O build an electric fountain which should be an ornament to the San Diego plaza by day as well as by night was the problem which an architect of that city was recently called upon to solve. It is a well known fact that the ordinary electric fountain, beautiful as it may be while illuminated, is exceedingly unattractive until nightfall, being of a purely mechanical appearance, iron pipes and nozzles showing above the surface of a basin. That is because no

architect has heretofore thought of combining beauty of line and surface with the device that produces these artistic fireworks.

In the designing of the San Diego fountain, however, the problem was unusual. The tiny plaza in the center of the city is laid out as a formal square and is directly opposite one of the finest hotels in the world, an architectural triumph. Therefore it was necessary to preserve a harmony between the appearance of the fountain and its surround

ings, and the architect was compelled to create something totally different. How well he succeeded is shown in this photograph of the fountain which is almost as beautiful by day as by night.

The general design of it is taken from classic Greek models, and even when the water is not flowing the little monument of granite, marble and bronze is a thing of beauty. The unique features are found in the arrangement of the jets of water and the placing of the lights and reflectors. At first sight the dome of the little temple-like structure appears to be formed of spray, seemingly thrown skyward by the needles of water shooting up between the marble columns. This is an illusion, though, as in reality the water which forms the dome is forced by a pump through the cores of the columns and allowed to gush out from under the bronze lantern on the dome, which is constructed of prismatic glass and a metal grille. The water flowing violently over the projections of the grille develops countless miniature cascades so that the roof is covered with a foaming mantle. The water between the columns

is in reality not thrown upward but is a shower. The flow from above is allowed to drop straight down through a perforated sheet of metal under the dome. The arrangement of the other jets is harmonious but not unusual.

By night, of course, the fountain is at its best. All of the jets and cascades are illuminated in various colors, red, green, yellow and purple lights, automatically operated by a flasher. In addition to that, clusters of tungsten lights are placed under the prismatic glass of the dome causing a diffused glow to shine through the foam.

An electric motor of fifteen horsepower was installed below the fountain and all the mechanical devices are completely hidden. It is estimated that five dollars a day covers the full cost of upkeep, including lights, water, and salary of one man, which seems an exceedingly small outlay.

A San Diego capitalist gave this fountain to the city and also co-operated with the architect in perfecting some of the original details of the mechanism. was erected at a cost of $15,000.

It

A

CHICAGO banker has discovered a way to make his automobile do double duty. Instead of leaving his car at

home when he goes on a houseboating cruise he takes it along and makes it serve as a power plant to run the boat. This is accomplished by fitting spurred sprocket wheels to the hubs of the car's rear wheels, and keying similar but larger ones to the paddle wheels of the boat, connection between them being made by means of link chain belts. Then when the auto is jacked up so that rear wheels are clear of the deck, and the

engine started, the boat majestically glides away. The automobile is guided on board by means of a couple of grooved runways which run from the shore to the gangplank, and stopped at a place on the aft deck just between the paddle wheels.

The boat has two rudders, but it may also be steered by means of the paddle wheels if desired. The paddles are constructed so as to be independent of each other, and when they are connected with the automobile, the emergency brake of the car is disconnected from one driving wheel and the foot brake from the other.

In this way one of the paddles can be revolved while its opposite remains stationary. If the port paddle is turned, while the starboard is held still, the bow of the houseboat is shoved around to starboard, and vice versa.

The Driftwood, which is the name of this remarkable craft, has all the conveniences of a modern steam heated apartment, including hot and cold water, refrigerator, gas stove, roof garden, sun parlor, private back porch, hardwood floors, laundry, clothes drier and janitor service. It also carries a gasmaking machine which supplies gas for illumination

and cooking, and a complete water filtering system.

The houseboat measures seventy-five feet over all, with a width of sixteen feet, five inches. It weighs thirty-six tons and draws sixteen inches of water. The house proper is fifty feet long and the full width of the boat, and contains three sleeping rooms, a bath room, kitchen and combined living and dining room. owner lived on it during the entire past winter, while moored in a boat yard, and proposes to automobile the craft down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers some time during the summer.

Its

The Motorist at Home

"You have a fine lot of children, Binks," said Hawkins, as after a spin through the country they returned to the house for dinner. "How many are there?"

"Seven," said Binks, proudly.

"I've often wondered," said Hawkins, "whether you people with so many children have any favorites among them."

"Oh, no," returned Binks, hesitatingly; "that is to say, not consciously, but of course we are more interested in a 1911 model than in the earlier ones."-To-Day's Magazine.

A Solitude

HERE is an extract from a hotel prospectus in Switzerland:

"Veissbach is the favorite place of resort for those who are fond of solitude. Persons in search of it are in fact constantly flocking here from the four quarters of the globe."

An Act of iss

WEARY VOICE FROM DOOR Y-"My dear sir, I have absolutely no objection to your coming here and sitting up half the right with my daughter, nor to you standing on the doorstep for three hours saying good night. But in consideration for the rest of the household who wish to get to sleep, will you kindly take your elbow off the bell push?"-London Opinion.

Of Course

TEACHER "Willie, if you had five eggs in the basket and laid three on the table, how many would you then have?" WILLIE "Eight."

The Quick and the Dead

RUFE JOHNSON was heard telling this story: "Yessur, it sure was er ghost, an' I run some. De fust mile I made in nuffin', den I burnt de wind for two or free more, an' den I sot down on er rail fence to rest, an' when I'd 'bout caught my breff I done looked over mah shoulder, an' dare was dat ghost again an' it said:

"We sure did run, Rufe, didn't we?' An' dhen say: 'Yes, Mr. Ghost, we sure did; but we didn't run noffin' to what we's gwine to run.''

Couldn't Stand the Insult

A SCOTTISH boy and an English boy who had been fighting were separated by their respective mothers, the Scottish boy, although the smaller of the two, being by far the more pugnacious.

"Whit garred ye fecht a big laddie like that?" asked his mother, as she wiped the blood from his nose.

"And I'll fecht_him again," exclaimed the lad, "if he says Scotsmen hiv tae wear kilts because their feet are too big tae get into their troosers ""-The Continent.