POPULAR BOOKS

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

By HOWARD PYLE

Illustrated by the Author

THE WONDER CLOCK. Large 8vo, Half Leather, Ornamental, $3.00.

PEPPER AND SALT. 4to, Cloth, Ornamental, $2.00.

THE ROSE OF PARADISE. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.

TWILIGHT LAND. 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2.50.

MEN OF IRON. 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2.00.

A MODERN ALADDIN. Post 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $1.25.

By THOMAS W. KNOX

The "Boy Travellers" Series

ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN

THE LEVANT

SOUTHERN EUROPE

CENTRAL EUROPE

NORTHERN EUROPE

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

MEXICO

AUSTRALASIA

ON THE CONGO

THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE

SOUTH AMERICA

CENTRAL AFRICA

EGYPT AND PALESTINE

CEYLON AND INDIA

SIAM AND JAVA

JAPAN AND CHINA

Copiously Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental $3.00 per vol.

OTHER BOOKS BY COLONEL KNOX:

THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA

THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE WORLD

2 vols., Copiously Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2.50 each.

HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers, New York

How I "visited" Mashonaland.

Older readers are always glad to hear from our entertaining correspondent in South Africa, and we are sure that new readers will no less enjoy her delightful morsels. She tells us this time how she visited Mashonaland without leaving Cape Colony. She wonders if she is too old, having just passed her eighteenth birthday. We beg to assure her she is not, and that the Table will be pleased to hear from her for many years yet. Here is her morsel. It is written from Roydon, Queenstown, Cape Colony, South Africa:

A few months before the rebellion in Mashonaland broke out, a young gentleman of my acquaintance made up his mind to have a six months' tour through this new country. He went beyond the great Zambesi River, and had many strange adventures. I am afraid I will not have space to tell you of more than two of them.

While hunting near the Zambesi, Mr. H—— was told that a lion had been creating a great disturbance in the neighborhood. He offered to go and hunt it if the chief would lend him some of his men. But on no account could they be induced to accompany him. Growing impatient at last, he set off with a few of his own servants. They followed the spoor of the animal for some little time, until they came to a dense bush. Glancing back, Mr. H—— saw that his followers were not far behind him, so he went on, looking carefully about him. At last he saw before him two large trees; behind one of them stood "King Leo." A rapid glance back sufficed to show that his cowardly servants had deserted him, and he was quite alone. He fired at the lion, which gave a fearful roar and sprang at him. Fortunately, however, the shot had disabled it, and it sprang short. Mr. H—— gave it another shot and killed it. On going in search of his men, the hunter found them hidden among the branches of the trees, too much terrified even to answer him. Mr. Selous says it is the second largest lion he has seen. The skin is very handsome, but as I examined it I felt very thankful that its owner was not alive.

The second adventure was rather a comical one. While camping out one day Mr. H—— heard what he thought was the report of a gun. Knowing elephants were about, he concluded that some one was hunting them. Snatching up his gun, he hastily set off in the direction of the sound, without taking a mouthful of food. On and on he tramped, but never a sight of either elephants or hunters did he catch. Still, every now and then he heard the report of guns, sometimes near at hand, sometimes far off. He walked for thirty-six hours, hoping to be rewarded by the sight of the elephants. At last he saw below him a thickly wooded ravine, in which the animals might be hidden. He scrambled down to it, and sat down under a huge tree to rest. Suddenly he heard the report just above his head. Springing to his feet, he looked up, and—the mystery was explained. The tree was full of peculiar-looking pods, which every now and then burst with a loud report. It was rather exasperating to have walked all that way for nothing, was it not?

I was very much delighted with his fine collection of horns. They were all of different kinds, and of different sizes, some of them being exceedingly handsome. Two very large python-skins next attracted my attention. Imagine my surprise when Mr. H—— coolly told me they were considered quite small in Mashonaland! "I'm never going there until it is civilized, then," I said, very decidedly.

"Did you notice any signs of rebellion during your travels?" I asked one day. "No," was the answer. "It struck me that the natives were a very subdued race, and I feel sure it is some under-handed dealing which has caused the revolt. The natives were exceedingly kind to me. As soon as I entered a new territory I would go to the chief and say, 'I want to go hunting; can you give me a guide?' The chief would answer, 'Yes, I will give you a guide to such and such a place. That is as far as my territory extends.' They never asked for pay, which was rather refreshing after being used to the civilized (?) natives of Cape Colony. Their first question is always, 'What will you give me for doing it?'" The Mashonas have no idea of money.

On his return journey he wanted to buy some grain, and sent word to the chief. Next day a number of natives came, each carrying a basket of grain. "How much do you want for it?" asked Mr. H——. They named their price—a high one—which he refused to give. There was a big argument, and he was beginning to think he would not be able to get the grain, when it struck him to offer salt for it. Pulling out a handful of salt from a bag, he asked the natives what they would give for it. "So much!" they cried, eagerly, indicating the quantity of grain. So, at the end of the day, he got as much grain as he wanted for a few handfuls of salt. Time and space fail me, or I would tell you about some other curious things I saw—of the queer little chair and table, both cut from a single piece of wood, and which belonged to Lobenguela's brother, of the cream-of-tartar trees, and many other funny things. But—I can almost see the frown on Mr. Editor's face as he contemplates the length of this so-called "morsel," and I daren't write more. However, if he will kindly give me permission I will write again, and tell you more of my interesting "visit to Mashonaland." In the mean time I will bid you good-by.

Your friend, Isma Fincham, R.T.F.

The Editor gives his permission promptly. Please write again.

A Founder's Sad End.

When one tries experiments one should be extremely careful of the tools employed. The Table has to record a most distressing incident in this connection. One of the original members of our Order was Vernon S. White, a son of Mr. F. W. White, of Omaha, Nebraska. He was a Founder, and preserved his Founder certificate because of the honor it stood for. He was much given to trying experiments. He had sent some suggestions to us concerning them, at least one of which we published. The others we read with interest, but failed to find space for them. A few weeks since Sir Vernon, while trying an experiment in his room, lost his balance, fell, and met his death. He was thirteen years old, and an only child. The Table expresses its deep sympathy, and begs its other friends of a scientific and experimental mind to be careful.

Answers to Kinks.

No. 59.—CIVIC.

No. 60.—The letter T.

No. 61.

GLOBES

LEVANT

OVERGO

BARBEL

ENGEDI

STOLID

About Slang.

Why is slang denounced by the best writers? We know that all slang is not low, and we further know that slang expressions convey to multitudes of people the thought of the speaker more clearly than if his sentences were clothed in the finest possible manner. This question arises from an argument.

Lester W. Bellows. Waterloo, N. Y.

We do not quite agree that slang better conveys the thought of the speaker than do other and more generally recognized words. That depends upon the speaker and upon what he is trying to say. Slang does not consist in the words themselves so much as in the way they are spoken, the frequency of their utterance, etc. Words are harmless in themselves; the manner of using them may not be equally so. Slang is denounced because it tends toward the vulgar, the common—not always the words perhaps, but that which lies beyond them. Some slang terms are very expressive, and these generally come into reputable use, when needed, and when the atmosphere surrounding the inception of them has drifted away.

Corresponding Chapter.

In Milwaukee there has always been not a few active and most creditable members. Not long since some of them organized a Corresponding Chapter. It wants members everywhere. The membership fee is ten cents; dues, nothing; and members resident in foreign countries free. The Chapter has a circulating library. It sends a membership certificate of its own, and hopes to have some prize contests. The officers are Edward F. Daas, secretary, 1717 Cherry Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The president is Edward C. Wood, and vice-president Charles D. Turnbull. The president lives in Philadelphia, and the Chapter is already organized on the correspondence plan.

Questions and Answers.

A Fort Wayne member asks what is the most expensive product in the world. We cannot tell surely, but the most expensive one we ever read of is a charcoal thread employed as filaments for incandescent electric lamps. Filaments designed for thirty-candle-power lamps are worth $12,000 a pound. It requires 1,500,000 of these filaments to make a pound, and their total length would be 187 miles.—Harry M. Jones: The first United States census was taken in 1790, and the next one will be taken in June, 1900. The discussion whether the twentieth century begins January 1, 1900, or January 1, 1901, is idle to enter into.—"Young Politician": President-elect McKinley is free to select any persons he pleases for places in his cabinet, the only restriction being that Secretaries must be American citizens above certain ages. That which prevents him from selecting unfit men is his desire to make his administration successful. The President nominates his cabinet officials to the United States Senate, but that body, while it holds a legal right to confirm or reject such names, always, as a matter of courtesy, confirms them, holding that a President ought to be permitted to have such men in his official family as he desires. The talk in the newspapers about cabinet-making is mere speculation. The final decision rests with the President.

John Hamill asks what tundra is. It is a long fibrous white moss (Cladonia rangiferina) which is the natural food of the reindeer. It grows to its greatest perfection in northern and central Alaska, but is found in South Greenland and Lapland. In Alaska there is a vast tract of land—400,000 square miles, it is said—covered with this moss. Why you see it mentioned just now is because there is a project to grow great herds of reindeer on this vast tract; it is good for nothing else. The reindeer, slaughtered, frozen, and shipped to San Francisco and Liverpool, command high prices as venison. The skins, tanned, are of a soft texture and serviceable color, admirable for book-bindings and furniture-covers, and the hair is the best possible filling for buoys to be used in a life-saving apparatus, as it possesses a wonderful degree of buoyancy. It is said, you know, of the hog slaughter at Chicago and Kansas City that there is nothing wasted save the squeal. Everything else being used to advantage, the horns of the reindeer make the best glue of commerce. The project is to turn this moss to profit by feeding it to reindeer, as corn is fed to hogs in the West, and marketed as pork.

"Liberia." Liberia is a republic modelled after our own. It was founded by some enthusiastic philanthropists who thought the colored people of our southern States could be induced to go back to Africa where their ancestors, as slaves and against their wills, came from. Before our civil war some went. Since then none have. The experiment was a failure, and Liberia is not prospering greatly. Have we any readers living on the Isle of Man? We fear not. Does any reader know any one living there? Ralph Carr, living at 1041 Santa Fé Street, Atchison, Kansas, says his father came from there, and he desires to hunt up, if possible, some facts about the island and his father's birth-place. This is an interesting and profitable thing to do. If any member can help him, please do so.

Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions.

HANDY APPARATUS FOR THE DARK-ROOM.

One of the latest conveniences for the dark-room is a developing-tray so arranged that a plate may be examined during development without taking it from the tray. The tray is made with a solid glass bottom and wooden sides, with a reservoir at one end for holding the developer while examining the plate. When the tray is lifted the solution runs down into this reservoir. Another tray, made on the same principle, is of solid glass, and a piece of glass extends about a third of the way across the top of the tray, making a reservoir for the developing solution during the examination of the plate. There are small knobs on the bottom of the tray to prevent the plate adhering to the bottom by suction. A 5-by-8 tray with glass bottom and wooden sides costs $1.20. The solid glass, same size, costs $1.25.

Rubber Finger-Tips.—Rubber finger-tips are among the "must haves" of the photographer. They are made specially for use in handling photographic chemicals, are a perfect protection for the fingers, and prevent the discoloration of the nails and ends of the fingers from the various solutions used in photography. They are very thin, and fit closely to the fingers, and do not impair the sense of touch in any great degree. A set of three costs 15c., and their use prevents any danger of poisoning when handling dangerous chemicals.

A Handy Plate-Lifter.—A most convenient plate-lifter is a metal finger-shield, very much the shape of an open-top thimble. It has a sharp piece of steel attached to one side, and extending about half an inch beyond the end of the shield. To use, the shield is placed on the first finger, the pointed piece of metal slipped under the negative, raising it from the solution. It can then be taken out without having put the fingers in the solution. This little lifter costs 15c.

Glass Rods.—For stirring solutions one should have a small glass rod, especially when making solutions for sensitizing paper. The nitrate-of-silver solution should never come in contact with any metal. In sensitizing paper, where it is floated on the silver bath, it is quite necessary to have a glass rod to lay across the top of the tray, to draw the paper over when turning, or removing from the bath. This helps to spread the solution evenly and removes the superfluous liquid. A hollow glass tube designed for this purpose has one end flattened to prevent its turning when laid on the tray. The price is 25c.; a glass stirring-rod costs 8c.

Photographic Chemical Tablets.—One can buy, put up in the form of compressed tablets, all or nearly all the chemicals used in developing and printing. These tablets are warranted not to alter or change by age or climate, all that is necessary to preserve them being to cork the bottles immediately after taking out what is required for use. Each bottle of tablets is labelled with full directions for use, and the photographer who wishes to develop his pictures while away on an outing will find them very convenient. They take up but little room, and all that is necessary is the addition of a little water when needed. The price of a complete outfit for developing and toning a large quantity of pictures is $3.

Sir Knight Robert Guest, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, asks if taking money prizes in photographic contests makes one a professional photographer, and if one can sell his pictures and still remain an amateur. Taking prizes in competitions does not class one with the professional photographers, nor does selling prints make one a professional. By a professional is understood one who makes a business of photography, either in opening a gallery for portraits or in devoting himself to making pictures of all sorts of commercial articles, photographs of buildings, interiors, etc. An amateur is one who does this work for pastime, taking pay occasionally for his work, but not making it a business. We should like to have Sir Robert send us some views of Yarmouth and vicinity for reproduction in our Camera Club column.

Sir Knight Herbert H. Pease asks where bromide and platinum paper can be bought, and which is the best; the price, and if it can be developed with eikonogen developer, and fixed with hypo the same as plates; if it is best to mount damp or dry; if the answer to Sir William Merritt that the contest closed December 15 was a mistake; and if one stands a better chance of winning a prize if he does not use the glossy papers for printing. Bromide or platinum paper may be bought of any dealer in photographic supplies; both papers are good, the bromide being the easiest for the experimenter; bromide may be developed with eikonogen and fixed in the same way as a plate, but before the print is fixed it must be flowed with a bath made of acetic acid, 1 dr., and water, 32 oz., according to the directions which accompany the paper; 4-by-5 bromide paper costs 25c. a dozen. The date December 15 for close of contest was a mistake. There is but one competition, and it closes February 15. All pictures are judged according to their merits, without regard to printing processes. The platinum and bromide pictures are the more artistic, and mechanical finish is one of the points on which pictures are marked.