The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-16

nov 0eaIing with the animals themselves
So amazingly well are they painted that
their hues are the very tInts Of nature.
For example. you can take frog in your
hand, pinch him and admire the beauty Of
his coloring, without being able TO dis
tinguish him from an actual batrachian
just killed.
The secret of this art, which is quite
new one. lies mainly in the composition
employed as a material. Its basis is glue.
The operator first takes the fish to be i'm
itated and makes plaster mold from it in
the ordinary fashion. Then he places a
wooden core inside the mold-a fat piece
OF plank of the same general shape serves
usually for the purpose, the object being
to give stiffness TO the finished resultant
pours into the mold the melted compost
ton. Eight or ten hours later the mold is
opened, and perfect counterpart of the
fish as TO shape is taken out So admir-
ably are all the details reproduced that
each scale is distinct. After the counter
felt has been hung up to dry for few
days, il is painted with oil colors in
manner as near to nature as possible.
fresh specimen not long out of water being
used for copy. This done, the thing is
finished. In the process of molding, stiff
fleming Is given to the fins and tail with
ordinary wire mosquito netting.
The fishes required for molding and
copying with colors are being sent TO
Washington as fast as required from the
various stations of the fish commission all
present are being obtained from Woods
Hoii. 1t may be that the experts will be
obliged to go themselves to Galveston, San
Francisco and elsewhere in order to Sc
cure fresh specimens from the Gulf,
Pacific and lake waters. Those
forwarded hither are wrapped IN
cloths as quickly as possible after being
~ nt ra1 in Pn a
Some superb bullfrogs have just arrived
from Southwest Missouri. They are two
feet in length. Turtles of every edible
variety will also be shown in the collec-
ton, including the various terrapins, the
snapper, the green turtle, and others. In
making models of them the shells and
beaks of the animals themselves are uti-
lized. About a dozen kinds of snakes
which are destructive to fishes will be rep
resented incidentally.
HOLSTERS, crabs, and other crustacea will
likewise be shown. Some giant crayhshes
nearly foot long have come in with the
big frogs from the Ozark region. There is
no reason why they should not be intro
duced very profitably In the fresh waters
all over the United States, ana it is not un-
likely that the fish commission will take
steps to accomplish this end. The crayfish
closely resembles the lobster in appearance.
its meat being much more delicate in
flavor. and it would be very nice indeed if
the streams and ponds in every state of
the Union could be stocked with this huge
species. which is very prolific and can be
made at home anywhere. An interesting
burrowing variety Of a small sort is very
plentiful on the Potomac meadow near
Washington City. 1t lives in holes
with bottle-shaped engagements at the
bottom, where the animal can usually be
found by digging. In the spring each one
hull a hftrr
six or eight inches high, composed of
Jumps of mud which it fetches and piles
ingeniously on top of one another in the
shape of dome closed at the top.
A certain woman of fashion, conspicu-
Gus in Washington society, whose infirm-
ity of temper has given rise to very inter-
esting gossip occasionally, figures in a
quaint little story that is at present going
the rounds.
a short time ago she was entertaining at
supper lady of her acquaintance, when it
CHANGED that there was placed upon the ta-
bic small pot of chocolate. The hostess
of the OCCASION is very fond of the beverage
in question, partaking of it every evening
of her life. Unfortunately, the servant had
neglected to make more than the usual
quantity, which was just about sufficient
for single cup. Accordingly, when the
guest was asked if she would have some,
she hesitated a moment and said no.
Whereupon her entertainer flushed with
anger at the contretemps and rising from
her seat, deliberately poured the contents
of the chocolate pot out of the window.
This was embarrassing for the lady en-
tertained, to say the least of it. OF course,
however, she pretended to take no notice.
merely glancing slvly at her host, who
made the third person at the repast, to see
if he evinced any consciousness respecting
the proceeding. But he only smiled
slightly beneath his mustache and made
no remark.
Presently he asked her if she would have
some chicken salad. of which big dish
full made the principal feature among the
viands.
II thank you. no." she replied. merely
because she had preference for something
else.
Immediately, as if it were quite matter
of course, the host picked up the chicken
salad and threw it dish and all out through
the window into the garden.
Its a way We have here" he remarked
calmly.
Nobody said anything for quite five
minutes afterward, but the extreme ami
ability exhibited by the hostess for the
rest of the evening led the visitor to i'm
agine that the lesson thus given after the
manner of Petruchio was not without a
certain domestic usefulness.
The eccentric lady referred to is promi-
nent in the management of the fashiona-
bic club for women which was organized
in this city last winter. 1t had long been
recognized that there was urgent need of
such an establishment for the comfort and
convenience of the gentler sex in Wash
lngton, where there are so many ladies
employed in the departments of the gov
eminent who have no homes save
such as clearinghouse supply. To
MI TINS want, 'Wimodaughsis'
the name being Cherokee and
slgnnying in-ali-her-reIations"
was started. However, it Immediately
fell into the control of the female suffrage
crowd, its very constitution declaring it a
sort OF refuge for every possible tpye of
crank in petticoats. The house OCCUPIED
by this peculiar organization on G street is
still rendered conspicuous by large and
tiaring sign, but a split which has occurred
on the question OF admitting colored
women to membership seems likely to
bring about the demolishment of the con-
Germ.
This was by no means the sort of club to
attract the fashionable women of Wash
ington, and so il came about that they got
up one of their own, which Is more excIu-
slve than . O'Clock kaffee-klatsch No
one can Join who has not received an inyi-
tatlon to do so from the board of govern
ors. All the SWEETEST girls belong. as we'll
as the matronS, though il was at first in
tended that the unmarried should he ex-
Guided. The initiation fee is SIS Tea il
served in the afternoons and an attempt
has been made TO inaugurate an easy
method of paying calls by leaving
cards in the members letter boxes.
In this waV an enormous Amount Of Iaho-