The treasury of the United States has already begun to feel the benefit of the Klondike gold discovery.
The San Francisco mint has received half a million dollars' worth of the gold, and expects another half-million by the next steamer.
The Mint Bureau has been informed that Alaskan gold has been received at several of the Pacific ports for shipment to the East, and the ton and a half from Seattle is also on its way.
There has long been a movement on foot to limit the wearing of feathers on hats.
So many charming birds are slaughtered to adorn the headgear of our women folks, that it has been feared some of the songsters might become extinct.
A law has, however, just been passed for their protection in Massachusetts, which forbids the use of certain birds for millinery purposes.
The petition begging that a bill of this character might be framed by the State Senators was drawn up by United States Senator George F. Hoar.
The petition was supposed to come from the birds themselves, and to be signed by thirty-five song-birds. It was written in such a delightful manner that it roused the interest of the Massachusetts Legislature, and the desired bill was prepared and passed in an astonishingly short space of time.
The document is so pretty and graceful in its tone and language that you would certainly like to read it for yourselves.