VOU.IIB 53.
NEW SERIES.
THE BEDFORD GAZETTE
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illi ste i! ac on s.
HOW BEN PIBTLE GOT HIS WIFE.
The very climax of ugliness was Ben Turtle.
He was reil haired, and each hair stood as if it
cherished the supremest contempt ior its next
neighbor. His face was as freckled as the most
bespotted turkey egg. His nose supported at
the bridges large lump, while the end turned
viciously to one side. His mouth had everv
shape but a pretty shape. His form was as un
couth as his face was ugly. The very climax
of ugliness was Ben Pnrtle—what was more
still, Ben had a handsome, bouncing, blooming
wit —such as can only be grown upon a coun
try lawn.
'•How t!. deuce," >aid Jto Ben one day, "did
you ever get such a wife, you uncouth, missha
pen, quintessence ot monstrosity ?"
Ben was not at nil offended by the imperti
nence of my question, and forthwith began to
solve the mystery thus:
"Well, t w, gals that's sensible ain't cot cit
ed by none of your purty, and hifalutin airs.—
I've seed that tried trru e'n once. You know
Kate was ..Hers considered the pnrtiest girl in
these parts, and uii the young felieis in the
naborhood used to try to colch her. Weil, J
used to go over to old Sammy's too, just to kin
der look on, yon know, and cast sheep's eyes at
Kate. But maisy salces! I had no more
thought that I could get Kate than a Jerusalem
cricket could hide in the hair that wasn't on old
tint's bald head —no sirce. But still [couldn't,
help going, an' my heart would kinder flutter, 1
and my eyes would burn all over, whenever
I'd goto talk with Katy. Ami one day when
Kate sorter made fun of me like, it almost killed j
me sure: I went home with something like a ;
rock jostling about in my breast, and declared j
I'd hang irvsrlf with the 6rsJ nlw i: -• A
found.
"Did vou hang yourself?"
"Mo: daddy blazed out at me lor not taking j
old Ball to the pasture in the morning and scar
ed me so that 1 forgot it."
"Go on," said J, seeing Ben pause witH ap
parent regret that he had not executed his j
vow.
"Well, so one Monday morning—(l reckon
it was a year after that hanging-scrape)—] got j
up and scraped my face with dad's old razor: ;
and put on my new c pprus britches and a new 1
litis, y coat mammy had dyed with sassafras
hark, and went over to Uncle Sammy's. Now
I'd got to loving Kate like all creation, hut I
never cheeped to any body about my feelings.
But I knowed I was on the right side of the
old folks."
"Well, now, ain't it queer," continued Ben,
"how a feller will feel sometimes? Some
thing seemed to say as 1 went along, 'lJen
Turtle this is a great day for you,' and then my
heart jumped and fluttered like a jay-bird in a
trap. And when I got there and seed Kate
with her new checked homespun frock on, I
railv thought 1 should take the blind staggers,
anyhow."
Ben paused again to brush tlie fog from his
eyes, and then continued :
"\Yell, ] ihiiud the order of the day, was to
go muscadine hunting. Joe Sharp and his
two sisters, and Jim Bowles was thar. I'd
knowed a long time that Sharp was right after
Kate, and 1 hated him worse than a hog hates
to find his way out of a later patch: but I didn't
let on. Sharp had on white britches and fine
shoes, and broad cloth overcoat, but everybody
knowed he wasn't worth a red cent. He walk
ed v. Ith Rat-, and you ought to hav seen the
airs he put on. It was Miss Kate' this, and
♦Miss Kate'that, and all such nonsense. After
a while we come near a slough whar we had to
cross on a log, and I'd a notion to pitch the
sassv " ;od-foj"nothing into the water." "Why
didn't vou ?"
"Stop never mind," said Ben, giving me a j
nudge, "Providence done that all up brown, j
Nothing must do but Joe Sharp must lead 'Miss ,
Kate'across fust. He jumped on the log in;
high glee and took Kate's baud, and the) - put ;
off. Jest as they got half way across, a tarna- j
tion big bull frog jumped off" into the water— j
you know how they holler—'Snakes!'screamed j
the fool, and knocked Kate off'up to her waist
iuthe nasty, black, muddy water. And what '
dy'e think he done? Why run backwads and
foreds, a hollering for a pole to help Kate out
of the water. Kate looked at me, and I couldn't j
stand it no longer. Curchuck I lit ten feet from
the bank at the first jump, and had Kate out of j
there in no time. And dy'e think the scamp !
didn't come up after we'd got out, and said :
'Areyou hurt, Miss Kate?'
"My dander was up. ] couldn't stand it; I
cotched him by the seat o( his white britches
and his coat collar, and gin him a toss. Maybe
he didn't go dear under when he hit the water.
I didn't see him out. Me and Kate put for the
house. When we started off, Kate said
'Ben, just let me hold on to your arm, I
kinder feel sorter weak.'
"Great Jimiiiy ! 1 felt so quar when she took
hold, I tried to say something nice, but my drot
ted mouth would not go off",- no how. But 1
felt as strong as an elephant, and helped Kale
along, Bimeby Kate said :
'Ben, that Joe Sharp's a good for nothing,
sneaking, cowardly nobody ; ef he ever puts his
head inside of house again, I'll souse htm
<?-9M~-<M - I N I N HI I 1 11 Mil I HIIILL ., ... ,
with dish-water, sure.'
| "I tried to say something again, but bang
the luck, 1 couldn't say nothing, but squeezed
| Kate's hand, and sighed like a cranky bellus.
"When we'd got ch-an out of sight of the
! others Kate says:
•Ben, I feel that YOU are my protector, and
believe daddy's "ight when he says you're worth
i all the rest of the boys in the naborhood.'
"Ben Purtle,' says I, 'this is a great day fir
you,' and I made a tremendous effort to get my
mouth olFagain, and out i! popped, sure e
nough."
"Kate S3id I," trembling all over, 1 love
you to destruction, and no mistake. I've loved
you long and hard. My heart's been almost
broken for years: and I want you to say right
straight up and down, whether you're a-going j
to have me or not?' "
•'Kate hung down her head ami didn't sav ]
nothing, but I felt encouraged, for she kinder !
sighed. Says I, 'Kate, ef you're a gwine to i
have me, say so, and ef you don't want to say
I so,just squeeze my hand.'"
i "Well, she squeezed mv hand right off".—
Lorry how i did feel. T fell like asil a stream i
of Warm water or sassafras tea, sweetened with !
molasses, was running through my bones!—and
I just cotched her in my arms and kissed her,
and she never tried the first time to get
loose."
Ben was so overcome with this narration of!
courtship, t!.it a pau.-e for breath was neces- i
sary.
"How l.iug after that," said I, "before you ;
were inauKd ?"
"O'd Sammy was mighty proud, and so was i
the old about the tiling, and we married i
the next fall after the muscadine scrape."
"Do you think your wife l ives you yet ?" I!
asked.
"Why, Lordy, vs. She thinks T'm thej
purtifst and bi>! filer in the world. I tell voti,
sir, it's no use talking : highfalutin airs, and
quality dressing, and cologne, and such things, 1
ain't gwine to go down with sensible gals,'
sure."
THE PYRAMID OF BAYONETS-
The oflicers, as > '! as sub-officers of theßus- ;
dan horse guards, aie subjected to a rigorous •
discipline, ere required to execute, cn horse-j
hack, all the mancjuvers ofa theatrical rquestii-i
an.
One day an officer of the Lancer guard was '
Oi'tJe.' Yfe barf performed all Ids ev I,J
the most satisfactory way, until, n[ . g ■ f
gallop, he was suddenly ordered to t i
horse proved testive, am! refused to obey either j
bridle, or sj.ur.
The command was repealed in a thunder voice, j
and Hie officer renewed his efforts to make the :
horse obey it, but without effect, for the fiery
animal continued to prance about in defiance of i
his rider, who was nevertheless an excellent j
horseman.
The rage ol the Grand Duke had vented it- i
self in furious imprecations, and all trembled
for the consequences. "Halt!" he exclaimed,
and ordered a pyramid of twelve muskets with
fixed bayonets to be erected. The order was
instantly obeyed.
The officer, who had by this time subdued
the rest!veness of his horse was oidered to leap
the pyramid—and the spirited animal bore bis
rider sah-iy over it.
Without an interval of delay, the officer was
commanded to repeat the fearful leap, and to
the amazement of all present, Hie noble horse
and rider stood m safety on the other side of the
pyramid.
The Grand Duke, exasperated at finding him
self thus thwart A! in his barbarous purpose, re
peated the ord. r a third time. A general who
happened to be present, now stepped forward
and interceded fir the pardon of ihe officer,
obs ving that the horse was exhausted, and that
the enforcement ol the order would be to doom
both the horse and rider to a horrible death.
This humane remonstrance was not only
disregarded, but was punished with the immedi
ate arrest of the general who had thus presumed
to rein I.
The word of command was given, and the
rider for the third lime cleared the glittering
bayonets.
Rendered furious by these repeated disappoint
ments, the Grand Duke exclaimed for the f., urin
time, "To H;: l r u about! Forward !"' The
I command was obeyed, and for the fourth time
the horse leapt the pyramid, and then, with his
rider, dropped down exhausted. The officer
j extricated himself from the saddle, and rose un
hurt, but the horse had both his fore legs broken.
The countenance of the officer was deadly
pale, his eyes started widely, and his knees
shook under him.
A deadly silence prevailed as he advanced to
the Grand Duke, and laying his sword at his
highness's feet, thanked him in a faltering
voice for the honor he had enjoyed in the
Emperor's serv ice.
"T take your sword," said the Grand Duke,
gloomily, 'and are you not aware of what may
be the consequence of this undufiful conduct
toward me ?"
The officer was sent to the guard house. He
subsequently, disappeared and no trace of him
could be discovered.
The scene took place at St Petersburg, and
the facts are proved by the evidence of credita
ble eye witnesses.
—A few days since, a school-teacher named
Cramer, near Berlin, Alabama, attempted to chas-
I list* one of his pupils, a lad twelve years of age,
' named Collins, when the latter drew a knife and
stabbed him to the" heart. The young murderer
' made his escape.
[£F*Says Dick to Joe, "did you attend church
yesterday?"
"I was confined to mv room," was the reply.
"All, you had the Roo/n-ihsw, then, said
Dick.
f DESPERATE ENCOUNTER WITH 1
I ROBBER
! A Hull paper gives the following account of
j a desperate affray with a highwayman in the
j East Biding cf Yorkshire :
"Mr. George Clarksoh, of Huggale lodge, a
farmhouse between Wvtwang and Huggale,'
was returning from Driffield market oil horse- ■
back, about eight o'clock at night. After lea- j
ving Wetwang the road is very secluded and j
lonely. In consequence of the rnaay recent
robberies in the neighborhood, and a gale cross- j
ing this road having, on a former night, been
found !it*if, Mr.Clarkson had armed himself with
a six-barrel revolver,'which he held in his hand.
When within about eighty yards of his own
house, he was met by a man on foot, who knock
ed him from his horse with a bludgeon. The
man jumped upon Air. Clarkson's body, and
they had a fearful sfruggleon the ground. The
man seized Mr. Clark-son by the lluoat, and
attempted lo strangle him, and b-al his head
and face with the rough stones which had been
used in repairing the road. Mr. Ciarkson, in
his own defense, discharged Kur barrels of Ins
revolver at the man, and beat him on the head
with it, but the last shot only seemed to take :
effect entering the man's chest, or jaw. Soon
after receiving the last charge the man's
clothes were on fire, when he jumped up and
ran awav in a blaze. Mr. Clarkson's assailant
did not succeed in robbing him, and he then
proceeded home, his horse having gone before. :
J'he reports and dashing of the revolver and ;
the nan on fire were heard and seen by sever a i
inhabitant of Welwang. Next morning in-J
formation was given to the oolice at J'riimdd,,
and Superintendent Young & Sergeant Thompt
son proceeded to the scene of the conflict. Th*j
found traces of the man having sat on a bank,** 1
waiting tor Mr. Clarkson's arrival.
"Hlnle sitting there lie hail cut tile bottom '
end of his bludgeon smooth with a knife, that he
might handle it the bettt r, being the knoltv part
of a tree-lop. The bludgeon was found on the
ground, and hair from Mr. Clarkson's fact* 2d
h'. ring to it. In the arij ining field they i .v.n?
the remnants of the rnan'r burnt shirt, which
u re deeply saturated with blood. He had nC >
!• it .is cap and a neckerchief being also partly
burnt, and there was a black place on the
ground, mar a pond, where his clothes had
been cmsurrn-d. They also traced his foot
prints &, bloody hand-marks on gates in z din-e
-rection toward TiblHorpe. He had then turned
toward Driffield. The next account that vas
T-"J> X-J itKrrir?.' .g' P . -?£
( " ( ■• - %[R| I —ffrtrti.ry L -r.-ft*xjAi v
.-'f ! , !: m f iiVuul?.Tds uv v 'WacV",rep —: F.\\CJ|"J SP .
p 1 i>•! j in six hours. At the .drove dour, lie w n!
to the house where he had lodged, covered
with blood, and his head much swollen. He
spat quantities of blood, and told the mistress of
the house to look into his mouth, from which
he cut with a pair of scissors some ragg-d il- sb.
He hastily washed off the blood put on a shirt,
and left, saying that he had been shot at l<y a
man on the road, and he was afraid he would be
followed and taken. It lias since been ascer
tained thijt he reached Scarborough, where he
got his wounds dressed, and this is the last we;
have, up to this time, heard of hitri.
"He is said to be an Irishman, who, for the
last two years, has been working at the church
at Burlington during its restoration, ami ol
whom a rather droll account appeared in the
newspapers some time ago*. He was appointed
to watch the materials used in the repairs of the
church, some of which had been stolen. Paddy
was armed with a gun, ami to amuse himself he
fired at a teetotal bill, which had been stuck on
the church door ; but, instead of demolishing ,
the bill, he injured some of the stained glass in ;
the windows. He had worked at Mr. Clarkson's
during the past harvest. He i; about five feel
eight inches in height, thin-faced, and was d:ess- ■
ed in a white slop and cap, but Mr: Cluiksur,
did not, duiing the above attack, recognize,
him."
A LIGHTNING HOD MAN IN A FIX.
At Cincinnati, the other day, Air. T. Kings
ton, who puts up lightning rods, climbed to the'
top of the spire of St. Paul'? Cathedral, two;
hundred and thirty-five feet, when*, having left;
his ladder below, ho citing by his arms and legs,
lastenod the foot of the rod and *'.Aviicci its!
noint— ,'jiuie ahi avy piece of metal— securely
a? he supposed, to the cross surmounting the:
steeple. He had just completed this difficult i
and dangerous task, watched by a number of
persons in the street below, and while looking
at the work and experiening that satisfac
tion which results from hazard passed and labor
accomplished, of a sudden, something hea VT ;
struck him and made iris brain reel until he
could hardly see. Instead of losing his hold at
once, as would seem to have been the natural
and inevitable result, he clung with a power be
yond himself and a will superior to his own,
closer and instinctively to the spire. He knew !
not what had occurred, and to his confused sen
ses it appeared that the steeple was tumbling; !
or that some strange cause was about to bring
the vast structure to the ground.
Some forty seconds—an age to him—must
have elapsed before he sufficiently collected his
scattered thoughts and subverted consciousness
to know that the entire upper part of the rod
had fallen upon his head, causing the blood to
trickle over his forehead, and nearly blind him.
! He was in a dreadful perplexity aud most dan
j gerous position, lie feared, if he moved, he
would go cleaving (he air to a tdrrible death
upon the stony street below—and at the same
time he knew he could not, in the disordered
state of his nerves, and his increasing weak
ness, retain bis grasp, more the result of fete
than feeling, much longer. If he stirred, lie
might fall; if he remained he certainly would ;
and so, determined to make at least an tfloit
for his life,* he put one foot very cautiously, then
his arms, and then moved the other foot; and
after half a minute of exertion, and the greatest
I danger, he touched the topmost round of the
£
freedom of Thought and Opinion.
BEDFORD, PA., FRIDAY JMSRNING, APRIL 9, 1858.
j ladder, and in a few seconds more was inside of
i the steeple and safe.
"hen it was Mr. K's great courage and
strength forsook him; his nerves and muscles
i relaxed ; he grew sick unto death ; his knees
gave way ; his vision swam, and he sank upon
the platform motionless and insensible. He
roust have lain there half an hour before he
could rise and walk, and he did not recover
from the shock for more than a fortnight after
ward.
The people gazing up at him from the street
described the scene as painful and exciting in the
extreme. When they observed the rod fall, a
thrill of horror ran through their hearts, and
two women swooned away ; for they expected
to behold him the next moment dashed to pie
ces at their feet.
AN ADVENTURE IN A RAILWAY
CARRIAGE.
After I had taken my seat one morning at
I addmgton in an empty carriage, I was joined,
just as the train was moving off, by a strange
locking young man, with a remarkably long
Sowing hair. He was, of course, a little hurri
i*i, but he seemed besides to be so disturbed and
wild that I was quite alarmed for fear of his not
iving right in his mind, nor did his subsequent
concoct at all reassure me. Our train was an
express, and he inquired eagerly, at once, which
Was the first station whereat we were adverti
sed fa stop. ] consulted my FlmJshuw, and
furnioii'-d him with the required information,
it was Reading. The young man looked at his
watch. "Madam," said h<, "I have but half
an hour between me and, it may be, ruin.
|lxcuse, therefore, my acruptness. You have,
i x. perceive, a pair of scissors work-bag.
Hjbiige rr.e, •} you please, by cutting off all my j
. heir. 5 ' " " I
"Sir,"said I, "it is impassible:" "Madam,"!
Be urged, anJ a look ol severe determination
cr::-;vd h alii! i-s, "f am a desperate man.
fb-o are how you refuse me what I a>k. Cut
< ' ;a ~ —short, close to the roots—immedi- I
!y ; and here is a newspaper to hold the
ambrosial curls." I thought he was mad, of'
Course ; and believing that it would be danger- ;
ou. to thwart him, I cut offal! his hair to the j
I w lock. "Now, Madam," said he, unlocking
a -njail portmanteau, "you will further oblige
0 by looking out of the window, as lam about
to change my clothes."
Of course! looked out of the ■— x ~
v . coaxO' - - wrten he observed,
-A : 1 uo lorrger put you to a
.roHROU J" "•"' wf ■/ffs' forrnef " ralWr o
attired in black, and wore
a gray wig and silver spectacles ;he looked
like a respectable divine of the Church of Eng
land, of about (>4- years of age ; to complete that
character, he held a volume of sermons in his
h&vi i, which—they appeared so to absorb hirn
! —might have been lvis own. "1 do not wish
t . threaten you, young lady," he resumed, "and
1 think, besides, that 1 can trust your kind face.
Will you promise me not to reveal this meta
n pilosis until your journey's end ? "I will,"
aid I, "most certainly." At Reading theguard
.nil a person in plain clothes looked into our
carriage. "Y'ou have the ticket, my love,"
•aid the young man, blandly, and looking as
though he were my father.
"Never mind, sir ; we don't want them,"
said the olficial, as he withdrew his companion.
"I shall now leave you, rriadam," observed my
fellow traveler, as soon as the coast was clear :
•<bv your kind and courageous conduct you have
-aveil my life, and perhaps even your own."
In another minute he was gone, and the train
was in motion. Not tiil next morning did I
learn from the Times newspaper that the gentle
man on whom 1 had operated as haircutter had
committed a forgery to an enormous amount in
London a few hours before 1 met him, and that
lie had been tracked into an express train from
' Paddington, but that—although the telegraph
had been put in motion and described him accu
rately—at Reading, when the train was search
! Ed, he was nowhere to be found. — Household
i Words.
Remarkable Angelic Visitations in Hancock
County, Ohio.
Accordins lo Ihe most and reliable
information *\ve can get, Orange township, in
the southwestern corner of Hancock county, has
recently been made the favored locality ofone
of these remarkable visitations which the people
have learned to regard as very "few and far be
tween"— an angel visit. We briefly give the
particulars as we received them, from a source
that all will concede is entirely reliable and
errt it led to confidence. Some time in August
last, a bright, intelligent little girl, aged five
years, daughter of Air. Charles, who resides
in the locality described, while near the well
in the yard, alxiut noon of the day, seemed to
discern something high up in the air, and de
scending toward her. The attention of (he
child was so much drawn to the object, that her
gaze became riveted upon it, and as it drew
nearer, she was observed lo make frequent at
tempts to reach it with her hands, and form a
closer acquaintance with the strange visitant.
When the mother of the child vvas called to the
scene, the little girl informed her that she was
in the presence of an angel; that she had taikec.
I with it; that it had made communications to
hor; and furthermore gave a description cf it,
according in every particular with the generally
received impression of the appearance of these
messengers from above. To satisfy herself that
! there could be no delusion in the matter, the
mother entered into conversation with the
stranger, and after being satisfied with the re
ality of the interview—and after having seen
and talked with the angel face to face— and after
receiving information from it of the precise
time when her own death would occur—she re
tired from the spot, taking her little girl with
her, and the angel waving its bright wings, re-
I turned heavenward.
1 When the mother and child were alone, they
; talked freely of what they had seen and heard,
and the niother?s sadness was made deeper by
the artless story of the child, who said that
"the angel told her she would die just two
months from the time she first saw it, at pre
cisely twelve o'clock and twenty-five minutes;
Ibat she would be three days in dyirif: that
her death would be unlike that of others";' that
her friends would suppose her to be in a trance;
that.her eyes would not be closed ; that her
funeral sermon would be preached in three
weeks aiter, in the new school bouse of the
neighborhood, by 3 man whom, with his horse
and buggy, she dcscrHietl, and that her friends
would have difficulty in procuring the house '
for the occasion." The mother kept the sad se- j
cret to her herself, and waited for the appointed I
time, hoping that all might yet go well with ;
her and hers, and not caring to be reckoned as
one who would attempt to revive Ibe defunct
doctrine ol spiritualism. But with the time
came the terrible blow.
Three days be/ore the time predicted for her
death, the little girl fell upon the floor, from
whence she was taken to bed, and at the hour
and minute foretold, on the third day, breathed
her last. Her eyes remained open after death,
and could not be closed. Friends, supposing
her to be enhanced, made vain efforts to restore
her to IMP. A few days alter her burial, Rev.
H. 15.I 5 . Daist was passing that way, a friend of
Mrs. Charles requested him to tarry awhile and
preach the little girl's funeral sermon. The
reverend gentleman excused himself on the
ground of having piior engagements, hut prom
ised to do so in a short time. His person arid
equipments coirespond in the most minute par
ticulars with tire prophetic description, and
when he did return to redeem his promise, the
workmen who had built the new school house,!
having a lien upon it, refused to let it be opened 1
for the funeral service; but subsequently they j
gave up the key, and the sermon was preached ■
at the exact time predicted.— Kenton, (0.) Re
publican, ATirch 12.
NEARLY A HORN TOO MLCH.
Stanley Smith, editor of the Auburn Ameri
can, gives the {j!i nv ng amusing anecdote -of bis
chase by and escape from a savage bull, during j
a recent visit to a farm in the ntigborhood of;
Auburn, to witness a trial of mowers :
"That bull was one of them. 'He was mon- •
arch-' ' ati he could eat, chase, or gore. Rein:'
deeply interested in the apple crop, we wander- :
ed out of the field in which the mowing was go
ing on into friend Shot well's orchard. Fat and ,
ftMWBOme L 4 >2 tews uwre lying about chewing
was going on. uu wTTU., .< .A 5 ? y-s
tree in the large orchard; and while critically j
examining some very fine fruit, were suddenly
and rather unpleasantly startled from our train
of thought by the bellowing of Mr. Taurus,
whose majesty had been reclining, and of whose
august presence we were unaware. He eleva
ted his tail, made the earth fly with his 'awful
paws,' and having thus manifested his hostility,
and given tone, if not color, to his idea that we i
were an interloper made a plunge towards us.
A moment's view* of our antagonist was just
enough, llis eyes flashed fire; he roared like ;
a 'bull of Uashan.' We did not at all fancy the
style of his horns; they were* as straight as j
needles and about as sharp. He exhibited uu- j
mistakable desire to employ them upon us. i
"Knowing that it was expected of us to rc
poitthe contest trial going on in another field, j
we remembered the prior and pressing interests i
of our friends, and set up a smart run. So did j
Mr. Bull. We scampered ;he scampered :he j
made better time than we could bottom out ; he j
gained on us rapidly ; we could almost feel his j
hot breath on the back of our neck ; it was neck j
or nothing; rail fence twenty rods off; bull
within five rods give up for 'goner no such ;
thing; friendly apple tree with low branches; j
clutched two of them, and lifted our precious '
body into the tree : Taurus arrived just as we ,
cleared the ground !
"Our enemy pawed around the tree: bellow
ed after the manner of 'Boanerges, the son of
Thunder,' glared at us, and finally walked off
about the distance of three trees. Thinking all
was right, we slid down vertically, and 'put'
for the crazy eld rail fe-cce. Ihe distance from
tree to bull, and from tree to fence, was just
about an even thing. But our assailant saw the
movement, and at once the chase was a hot one
agaio ; but this time we distanced the 'horned
critter,' and, scaling the fence, landed in a
field of rye at about the same moment our pur
suer's horns struck the top rails of the fence
and set them flying. Separated by the fence,
we read the scoundrel a lecture that we hope he
will remember to his last moments."
CANNON NOT DISABLED BY SPIKING.— The
silencing of a battery by spiking the guns is a
stroke ol daring frequently performed by dri
ving a rat-tail file into the touchhole and then
"breaking it short off. In some instances a com
mon nail is used. In either case the gun is
disabled for the time, as the touch hole can only
be cleared by drilling out the spike, and this,
when it consists of a file, is generally a difficult
matter. Hut an invention has recently been
produced which promises to render a cannon
s useful without a touchhole as with it, an d
which was tried at the New \ork Slate Arsenal
about a fortnight ago. It is in reality a safety
fuse, one end of which penetrates the cartridge,
and extends through the entire chamber of the
cannon to the muzzle w here the gunner can
discharge the cannon as readily as at the touch
hole. The fuse is a chemical compound, envel
oped in a flat paper case, which is wrapped
with cotton, and afterwards dipped in rosin to
prevent its becoming damp. When used for
submarine purposes, it is protected by a jacket
of gutta percha. The fire passes through it at
the rate of a mile in four seconds, thus enabling
one man to discharge a broadside of any number
of guns at the same moment. For ordinary
mining purposes, it is equally useful, and, from
its composition, will be less likely to flash
' without explosion, as is very often the case with
WHOLE .\l ?2BER 58791.
, ordinary gunpowder blasting. It has atao be e Q
tried at Washington, in the presence of the
Secretary of War and various officers of the
Army and Navy, where its success is said to
hive been very decided.
THE IRISH POTATO. ~
How sweet to the taste is the Irish potato!
I memory awakens a thought of the plant,
I Its dark, verdant vine-top and beautiful blossom, ■<!
in pleasing transition my memory haunt.
Aye ! thought of the ioot in profusion once growing,-
On the broad sunny hiil-slope adjoining the mill,
! At the homestead, how many we raised there's no
knowing,
For some were but small ones and few in the hill.
The mealy potato, the Irish potato,
The thin-skinned potato that grows on the hill.
The delectable plant 1 would praise while I'm able,
For often at noon when returned from the field,
; I find it superior to all on the table,
'I he best flavored edible nature could yield.
H ith what eager appetite, sharpened by labor,
I plied knife and fork with a hearty good Will!
. Alas! there are none of the uid-fasbioned flavor,
None like the real '-Simons"' that grew on the hill.
The mealy potato, the Irish potato,
The thin-skinned potato that grew on the hill.
How prime from the full-heaped dish to receive it,
As poised on my fork it ascends to my ryouth;
No appeal to the palate could tempt me to leave it,
I iiougb ailected by "rot," or a long summer's
drouth.
And now far removed from that lovej situation,
Where I used to partake of the root to my fill;
Fancy fain would revert to my father's plantation,
And sigh for the --kidneys" that grew on thehili.
The mealy potato, the Irish potato,
The thin-skinned potato that grew on the hill.
Farm Work for April.
FROM THE AMERICAN" AGRICULTURIST.
CATTLE —Continue to feed until the grass
has a good start in the pastures. H allowed
the range o 1 grass lands very early, they in
jure them much more by trampling and pul
ling up the young roots than after the ground
; has become settled and firm. Give cow°s with
: calf extra ieed and care,
J ( ELLARS. Cleanse, ventilate and whitewash
early. This will promote not only comfort but
i health.
CLOVER.— Sow if omitted last month.
mJfcA!? l * o ' — W. ETETSRE WORTHLESS
FENCES. —Make and repair. T?lejft"£nsTrffo3
from stone and put them in substantial stone
i fences.
GRAIN.—SEE that sufficient is provided for
seed, and that of the best kind.
HORSES. —Have them in good working or
j der.
MANURES AND COMPOSTS.— Cart out for use
and turn over heaps already in the fields ifneed
ed. Continue to make ail possible both in the
hog pens and cow yards. Don't ift them be
washed by rains, or the golden steam flow forth
to waste. Look Under the hen-roosts for some
1 good home made guano.
MEADOWS. —Keep cattle irom trampling over.
1 A puny gained in feed is a dollar lost in the
: crop.
Plowing should be industriously followed
whenever the ground will admit. Do not turn
over clay soil in a wet state, as it will "bake"
by so doing. Gage your plows a little deeper
than last season.
POTATOES. —Plant thpm on warm soil.—
! Select varieties not subject to decay.
Poultry will require feeding less animal food
and more grain this month. If allowed the
! range of the gardpn they will collect vast num
bers of worms and grubs which will both afford
I food to themselves and benefit the gardener.
SBF.EP AND LAMBS. — Do not turn off too ear
| lv. Give grain or roots to those with lambs.
SWINE. —The pens should now show a lively
increase of young "porkers" which require
care and protection. Give their dams plenty
iof liquid food with salt and a little meat occa
sionally. Continue to keep their yards and
: pens supplied with material for manure,
j TOOLS. —See that all are in good working or
der and new ones provided where necessary.—
j This applies to the working gear of horses and
j oxen, including carts, wagon 3, mowing ma
' chines, rakes, See.
WHEAT AND OTHER WINTER GRAW.—Stu
; diously keep cattle and sheep from them du
ring this month. Look over and if any bare
snots occur sow spring grain.
'ORCHARDS. — The Nurseryman will find this
a busy month, in fact his principal "harvest
i time," nor should the Orchardist be idle if he
has planting to do this spring. Early planting
of deciduous, ornamental and fruit trees is de
sirable as the spring rains aie highly beneficial
in settling the earth closely about the roots and
fibres, besides giving the trees a good start be
fore drouth sets in. A tree that is to last a
, whole lifetime should not be planted in a hurry
j or carelessly as you would set a post, but take
that time which its importance demands and it
i will pay more titan "ten per cent," upon the
! extra labor bestowed.
FLOWER GARDEN.— There is much that may
be done advantageously duiing this month a
mong the flower roots and shrubbery of old
grounds, and the laying out and planting of new.
Early blooming shiuhs and perennial plants will
be more iikely to live, and flower better when
plant'd early, fi-e hot sun and frequent droutli
of early summer often injures late planted tiee3
and shrubs.
Wh- re new lawns or grass plots are to be sow
ed the sooner it is now done the better, alter gra
ding, manuring and trenching or subsoiling.
—Robison, the telegraph builder, has just com
pleted a fire-alarm and police telegraph for Brook
lyn, N. Y.
VOL 1, NO. 30.