Some men who recall with pride how they earned their first dollar would hesitate to let the world know just how they earned the most of their dollars.

Base ball has been introduced in Japan. The Japs being mere imitators, it may be taken for granted that there is trouble ahead for their umpires.

The Atlanta Constitution thinks that a pretty face will cure a broken heart. Only trouble is that it often breaks the party of the second part in the operation.

Texas and Louisiana bayous, considered worthless ten years ago, now yield over $25,000,000 in rice. No spot on the earth is worthless when the secret of its use is discovered.

Since Porto Rico became a possession of the United States, fifty labor unions have been formed on the island, most of the organizations being chartered by the American Federation of Labor.

Co-operation has proved a great success in England. The co-operative societies did a business in 1903 that aggregated $446,081,115, and the net profits were $49.300,ood, or 361⁄2 per cent of the share capital involved.

Trades unions have outlived the experimental stage and are now grounded on a basis as solid, as lasting and as permanent as is the rock of adamant. They have increased wages, shortened the hours of labor and otherwise materially advanced and protected the best interests of labor.

One result of emigration from Sweden is to raise the wages for those farm laborers who, a few years ago, were paid 150 and 200 kr. a year, now receive 350 kr. and upward. Boys of 15 now obtain as much as a full-grown man did a few years ago, and the wages of house servants have doubled in a short time.

Who was recently expelled from the Order of Railroad Telegraphers for conduct unbecoming a member.

Col. William Dorris of Huntington, Pa., enjoys the rare distinction of traveling upon a Pennsylvania Railroad pass issued in 1850, which is without limit. This pass is a curiosity, having on it, in addition to the necessary wording, the picture of an engine and two cars, which now appear unique. The engine is anything but modern, and the coaches have the old time "possum belly" in which baggage was carried. The Colonel retains this pass because he was one of the original shareholders of the company.

A START ON THE "Q." THAT ENDED ON THE "C. P."

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T is useless to discuss the question any further, George. You know I cannot throw up my position here while I have mother to support."

"But, Bella, you promised to set the day half a dozen times, and now that I have a good station out on the Extension there will be plenty of room for mother with us."

George Stanley had been day telegrapher at the "Junction" for nearly three years, and pretty Isabella Green had been holding down the night trick for two years, when George received word of his promotion.

Isabella had no thought of breaking her engagement, but the god, "Ambition," was a ruling power in her heart just now, and visions of future greatness in her chosen profession drowned the small voice of love that spoke out from the depth of her warm heart, and she again put off naming the happy day when these two were to join hands for time and eternity.

"I must have my final answer before I go west to-morrow," George replied. With a toss of her little brown head and her dimpled chin a trifle too high in the air, Isabella declared her decision was final at present.

Neither one knew just how it happened, but half an hour later George found himself at the hotel hastily packing his trunk and Bella's engagement ring was safely stored away with the balance of his possessions. He did not report for duty the following morning, as his successor was already on hand, and instead of starting for his new station as expected he sent in his resignation to the division superintendent and started immediately for Winnipeg. A week later he was speeding on his way to take charge of a station on the Extension, 500

miles northwest of that point. The little village of A—— was a thriving and busy little town of 1,000 people situated on the banks of a large river at the foot of the mountains. The line was building still farther west into the coal fields.

George's departure was a surprise to Bella, and the gloomy little office became almost a prison cell to her. Instead of George's cheery "Hello, Bella," she met the simpering evening salutation of the new man with a feeling of disgust, and by the time she had swept the floor and opened the doors and windows to free the room of foul tobacco smoke, and often the fumes of something worse, she began to realize that there is a difference in people.

Poor Bella heard nothing from George, and no one in town even knew where he had gone.

Summer finally wore away and one day early in November she received a very polite little notice from the division superintendent that a night passenger train would be put on in a short time, and as there would be considerable heavy baggage to handle during the night it was thought best to put a man in charge of the night office at the Junction. There was no place where they could use her at present, but they hoped to be able to give her a position again very

soon.

Bella waited in vain till Christmas time, and still no opening, and her scanty means were nearly exhausted.

After writing to various places she got an offer of a small station on the C. P. out on the new line at a little place called S, thirty miles up the river from Q-, where George was located.

S― was a little mining station, and was so desolate and forsaken, save for a lot of rough miners, that the company found it extremely hard to keep a man there. Feb

At the beginning of the storm all westbound trains were held at Winnipeg, and all east-bound trains finally got through the second day.

When the storm cleared there was not a train on the Extension, and snow was piled up from three to twenty feet high the entire distance.

It was five weeks before the first train got through to S, and during that time the surrounding country had been transformed from the waste of snow to the more terrible dangers of an irresistible flood of

river bed. Isabella and her mother awoke one morning to find that the river had over-flowed its banks and was already two feet deep around the depot.

The alarm had been sounded during the night, and the miners had all escaped to the higher ground, but through some oversight no word had been sent to the women in the depot.

By noon there was four feet of water in the office and they had retired to the upper rooms. There was no means of escape. nothing remained to do but wait.