Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-20

"A peculiar feature about my town. said
n man from Dcseronto. Canada. to a Star
reporter the other day, lis that most of the
street larups and all of the large lumber
mills located there are lighted by gas OBJ
tanned from savriust. In the plant which
supplies the gas the sawdust is charged in
retorts which are heated by wood fire.
The gas from the retorts passes into a
series of coils and thence into purifiers
which are similar to those used for coal
gas. Lime is used a purifying agent.
The plant is not a very large one. and it
turns out $50 cubic meters of gas per day.
for which about two tons of sawdust are
required. A nan and boy furnish all the
tabor needed at the works. The best quail
ity of gas comes from reSinOuS woods. One
hundred Kilograms of sawdust leave a res
idue CT twenty kilograms of charcoal
:; 4
1T is not easy to cheat an Indian as
It used to be. as their long intercourse with
the white man has taught them many
things about the value of their possessions.
and they are pretty sharp in making the
ordinary trades which come up in their
daily life remarked a man from New
Mexico to Star reporter yesterday. Nev-
ertAeleSs. it is still true that when it comes
TO a question of large sums of money-hun-
dreds of doil4rS-the average Indian is be-
wildered at the mere idea of so much. An
incident which happened not long ago in
my country illustrates this point.
An Indian while crossing the tracks of
one of the Mexican railroads, was killed by
a train. His squaw demanded $1,000 as an
indemnity for the loss of her husband, and
the company were willing to settle the
matter. So they sent to deal with the
squaw a mar who had had considerable
experience III negotiating with the Indians.
L, II
silver dollars. which pass freely among the
Indians and settlers in that part of the
country. Sitting down gravely with the
agerieved widow, he began counting out
the big shining dollars, one by one. When
the pile had reached a hundred he glanced
inquirngiy at the squaw. But she shook
her head firmly. At the end of another
hundred he looked up again. The squaw
repeated the negative shake of her head.
hut her eyes began to brighten at the heap
of silver. At three hundred the agent
paused little longer. His customer still
held out. though with unmistakabe signs
of weakening. The agent counted more
slowly and inlpressively until he had reach
ed 1913. when the squaw stopped his hand.
Heap plenty. heap plenty she said,
with decision. and gathering up the silver,
she accepted in perfect ConteHtment this
settlement C her claim of $1oo0."
while travelling on the continent last
SUMNER" said gentleman who has just
reporter yesterday. Il engaged the services
of a courier. and one evening on arriving
q an inn in Austria / sent him to enter my
name in accordance with the police reg
u.ations Of thai country. The man replied
that he had already anticipated my wishes,
and registered ne an American gentle
man of means
" But how did You write my name? 1
asked.
I can't exactly pronounce it. but I cop
led it carefully from your portmanteau. sir
the book
The register was brought. and on look
ing at 1t. what was my arnazemcut at find
IGg instead of very plain English name
of two syilab.es, the following portentIous
err"
= * x X y
The United States fish commission has
it was stated by one of the attaches to a
Star reporter. discovered that several va
r!stieS of fishes have skins that make an
excellent leather for some purposes. Sal
mon hide. for example. it is said. serves 80
well in this way tLar the Esklmos of Alaska
make waterproof shirts and hats out of it.
They also cut Jackets out of the goldfish
skins. which are said to be very serviceable
garments.
Frog skins. ii is asserted. are coming into
use in many parts of the country for the
mounting of books. where an exceptionally
delicate material for fine binding is re-
quired- There are certain tribes Of savages
who make breaStplates ont of gariish skins
which Will turn knife or a spear A bull
Jet viii. II - said. pierce the bTraSt plate hut
il is declared to he impossible 10 chop
through the material with a Ratchet at one
blow. Together with such a hreastpiate
these SttEdgcS wear helmet of the skin Of