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charity and special education. Miss Hays was educated by the state at the Western Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind, Bellefield, and all the teachers and officials are justly proud of her. Miss Hays takes dictation from a phonograph and turns out flawless copy without assistance. She is one of the very few blind girl stenographers in the world, and is the only one, so far as known, who is working from phonographic dictation and turning out such a mass of work.

Here is one of those cases, which every now and then come to light, of a determined soul who simply refuses to be overcome by any handicap that nature or misfortune may put in the path, and who seems to be placed as an example for the less courageous to follow.

BLIND STENOGRAPHER WHO TAKES DICTATION FROM A PHONOGRAPH.

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tion, we might mistake its flight through the air for some venturesome aviator of the present day. Our illustration shows. the petrified remains of what is known as a Pterodactylus, or flying reptile, whose species has been long since extinct. Its elongated fingers had a flying membrane attached somewhat like a bat, and when in flight must have resembled the planes of an airship, as it was of colossal proportions, measuring about twenty feet from point to point. Its body measured. sometimes as much as four or five yards, while the head was entirely out of proportion and developed abnormally, its jaws being almost thirty inches in length. A number of these petrified remains have been discovered in the Smoky Hills of Kansas.

The posterior limbs of this creature reached a development sufficient to carry it over the ground in half running flight, similar to birds, and like birds it could

THIS LADY IS NEITHER SITTING NOR DEFORMED. The strange fore-shortened effect is produced by taking photo from above.

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A NEW WAY TO RECOMPENSE LITERARY HEIRS. Proceeds from sale of these stamps will go to Dickens' descendants.

also lift itself into the air. Its jaws and mouth, although of such huge proportions, were not of powerful build, and authorities tell us that it was considered of feeble strength considering the development of parts of its body.

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DICKENS TESTIMONIAL

THE

STAMPS

'HE first of the proof sets of the Dickens testimonial stamp has been forwarded to the King by his majesty's express desire. Each stamp bears a water mark as a safeguard against forgery. The committee hopes that at least ten millions of these stamps will be sold as a centenary testimonial to the descendants of Dickens. It is not yet decided how the money shall be spent, but it is hoped that a memorial to Dickens may be inIcluded in the scheme. Americans ought to have a share in the purchase of these stamps, if only because this favorite English author became amazingly popular here largely without profit to himself, because of piratical publishers. In the old days, before the enactment of an international copyright law, English authors were at the mercy of American publishers, who paid them not one cent in royalties.

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BATHING SUIT A LIFE

PRESERVER

SOMETHING entirely now in the line of a life preserver has been recently discovered by a German scientist. It is made in the form of a lining to bathing suits and possesses the peculiar quality of floating the wearer upon the surface of the water. The material and process of manufacture is probably a secret one as no information seems to be available as to its character. It possesses, however, fully as useful qualities as the bullet-proof-cloth that has been much experimented with as a lining for army uniforms. The buoyant qualities do not interfere in any respect with the persons performing all the customary feats of swimming, but should any injury befall the swimmer the material supports the wearer in the water until someone can come to his aid. Bathing suits of this material are also of particular advantage to beginners at swimming schools, it being impossible for them to go under

water.

BIG YIELD OF ALFALFA

FARMERS in the lower Rio Grande

Valley of Texas are finding alfalfa a very profitable crop. Near Mercedes, one of the new towns in that rapidly developing region, is a field of alfalfa that was planted December 20, 1910, and within a period of twelve months after

BATHING SUITS AS LIFE PRESERVERS. A new idea that has appeared in Germany.

the seed was sown it yielded nine cuttings. Each cutting averaged one ton per acre or nine tons per acre for the twelve months. It is stated that alfalfa always produces a larger yield after the first year. The wonderful results that are being obtained from this and other fields of alfalfa in that section are attributed to the ready manner in which the roots of the plants take hold in the soil and the attention that is given by the farmers in irrigating the growing crops. success of the alfalfa industry is causing considerable attention to be given to raising hogs by these farmers. It is proven to be an ideal feed for the animals and they quickly fatten on it.

The

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OF

SCIENTIFIC FLY TRAP

F late years the house-fly has been recognized as a carrier of disease, and consequently any invention which will check its pernicious activities is of importance. The western invention illustrated herewith is a cylindrical trap of wire netting, which is attached to a window pane by means of a vacuum rubber support. Below the cylinder is a semicircle of metal arranged in such a way that flies walking on the pane will be led to the entrance of the trap and, once in, they are unable to find their way out. This ingenious little device is really built on scientific principles as the inventor has evidently studied the habit of flies on the glass and has noted the propensity to follow any obstacle they meet instead of turning back.

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"WILL YOU WALK INTO MY HOUSE?" SAYS THE MAN TO THE FLY.

NEITHER AUTO NOR MOTORCYCLE.

UNUSUAL PUNCTURE

AUTOMOBILE tires have a way of

collecting a great many articles more or less detrimental to the life of the tire. The wit's definition of a puncture-a hole in the tire where all the pleasure of motoring goes out-must have been felt by the owner of the car whose tire picked up the rather unusual souvenir shown in the illustration. Automobile tires in order to increase their usefulness and life should not be run when in a soft condition. This was the cause of the railroad spike attaching itself to the tire in such an unusual way. It is a well known fact among the makers of automobile tires that a hard tire is able to resist picking up objects along its path much more. readily than when not properly inflated.

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ΑΝ

NEW SUB-IRRIGATION

N entirely new type of irrigating tile overcomes the difficulties met with in other pipe and tile system of irrigation. It is claimed that it solves the problem of sub-irrigation. This tile is of cement construction. One-half of the tile is cast of pebbles, which have been thinly coated with cement. This leaves that part of the structure porous and permits the water to flow freely into the ground. At the same time, the pores or openings through the gravel wind about in such tortuous courses that it is an effective protection against them being obstructed by roots or dirt, it is claimed.

GEORGIA WATER POWER

THE

'HE southern part of the United States is awakening to the possibilities of water power, and one of the greatest projects along this line is the construction of a power plant near Macon, Ga. The dam is ninety feet. high and will hold back approximately a billion gallons of water when the sluice gates are closed.

Electricity will be generated and transmitted to Macon and Atlanta at a pressure of 100,000 volts, the amount of current generated being sufficient to light both cities and run local street and interurban cars as well.

NEW TRAVELING CRANE

THE new traveling crane which is shown by the accompanying photograph is in operation in a large factory in a suburb of Paris. It is a rolling bridge composed of a large, movable horizontal iron beam placed at a certain height above the ground, which carries the crane proper. This beam turns about a fixed pivot, placed at one extremity, while the other extermity is placed on a rolling circular aerial road supported by posts. The crane, which is operated by an electric motor, can be moved the entire length of the beam.

By the rolling, aerial circular track, material may be carried to any place in the vicinity of the shops, even though they are placed irregularly.

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