Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-05-02

the China and Eastern seas, and will
give Important naval advantage to
the country that possesses 1t. France
has interests in those regions. and
may have something to say about
the transfer, and perhaps other coun-
tries will be interested In the discus
sion. But japan has earned 1t; IT IL
important to her. and she will prob
ably get 1t.
The great battleship Indiana. which
has cost the government over So, $780,
600. IL nearly In trim to leave the
ways, but In all our navy yards and
splendid harbors there is no drydock
that can foat the new vessel. II
anything should happen to the
bottom of the Indiana it would be
necessary to take her elsewhere or
else drop anchor and allow the ships
sides to gather barnacles while the
half completed docks at the Brooklyn
navy yard. at Port Royal and at Port
Orchard are being finished. The last
named will probably be ready for use
within year. and each Of those now
in process of construction will be
able to float the Indiana or any one
of the monsters in the new feet.
Following the launching OF the Indi-
ana, it is expected that the Massa-
chusetts, Iowa and Oregon, BATTLE
ships of nearly the same size and
cost, will speedily be completed and
set afoet. and then the need OF more
capacious docks will be imperative.
The three which are being built are
of timber, it is surprising to learn,
and the reason is to be found in the
fact that the stone docks are easily
disjointed by the action of the frost,
while the timber docks are more en-
during and less expensive. The con-
struction of timber docks, however,
requires thorough workmanship and
not little experience on the part Of
the contractor. One which was at
tempted at Portland, Ore, and which
swallowed up $24O, 600 without dis
gorging penny in profits, was finally
abandoned, and remains to-day
costly ruin. 1t leaks like a sieve. and
is in no way fit for the purpose for
which it was designed.
The Neighborhood Club which has
been organized recently at Newton,
Mass, will be watched with interest,
for it promises to supply q social
want without infringing upon the
privileges and duties OF home life.
It's plan is to bring together con
siderable number of families, includ-
ing men, women and children, and
to provide evenings Of social plea
sure for their common enjoyment. 1t
is not proposed to allow church and
party lines or social caste to keep out
any respectable family, and no ac-
complishment in literature or art is
required for membership. The meet
ings are made as informal rs posi-
BILE, and mutual acquaintance and
friendship are promoted. The bust
ness man who joins such club has
q place where he and his wife and his
grown children may meet the fami-
lies who live in the neighborhood,
without going to the trouble and ex-
pense Of special reception or dinner
with the attending annoyances. The
average resident in the suburb does
not desire to entertain all his neigh
bors in his house many times during
the winter, although he is usually
glad to meet these neighbors. 1t is
inst in that connection that the
Neighborhood Club proves useful and
convenient. Among the enthusiastic
advocates OF this new social move
ment is DR.. Edward Eggleston, who
takes the ground that the highest in
tellectual satisfaction is to be de-
rived in assemblies in which men
and women come together. If a
gathering is made up wholly of men
there is apt to be a lack Of restraint
that wars against the best mental
results. If women meet by them
selves, they grow opinionated. But
the meeting of men and women to-
gether at Neighborhood Club is
subject to none of.these objections.