. or can be had by applying to the Secretary of Navy, Washington, D. C. BIG CHEEII. Feb.535tb,1866. “as Sunday.-A DIME LIBRARY contains from 75 to 82 000 words. -— The sum you name is very modest for a story of 25 000 words.— Can‘t say anything about mining in Alaska. MRS. GRANNIS. it seems to us your husband is clearly entitled to apension. Has he no friend in the G. A. R. who can take the matter in hand? At least you can apply to the Pension Agency. 398 Canal street. N. Y. City. I. F. D. The publishers do receive postage stamps, if in good orner, for the “Dime Library,” and “Half-Dime Library.”——Jos. E. Badger Jr’s. last novel, “ l‘he Thorough-bred Sport.” is “Dime Library " No. 488 CELLA. You could not sign your name Emma Smith. (laughter of John Smith, if you are not his daughter. As for the changing of the name. that can be accomplished by obtaining an order to that effect from the Supreme Court. GRAND UNION. Brooklyn. it is stated. has 338 churches—The Brooklyn Theater was destnyed by fire on the night of Tuesday. December 5, 1876; the funeral of the victims took place on Saturday, and public serVices were held on Sunday. JONATHAN SPIKE. See any good mythologic dic- tionary for the full storv of lxion, then you will see the force of the illustration. lxion we 5, by or ‘erof Jupiter. bonrd to a wheel in Hades. which continu— ally Whirled around—the punishment therefore be- ing endless. E. E. A. As your note was written on the last page of your pOem it was overlooked. If a note is worth the writing give it on its own sheet or half- sheet of paper. And, we. be sure to so number and inscribe your manuscript pages that parts of one poem wil not be, by mistake, attached to an- other. KATE. You can purchase the lenses of any 0p- tician or dealer in scientific apparatus—We do not uite understand what you mean bv a “mixture ” t at will “transfer printed pictures, ‘ etc. Ask any photographic artist for information. If you mean a colorless gum or glue he will give you the process or method of use. G. B SPORT. You cannot “ get fat on sweet oil " very well. if you are one, of the lean kind feed on farinaccous food, sweets and milk; avoid acids, spirits and strong tea and coffee: eat and sleep at regular hours. and if you are not inveterately maci- lent you will. in six months’ time. make fat on your tissues and round out to good proportions. FLORILLA says: “ Is thereany harm, do on think in my sending some flowers to a gent eman ac- quaintance upon his twenty-first birthday? We are merely good friends." Certainly no harm in such a pretty attention. Send him the flowers, by all means. with your visiting card attached. and “ Con- gratulations" or “Many Happy Returns of the Day ” written upon it. OSCAR A. The " cuniform writing " is an ancient written form of inscription used by eastern nations —notably the Persians and Assyrians. It isa wedge- shaped character. which, b various combinations was made to represent a wi e range of ideas. In- deed. the Chinese written language now in use is a similiar combination of one simple form and prob- ably both had one origin. J. H. B. A gentleman is always at liberty to be polite to a lady. If the sisters have no escort itis a very gentlemanly act to provide the escort. or if you yourself can " do the agreeable," it would be a duly so to do. If one of the sisters is engaged she ought to explain to you why her betrothed does not go with her. but you have no right to ask her the uestion.-— We do not know the address of the pub- ] cation named. BREEZE. The horse Ten Brocck ran a mile in 1:39;; at Louisville. Ky.. May 24,1877—the fastest ever made—Silver is worth only what it is worth in commerce. now about 52 “ nce " per ounce. or 75 cents for our standard do lar. That is all this dollar is intrinsically worth. and no power of Con- gress can make it otherwise. The common usage of the world makes the value of silver and gold—— not any edict of any Government. MRS. BIBTRAND G. We know of no better way for you than to send for Demorest‘s attern sheet. Our so~called “fashionable dressma ers “seem to have exercised unlimited ingenuity in producing nondescript garments that are graceful to look at. but which fashion chronicles find it fearfully hard to classify and arrange. And no written descrip- tion of dresses, that would be understood, can be penned of the combination suits and the street cos- tumes of various kinds SANDS. The N. Y. Associated Press is composed of the Times. Harold. Tribune. Sun. World, Journal of Commerce: and Mail and Erprcss—seven papers. These have an entire monopoly of the great news agenc . Any other papers obtaining the general news ispatches must take them at the Associated Press’s own terms. You cannot, therefore, start such a paper as you indicate without much capital and a deal of hard labor. Better try making thrash- ing-machines or go hunting for natural gas, ESTHER A. writes: “ Please tell a young lady of sixteen whether there is any impropriety in corres- ponding with a gentleman who attends the same academy? And if the gentleman asks the lady to spend a few days at his home during the vacation, is there any harm in her going?" If you are still attending school you had better not allow your time and attention to be occupied by correspondence. Your acceptance of the entlenian’s invrtation should depend upon the wis es of your parents or guardians. MISS E. S. E. The word "reverence" occurs in the Bible fifteen times —the first in Leviticus xix. 20.-The longest Bible verse is Esther viii. 9——the shortest John xi. 35.-—Eitber expression is correct -—-“flrmer" or “more firm.” The most becoming color for a young lady with red hair and flush-face is no strorg contrast. for that would only highten the effect of the red. Use bmwns and gray S. but no yellow. green, blue or lilac.—The discrepancy of ages is not “too great for perfect happiness.“ Many a man at fifty is younger in health and spirit than others at fort ; your age being thirty-one there is no especial 'sparity as to ages. HABBEBTON Any good political history would have instructed you. Washington wasa Federalist. So was John Adams. Jefferson was a then “Repub- lican.” and in full sympathy with the French revo- lutionists, who were also called Republicans. The word Democrat was not fully adopted until about 1820. when the Whig party, as the successor of the Federalists, became a great political factor, and elected John Quinc Adams President in 1825. The Jefl'erson (or Repub ican) party held the Presi- dency from 1801 to 1825, and resumed the Presidency in 1829 to 1841, when Harrison was elected as a Whig. but again the Democrats were in with Polk in 1845; then Zack Taylor. as a Whig. was elected, but his successor was Pierce, Democrat. 1853. and Buchanan, Democrat. in 1857. So it is true that down to the war for the Union the Democrats had been in power forty-eight years out of Sixty. —DELLA G. We have said before. and we repeat for your benefit. that it is impolite to make one invita- tion card to any entertainment do duty for a whole family. One is sent to the heads of the house. and one to each son and daughter who is in society and whom you desire to invite. In other words, if you are about to give a party and wish to ask the Joneses. father and mother. two sons and three daughters. you must send six notes of invitation to that family. Especially should this rule be carefully observed in sending out wedding-cards, as the young couple are then choosing such ac- quaintances as they hope to continue on friendly terms with after marriage, and must make it quite clear to whom they show this honor. Cards sent to the Misses Smith, when there are five sis- ters, is such a very careless and indefinite way of as to the firm named, but bestowing an invitation that none of the five could . properly respond to it. ,_ , _,_ A. _ —;-.->.~,.,....,.._ w—~» .. ___._.. .. Av. Aumwrw. _._ ; ,«N r» Ufa-u» 4:. n “A aw, .,. .