Chapter 2

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Christian Ross, the broken-hearted father of Charlie Ross, has just died in Philadelphia.

You are all probably familiar with the story of little Charlie Ross, who was stolen away from his home; but it seems well to tell it you again, for it may serve as a warning against making chance acquaintances in the street.

Charlie Ross and his brother Walter were playing in front of their home in Germantown, Pa., when two men drove by in a buggy. The men promised the boys a ride if they would walk up to the top of the hill on which the house stood.

The boys ran gladly up the hill, and then, when they were safely out of sight of the house, the two men took them up and drove off with them.

They gave them candy, and kept the boys happy and amused until they reached the town. Here they gave the older boy, Walter, a quarter to go and buy some more candy, and while he was in the store drove off with Charlie.

All this happened twenty-three years ago, but from that day to this Charlie Ross has never been found.

His father was frantic with grief, and a careful search was made for the child, but no traces of him could be found.

Some days after Charlie had been stolen, a letter was brought to his father, saying that the boy was being held for ransom, and would be returned to his father on the payment of twenty thousand dollars.

This money was raised, and would have been paid to the brigands, but that the police stepped in and insisted upon their right to manage the case.

Mr. Ross had been warned against allowing the police to interfere. The thieves had written to him that if he did so they would kill the boy.

The Mayor of Philadelphia offered the enormous reward of twenty thousand dollars for the recovery of the boy and the arrest of the persons who had stolen him. Notices of this were printed in every language, and sent all over the world; but though numbers of people were working to gain the great reward, Charlie Ross has never been found.

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We told you last week of the new volcano which has appeared in Mexico.

The shocks have done a great deal of damage. The town of Tehuantepec has been completely destroyed, and the people are living in tents on the outskirts of the place.

Tremblings of the earth still continue to be felt along the Pacific Coast, and the people are terror-stricken.

One very severe shock was felt in San Francisco, but little damage resulted from it. Some of the California towns have, however, suffered severely.

Nature seems to be playing some strange tricks this year.

The French people have been treated to a cyclone.

They seemed to be really indignant over the visitation. They had always considered that cyclones were American institutions, and never expected that they would follow the example of American people and find their way to Paris.

This storm was a regular Westerner, sweeping down everything in its path, blowing houses over, and destroying things generally.

Having spent part of its rage in France, it rushed across the English Channel, raising such a gale there that many vessels were wrecked, both on the English and French shores.

The storm crossed England and reached the Irish Channel, where it again played havoc with the shipping. Admiral Lord Nelson's flag-ship, the _Foudroyant_, was anchored off Liverpool. It had been touring up and down the coast as a show-ship. The storm put an end to its journeyings forever. It was caught in the gale, driven ashore, and is now a total wreck.

If such storms are repeated, we shall have to tell our European cousins how they manage tornadoes and cyclones out West.

In the State of Kansas, tornadoes are more dreaded than fires, and the Kansas children are taught a tornado drill as our Eastern children are taught a fire drill.

According to the statements we receive, the citizens take to the prairies the moment a tornado strikes a Kansas town. As the children cannot run as fast as the grown-ups, they have often been caught and injured by the terrible storms before they could escape.

To prevent such accidents in the future, some one decided to build tornado caves under the schoolhouses. These caves are large enough to shelter all the children while the blow lasts, and the scholars are regularly drilled in the methods of reaching these caves quickly and in good order.

The teacher sounds the alarm, and instantly the pupils stand up, and to the music of their own singing march down the stairs and into the cave.

Then, let the tornado rage as it will, they are safe.

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The tailors' strike is over, and has resulted in a victory for the strikers.

The contractors have signed the new agreement, and most of the tailors are now back at their work.

This victory means a great deal to the workers. Their period of labor will be reduced from fifteen hours a day to ten, and by the new scale of wages they will be able to earn from $10 to $18 a week, instead of from $5 to $10 as formerly.

The leader of the strike, Meyer Shoenfeld, has been working so hard in the interests of his fellow-laborers that he is quite ill. At one of the last meetings of the strikers he broke down in the midst of a speech he was making, and was unable to continue.

When he heard that the contractors were about to sign, he insisted on getting out of his sick-bed and going to the meeting, to make sure everything was being properly arranged.

The success of the strikers will cause a slight increase in the price of ready-made clothes, but few are likely to begrudge this when they realize what an increase of comfort it means to the poor workers.

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Austria and Hungary are not getting along as well as they might.

There are two reasons for this unfriendly feeling.

One is that Austria has asked Hungary to pay a larger proportion of the common expenses of the two countries. It was arranged that Hungary should pay thirty per cent. of these expenses, and Austria the other seventy per cent., because Austria was much larger and wealthier than the sister land.

Since these arrangements were made Hungary has become exceedingly prosperous, and Austria now asks her to pay thirty-seven per cent. of the expenses instead of the former thirty per cent.

Hungary will not listen to any arguments on the subject, and threatens to separate herself from Austria.

These two countries are governed by one sovereign, and, like Sweden and Norway, or the various States of our own country, have each their own local government, but are united on all matters of foreign affairs, national defences, tariff, etc.

The Hungarians and Austrians are, however, people of very different races, and, in spite of the years they have been joined under one federal government, they have never grown to like each other.

The Hungarians are Magyars, and were originally of Asiatic origin. They are a fierce, fiery race. The Austrians come of the same stock as the Germans, and are of a much milder temperament.

Hungary is a conquered country. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries it was a very great kingdom, but in the sixteenth century its power declined, and, the king having died, Turkey and Austria fought for the possession of the crown, Austria eventually gaining the day.

Ferdinand I., a prince of the Austrian House of Hapsburg, was declared King of Hungary, and ever since then the Emperor of Austria has been crowned King of Hungary.

The Hungarians have never felt satisfied with the Austrian rule, and have frequently revolted. The last rising was in 1848, under Louis Kossuth. This rebellion was put down with the help of the Russians.

Last June a great patriotic celebration took place in Hungary, and this possibly roused the national feeling so strongly in the hearts of the Hungarians that it has made them a little more restless than usual.

This celebration was called the Banderium, and was to celebrate the thousandth year of Hungary's existence as a kingdom.

The nobles of Hungary met together in Buda-Pesth, the capital city of the country, and went in procession to the Houses of Parliament, and swore allegiance to the battered golden crown which Pope Sylvester II. had given to the first King of Hungary, one thousand years before.

It was said to have been a most wonderful and stirring sight to see these nobles "dressed in the clothes their ancestors had worn, carrying the banners under which their grandfathers had fought, weeping with emotion around a battered golden crown," a relic of the days when their fatherland was great and powerful.

The description given by Mr. Richard Harding Davis in _Scribner's Magazine_ for March, and from which we quote the above statement, gives a living picture of this grand festival. There can be little doubt that such an occasion must have roused the patriotism of these people to fever heat.

Whether this be true or not, it is certain that the Hungarians have been harder to manage, and that their dislike of the Austrians has been steadily gaining strength.

We spoke of a second cause of disagreement. It arises from a measure that was intended to conciliate the Hungarians.

This measure was an imperial edict, ordering that every official, in the districts where Hungarian is spoken, must be able to speak both the German and Hungarian language within five years.

This has given great offence to the German-speaking part of the population; they cannot see why they should be forced to learn Hungarian, and the Hungarians insist that no officials can properly govern a people unless they can speak their language.

These two questions have set Hungary and Austria at variance with each other, and it is feared that Hungary may not be satisfied until she has severed herself from Austria, and once more become an independent kingdom.

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There is fresh news from the Greater Republic of Central America.

We told you on page 222 that Guatemala and Costa Rica would be glad to enter the federation, but could not do so without the full consent of their congresses.

Word has reached us that Guatemala has signed the treaty which makes her a part of the new Republic.

Costa Rica has not joined as yet. It seems that she has a little private feud on hand with Guatemala, and is not ready to make up her mind to join any federation that holds her enemy.

She declares that she is the most prosperous of the five countries of Central America, and that she has nothing to gain by the federation. She does not believe that the new republic will be a permanent affair, and does not wish to join it until she feels more sure that it will be.

To assure her of their good faith, the four other republics have offered to name President Iglesias of Costa Rica as the first President of the Diet which is to govern the republic. But Costa Rica still holds aloof from the combination.

The object of the federation was to bring about a more settled state of affairs, and arrange for the friendly adjustment of all disputes with foreign countries.

These five small republics, joined together with a common interest, should play a very important part in the affairs of Central America.

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South American affairs are still in a state of turmoil, and Argentina has now been drawn into the quarrel.

It seems that the Argentine Republic is in sympathy with the rebels, and has sent filibustering expeditions of men and supplies to them.

The Uruguayan Government became extremely indignant at this, and endeavored to put a stop to such proceedings by invading Argentina. A force of soldiers was landed on the coast of Argentina, and a vessel flying the flag of that country was sunk by the guns of the Uruguayan cruiser.

Argentina immediately replied by sending one of her gunboats to the scene of action, and making preparations for war with Uruguay.

In the mean while the rebels have been gaining victories both in Brazil and Uruguay. The fanatics under Conselhiero (see page 741) have beaten back the Brazilian troops, and have recaptured Canudos. The Uruguayan rebels, on their part, have defeated the Government troops at Rivera, inflicting heavy loss on them.

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There is a movement on foot to erect a monument to the memory of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the well-known authoress, who died on March 5, 1897, at the age of eighty-five.

Mrs. Stowe did much for the advancement of American letters. Before she wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin," story-writing was in its infancy in America. It is hard for young people to realize how the times have changed with the coming of the many magazines and papers that we have to-day. Balzac, Thackeray, Dickens, Dumas, and Hawthorne were publishing their wonderful romances at the time Mrs. Stowe appeared as an authoress. She wrote many other stories during her long life, although her fame rests very largely upon the one book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," of which many hundreds of thousands of copies have been sold.

GENIE H. ROSENFELD.

INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES.

PNEUMATIC TIRE.--It is hard upon bicyclists that the early summer season, when everything should be most favorable for cycling, is just the time chosen to mend the country roads.

Woe to the tires of the unwary cycler who comes suddenly upon such a mended road! There was one the other day, a lady, coming home hot and tired after a long run. She slackened her speed, gazed in despair at the wicked little sharp-pointed stones which lined her path for many yards to come, and finally, hot and tired as she was, she dismounted and carried her bicycle to a spot where the road was again worn to a comfortable smoothness.

All cyclists meet with the same experience, and it has set the clever heads among tire-makers thinking how the inconvenience can be remedied. There are several new kinds of tires suggested, and one seems to be quite a good idea. It is to be composed of a series of inflated balls, with an outer rim to protect them from the stones, nails, etc., which are the nightmare of the bicycle-rider. In this way, should an accident happen to one ball, the others need not be in any way injured, and the horror of a punctured tire would be greatly lessened.

SEWING-MACHINE THAT WILL CUT AND MAKE BUTTON-HOLES.--Here is an invention that will delight the girls.

Our sewing-machines do so much of the work for us nowadays that one quite resents the idea, after a garment is otherwise completed, of sitting patiently down to make button-holes, just as our grandmothers used to do, and their grandmothers before them. Some one has come to the help of busy workers with a machine that has a double action. It not only sews button-holes but cuts them. It is provided with an appliance which stops the sewing while the hole is being cut, and again stops the cutting movement to give place to the sewing.

This ought to be a great and successful invention.

SILK MADE FROM WOOD-FIBRE.--A new process of making silk has just been put on the market, and if it is as successful as is claimed for it, silk may soon be as cheap as cotton.

The secret was discovered by a Frenchman, but it was no accidental discovery--he only achieved his success after forty years of patient study.

This Frenchman, Count Hilaire de Cordonnet, had watched and studied the work of the silkworm, and had long thought that there ought to be some simpler process of spinning silk than the tedious and complicated method employed by the worms.

The Count had noticed the preference silkworms have for the leaves of the mulberry and osage-orange trees, and, after experimenting with these plants for some time, he decided that if he could reduce them to pulp and treat them in certain ways, the result would be silk-fibre. But the result was not altogether satisfactory. He found that something was wanting to make his silk like that the silkworm produced.

He studied their work again, and found that they covered the fibre with a kind of gum, which gave it gloss and strength.

After years of patient study he discovered the materials of which this gum was composed, and then made another trial to see whether he had not learned the secret at last.

By the aid of machines he tore the plants bit from bit, until they were reduced to pulp, just as the insect reduced the leaves in the process of eating and swallowing.

He then added the gum, and with the aid of more machinery spun out the threads of fibre, imitating the methods of the insect as closely as possible.

This time the experiment proved a great success. His fibre silk was as strong, as glossy, and as brilliant as the silkworm silk, and had one advantage over it, that when woven into breadths it did not crease so readily.

NEW CAR.--Here is a new form of street car which is interesting.

The closed cars and the open cars have heretofore been made on different patterns, and the companies have had to provide two kinds of cars, one for summer and one for winter. This new car is built with movable sides, which can be taken out with ease.

The car companies should welcome this invention, for, if it is as simple and practical as it seems, it will save them large sums of money.

G.H.R.

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="The Great Round World" PRIZE CONTEST=

THE GREAT ROUND WORLD is now over six months old, and it feels some anxiety to know just how much interest its readers have taken in the news and how much information they have gained from its pages. To ascertain this, it has been decided to offer ten prizes for the best answers to the following:

=Name ten of the most important events that have been mentioned in "The Great Round World" in the first 30 numbers, that is, up to number of June 3d.=

_In mentioning these events give briefly reasons for considering them important._

This competition will be open to subscribers only, and any one desiring to enter the competition must send to this office their name and the date of their subscription; a number will then be given them.

All new subscribers will be furnished with a card entitling them to enter the competition.

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Prizes will be awarded to those who make the best selection and who mention the events in the best order of their importance. Answers may be sent in any time before September 1st.

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We would advise you to take the magazines starting at No. 1, look them over carefully, keep a note-book at your side, and jot down in it the events that seem to you important; when you have finished them all, No. 1 to 30, look over your notes and select the ten events that seem to you to be the most important, stating after each event your reason for thinking it important.

For instance: suppose you decide that the death of Dr. Ruiz was one of these important events, you might say, "The killing of Dr. Ruiz in the prison of Guanabacoa--because it brought the cruelties practised on American citizens to the attention of our Government," etc., etc.

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=PREMIUM LIST=

In connection with our offer of any BICYCLE you wish for 100 new subscriptions, we have prepared a

=Premium Catalogue=

This contains a list of selected articles which will be given to those who may obtain a smaller number of subscriptions

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Those who fail to secure the necessary number for the bicycle may make selection from this catalogue.

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=Copy mailed on receipt of 5c.=

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