1 1
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. . .',.;. ., .NIL PESPEBAKDTJM. ' .' " '. ' ' Two Dollars per Annum. .
YOL. IV. IlIDOWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1874. NO. 8.
Night.
O night I most beautiful, most rare I
Thou glv'st the hoaveus their hollnr-thue
Anil through tho azure fields of air
Brings 't down the aznro dew!
Tor thon, with breathless lips apart.
Pid'Bt stand iu that dim ago o far,
Aud hold upon that trembling heart
SlessinVs horald star!
For this I love thy hallowed roign !
For more than thrice blosncd thou art !
Thou gainst the unbeliever's brain
By entering at bis heart.
THE DOUBLE ESCAPE.
In the fall of tho ye ar 1812, Borne
three or four months after the declara
tion of war, a fleet of eight or ten smnll
crnft was fitted out of Salem, by Wil
liam Paul and others, intended for the
Philadelphia flour trade. Among them
was the schooner Fox, a little fore-and-nfter
of about fifty tons. Samuel Hodg
don, master Ooorge Henssler, raate
an oM and experienced pilot, by the
name of Eklridge, and the boy Bill,
from whom, by the way, we deiive
these particulars, formed her comple
ment of men. Our little Fox was in
ballast save in her hold snugly stowed
against the bulkheads, for those were
not ptrietly tempernnce times, was a
barrel of American gin. Thus appoint
ed the Fox topped her boom and was
off, with a fair wind and agood promise
of success, for a lato arrival stated that
no cruisers were to bo seen in the bay.
On the fourth morning they found
themselves off Great Egg Harbor and,
much to their chagrin, in the close
neighborhood of a strange sloop-of-war.
Running nway was ont of the question
and in answer to one or two rather
pressing invitations, by a messenger
not over particular in regard to forms
and ceremonies, tho Fox hauled her
wind aud stood for her uuwelaome
neighbor.
" Nabbed, by Jupiter 1" said the old
pilot, squirting a small cataract of to
bacco juice to leeward, as he saw a boat
put off from the sloop-of-war filled with
men.
In a few moments Capt. Hodgdon
had the pleasure of being told that he
was a prize to his Britannic Mijesty's
sloop-of-war Prometheus, of seveteen
guns, and that tho ompany of himself
and mate was particularly requested on
board. With as good a grace as could
be mustered tho requisition was com
plied with, and tho captain and mate
repaired on board.
With the consent of the commander
tho captain and mate were permitted to
go on board their own vessel for the
, night, which was in charge of a middy
' nnd nine men. During the night tho
two vessels were to lay off and on in
the harbor, close iu company, although
with such a force on board the schooner
of -lourse not the least suspicion was
entertained of an attempt to recap
turo. Not relishing, however, the
idea of making so unprofitable a voyage
nor of seeing their.little craft burned
and themselves prisoners if it were not,
Henssler, the mate, and the boy Bill
laid their heads together to retake the
schooner. Bather a formidable under
taking, it must bo confessed, with ten
armed muu on board and the guns of
the sloop-of-war, like sleeping thunder,
frowning upon them. Undeterred by
the almost hopelessness of their task,
Henssler and the boy arranged the plot,
giving the captain and the pilot u hint
of their intentions, which they readily
acquiesced in.
Tho night set in and our determined
fellows set about tho accomplishment
of their work. At this time the two
vessels, having made considerable off
ing, were lying to the sloop-of-war
under reefed topsails, and the schooner
immediately under her guns, with her
helm lashed a-lee, her foro and mainsail
trimmed close aft, and her jib hauled
to windward. About 8 o'clock Hens
sler and tho pilot turned in, while the"
captain aud middy sat chatting together
in tho cabin over n dim light the boy
Bill in the meantime being on deck
with the sloop-of-war's men, who wera
lounging around the windlass, cracking
jokes, telling long yarns, listening ap
parently with the greatest interest to
the stories of old salts.
" I say," said one of them, as ho
woundup his yarn, "you have been
sitting there chuckling this half hour
bad manuers to you can't you do
something toward helping out the even
ing's entertainment ?"
" What can I do ?" was Bill's laugh
ing reply.
"Have you a ping of tobacco about
you, youngster? I have been on short
ullowance of tarred rope for two
months."
" I have no tobacco," said Bill ; " if
I could get at the skipper's chest, I
might smuggle a bite for you. But I
tell you what," he added, lowering his
voice, "there'o a barrel of gin on
board, aud if you'd like to whet your
whistle!', I guess I can hook a drop.
The old man won't mind it, seeing he
is"goiug to get clear to-morrow. Will
that do?"
Of course this proposition received
the eager asueut of all hands. A bucket
and dipper were soon found, the hatches
silently removed, and Bill crept slyly
down the hold after the coveted liquor,
the men in the meantime raising their
voices in conversation in order to drown
any noise that Bill might make m se
curing the prize. After a while he ap
peared with the bucket full of gin, and
a hearty swig was taken all around. It
may be supposed that such a good op
portunity was not permitted to pass un
improved, and the "main brace" was
"spliced" pretty often.
After a while the bucket being dry,
more than one hint was given that a
fresh nip would not be disagreablo.
Bill demurred at first ; but by repeated
urging at last reluctantly consented to
bring on another bucket. It was
brought, emptied and replenished
again. In fact Bill plied them bo brisk
ly with liquor that, though not pver
strong, before long they were all in a
comfortable state of somnolency.
Having assured himself that there
was no danger to be apprehended from
his late boon companions, Bill ciept aft
and giving a preconcerted signal,
Henssler left bis berth and sauntered
on deck, with only a part of his 'dress
on for fear of exciting the suspicion of
the middy, who sat hall dozing over
some newspapers which the captain had
furnished mm. The first object of the
mate and tho young conspirator was to
secure the arms of the sleepers, by
which time the pilot ulso came on deck".
With his assistance the men were
bound and bundled down the foro peak.
This accomplished, the captain, who
had ft hint of the progress of affairs,
immediately addressed tlio astonished
middy at tho same time very coolly
taking a brace of pistols from the capa
cious pocket of his pea-iacket and cock
ing them saying he " hoped he would
make himself as comfortable as he
could, for bo was his prisoner 1" nt the
same time begging to be excused if he
left him for the present to his own medi
tations, as duty called him on deck.
We cannot stop to describe the wonder
of our middy at this unexpected speech.
Suffico it that, seeing how affairs had
turned, he submitted as philosophically
as ho could, while the captain went on
deck, fastening his safe prize-master
below.
It was now getting toward midnight.
So far everything had succeeded well ;
but the worst was yet to come. How
to get away from the sloop-of-war was
their next study. The schooner, as we
have said, was lying in close proximity
to her guns, and if she attempted to es
cape one broadside would blow her to
atoms. Their first endeavor was to in
crease the distance between tho two ves
sels. This they did by the pilot's cau
tiously assuming the helm, and taking
advantage of every favorablo circum
stance, by yawing aud filling, so that
by degrees the distance was insensibly
increased. Edging along in this way
until he found he had got in the neigh
borhood of tho shoals off Cape May
the others in the meantime having
secretly got everything ready for a
start they suddenly made sail and run
for the shoals. They had scarcely filled
away when crack ! came a gun from
the sloop-of-war.
" Blaze awny, my good fellows," said
tho skipper, exultiugly ; " it may re
quire good eye-sight to hit the little
Fox this distance iu the night."
And blaze away they did, though
every shot went high or fell short, and
not 'the least damage iu hull, spar or
rigging was sustained.
Meanwhile, in au incredible short
space of time, the sloop-of-war had
packed on all sail aud was blowing di
rectly in the wake of the ruuaway. The
only chance for our Yankee wasto creep
iu among the shoals, where her pur
suer could not, from her draught, follow
her. This she did, having a good start
and being a good sailer, until the sloop-of-war
thought it prudent to haul oil',
finding she could neither cripple nor
overhaul her.
Tho Fox still continued her course,
running for the Rip-Raps, inside of
which is a passage way, while the Pro
metheus bore up with the intention of
running round the shoals and heading
her off. But as the Fox had a straight
cut, while her pursuer had a round
about passage, the former got the Etart
of her and succeeded in getting safely
into the Delaware. At Newcastle was
a depot of gunboats, stationed there to
guard the mouth of the river. Run
uing into this place, our Yankees deliv
ered up their chop-fallen prisoners, and
then proceeded ou to Philadelphia, not
a littlo proud of their daring achieve
ments. Having taken in a full cargo of flour
at Philadelphia, where they remained
about three weeks, our Yankee friends
started for Salem.- They waited for a
very dark night ere they left the Dela
ware, in the hope of escaping the
enemy, who were prowling about tho
capos'watching tho mouth of the river
as a cat watches a rat hole, ready to
pounce upon the first that attempted
egress. '
Taking advantage of an unusually
dark evening, and having a pretty stiff
breeze, they started. The schooner was
a good sailer', in excellent trim, and
they cracked on to her. Toward morn
ing, having haa a nne night s run, tne
skipper turnod in, congratulating him
self that, at any rate, he had slipped by
one dangerous point. Not a little
anxiety was . felt by all on board to
avoid the enemy, and more particularly
the sloop-of-war, for they well knew
if they bhould fall again into their
clutches it would go card with them.
They knew no mercy would be shown
them.
Scarcely had the day dawned when
the watch sang out, lustily, " Sail, hoi"
And V sail ho !" it was, true enough, for
as the light increased they found them
selves close ahead of two large vessels
standing under "easy sail on- their
weather beam.: ; ' "
"It is all over with us," said the
pilot despondingly, as l e east his eyes
toward their neighbors, "and here
comes our death warrant," he added, as
the flash of a gun was seen issuing from
a bdwport of the nearest and largest of
the vessels, while its heavy report came
booming dver the water. '
"That means heave tol" said the
mate "Skipper ahoy 1 You're wanted
on deck," he shouted down the com
panion way, arousing the captain from
a very agreeable dream of sailing safely
into the harbor of Salem.
The schooner, notwithstanding the
hint that had been given, still continued
on her course as though unmindful of
the presence of her war-like neighbors,
when another flash of her guns and a
ball came dancing along, striking the
water directly under the bowsprit of
tho schooner and scattering the spray
in all directions.
"Ay, oy 1 don't be in such a blessed
hurry" growled the old pilot "the
world wan't made in a day 1 '
" Hard-a-lee 1" shouted the eaptain,
who had now couie'on deck "It's no
use, pilot, the fates" are against us;"YTe
must run under the big fellow's quar
ter." " I say, Bill," exclaimed the old
man as he brought the schooner up in
the wind, " We shall be put on short
allowance soon, and we must make the
most of it while we can." However,
those were old-fashioned times, when a
glass of bitters wa3 rolled as a sweet
morsel over the tongue.
"Schooner ahoy 1" shouted a gruff
voice from the gangway of the larger
vessel, which proved to be the frigate,
" Your name and cargo ?"
" The Fox of Salem, with flour," was
the reply.
"Ay, ay," was tho response, followed
in a few moments by nn order to drop
alongside of her consort, which was a
short distance to leeward, and discharge
part of her cargo, reserving the balance
for the frigate.
The feelings of our Yankee skipper
may be better imagined than described
when, on obeying the order, he found
himself fastened to his old captor, the
Prometheus. Cnrses not' a iew were
showered upon him for the Yankee
trick he had played them. " We've
got you now, my fine follows, safe
enough," said one of the officers super
intending the tacklo by which the flour
was discharged. " You'll have to take
it, my boys," said another. " Despite
its cunning and doubling, we have un
earthed the Fox this time," added a
third ; and so the remarks ran on as
they proceeded to transfer the flour
from the schooner to the sloop-of-war.
Before doing this, however, six ham
mocks with their bedding were flung
over the schooner's side as fenders to
prevent chafing.
Our Yankees listened to the taunting
remarks of their captors in silence, ami
doggedly assisted in breaking bulk,
save now and then the old pilot grum
bled out his spleen iu anything but tho
choicest language, as he cast rather a
wolfy glance at the mass of heads that
peered down upon them from the rail
ing of their enemy.
About thirty barrels had been trans
ferred when the frigate, which was now
at the leeward, suddenly threw out a
signal to the Prometheus to follow her
in chase of a strange pail, apparently a
large vessel which had just appeared in
sight. Not stopping to take in the
hammocks, and determined not to lose
their present prize o second time, they
seized the schooner's cable around the
foremast, and, taking it on board the
sloop-of-war, made it fast. They then
ordered our t-kipper to make sail,
threating if he attempted to escape to
sink him on the instant. The Prome-J
theus soon started in chase, with the
Fox iu tow. The wir-d blew pretty
fresh, and tho schooner dashed along
at a merry rate in the wake of her
epptor, her speed being such as to
cause but little hindrance to the sloop,
It was past noon when the chase com
menced, aud for two or three hours the
Prometheus and her prize slipped along
in fine style, when, thinking that now
or neverwas the time to effect an escape,
Henssler, after consulting with the cap
tain, crept along on his hands and knees
with a hatchet, and succeeded in sever
ing nearly all the strands of the cable
which served as a tow line, taking the
precaution, however, to leave the out
ends as though the cable had parted.
In a short time afterward the pilot
managod, by yawing the schooner, to
bring a pretty hard strain upon the
cable, and they had the satisfaction of
seeing it snap like a thread. The
schooner after this continued on her
course as though she did not mean to
attempt to give her captor the slip but
somehow or other her helmsman steered
so widely that the sloop-of-war began
fast to forge ahead of her. Thus the
captor and her prize stood on the same
track until the sun began to got low, by
which time tho former, by her superior
sailing, had run herselt nearly hull
down.
" Nearly time to 'bout ship, skipper?"
said tho pilot, inquiringly. " It will
take longer legs than that craft has got
to overtake us now, I n thinking.
" Beady about !" said the captain, and
in a moment the little Fox was on an
other tack, once more running from the
enemy.
As the night fell the wind increased.
and before night a heavy gale was
raging. The fugitives held on their
way as long as they could, until it was
absolutely penlons to run any longer,
when they were obliged to lay to. The
wind blew furiously, and there was a
bad sea running, but the Fox was a no
ble sea boat and she rode it out bravely
To prevent her making so much lee
drift, a " drag " was thrown over, which
checked her from falling off consider
ably. The gale continued unabated
through the night, but so anxious were
our Yankee crew to keep clear of their
late captor, they thought little ot the
storm.
When the morning broke so that ob
jects could be discerned at any dis
tance, what should greet the sight of
the wearied watchers but the self-same
cruiser, still moving like a phantom
ship around them. The vessel to which
she and the frigate gave chase proved
probably to be one of their cruisers.
and she had put back, following in tho
track of the Fox like a hound on the
scent. The gale, however, brought her
to bay, and when she was discovered
she was lying to under the snuggest
sail, about two miles to leeward. For
tunately for our Yankee, the gale still
continued, and the sloop of war made
so much lee-way that by noon, to the
great joy of those on board the schoon
er, she had drifted out of sight. The
weather moderating soon after, tho
skipper thought it best to cut sticks
and make tracks, which he immediately
uiu.
Makinsr the best of his wav alone- bv
sundown he found himself on Montauk
Point, intending to run into New Lon
don. Thinking it best, however, after
so many narrow escapes, to see if he
had a clear way before him, Bill was
sent to the masthead to reconnoiter,
Shinning up the back-stay, hand over
fist, Bill had no sooner arrived at a
point where he could have a full view,
then he bawled out " Sail, ho 1 sail,
ho 1"
" Where away ?"
" In the sound," shouted Bill. " By
George, there s a whole fleet of them.
True enough, there they were, a whole
squad of the enemy.
" We must run for Newport," said
the skipper ; " are you acquainted
along here, Mr. Eldridoe f
" Never was here in my life, skipper,
but we will try and feel our way along.
We've got a good departure, and when
we get hold of Point Judith light we
shall manage well enough, if the wind
holds, I dare say,"
The night shut in pitch dark a cir
cumstance which, though at first deem
ed unfavorable, proved in the end their
salvation perhaps. . The wind had now
become rather light ; bat in due time
Point Judith light waB made, which
having passed some distance, they
dropped their mud hook just off the
town of South Kingston, not a littlo
rejoiced at their safety.
Secure, however, as tney deemed
themselves, their perils were not quite
over : for about daylight next morning
a boat came alongside, and a young
man who was iu it hailed the pilot, who
happened to be on deck alone.
" How did you get nere, or ratner
why are you here ? This is no place
for yon, sir."
"How did we get here, youngster?
We didn't grow here that's certain
but what it is it to you why we came
and how we got here ?" said tho old
man gruffly.
" von i get wratuy, oia leiiow my
only object is to serve you. Do you
know you're in a bad neighborhood ?"
"In a bad neighborhoo ', say you,
sir?" said the skipper, who had now
come on deck, attracted by the strange
voice.
"Yes, sir, the young man replied
An armed schooner, the Liverpool
Packet of Halifax, is at anchor just
under the light. Lucky for you, sir, it
was so dark. She has been hovering
around here this long time, taking
everything that comes along. I won
der how you kept out of her clutches."
" This is not safe anchorage then ?"
"If you know when you are well off.
skipper, you will not remain here long,
but top your boom for Providence."
" Why not Newport ?
" You are not safe there.. A number
of vessels have been cut out of Newport
harbor lately. Yon can't be off too
soon, skipper, and if you wish for any
assistance I will help you to get under
wav."
The young man's information and
offer of aid were gratefully received.
All hands that is, Hill and the mate
were called, the anchor hove, the short
sails hoisted, and in a short time, with a
fair, fresh breeze, and under a full
press of sail, the little Fox, carrying a
bone iu her mouth, was on her way to
Providence.
She entered the havbor in grand
style, with her colors flying and her six
hammocks slung over her side, trophies
of her " gallant deeds." Here the ves
sel and cargo were sold ; aud a noble
voyage sho made of it, notwithstanding
the loss of the thirty barrels of flour.
Out of the fleet that sailed with her
only two of hers escaped, the rest being
takfin and destroyed. The crew of the
Fox returned by land. Bill, as big as
Cuffee, with six dollars prize money
his share of the spoils taken, as he said,
with ten prisoners, fram His Britannic
Majesty's sloop-of-war Prometheus, 17
guns, oil Long island, by the schooner
Fox, of Salem, armed with one barrel of
gin and four men, for there was no
more of the boy to Billy after that ad
venture.
Xovel Remedy for Hysteria.
Dr. Brown-Scquard says: The daugh
ter of a friend of mine was attacked
with a fit of hysteria every morning. I
succeeded for a time in breaking up the
fit by the use of violent means for half
an hour betore the paroxysm was due.
But after a time the means I used com
pletely failed. My friend then went to
see a gymnast in I'ans named Triat,
who was far more daring than I am,
and was in the habit of treating hysteria
in a very bold and unique way. He
used to take his patients, as he did this
lady, up a ladder after having bandaged
their eyes so that they could seo noth
ing. After they had ascended to the height
of about twenty feet, he made then walk
very carefully on a plank that was about
seven or eight inches in width. He, of
course, was a gymnast, and accustomed
to w Vk there, so that he could easily
lead the person forward. When the
young lady had reached the middle of
the plank, which was pretty long for
it was a large gymnasium he said to
his patient, " Now you are perfectly
safe, and there is no possibility of your
lit coming on again. no haa previ
ously assured her that this means was
infallible ; had referred to hundreds of
previous cases, and exaggerated his
success in order to act on the mind of
the patient.
" Now," said he, " after I have left
you you will not try to lift up the piece
of cotton-wool that is fixed on your eyes
until ono minute has elapsed." Ho
started away and left the patient there
in great danger, as yon may imagine, of
falling. After a minute had passed
the patient removed the bandage and
opened her eyes. J ortunateiy for Mr.
Triat no accident has ever occurred
there. How many patients he cured
that way I don't know ; but I know the
daughter of my friend was certainly
curea.
i
A Feather's Weight.
They suffer in Cedar Rapids, even, it
appears. Here is a wail of indigna
tion : " The man who can sit patiently
in the opera house and be satisfied with
the view of the stage he gets through a
three-story feather in a tall girl's hat is
nt to be transported to a better world
than this. But even such a man loses
some of his patience when a regulation
dry goods clerk,with his hair parted by
a civil engineer, sits beside the girl and
engages in conversation with her. Then
the feather waves gracefully before his
eyes as she bends her head to listen to
his remarks on the weather, and a con
fused blending of feather, high hat.
back hair, and the actors on the stage
drives the observer to distraction,
Those long white feathers are very nice
indeed ; in fact they are fine ; but we
earnestly assert that they ought not to
take the place of a drop curtain in the
operu house.
Aftes Many Years. Fourteen years
ago the sou of a farmer at JNewton at,
Cyres, near Exeter, assaulted a police
man and absconded Jae was nned bi
the magistrates in his absence, the al
ternative being seven days' imprison
ment. Four years ago he came to at
tend his mother's funeral, and an at
tempt was then made to arrest him.
but he eluded the police. Last week
his father died, and the man again
came to attend his funeral. This time
the police made sure of their prisoner
by arresting him in the churchyard, and
ua ia uuw iiuuerguiug ius imprisonment.
How They Kill Cattle In Texas.
The ordinary plan of drawing the
steer down to the block, and striking
him on the head with an axe, is too
slow for the wholesale butchery carried
on here. About one dozen head are
driven into a small pen, just sufficiently
large to hold that number closely pack
ed, and a gate forced to behind them.
This bed has an open slat platform
across the top of it, upon which two
men are stationed with poles with
sharp pointed knives fixed on the end
of them. With a rapidity acquired by
long practice, they plunge their spears
into the necks of the affrighted and
struggling animals, cutting the jugular
vein, and each successively falls as if
struck down with an axe. The blood
spruts outlin streams as if from a dozen
fountains, nnd in less than a minute
the whole pen full are down quivering
in the throes of death, and covered with
blood. The door of the pen leading
into the rendering room is then thrown
open, the animals drawn out in suc
ceseion, a knife rapidly splits the skin
around the neck and down the stomach.
A rope is attached to the upper part of
the hide by a clamp, to the other end
of which is a mule, which leisurely
walks off down the yard carrying the
skin of the animal with him, and leav
ing the carcass still quivering with ani
mal life. A tackle hoists the body up
to a level with the mouth of ono of the
immense caldrons, and in less time
than wo have taken to desoribe the
process, it is in the seething and boil
ing mass. There are four or five of
these caldrons, each large enough to
hold a dozen beeves, and they are kept
constantly going during the killing
season. The tallow is drawn oil into
large hogsheads, and the remains of
these great soup kettles are carted out
ou to what is called the "hash pile,"
consisting of bones, horns, and tho
animal matter from which all the fatty
substance has been extracted.
Burled Treasure.
There is a legend that Oibbs, the
pirate, buried certain treasure in tho
immediate vicinity of Newport, R. I.,
and the point on the west shore of Uod
dington's Covo was the spot usually se-
cted as the locality of this concealed
store of wealth. Search has frequently
bi?en made near the shore for some evi
dence of its locality, and a couple of
gentlemen discovered an inscription
upon a stoiie near the Cove, which was
supposed to afford a key to the secret.
The stone bearing the inscription is a
large one, weighing many tons, and tho
letters are partially obliterated by time,
but yet quite distinct. Any one may
see them on the extreme rock of the
point.
A party of Georgians, hearing of this
remarkable discovery, and tho legend of
which it is the supposed key, sought
out the spot, and a gentleman of tho
party pried up a heavy detached piece
of the same rock which appeared loose,
when a lady of tho party discovered im
bedded in the mud which forms its bed
a piece of gold, a coin of the value.
perhaps, of ten dollars, the date of
which sho has not yet been able to
ascertain with certainty. A further
search revealed nothing more. Query:
Was the coin a portion of the Gibbs
treasure, and, if so, where is the rest
of it?
Experimenting.
In a Cincinnati hospital a woman's
skull was so much eaten away, by a can
cer that the brain was exposed. Her
death being inevitably near, the attend
ing surgeon thought it no harm to ex
periment upon her in the interest of
medical science, ne introduced steel
needles, and applied a weak current of
electricity. The patient, although
conscious, did not feel the punctures of
the needles in the brain, but experi
enced tingling pain in tho hands and
orms. When the surgeon reported his
experiments to the local Academy of
Medicine there was some criticism of
his conduct, as he admitted that the
woman's death might have been
hastened by it. His defense was that
she could not possibly have recovered,
and the value of the experiments was
very great.
A Virginia Mound.
Speaking of the great mound near
Moundsville, West Virginia, a corre
spondent says that the people of the
neighborhood have made up their minds
that the earth for the structure was
taken from a basin which lies near the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. A tunnel
has been run to the centre of the
mound, arched -with brick at the en
trance, aud a shaft sunk to. the bottom
connecting with the tunnel. In sinking
the shaft a large skeleton and some rel
ics were discovered in a tomb. It is
believed by the owner that the whole
mass of the mound is composed of
ashes, and some of the material is to be
tested to ascertain : its value as a fer
tilizer. The Emperor's Heart '
When Napoleon the Great died at St.
Helena, an English physician took
charge of his heart, depositing it in a
silver basin filled with water. Two
tapers burned near it, but the custodian
felt nervously anxious while watching it
through the night, and did not sleep.
In the silence of midnight he heard a
rustling sound, then a plunge into the
water, and rebound on the floor all oc
curring with the quickness of thought.
He sprang from his bed to see an enor
mous rat dragging the precious relio to
his hole I A moment more and the
heart which had been too vast in its
ambition to be satisfied with the sover
eignty pf continental Europe, would
have been more degraded than the dust
of imperial Ctesar.
S-a-v-e-d ! During the burning' of a
dwelling in Indianapolis, and while the
house was literally enveloped in smoke
and flame, Johnny Grey imagined he
heard the cry of a child within, and
with the exclamation, "My God, some
one is burning up I" pulled down his
cap and rushed in but soon reappear
ed bearing in his arms a young goat,
The cry of a kid is not nnliie a young
child's hence the mistake, It was a
brave act, nevertheless. '
A TRUE STORY.
A Brave Miner who Snved the Live, of
a Dozen Men.
Two or three weeks ago, says the
New ork Tribune, an accident did not
occur near Soranton, Penn. ; the news
papers missed a sensational horror ;
nnd a dozen men, instead of being
hurled into eternity without haying
time to breathe a prayer, walked quietly
home to their dinners, quite unconsci
ous that Death had had them by the
throats. It might, after all, bo worth
our while to look into tho cause of the
loss of this tragedy to tho world ; wo
Bhould have been keen enough to un
earth the guilty party if it had occur
red. The facts are briefly theso :
In the largest anthracite coal mine in
the State, the caro of the engine by
which the cars for passengers are
lowered and hoisted is placed in the
hands of a Scotch-Irishman, an ordi
nary fellow enough. The cable, neces
sarily of great weight and thickness,
passes through the roof of a slightly
built shed under which he stands. One
morning, as the mau stood smoking liia
pipe, his hanil upon the lever, his mind
very probably busy with his dinner,
and assuredly not wrought up to any
heroic rapture of resolve, the ascending
car (loaded with coal) at one end of the
cable broke, and fill crashing into tho
dark shaft, to bo shattered into a
thousand fragments. He knew that in
tho next minute tho cable, released
from the strain, would fly buck and fall
with crushiug weight on the rickety
beams and boards of the roof. Death
was absolutely certain if ho did not
escape from the shed. But if ho took
his hand from the lever, the descending
car, f nil of men, must fall one or two
hundred feet. He had but one instant
to fuce his death and theirs, nnd to
choose between them. There was a boy
in the back of the shed ; the man mo
tioned to him with his head to go ont.
Then he tightened his hold on the
lever. The loosened cable struck and
caught somewhere below against the
side of the shaft. Surely God meant
it should so strike ! It was the delay
of but a breath of time ; but it was
enough. The car grated with a jar
against the ground far below ; its oc
cupants stepped leisurely out, while the
man who had saved them above threw
himself from under the shed, just as its
roof, beams, pulley, and all crashed
down on the spot where he had been
standing.
We do not know the man's name, and
should scarcely need to publish it if we
did. Fame or reward jar somehow
against tho deed itself. There is a
wholesome tonio for all of us in the
certainty which is forced upon us now
and then, of the unknown, unmeasured
resources of courage nnd heroism and
unflinching integrity to duty which we
possess among what we choose to cau
tho mass of the people. It is, after all,
only when a man reaches the certain
ties of middle ago that he is not sur
prised every new day by the knowledge
of how admirable a crew has been put
into the world for it3 loug voyage ; how
manv of the women are gracious and
finely natured ; how many men respond
promptly to the call of honesty or duty
or even self-sacrifice because it is the
simple and natural thing for them to
do so.
We will congratulate ourselves, then.
not that this class can boast one such
brave fellow as this Scotch-Irish engi
neer. but that, like King Harry over
Percy's grave, we believe that it " has
a thousand such as he."
A New Field for Women.
Woman, says the Pall Mall Gazette,
is competing with the same zeal and
energy -as ever in the field of labor
hitherto monopolized by absurd and
presumptuous man. A young lady aged
only hlteen years, was committed lor
trial at Cardiff on charge of burglary.
The fair burglar, if, indeed, such she
is proved to be, is alleged to have en
tered a house by means of the kitchen
window, and abstracted from the dwell
ing money amounting to oo, and a gold
watch and chain. The most desperate
ruffian with blackened face and pistol
in hand could not have performed the
work with greater skill and audacity,
but the womanly nature of the prisoner
unfortunately led her the next morning
to "make some extensive purchases of
clothing," and this led to her apprehen
sion. Women should remember that
burglars, as a rule, are not vain; it is
not their habit to waste the results of
their industry upon attire. A "dressy"
burglar would inspire no confidence
among his pals, and would never suc
ceed in a profession which demands
from those who adopt it not only cour
age but discretion. In the meantime,
we may, perhaps, venture to point out
to woman that it is hardly fair on man
that she should add housebreaking to
the list of occupations she proposes to
undertake. No man witn any sense oi
what is due to woman would like to
level a revolver at her head, even to
protect his life or property, still less to
disoharge the deadly weapon at her.
He could only, even if the worst came
to the worst, humbly but earnestly re
quest her to retire, and, offering her
his arm, escort her to the door. Even
this would cause him a severe pang, so
sensitive is his foolish heart.
A Wild Race,
On the island of Borneo has been
found a certain raoe of wild creatures,
of which kindred varieties have been
discovered in the Phillipine Islands, in
Terra del 1 uego and in Bonth America,
They walk unusually, almost erect, on
two legs, and in that attitude measure
about four feet in height, iney con
struct no habitations, form no families,
scarcely associate together, sleep in
caves and trees, feed on snakes and
vermin, on ants, eggs and on one an
other. Thev cannot be tamed or forced
to any labor, and are hunted aud shot
- . , . . i i t ; 1 1
among the trees u&e iue great juhuh,
of which thev are a stunted copy.
When captured alive, one finds with
surprise that their uncouth jabbering
sounds are like articulate language.
They turn up a human face to look at
their captors, and females show in
stincts of modesty; in fine, those
wretched beings are men and women.
Items of Interest,
Three newspapers in Iowa are edited
by ladies.
Fifty cents a day is the pay of a
laborer in Quebec.
Cleveland is now supplied with water
from the tunnel under the lake.
California has added to the States in
whioh local option laws prevail.
Tho boys are thinking of forming a
National Association of marble-players.
Removo wax from the ear by tepid
water ; never put a hard instrument in
to the ear.
It is reported that Brigham Young
has S7,000,000 stowed away in the Bank
of England.
A substitute for the whites of eggs,
as employed by various manufacturers,
has been invented in Europe.
How doth the littlo busy politician
Improve each shining hour,
To scatter hayseed iu his hair
And dust his coat with flour.
A butter factory, which, according to
a local paper, " will pump four hundred
cows," is about to be established in
Iowa.
There is a prejudice in human kind
ngaiust large ears. As the poet says :
"Man wants but littlo ear below, nor
wants that little long."
Nine-tenths of tho women be
lieve that if one hears a dog howl nt
midnight for three successive nights
that there is to be a death iu the fami-
Iron fortifications are to be used for
the defense of Germau strongholds, the
experiments made during the past six
years having proved tljem to be almost
impregnable.
An Ohio church prohibits admission
to tobacco-chewers ; and a notice is con
spicuously posted in it that every man
who chews, whether he chewses or not,
must take his leaf.
Jones I wish somebody would leave
you, Will, to me in tne shape oi nan a
million. Will x guess peopio nave
left enough of me already to you, Jones,
in the shape of Bills.
Telegraphing is a game that prairie
chickens do not understand, and in con
sequence many of them nro killed by
coming in contact with wires in their
flight in large flocks.
Hereafter no portrait is to bo placed
upon any ot tne Donas, securities,
notes, fractional or postal currency of
the United States, wnilo tho original ot
such portrait is living.
Some fellow, with no respect for the
dignity of butter, remarks of the lady
who models busts in that article of
food, that her talents would havo re
flected credit upon Greece.
A French statute decrees that any
person animadverted on in a newspaper
may claim for his printed self-defense
twice as much space as was occupied by
the article to which he takes excep
tion. A Texas gentleman four years ago
bought a sow and four pigs for five dol
lars, branded them and turned them
loose. He now enjoys the proud dis
tinction of being the " Hog King" of
Texas.
A saloon keeper in Des Moues, Iowa,
has put up a .sign in his establishment
for the benefit of crusaders : And thou,
when thou prayest, enter into thy
closet and not into somebody else's
rum shop.
The production of coal on tho Pacific
coast is rapidly increasing. Tho Mount
Diable Mines have averaged 175,000
tons a year for two years past, and the
lowest 'prices are $G. 25 for line and 8. 25
for coarse.
Passengers to the Pacific by rail
breakfast in Sierras with twenty feet of
snow around them; four hours later
they find wheat four inches high, and
the next day see pear and peach trees
in blossom.
Sixteen years ago Tom Kenyon went
to Kansas City without a cent, and tho
other day he signed a check for $1G,000.
He signed with another man's name,
and his supply of freedom's air has been
abbreviated.
The Albany Arawt. in a local article
on the "Corniug farm" says Erastus
Corning, Jr., Esq., has refused $10,-
000 for the trotting horse ueoige x ai
mer. He is a better horse to-day than
ever before, but it is not probable he
will ever trot in publio again.
The boundary dispute between lr-
ginia and Maryland runs back to 1003.
It involves tho possession of the Po
tomac, with its riparian rights, and of
about 350 square miles of land, part of
which is now immensely valuable on ac
count of the oyster harvest.
There is an old story that St. Peter,
when he revisited earth, was obliged,
among the multitudinous changes on
every hand, to have a guide through
most of Europe, bnt on entering Spain
he dismissed him ; " for here," said
the Saint, " everything is just as I left
it."
There is a farmer in Flushing who
owns a Kentucky -bred mule that has,
within the last thirty days, kicked
in seventeen barn-doors, unroofed a
dozen chicken-coops, and trampled the
life out of four of his favorite pigs. He
calls it, says the Brooklyn Argus, Ben
Butler.
In his " Notes on Virginia," Thomas
Jefferson sneered at these reports, say
ing : " It is claimed that there was a
prior declaration of independence in
North Carolina, a statement having
about as much foundation as the re
port that a volcano exists in the moun
tains of the same State."
The San Francisoo Bulletin thinks
the loss in the death of cattle in that
country since fall has been over $1,000,
000. The feed has been very scarco,
and consequently the cattle were in no
condition to. meet the long storms.
Shelter is out of the question. Some
individuals own 50,000. Of course they
cannot be fed.
While the women were praying on
the sidewalk in front of a saloon in
New Albany, Ky., reoently, a fight was
inaugurated between some men close
at hand, and though, oaths and ribal
dry were thicker than blows, one wo
man didn't finish her prayer till the
fight was ended ; but the rest were pale
and terror-stricken.