Year: 1878

HOW TO ACT IN CASE OF FIRE.


Better than all elaborate costly apparatus


for extinguishing fires are constant care and


watchfulness, and quick and intelligent ac-


ton on the part of those who first discover


a fire in progress. The fire which at its be-


ginning, could be smothered out with pock.


ct handkerchief or dashed out with bucket


of water, neglected few hours lays in waste


millions of dollars worth of property. If


there is any time in which person should be


cool and calm, in perfect command of him
self, it is when he discovers a fire that threat


ems life and property. The first thing to do


is to learn precisely where it is the second,
consider the chances of extinguishing it. Of
course, in cities an alarm should be at once
sent out, but, at the same time, vigorous
effort should be made to put out the fire
with the means at hand; for sometimes what
the fire engine is unable to accomplish when
ii reaches the scene can be done by one or
two persons who act promptly before the
flames have time to gain headway.


First, then, do not be alarmed on account
ofsmoke. Frequently there is great deal of
smoke before the fire has made much pro-
gress. Remember that one can pass through
smoke by keeping his head near the floor, or
by enveloping it in wet woolen cloth. On
entering a room to fight down a FIRE single
handed, keep the door closed behind if posi-
BILE. A pail Of water and tin dipper, in
the hands of resolute person, can be made to
work miracle at the beginning. If the FIRE
has progressed too far to admit fthis course,
and it is nesessary to depend entirely on out
side help, then see to it that every door
and window is closed. By so doing, where
there is fire engine in the neighborhood, it
will often be possible to con6ne the fire to
one room. Every person who stops at a ho-
tel should take special pains before retiring
to note the location of the stairways, so that
in case of an alarm he can find his way out
even though The halls are filled with smoke.
Never leave room where there is an alarm
of fire without first securing wet towel, or
if possible wet sponge or piece of woolen
through which to breathe. If escape by the
stairs is cut of, seek an outside window and
stay there till help comes. Above all things
be cool and have your wits about you. When
q lady's dress takes FIRE, let hez fall on the
floor at once and call for help, in the mean.
time reaching for some rug or wcolen cloth
with which to smother the flames. There is
nothing new in this advice. 1t has been re.
peated in one form or another hundreds of
times; but it will bear repeating thousands
of times.-American Builder.


WOODEN MoNEY.--From the reign of
Henry I. down to the period of the estab-
lishment of the Bank of England, a portion
of the money of England was fabricated out
of wood. This instrument was called an ex-
change tally, and by virtue of it the holder
was entitled to receive from the crown the
value inscribed thereon. It really consisted
of one.half of four.sided rod or staff, on
which, when in its entire state, the sum ii pur-
ported to represent was carved in transverse
notches, varying in width for thousands, hun
dreds, scores, pounds, shillings and pence.
These signs were for the unlearned for the
adva antage of those who could read, the sum
was written in ink on the two opposite sides
of the staff, and finally, with knife and
malIet the staff itself was split two lnngitnd
inally. One half, called the tally or check,
was given to the person for whose service it
was intended the other half, called the coun-
ter tally. was laid up in safe-keeping until
its corresponding tally should be bought in
by the person who had last given its value
for it. It's intrinsic value was, of course only
that of wood of which it was composed, but
by representation it denoted large sums. It
was current token Of real money, and serv
ed actually to distribute it from man to man
by this exchange. From this primitive tally
was derived the exchequer bill, first introduce
ed in 1896 by Mr.. Montague, the chancellor
of the exchequer. The word "bill," too, was
no doubt obtained from the Norman French
word, billie, which means staff. Bank post
bills and bills of exchange in our own day
came from the same base, and soldiers are
said at this hour to be "billeted," because
they rendered wooden "billies" or tallies to
the victuallers upon whom they were quar-
tered. In olden times officers of the army
who were taken into the kings own pay we're
said to be put on the staff-that is, they were
paid with exchequer tallies or wooden money.


WHAT Voices IND1cATE.-There are light,
quick, surface voices, that involuntarily seem
to utter the slang, II won't do to tie to" The
mans words may assure you of his strength
of purpose and reliability, yet his tone con-