The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-09

strenuous efforts to regain her Old place,
but, although she has strcng influence,
she is apparently making no headway.
There is any number of queer times
in tariff bill. Who can tell ut first
thought, or after day of careful study
for that matter, anything about pulu or
divi-diyi or styrax or calamine or indi-
um or osmium
All of which is preliminary to q
story which Il veteran member of con-
gress told the other day. 1t seems that
for number of years there was in the
tariff laws duty of 60 per cent nd va
loren imposed upon ''alkakange. -
There it stood, i'll all its glory, duly as
sessed, resisting all efforts to place it
either on the free list or to reduce the
duty. When Judge Kelley of Pennsyl-
wanna was the chairman of tho commit
tee on ways and means, some tariff
items had to be revised, and the sug-
gestion was again made that perhaps n
duty Of 80 per cent upon "alkakange"
would be, sufficient. But all the men,
bers of the committee stood up in ear
nest protest.
What is 'alkakange' anyhow?'' ask
ed Democratic member.
Tho idea of any one asking that
question: exclaimed Judge Kelley, and
all his colleagues raised their hands in
holy horror at such ignorance.
Couldn't Find It Anywhere.
The Democratic free trader sent for
an unabridged dictionary, and, looking
1T all through, found no such word as
alkakange. He got no more instruction
from an encyclopedia. He asked in vain
OF Ure's Dictionary of Science and Arts.
The members of the committee began
to grow worried. Finally they sum-
moned II prominent chemist, for of
course, said they, alkukange was a
drug. But the chemist said that to his
knowledge there was no such thing as
alkakange i'll all tho pharmacopGia.
AT this paint some ono suggested that
they send over to tho government print
ing office and ask the proofreader who
had revised the law.
WELL" said the employee, "the
truth is that 10 years ago, when we
had page of tho tariff law Oh FORM
a part of the type dropped out, and it
was fixed up by one of the printers.
The only thing he could make out of
the combination of letters was the word
'alkakange,' and l suppose it has re-
manned i'll tho law ever since'
Perhaps pulu and divi-divi and few
other of tho unpronounceable and Won
derful things in the present tariff bill
got i'll through tho same way Who
knows? CARL SCHoFIELD.
1t has been recently discovered that
the bar maple wood grown i'll Washing
ton is superior to any wood yet tried in
tho manufacture of small stringcd in
strumcnts, such rs violins This is vcri-
fled by the practical experience and tcs-
timony of well known Chicago instru-
ment maker. He finds that tho Wash
inGton maple is superior to any no has
| yet used, and he has heretofore been i'm
| porting maple from the mountain re-
| giona of Switzerland as tho best he
could find in the world
The Washington maple scema to nos
scss the necessary qualities of being very
difficult to split, capacity for satiny
finish, resonance, strength and lightness
i'll the snperlntivo degrees. While the
demand for such wood does not call for
any great amount, it is steadily increus-
ing and will almost command its own
price. AS an instance of the superiority
| OF some American made Instruments. n
/ purchaser sent to Europe lately for u
high priced instrument and when il was
received 1T was found TO BIO the product
of the aforesaid manufactures