The sun., 1905-08-13
EXPENSIVE WHYMS.
Some That Cost FOrtunes-Bits Of Luck
That Brought Millions.

'The Sultan presents his compliments to
the engineer in charge and wishes him to
open the bridge in course Of erection in
Constanttnople In order to let ship from
the dockyard pass through at once
When this message was delivered into the
hands Of the contractor responsible for the
construction Of the bridge he was thunder
struck, says London Ansrers. He had been
working on the bridge day and night, and
when the orders for It's opening came from
the Sultan 1t was not half finished
He approached the Ministers Of Marine
and Finance and said 1t was impossible to
obey his Majesty's command, as he would
have to pull everything down, and 1t would
take months to replace the soaffolding and
pile driving machines.
1T cannot be helped replied tho
Ministers. III the Sultan says the bridge
must be opened It must be done. or We
shall lose our places, II not our heads
So the bridge was opened, and the ship
came out Of the dockyard at a cost Of over
$500 900. 1t afterward transpired that tho
Sultan had found his infant son, crying
bitterly In the harem because he could not
SEQ the flag hoisted on bis particular chip
from the nursery windows.
To humor the child's caprice the Sultan
ordered the bridge to be opened at once
and a large .ronolad to be brought out Of the
dockyard and moored In front OF Dolma-
bagtcheh. This no doubt pleased the
boy, but 1t caused enormous Inconvenience
to the people Of Constantinople, to cay
nothing of the waste Of money which had
indirectly come out Of their pockets.
- ~, ttn loot
because a man living in Boston left his
window open over night. He was a silk
grower, and In the hope Of producing a new
brand Of silk he experimented with some
gipsy moths that had been sent to hi m
from France.
He left the moths under a glass sh ade
by an open window one night, and next
morning they had all disappeared. The
shade had been overturned and the draft
Eighteen months later Massachusetts
was swarming With gipsy moths and they
ate the leaves OF every tree and bush for
miles around. The damage done In two
years by the insects totaled $1,000. .ooQ and
the State authorities spent PEI asat saother s''ooo
One Of the worst famines ever known In
lower Egypt was caused by couple OF
John Bull's gunboats. The vessels went
up into the marshes beyond khartum,
to capture slave traders.
not to be caught easily, made bold bid
for freedom by cutting channels through
the mass Of vegetation which lined the main
stream Of the Nile.
The magy Of them ahsS hssoapsd as IN IN tb. ss.
anxiety to net away brought ruin and
famine to lower Egypt. Tho current car
RED the masses OF loose Vegetation down
the river. and g completely blocked it that
the Nile Hood failed.
United States Senator George L. Turner
Of Washington lost his fortune and poverty
stared him In the face. Turner was 2
lawyer. and ono day. party Of miners, we'll
known 70 him, who had struck q lode up IN
British America, near Victoria, came into
his once and asked him to make out sorpe
We can't pay you cash for your services
Mr.. Turner, said one Of the party, after
their business had been trasacted, but
We will sive you some stock and call 1t
At frst Turner refused to take the stock,
on beins pressed he took the certificates
and tucked them away N his safe.
Two years later Senator Turner was
millionaire through these mining shares, and
the. mine that brought m him the money
-
famous Le Roi, ono Of the richest In tho
West.
Two tourists camped on the ridge Of a
mountain lake near Como. mining town
IN Colorado. While tn want OF some
thing to pass the time one suggested that
the other should dive into the lake and try
to discover the bottom. His friend stripped
and dived in. He came up half q minute
later saying that he had found the bottom
with his head.
After he put on his clothes he began to
rub his head with his handkerchief.
Look ct the eand,' he said, laughing.
but his friend, who had been gold miner,
sprang up with a cry Of surprise.
George, he shouted, us gold's
dived into the lake had struck placer gold
mine Of the richest kind. To-day the little
lake near Como Is the finest placer mine
Ia the whole West, and perhaps tho most
discovered one on record.
TIE Nsgrop Best Friends.