Part 6

On the south from the Court-house and post-office is one of the famous runs in the vicinity of Chicago, or, as a matter of fact, in the middle West. This is a fifteen-mile run to Pullman City. It is a capital road all the way; it makes a good thirty-mile ride, and is one of the best roads for a road race that can be had. There have been several interesting experiments made on this route, such as military operations, soldiers mounted on bicycles, and carrying of despatches, and there are road races constantly being held. Leaving the Court-house, run to the corner of Jackson Street, and Michigan Avenue Boulevard over granite-block pavement, thence on Michigan Avenue Boulevard to the corner of Thirty-fifth Street, where you may either turn to the left on Thirty-fifth Street and run over to the Grand Boulevard, or keep straight on Michigan Avenue Boulevard to Garfield Boulevard, turning left into this and running into Washington Park. The former route is better on account of the fact that by this route the rider has the opportunity of passing through the entire length of Washington Park. On reaching the Midway in Washington Park, turn to the left, cross the park, and run eastward into Jackson Park, turning right into this, and thence proceed to the south of Stony Island Avenue, which is block pavement, and run by Hog Lake through South Chicago to Ninety-fifth Street. At this point turn sharp to the right into Ninety-fifth Street, turning soon again to the left, and running into Pullman City over a road of good rideable gravel. This is a run of fifteen miles, and for the entire distance the pavement and road-bed are not only good and kept in the best of condition, but some of the road is through parks and the rest through interesting scenery. At Pullman City you can get a good seventy-five-cent dinner, and the ride out and back, with the rest at Pullman, makes a capital wheelman's short tour.

Another possible ride in Chicago is to run north from the Court-house, through Lincoln Park, up the Lake Drive to Evanston; thence running back by the same route, but keeping to the right after passing through half Lincoln Park, running out Fullerton Avenue; thence turning left into Humboldt Boulevard, following this through Humboldt Park and on to Central Boulevard; thence turning left through Garfield Park, down West Jackson Street to Ashland Avenue; turning right into this, proceed to West Twelfth Street; thence by West Twelfth Street to Douglas Park, through the park and southward by California Avenue, crossing the south branch of the Chicago River, turning left into Thirty-first Street and running westward to Western Avenue Boulevard, turning right again into the latter and running to Garfield Boulevard at Tremont Ridge; thence by Garfield Boulevard to Washington Park, and so returning by Grand Avenue Boulevard and Michigan Avenue Boulevard to the Court-house, or running southward to Pullman City, as already described.

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.

We Americans pride ourselves on our new inventions, and economical adaptation of systems and methods originated elsewhere. In postal matters we still have much to learn. For instance, twenty years ago Berlin introduced the pneumatic-tube system for the prompt delivery of local letters. In 1879 Paris adopted the same system, and London, Vienna, and other European cities followed suit. In London 60,000 letters are daily sent through the tubes.

Philadelphia has just been authorized by the P. O. Department to begin the work of constructing such a system at once. It is proposed to have a central pumping station at the new City Hall, from whence lines of pipes will radiate to every part of the city. The diameter of the tubes is to be eight inches, thus enabling packages of some size to be sent by this method. The capacity of the tubes is to be 50,000 letters per hour. When the system is completed Philadelphia will have the quickest local-mail delivery in the world. Probably the New York and Brooklyn post-offices will be connected by pneumatic tube in a few months, and the system is bound to expand rapidly. It would not be surprising to find Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington connected by tubes, enabling letters and parcels to be forwarded in as many hours as it now takes days. The telegraph companies will be seriously affected by the new system.

The operation is very simple. The letters are placed in a leather tube or carrier, which fits snugly into the pneumatic tube. Then a blast of air from behind, or the suction of air from the front, or a combination of the two methods, forces the carrier and its contents forward. As the friction soon wears out the leather carriers, American genius will be called upon to invent a metal carrier on "ball-bearings." With leather tubes about ninety per cent. of the power applied is lost in overcoming the friction and in waste, only ten per cent. of the total force applied being used to propel the carrier.

The charge for sending pneumatic letters in Paris was 15c. each in 1879, and the territory covered was but a small part of the city. To-day every part of Paris is reached by the tubes, and the charge is 10c. per letter, the same as our special delivery. Nine varieties of the Paris pneumatic letters are collected. Probably many of the readers of the ROUND TABLE have one or more of them. They bear a map of the city on the face of the envelope, showing the different sections served by this post. The Berlin and Vienna pneumatic letters are simpler in design. There are no special designs on the London envelopes.

The latest development in Plate No. collecting is the great advance in values of all the lower Nos. (say under No. 50) on _water-marked_ paper, especially of the 1c. stamps. Probably not very many were printed, but the chances are that many of the smaller post-offices still have some on hand. One speculator in New York, who travels a great deal, makes it a point to look over the stock of stamps on hand in every one of the smaller post-offices whenever he gets permission. He has bought a very large number, and the U. S. Post-Office Department is just so much nearer a paying basis, as these stamps never get used in the way of paying postage.

At the last annual dinner of the London Philatelic Society, Mr. Castle in a very humorous speech divided the purchasers of stamps into four classes--bird, beasts, fishes, and reptiles. The birds were those who collected stamps for the gratification of a hobby; the fishes were those who watched the market and picked up bargains to sell them thereafter at an advance; the beasts were, of course, the dealers who preyed on birds and fishes to the best of their ability, and the reptiles were the speculators who cornered everything they could find, and locked them up while awaiting a rise of prices, and thereby prevented many collectors completing their collections.

C. H. OSMOND, St. Clair, Dunedin, New Zealand, wishes to exchange stamps.

J. O. HALL.--The 1861 pink is so scarce that I have known a dealer to let his boy look over two million of the 1861-7 3c. stamps without finding a single copy. The ordinary rose-color comes in a multitude of shades.

A. ALLEN.--"Silk threads" means a stamp printed on paper in which a silk thread is embedded. The first stamps printed on this kind of paper were the Great-Britain 10d. brown and 1s. green of 1847. The paper is sometimes called "Dickinson" paper, from its maker. Bavaria 1849-1868, Würtemberg 1857, Switzerland 1854-1862, are also printed on this paper. Specialists in Switzerland stamps collect the different sets on green, black, blue, yellow, white, purple, and red threads. Other advanced collectors usually pay no attention to the color of the thread. "Silk paper" in U. S. stamps means a paper in which a lot of short fine filaments of silk have been embedded when the paper was still in a pulpy condition. Usually found on some of the U.S. Revenues.

J. COOPER.--Yes. The Cuban stamps now offered in packages at such low prices are genuine. It seems the Cuban government kept all remainders for nearly twenty-five years, and have sold out the entire lot of many millions to stamp-dealers.

JOHN G. SAXE.--The 5-rouble gold piece is worth full face value. Any money-broker will give you the full value, less a small charge for exchange.

C. B. N.--The present 5c. U.S. stamp is found in two conditions: 1. From a new plate, very carefully printed; this shows a faint line at the edge of the background on which the portrait is engraved; this line is made by the engraver as a guide. 2. The ordinary stamp, which does not show the line, or simply traces of it. This refinement in varieties does not meet with the approval of philatelists in general.

YREKA.--There are many minor varieties of U. S. Revenues in colors (shades), papers, etc. They are worth keeping if you are making up a big collection.

NED C.--The 1803 cent can be bought of dealers at 10c. each; the 1820 dime for 50c. The French coin; no value. The Prussian coin has no value in this country.

CECIL RAWSON.--Your British Guiana stamp, from your description, is the ordinary 1c. green, worth 5c.

E. STEBBINS.--The U. S. 24c. 1861 is very common. All the other U. S. 24c. are comparatively scarce.

W. L. MCKINNON.--Your coin is a 3 skilling Norway. No value in this country.

G. H. CLARK.--The stamps are the so-called "Dominical" or "Sabbath" stamps issued in Belgium two years ago. On the Continent of Europe it is customary to deliver letters on Sunday. Some years ago a large number of Belgic citizens petitioned the government to forbid the delivery of letters on Sunday, or at least to make it optional on the part of the sender. As a result all stamps were issued in the following form: The lower part of the stamp bears the instruction, in the French and Flemish languages, "Do not deliver on Sunday." If the sender wishes the letter delivered on Sunday he tears off this part of the stamp.

G. H. C.--The word "Julia" in small letters on the bust of portrait on some of the Spanish stamps is the name of the engraver. Funchal is the capital of the Island of Madeira, with its special series of Portuguese colonial stamps. "Continente" is the main land of Portugal. New Brunswick never issued any stamped envelopes.

PHILATUS.

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LAUGHING BABIES

are loved by everybody. Those raised on the Gail Borden Eagle Brand Condensed Milk are comparatively free from sickness. _Infant Health_ is a valuable pamphlet for mothers. Send your address for a copy to New York Condensed Milk Co., N. Y.--[_Adv._]

ADVERTISEMENTS.

Postage Stamps, &c.

$117.50 WORTH OF STAMPS FREE

to agents selling stamps from my 50% approval sheets. Send at once for circular and price-list giving full information.

C. W. Grevning, Morristown, N. J.

100 all dif. Venezuela, Bolivia, etc., only 10c., 200 all dif. Hayti, Hawaii, etc., only 50c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List FREE! =C. A. Stegmann=, 5941 Cote Brilliante Ave., St. Louis, Mo

STAMPS

=10= stamps and large list =FREE=!

L. DOVER & CO., 1469 Hodiamont, St. Louis, Mo.

JOSEPH GILLOTT'S

STEEL PENS

Nos. 303, 404, 170, 604 E.F., 601 E.F.

And other styles to suit all hands.

THE MOST PERFECT OF PENS.

Midsummer Jaunt by a Bird-lover.

During the last week in June I decided to take a day off and go trout-fishing. Promptly after breakfast I mounted my bicycle, and was soon spinning up the "river road." In five minutes I arrived at the brook, leaned my "bike" against a neighboring barn, and started. I was at once interested in the swallows which were skimming around, almost touching the ground in their low sweeping flight. Once two of them tried to go in a hole at once, and a lively scrap resulted.

I soon found a willow rod, to which I tied my line, and after putting a little worm on my flies I commenced fishing. As usual, "skeeters" were plentiful, and I turned up my coat collar for protection. Robins were numerous in the pasture, hopping fearlessly among the cows. After going a mile and a half through pasture and bits of woodland, I came to the end of the brook without having caught a fish.

I recollected having been told of another brook about a quarter of a mile from the one I was fishing in, and I decided to hunt it up. I easily found the road which ran through the woods. I had not gone far before I became aware that birds were numerous, for a little oven-bird ran across the road into a brush-heap, where it was joined by its mate. I could not get through the underbrush as fast as they could, so they were soon lost to view. Further on a blue-jay flew screaming through the woods, starting the little red squirrels.

The woods were alive with chickadees, an unusual occurrence, and for some time all I heard was chickadee-dee-dee-chickadee-dee. The brook was a small one, and the woods were thick, so I rolled on the end of my pole all but a foot of my line. I fished the brook for about an eighth of a mile and succeeded in catching a great number of fingerlings, which of course I threw back, and one 6-1/4-inch trout. As the law said 6 inches, I kept it.

On the way back I spied a cat-bird on a maple sapling. Near the place where I saw the oven-bird my eye caught a glimpse of gaudy colors, and, following them up, I discovered a male Maryland yellow-throat. He was soon joined by his mate, and both of them hopped into a brush-heap. I was greatly elated, as yellow-throats are a rarity about Springfield. Near the barn were two huge chestnut-trees overhanging the brook, and as I was tired I sat down on the ground and leaned against the smaller tree. Suddenly a series of loud knocks and a pick-wick-wick-wick right over my head caused me to hop to my feet. My movements started the flickers, which flew up the brook, and, to my surprise, alighted on the ground.

Several kingbirds were perched on a rail fence near by, and now and then darted off after some insect. A meadow-lark whistled far up the pasture, and a solitary sand-piper teetered along the brook. While crossing the Connecticut River on my way home I noted a belted kingfisher on a dead limb. I arrived home in time for dinner, and you may be sure I had soon eaten my trout. While writing this a bird-note called me out-doors. There I found many bird-loving neighbors intently watching a pair of red-breasted grosbeaks. The male was resplendent in his fine colors, but the poor little brown and white female looked dilapidated.

ALBERT W. ATWATER. SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

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"Where'd I leave That?"

To-day I paid a visit to the room in which are stored the articles left by passengers on one of the great railways entering New York. People leave many articles in the cars, and forget to call for all of them. Indeed, not more than one-third of the things found in the cars are ever claimed by owners. On the other hand, very few things that are claimed and accurately described fail to be recovered. Every railway keeps a store-room for lost articles, and employs are under strict orders to send all articles to it.

Perhaps you can guess what a lot of odd things I saw in this store-room! Of course there were such common things as books, umbrellas, and, rubbers. A few of each? Oh no, not a few only, but barrel upon barrel of rubbers, a library of books, and enough umbrellas to fill a twenty-bushel bin. But the queer things included--what do you think? Well, half a dozen sets of false teeth, more than one hundred night-robes, a score or more of eye-glasses, and two razors. Any live-stock? Not in this room, for the attendant told me such things had to be cared for, and could not be stored here; but during the past few weeks, he said, there had been turned in two canaries, three kittens, a lap-dog, and a parrot!

There are not a few pocket-books found, but these are invariably called for. Some months ago a man left a book containing $54,000 in one of the sleeping-cars, and books containing $100 to $1000 are quite often found. Rather odd, too, is the fact that the people who leave most of these things in the cars are old travellers. Excursionists and others unfamiliar with the ways of travel look after their possessions. It is the confident man or woman who leaves the car and leaves his or her valise or lap-dog behind.

If your friends are coming to New York soon, tell them that the value of articles forgotten by passengers entering this city every year foots up into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that they will do well not to contribute anything to this wasteful fund.

JOHN B. HENDERSON, R.T.K. NEW YORK.

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A Rare Bittern.

"In our reading lesson to-day occurred a reference to a tiger-bittern. Our natural history does not mention it. Can you tell me if there is such a bird? Ella F. Loomis, Steubenville, O." The tiger-bittern is found in the West Indies and in South America, but is rare. It is a trifle smaller than the United States blue heron, and has a bill much shorter. The coloring is most beautiful. From the top of the head to the last row of feathers on the legs it is barred precisely like the Bengal tiger, the stripes of bright yellow showing up in striking contrast to the black. The bars are most regular.

If the skin of this bittern were spread out on the floor at some distance from you, you would assert it to be a portion of a tiger-skin. Like many other varieties of crane, heron, and bittern, this bird is sought for its plumes, and is becoming rarer every year.

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The Law She Intended to Practise.

In our day women enter occupations which earlier times thought belonged exclusively to men. The wife of one of the men now before the people as a candidate for President of the United States is a lawyer. At the time of her admission to the bar she was the head of a household and mother of two children. Asked her specialty in law practice, she replied, "Home-rule."

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Answers to Kinks.

No. 8.

1, Lark--Shakespeare. 2, Cock--Longfellow. 3, Jay--Longfellow. 4, Bluebird--Longfellow. 5, Duck--O. W. Holmes. 6, Turtle-dove--D. Conway. 7, Cuckoo--Shakespeare. 8, Cuckoo--Shakespeare. 9, Pheasant--William Howitt. 10, Gull--O. W. Holmes. 11, White owl--Longfellow. 12, Eagle--Mrs. Barbauld. 13, Nightingale--Coleridge. 14, Nightingale--Coleridge.

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Kinks.

No. 9.--CENTRAL ACROSTIC.

If the cross-words--of equal length--are correctly solved, the central letters, reading downward, will spell the name of a Greek hero whose life ended with the burning of a brand.

Cross-words.--1. A weight used in sounding. 2. Cuts into two parts. 3. A large wild-duck; the greenhead. 4. An overseer. 5. Imprisonment. 6. Long gaiters. 7. A plant clinging by tendrils. 8. Bespangled.

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No. 10.--A MATHEMATICAL MELANGE.

From the date of the siege of Saragossa subtract that of Valentinian's death: add the number of letters in the name of a common article; divide by the number of Henry VIII.'s wives; multiply by a German word of denial; divide by the number of letters in a whip used for punishing criminals; subtract the age of the "Sage of Monticello"; add the weight of the giant anvil at the Woolwich Arsenal, England, and that of the Braganza diamond (in carats). The square root of the first half of this number multiplied by 1/37 of the second half will give the number of letters in the name of "The Blooming Grace." Who is she?

VINCENT V. M. BEEDE.

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No. 11.--A RIDDLE.

I have no substance, and generally no intelligent relation to time or times. Sometimes I am sensible, but oftener I am absurd. Yet I have great influence, and not infrequently change the plans of people. Indeed, I have helped to change the history of the world. What am I?

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No. 12.--A RECEIPT.

To decapitate a notion Of course makes it dead, But gives what is put On the murderer's head. A further beheadment Will make what you pay When you purchase an article At a shop some day. Again you behead With a very quick motion, And at once there's a plant That is part of the notion. Behead once more And the first part you see Of what our confection Is going to be. Take a measure of paper To form the second. Prefix one hundred In proper shape reckoned. Join this to the first, And I'm sure you will say It's a delightful treat For a hot summer day.

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No. 13.--AN ENDLESS CHAIN.

The first syllable of every word is the second of the preceding word. The first syllable of the first word is the second syllable of the last. All words are dissyllables.

An animal--the tonic--a brief communication--a longer one--fear--relating to dew--to assign--a game--a citadel--a disease of rye--obtained--delicate--the true skin--naval--pertaining to the kidneys--to frighten--steel covering--human--grease--a poet--not rare.

SIMON T. STERN.

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.

COPYING PICTURES WITH A CAMERA.

Copying pictures may seem to be a very simple matter, for the subject does not even need to be posed, and will remain motionless for any length of time; but there are several points connected with the copying of pictures which are of importance if one wishes to make a correct copy. For convenience the pictures to be copied might be divided into three classes. I. Black and white pictures, such as engravings, wood-cuts, wash-drawings, etchings, etc. II. Photographs and half-tones. III. Oil-paintings, colored pastels, etc.

The first thing to be considered is the arranging of the camera so that it will be exactly perpendicular with the picture. A copying-stand is a great convenience, but, like many other conveniences, not an actual necessity. A vertical support, with the drawing or picture placed in such a manner that its centre shall come on an exact line with the centre of the lens is all that is required. A board the width of the bed of the camera, and perhaps five feet in length, will answer every purpose of a copying-stand. At one end of this board fasten a small piece of board in such a way that it shall be at exactly right angles with the long board. This small board is the support for the picture. The camera either rests on the board, or is raised a little above it by a small block, the adjustment depending on the size of the picture to be copied. To find whether the centre of the lens corresponds with that of the picture, place the camera quite near the picture, thread a piece of silk through the centre of the lens cap, place the cap on the lens, and carry the string to the centre of the picture. In this way one can readily see whether the two centres correspond with each other.