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THIS PLANT, THE SAMUELA. IS SAID TO BE FOUND NOWHERE IN THE WORLD EXCEPT IN THE NEIGH BORHOOD OF SIERRA BLANCA, TEXAS.

smoke measuring 2 inches long traces are obtained. During the transformation into curves the wax cylinder, moved either by hand or by motor, turns much more slowly than at the time of the impression. The result is that the inertia of the lever makes no error in the reproduction.

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THE SAMUELA OF TEXAS

ONE of the oddities of the vegetable kingdom is the Samuela, or Sierra Blanca yucca of Southwestern Texas. In addition to the oddity of its appearance, it is peculiar in the extreme narrowness of its geographical distribution.

Botanically, the Sierra Blanca yucca is related to the arborescent yucca or Joshua tree, of the Mojave desert, and to the Spanish bayonet that thrives throughout the semi-arid region of the Southwest. However, in appearance it resembles neither. It grows to a height of from 10 to 20 feet, usually in straight, columnar form, without branches. At the top are a great number of smooth, tapering, pointed, dark-green leaves. As new leaves develop, the old ones die, shrivel, become brown, and turn back along the trunk, which is thus sheathed in a thatch-like covering of recurved leaves.

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This unique bridge was constructed by a farmer in Calhoun County. Michigan. for the purpose of transporting the milk from his farm to the interurban railroad. By crossing this bridge he reaches the trolley line by walking a few rods, while before it was built it was necessary for him to drive three miles to accomplish the same purpose. The bridge is suspended ten rods across the river and is ten feet above the river in the middle, It is built of woven wire fencing. A strip of fencing covered with boards forms the bottom of the bridge.

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POWDERED ALUM ON GLASS

HE frosting of glass may be easily

THE

done and very remarkable effects may be secured by viewing these artificial forms under a microscope by the aid of a polariscope. It was a favorite "Oh my" slide of the old time amateur microscopist and many a collection is now adorned by these beautiful specimens of the microscopical art. The microscopists in their magazines vied with one another in their efforts to add to the published list something very good that they had discovered. Each user of the microscope had some favorite crystal for the excellence of which he was ever ready to argue.

But not all of these are beautiful in themselves. Many need the aid of the polariscope to bring out the beauty of color but some crystals are pleasing even when viewed with artificial light by the unaided eye. Among those that have been found the most satisfactory are Epsom salts, tartaric acid and alum. Un

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AN ITALIAN CURIOSITY-A PEAR TREE BEARING SEVEN PEARS ON THE TRUNK,

No leaves grew with this cluster. This tree stands on the

NEW STYLE CANAL LOCK, USED NEAR HAMBURG, GERMANY.

The vessel is being lifted in a trough from the upper to

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REMARKABLE ACCIDENT ON THE NORTHWESTERN RAIL-
WAY.AT WELLESDEN JUNCTION, ENGLAND.
One car mounted another and completely swept away
all the upper works.

doubtedly it is Epsom salts that have the greatest popularity. It is the crystals of this salt that are frequently seen, especially on bar-room windows. Some men make a specialty of going from saloon to saloon to decorate the windows in midsummer with beautiful frost-like forms that make the saloon especially attractive in the sweltering days of July and August. The common custom is to mix Epsom salts with stale beer. It is supposed the action of the beer forces the crystals to adhere closely to the glass.

BATTERY TRUCK

CRANE

FOR the quick handling of

material about a shop or in unloading cars the small electric truck crane as shown in the illustration has been designed by a well known electrical manufacturing concern, and fills the place that the great shop cranes can not fill because of the comparatively slow operation.

The car upon which the crane is mounted is short and easily turned in small space making the truck especially useful in running about the floor of the shop where material and machines are crowded together.

rear

The storage battery mounted upon the of the car furnishes the electric current for oper

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BABY RAFFLE IN PARIS.

The management of a foundling hospital with the consent of the respective authorities decided to play out all the babies, whose parents they were unable to trace. The income of this raffle was divided among the different charity institutions.

This idea is such a good one that its observance could strongly be recommended to all simi lar hospitals. The government is released of the burden to take care of the little babies and the income of such raffles provides a substantial help to the different charity organizations.

In the stock room where heavy material must be handled the crane is found very useful. In a test made recently a number of boxes of bar iron weighing 100 pounds each were to be piled. The crane piled 40 of these boxes in one hour.

The car is equipped with wheels 24 inches in diameter and having a 5-inch face. The crane arm is adjustable to various heights and can be supplied in lengths best suited for the work in hand.

The battery can be charged by the addition of inexpensive apparatus to the equipment of the ordinary power house and the work of charging attended. to at night by the watch

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man.

This device is one of the most convenient and expedient which has ever been invented for such a

purpose.

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AUTOMATIC NEWSPAPER VENDER AS USED IN LOS ANGELES, CAL.

THE MECHANICAL NEWSBOY THE 'HE raucous cry of the train boy will soon be a thing of the past, when the automatic newspaper venders come into general use. They are now in operation on the great interurban electric trolley system centering in Los Angeles, California, and are a recognized success. As the photograph shows, the automatic newsboy has a large stock, five local papers and one weekly being carried, and although the price of these varies from one to five cents, each is delivered accurately for its own price. A couple of hundred of these machines have already been installed, and a national extension of the system is planned. Not only trains but hotels, apartment houses and news stands, drug stores etc. will be supplied with the new device, which should pay for itself in clerk hire

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EACH LEAF OF THIS PLANT IS SELF-SUFFICING.

One of the leaves has been purposely turned up in order that the rootlets might be shown.

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REPUBLICAN SIMPLICITY ABROAD. Embassador Richard Kerens of St. Louis. standing in the vestibule of the United States Embassy at Vienna, surrounded by his military attache, and a dozen or two assorted footmen and other lackeys in silk stockings and powdered wigs. The photo is an extremely touching example of the Jeffersonian simplicity which seems to prevail in the diplomatic service of these United States.

HEATED SMOKE FLOATS BALLOON.

This big canvas bag is filled by burning under it kerosene soaked wood. When it has ascended about one thousand feet, the aeronaut, sitting in a trapeze attached to a parachute, cuts loose from the balloon. The parachute opening up lets the aeronaut down easily. Released from his weight the balloon soon topples over, letting out its cloud of hot smoke, and drops to the ground.

HOW THE AUTO MAKES ITS MARK

THIS night view of a city street represents an apparently deserted thoroughfare with a tangle of wheel tracks on one side. In reality it is the picture of a very busy street, with constantly passing automobiles and street cars. The latter left the broad streak of light across the picture, while the network of wheel marks so they seem-is a record of motor cars with their lights in pairs. Once in a while a car stopped, leaving two little dots of light, and then proceeded, forming the continuous track. Cars going around the first corner are also shown. One of them carried a high headlight, such as the police patrol car uses. Of course the pedestrians made no impression on the film, and the vehicles going away from it would leave only the faint record of the tail lights.

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