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Cor'nmnnder McGlffin was asked whether he had anticipated the easy victory of the Java??? I‘ No," he replied,“ I did not, expect the Japanese would be victorious at. all. I thought their success was possible, but, hardly probable, and in case they won I thought it would be only after a severe struggle. I nev'er dreamed of such a walkover as the have had, and I think no one in China. id. “The bow guns were so arranged that they could be fired to either side. The star- board guns, of which there were two work- ing together about six feet apart. had been firing across the bow to the port side. When we began work on the fire I directed tho Lieutenantin charge of the guns to fire to the starboard. He did so until he was killed, and the csptsin of turret. who took his place, did not know that we were there. \‘Ve could not be seen from the turret. He swung the guns around to return the enemy’s fire on the port side. I was directly in front of one of the guns, and not over ten feet away. Fortunately. it was the other gun that he fired first. They were forty-ton guns,each loaded with 222 pounds of other powder and s projectile. The projectile passed six feet to one side of us, but the concussion and flame were sufficient to kill or wound every one of us. “ The man who had hold of the hose with me was kiiied. I was blown five feet into the air, my clothes were set on fire, all my hair and eyebrows were burnt away. my eyes Were filled with powder, and mv bearing WM partly destroyed. I fell baclr on my chest and my lungs Were set to bleed- ing by the concussion.” - “One thing about that. battle," said Commander McGiflin, “ that, has not been understood on this side of the water is the fact that. we were outnumbered by the Japavese although the Japanese have re~ preuencgd djflerently. We were ten ships lie had oaLained leave of absence. to begin Aug. 6 on account of poor healthnmd intended to leave at that: time for America. About July 1, however, he saw how things were going, and believing that war was inevitable, he gave up his leave and book letvice on the Chen Yuan. A number of ‘the men under him had been trained at, the naval school. The war began Aug. 20 and on Sept. 17 came the battle of the Yalu. to the an9' twelve 39 the beginning of the battle hm two of our ships immediately put about and ran away. Two others were soon set on fire, so that the crews were kept busy fighting the fire, so than they were of no use to us. At, than point in the battle three of mhe Japanese ships had been put out of action. A shell Exploded under a hard-wood ladder, and a. piece of the wood striking him in the left flank, inflicted a. wound from which he still suffers. The circum- stances under which he was wounded by one of his own guns was described by him last night. “The ship was on fire at. the how,” he said, “ and I want, forward with several volunteers to pucit nub. The fire of the enemy was directed at that, particular part. of the ship in order to prevent us from extinguishing it._ _ “The men would not; go forward without, an officer, and as none of the Chinese officers would go, I had to take charge of the work myself. While I was atoopiug down with the hose in my hands, a shall passed between my hands and then between my legs, just grazing both wrists and carrying away the tails of my cow. " Aside from the preponderance of numbers, the Japanese had a great. advan- tage over us in other respecm. Our guns were furnished with solid shot only, whicl} passed through Ehe Japs‘ hulls with‘ “ In reports emanming from the Japanâ€" ele it. has been said that. we ran away from them, whirl: is absurd, in View of the fact. that the maximum speed attainable by our squadron as a whole was 1213 knots, while the Japanese squadron could reach 17% knots. out domg any great damage, while theyl rained shell on u- from guns of the most modern consfi‘uction. Some of their ships were furnished with melinite exploding shells. " It iE an acnual fact, that at. the end we drove the Japanese back. and remained in possession. Admiral Ito, commander of their forces, said at the time that, when peace had been declared he would tell why they retired, but I don’t believe he will.” Firsta fragment, of shell struck him in the left thigh and penetrated about. bwa inches. He pulled it out, with a pair of incers and preserved it as a souvenir. Shortly afterward his abdomen was cut by another fragment. He 'came through Singapom and Marseilles instead of by the Pacific. because a revvard Of 35,000 had been offered by the Japanese for his capture, alive or dead. He is a. soldieriy man of about thirty-five years. with blue eyes, a blond mustache, and a face darkly reddened by his service in the Orient. Hie hearing and eyesighc are somewhat impaired and in other ways he is a sufl‘erer from Wounds received at. the Yalu. At the surrender of \Ven-hai-wei the Chen Yuen, Capt. McGiFfin’a ship, passed into the hands of the Japanese, but he had left her after the battle of the Yalu, in which he was completely disabled, chiefly by one of his own guns. During the battle he was hit several times.” Guns. Capt. McGiffiu was in actual command of the Ship Uhen Yuen during the five hours’ contest of the Yalu, while the nominal commander, Admiral Lin. was below pray- ing W his gods. He left. Chins. five weeks go on a six months’ sick leave and he will stay in America. indefinitely in the hope of recovering his shattered health, unless he is recalled by the Chinese Government- lenuerle Shlpi Outnnmhorexl the (Inn C909 lle Says. and “ad Heller Gun‘ and Projerllleaâ€"Capt. )1";qu (‘mne THE BATTLE OF THE YALU CAPT. M'GIFFIN OF THE CHEN «n-YUEN TELLS THE STORY. Near Belâ€"lg killed liy One of Hi: Own “No matter what pay they are promised they are never paid anything until they mutiny, and then they are put ofl‘ with as little as possible. They are frequently supplied with guns and Ammunition of different calibres, and when they tried to put them together in the field and found they didn’t fit, they did what you or I would have doneâ€"they bolted.” “The Chinese sailors were beLter men than the soldiers. They Were disciplined were paid good wages. In China no man would become a soldier if he could be a re- spectable thief or thug. If they were treat- ed hnlf well, they would have done much better. ‘Gfincerâ€"The goods are adulteraced to the utmost; limit already. Now skip down cellar and bring up another lot of Maine herring for sardines, and a gross or two of cotton-seed oil for olive. An Intelligent foreigner is said to have expressed himself after the following fash- Ion_il} regardhto the English )ggguage : When I discovered that if I'wss quick I was fast. if Istood firm I was fast, if I spent too freely I was fast, and than not to eat was to fast, I was discouraged ; but when I came across the sentence, “ The first one won one guinea prize," I was tempted to give up trying to learn the English language. A Pathetic Incident of a )lotherless Boy Who Was Travolnng Alone. New Clerk (anxious to show his shrewd- ness)â€"Mr. Sellfast, [have an idea. Put, a little more lead into your weights. Then your customers will get overweight, and when they deal elsewhere they'll think other grocers are cheats. You can make up by. adulgerating the goods 9 little. A blind musician has for ten or twelve years partly supported his family by going from senside resorts to mountain hotels, during the summer, giving concerts and taking up collections. He says that never throughout these seasons of wandering minstreisy has he met with the least unkindness or dishonesty. No one has dropped a counterfeit bank-note or coin into the hat. The fact; is that, blindness appeals to the better nature of men and women, just. as a child’s loneliness and sorrow appeal to a mother’s heart. ReadI for instance, this incident : And presently little George felt a pair of loving arms about him, a woman‘s voice, half sobbing, calling him a poor, dear little fellow. begged him to come With her to her children. And for the rest, of that journey, at, least, motherleae George had no lack of “ mothering.” “One res»an the Japanese Were better able to exploit their bravery was because most of the war correspondents were within their lines and their despatches had to pass through the hands of censors. Of course they found it advisable to depreciate the Chinese. The reader brushed his hand across his eyes and was silent for a moment. Then, " I’ll come back very soon," he said, and made his way to the mother and her chil- dren. A pale mule lad in a West-bound train glanced wistfully toward a. seat wherea mother and her merry children Were eating lunch. The tears gathered in his eyes, though he tried to keep them back. A passenger came and stood beside him. “What’s the matter?” he asked. "‘Have you no lunch 17” “Yes. I Have a little left. and I’m not, so awful hungry.” “What 13 it then? Tell me ; perhaps I can help you.” "IVsâ€"it's so lonely. and there's such a. lot of them over thu‘e, «miâ€"and they've got, thexr mother." .,u‘.:,:. D “ Yes, and I’m gomg to my uncle ; but I’ve never seen him. A kind lady, the doc- tor’s wife, who put up my lunch, hung this card to my neck. She told me to show it to the ladies on the car, and they would be kind to me ; but: Ididn't Show it to any one yet. You may read it if you like.” u . “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold wacer only in the name of a disciple, vexily I say unto youI he shall in no Wise 1050 his re- Ward.” "During the battle “me Chen Yueu was struck over 400 times. but our men stood to their guns. There was no cowardice dis- played by the men.Some of the Chinese ofli- ;‘ers were brave meu.0f many othersmerhaps the least said the better. Admiral ng, who commanded the squadron, was a gal- lant; plucky old fellow. u The young than raised ibe card and read the name and address of the boy. Below were the words : DVThe young man glanced at the blsck band on the boy’s hat. "Ah," he said, grimly, “and you have lost; yours." 1 “ Why is it, that the Japanese ahOWeri so much greater courage than the Chinese?" “That, is a. mistaken notion. Our men showed great, courage wherever it was poa- sibie to do so. The Japanese never had so severe a test, as that to which the gunners of the Chen Yuen were subjected at the Yam. \Ve had only six guns while some of the Japanese vessels carried twenty-two quick-firing pieces. One of their ships coulg fire seventy or eighty shots 50 our six. “I believed that a Europe“) army corp1 of 30,000 men could walk right througl‘ China, but. I did not believe the Japane 4 would be able to do what they have done‘ I really did not give them credit. for th« I really did not give them credit. for the advance they have made. “At the beginning of the war the Japan- ese did not, fight with the same confidence they displayed an the last. They were afraid of us. They constantly avoided com- ing- into contact with our fleet. We were held within certain hounds by our orders. but. the Japanese fleet was not, and they could have faced an engagement, at, any time, but: they held 03‘. . “The first fight or two made a greatdifier- ence- If the Chinese had won the first lmhble I believe in would have discouraged the Japanese greatly, and it might, have affected the termination of the War. How- ever, it, is too late for 'ifa’ now." WITHOUT A MOTHER. Behind the Age. Wen One. in the matter of buying farm implements and machinery. A prominent. place in the causes of failure of not a few formers should be given to their habit of recklessly buying farm machinery when not needed, and of neglecting to care for it after it is bought. W hen one has a. good implement or machine it is folly to throw it aside and purchase another because of some trifling claimed improvement. 0:: the other hand, it is st least equal folly to continue to use nearly worn-out or inferior tools, neglecting to avail oneself of important improvements. A noticeable tendency of agriculture in the prairie regions, which are so ndmirebly fitted for the use of farm machinery, is to reduce hand labor to a. minimum. It is not only attempted to do almost all parts of field culture work by the aid of horseodrewn machineryI but to do it with the smallest 1 The barn is 40 feet wide and 20 feet. high p giving 13 feet in the clear for bay to swing over the girb. The size can be adapted to the builder’s wants. This plsu economizefl space the beat. of any I have ever seen, and it can be built of any material any large barn can. The rafters should be spiked so both plates. Basement can be made to suit the builder. Too little concern is manifested by form- are about the food suitable for live stock: Dry corn or oats is often thrown out to the herd for consecutive months, with only the occasional addition of roots and stray scraps (-f food that the vigilant animals chance to find. In winter the loose straws are not lying about thickly as a. rule, Without winter pasture in the form of permanent blue grass, or the supplementary forage of green rye or wheat, the up-to-date farmer will try to provide abundant chsuges in the diet of his animals, if he expects the full profit to be derived from breeding and feeding. A variety of corn, oats, (rye and wheat in small proportion) and added to the mixture of linseed mealâ€"at first about 10 per cent. oi the mixture, to be gradually increased to 15 per cent.-â€"will prove an excellent ration for Any and all kinds of farm stock. But it must be judiciously administered, and the quantities of oats or linseed mealedjueted to the requirments of the animals. Attention to numerous individual cases, too, will be in order. The quality of the linseed meal is to be noted. If quite dry of the natural oil a. greater proportion of it may be used. If the use of the meal seems to provoke “scouring” the quantity should be reduced one-half, and only very gradu- ally increased again. The Purchase of Farm Machinery. One may easily go no either extreme on almost any question. This is certainly true Some such astringent food as oats or wheat straw should be brought in to aid in correcting irregularities in this form. If constipation is the difliculLy, wheat, bran, as well as linseed meal, may be included. Plenty of Salt: to induce drinking of water freely will aid in this line. Violent or sudden changes are to be avoided, and a. feeder does better to take three days for a correction than one day. Don't neglect to get in who line of im- provement by running pure-bred sexes in all departments of live stack. It is econ~ omy in feeding to do so, as greater gains‘ follow. The chance granger, who leaves all to luck and allows the farm stock to help themselves to the scent supply of corn stalks or straw in the field, takes grea. risks oi having poorer stock of lighter weight in spring than when they left. cha pasture in the preceding autumn. By prompt attention to such stock next; week, beginning Monday, it is possible to give 3 Warming-up tone to the digestion of half- stsrved animals which will fit them for the grazing season. requires very little explanstion. The braces marked A are of little or no use. If the posts in centre are left out, then put, in brass, Be shown by dotted lines. A Good Barn. have helped to build several barns and have seen and examined plans of many others, writes a Correspondent. I have made the subjects study for a number of years, but have never yet; seen anything than equals the accompanying plan. It DEQACTICAL FARMING Variety in Food CENZJE BE END BENT‘ In view of the chronic impoverishment of the Treasury and the weight of the public dam, it is easy to understand that Presi- dent. Zelaya may find great. difficulty in raising the sum of $75,000 demanded by England. The finances of the Government. are always in bad condition, on account of the disturbances that often prevail, and in many years the expenditures for the army have been beyond the total receipts. Two. thirds of the total annual revenue are derived from Government monopolies on spirits, tobacco and gunpowder, and the remainder chiefly from import duties and a tax on slaughtered cattle. The total population of the republic of Nicaragua is put. by the belt. authorities at 310,000, according to the census just taken. Of the inhabitants of the country, one-tenth belong to iiuciVilized aboriginal tribes, while the main body are Classified as “Indians,” Zamboa or mulattoes, ne- grbes, mixed races, and Europeans, the latter being but few in number. is very rich, and the climate is essentially that of the central zone; but the amount of cultivated land is small in proportion to the arable area of the country. Maize, the principal food of the natives,is very prolific, and fine fruits and vegetables grow in abundance. The form of government is constitutional and republican. There is 3 Congress of H770 branches, the Senate and the House of Representatives. the members of both of which number only thirty-nine, who are elected under the Nicaraguan system of universal suffrage. The President now in power. Gen. Santos Zelsys. was elected, in the Nicaraguan way, last year. and holds office for four years. He has a council of four Ministers, who have charge of that number of departments of the Govern. ment. The active army of Nicaragua consists of 2,000 men, with a reserve of10,000. besides a nominal militia. force of 5,000. The active troops are poorly equipped and ap- parelled, and the reserves are unfit for any service in the field as against a. European force. The despstches about the anger of the Nicaraguana and their readiness to fight the English must. be interpreted with an understanding of the mixed elements of the population._ ceptions, are small and rude. The popula. tion of Managua,the capital, is 18,000, and that of Leon, formerly the capital, 25.000. The town of Corinto is the principal port on the Pacific, and the ladiuo element (a mixture of white and Indians) predomin- ates there. The most important industry of the inhabitants of Nicaragua is the rais- ing of cattle, the hides of which are export- ed ; and among the other exports are oofl'ee, bananas, sugar, indigo, cocosnuts, cacao, Brazil wood, and cedar. The head of cattle number over 400,000. The grester part Of the imports are from England, and the greater part of the exports are to the United States. There are over 100 mines worked by American companies, in nearly all of which gold is found mixed with silver, and in a few silver mixed with copper. Nicar- agua is especially rich in valuable woods, the mahogany, rosewood, graniudillo, and ronrcn, also medicinal trees, besides other commercial trees, including the castilloa elastica, from which indie. rubber is made ; the gutte percha tree, and several trees which produce gums. Wild animals, mon- keys, alligators, lizards and snakes abound, besides tropical birds to the number of 150 species. Mosquitoes swarm in all damp places, and there are fierce wasps. The foraging ants move in large armies. The sees,rivers,end lagoons are alive with every variety of tropical fish. The area ol the republic is only about 49,500 English square miles. There are few towns, and all of them, with two ex- Thai-e are numerous volcanic peaks, a few of which are Mill active, but most, of them have long been extinct. The last great eruption was that. of 1835, when Coseguina scattered its hot ashes over a circle 1,500 miles in diameter. Near some of the extinct craters are vast. beds of lava and acoriae and numerous venue called infernillos, which emit smoke and sulphur- ous vapors. 0n the Pacific coast the soil Th‘ere are about 100 miles 01 railway open in the country, which were built 3!: a heavy cost. One line extends from Cor- into. adiamnce of 58 miles, and another from the capital to Granada, 33 miles. A number of concessions for new lines of greater length have been granted to con- tractors, who are blamed for delaying chair consu‘uczion. There are over 1,700 miles of telegraph lines. There are a fair num- ber of schools for the population. It, is necessary that you be able to con- trol the temperature whxle ripening cream. Always weigh your butter at home. Don’t breed for bones, but strive to build up a. dairy of bumper producers. If the new plow will cut 3m inch or two wider than the old one with no increase in draft, it would soon pay for itself. If equally good work can be done with a harrow which was fifteen feet instead of ten, the saving in cost of labour will soon equal the coat. of the harrow. One or two bushels increase per acre in the yield of corn on the area which can be cultivated with a good cultivator will make the price of a good cultivator in one you. Pure water is absolutely necessary, and pastures must be kept frae of noxious weeds. possible number of men. Wide cutting or gang plows, barrows or cultivators, or seeders, and so of mowers and respers, are becoming more common. Many of the new machines are decidedly better than the older ones of the same class; some are not. In many cases it will be a clear gain to buy new machinary; just. as in others it, would be} needless waste of money. Do the milking in a quiet, place and make no noise doing the work. If in a. stable have it. free from odors. A Lounlry of Small Population and Size but Rich in Resources. Cautions for Butter Producers NICARAGUA Lemon Custmrd.â€"-â€"For two piel wet 4 tablespoonfuls of corn March with a little water, pour on three cups of boiling water. Add the juice of 2 lemons, 2 cups Hagar,the yolks of 3 eggs and a bit of butter. Pour into deep plates lined wizh cruct 3nd bake. Make a menngue by beating the whites of the eggs and adding 5 tablespoonfuls of sugar. Spread over pies and return to the oven to brown. Butcher’s linen is a. good material of which to make a. sham of this style. A pretty drawn work may be made inside the hematitching, or aheavy torchon insertion may be used. If wanted to match a. room. line with Sateen or silk of the color wanted, which. showing through thc open Work, gives the desired effect. u p u a A woman can easily make these for her- self, and her tube or the requirements of the room will suggest materials of which to make them. and new ideas of adornment in their construction. Some Seasonable Pies. Apple Pleaâ€"Now that. the few remain- ing apples are getting dry and Lastelesa,we put into each pie 3. tablespoonful of tame. rind jelly which We prepared no eat. with meets by stewing the tamarind: in a little water, straining, adding an equal bulk of sugar and boiling until quite thick. The pies require a. little more sugar, but their flavor is very much improved. If you have no jelly, stew the apples and flavor with lemon juice and nutmeg. Cream Pie-Roll out two crusts a little thicker than for ordinary pies, place on a. rather flat plate with a sprinkling of flour between ; bake and split open with a stun knife as soon as taken from the oven. For filling for NH) large pies, put in a. double boiler ‘2 cups of milk, when hot stir in two heaping tablespooniule of flour, wet in a, little cold milk, 2 eggs, I; cup augm- and a little salt. Boil until thick, remove from the fire, add lemon or vanilla flavoring and put between the crusts. Berry Piea.â€"If blueberries are not sweet.- ened until they are taken from nhe can, the pies will have a much fresher, more natural taste . We shouli teach onr sons and daughters to properly ask a nuest in and give him a seat, to make introductions, to ssy "Excuse me” or “Beg pardon” if necessary to go before another or to made an interruption, and all the many little things that mark the lady or gentleman. Soon they are so ac- customed to in as to observe all these forms without a thought and there is no chance for awkwmdness. If our children are nearly grown it may not be so easy, but if one is really desirous for better manners in the family it is not hard to arouse an inter- est by talking the master over together and each agreeing to help the otherâ€"father and mother as well as boys and girls working together for a more genteel basting. To forum on the bed, use a small brsas rod as long as bed is wide, set in buckets. Also place a pair of brackets on the other side of head of bedstead. At night place the rod in these, and the sham hangs there undisturbed and unruflied until put on the bed again in the morning. y A . . ; Custard Pie.â€"Fill a good-aized,deep plate with a. custard mude of three well-beaten eggs, 2 cups of milk, {I cup sugar. & litfle salt and cinnamon. Bake in a quick oven until a. knife comes out clear. Pillow Shams. There is nothing about a. bed dressing that is harder to keep in place and looking nest: than the pillow shams. The two-piece fixtures which are used throw the sham out of the way. to be sure, but when again let down it is full of wrinkles. Howaver nice a sham may be, or however recently laun- dered, one folding up of the sham fixtures spoils its freshness. There is a new kind of sham not widely used as ygt, which is the most sensible and serviceable of any we have seen, and may be made as pretty as taste dictates. It, is made on the draw-curtain principle, and of a material to match the bed dressing, or any other preferred goods may be chosen. The sham is cut the length wanted. allow- ing for a heading at the top and a three- inch hem at: bottom ; then make all in one piece as wide as the bed, allowing half as much again for the fullness and for hams at the aides as wide as the one at bottom, and gabher to width of bed, making Lbs heading. Courtesy. All mothers are anxious for their children to appear well in the eyes of others, to be easy and graceful when in company. and possessed of what is termed good manners, vet comparatively few seem to realize the! this is something that is only acquired by long practice. Instead of trying to teach our children to observe the terms of polite society when company is present or when away from home, which is sure to result in bashfulness and awkwardness from their inability to remember all things required of them, they should be taught these thing! from childhood until they become a. part of their daily life.’ The more free a child’s mind can be kept from the thought "What will people think or say 2” the less self- conscious, henfia the more easy in manner they will be, and We mothers should re- member this in our reproving and training: The golden rule is She foundation Of all true politeness and we should be careful always to teach our children to be thought- ful [or the comfort and pleasure of others. Beginning in childhood we should teach then to say “If you please” and “Th-ml! you” for everything, no matter how trivial 2% be. We should teach our boys to remove their hate as soon as they enter the house, or touch or raise it when speaking to a women or an older msn ; to open the door for mother or sister; to place a chair for them or pick up n drogped article, and to acknowledge evm-y little attention or set of courtesy by saying "Thank yon." ‘ Heâ€"Leb me take your hand, Missâ€" Sheâ€"Oh. this is so sudden. THE HOME. At the Euchre Table