Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1900-02-08
nusslA ABREAST OF THE TIMES
Frauds in the Construction of the sl-
 berian Railway.

railway were ever under the tutelage of the members of the American Credit Mobilier. but. judging by reports that come from that region. they would have been apt pupils. They certainly have a trick or two that would put their American eompatriots to the blush. It appears that the different works have been executed in a man. her that shows very little conscience. everything, or nearly everything. will nave to be done over again before the authorities can think of throwing open this gigantic line to regular working. h very many places the road gives way on the passage of train little heavier than usual or travelling at a speed of more than twenty miles an hour. and accidents more or less grave are continually happening. More than usual courage is demanded of any one undertaking journey on this rail- way. This construction a Ia Russo has already swallowed up hundreds of mil Hons Of rubies. or. to speak more truthfully, the constructors and not the construction have absorbed the millions. People are beginning to ask how 1t will finish. There is still more. Several Siberian journals, which are. moreover. closely controlled by the local censors. publish the following statements: For several months the navvy contractors have not been paid h cash despite the terms of their contracts. The engineers in charge. who represent the government, de- clared that they had no more money and the contractors must be satisfied with bonds, which the Siberian and Chinese banks have for some time discounted at sia per cent. Frequently these bonds were not paid on falling due, and in consequence the banks re- fuse to act any longer as intermedia- ries between the government engineers and the contractors. It was only when one of these engineers, Prince A, who had made fortune, undertook to be personally responsible to the banks that they resumed the functions of discount brokers. But the princess guaranty is somewhat costly, seeing that he claims little fee of t5 per cent. The contractors are furious, but they find themselves helpless, owing to the clause inserted in all the con- tracts to the effect that disputes be- SWeen the engineers and the contract ors of the line have to be settled in St. Petersburg. To lodge a complaint 6.0o0 miles from the spot where the circumstances have occurred is at least n rJ faH rcs delay. The position of the unfortu- nate navvies themselves can be imag- ined from the treatment of the con tractors. Their wages are paid very irregularly and always with deduc- tions. Badly fed and badly lodged, it is not surprising if they give only half a heart to the work"
 New Use for Aluminium.
 With pencil of aluminium indelible characters can be written or drawn on glass or porcelain, and when treated with hydrochloric acid. the surface covered by the characters becomes etched. When the characters are not etched, but simply burnished, they ex- actly resemble inlaid silver. This property of aluminium was recently discovered by Mr Charles Margot of Geneva, Switzerland. It is indispensar ble first to remove every trace of grease from the surface to be orna- mented by polishing with chalk. else the aluminium will not take hold. Since the effect is only produced on substances containing silicic acid, 1t has been suggested that an aluminium pencil would be an unerring detector of false diamonds Magnesium, cad- mium and zinc act in a similar man. ner, but their traces readily oxidize.
 The MTssionsry's Titt.s Joker
 A native Maori chieftain. the des- cendant of cannibal kings, is now com- pleting his medical education in Chi cago. Cannibalism ended in his tribe, he says. when Bishop Selwyn converted his grandfather: but he tells some stories of 1t which have a distinctly humorous flavor. For instance: It is said that once chief captured mis- sionary who was anything but tooth some morsel as he was old and thin. ana lO0Ked as II ms neSn WOuld De tough. The missionary warned the chief that he would not make a good dinner. and pulling up his trousers. cut a slice off the calf of his leg and offered 1t to the chief The chief tast- ed it, said he didn't like It, and passed it to a subchief. The sub tasted 1t. made face. and passed 1t on- The ID who took bite of it spa. The missionary was re. lease ar he mad gone 1t was dis- cove he wore cork leg.