VOL. LVI.
HARTER,
AUCTIONEER,
MILLHEIM, PA.
J C. SPRINGER,
Fashionable Barber,
Next Door to JOURNAL Store,
MILLHKIH, PA.
JJROCEERHOFF HOUSE,
ALLEGHENY STREET,
BKLLKFONTE, - - - PL
c. G. McMILLEN,
PROPRIETOR.
Good Sample Room on First Floor.
Bnsa to and from all Trains. Spoolal
rates to witnesses and Jurors. 4-1
IRVIN HOUSE.
(Most Central Hotel In the CltyJ
Corner MAIN and JAY Streets,
Lock Haves, Fa.
S. WOODS CALM ELL, Proprietor.
Good Sample Rooms for Commercial
Travelers on first floor.
D. H. MINGLE.
Physician and Surgeon,
MAIN Street, MILLHRIM, Pa.
JOHN F. HARTER,
PRACTICAL DENTIST,
Office In 2d story of Tomliusoa's Gro
cery Store,
On MAIN Street, MILI.HEIM, Pa.
Br KINTEk,
■ FASHIONABLE BOOT A SHOE MAKKR
Shop next door to Foote's Store, Main SL,
Boots. Shoes and Gaiters made to order, and sat
isfactory work Kuaranteo<L Repairing done prompt
ly and cheaply, and in a neat style.
C. T. Alexander. C. M. Bower.
£ BOWER,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW.
BELLEFONTE, PA.
Office In Garman's new building.
JOHN B. LINN,
ATTORNEY AT LA W.
BELLEFONTE, PA.
Office on Allegheny Street.
£JLE4LENT DALE,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
BELLEFONTE, PA.
Northwest corner of Diamond.
HOY,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
BELLEFONTE, PA •
Orphans Court business a Specialty.
M. C. HEINLE,
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
< BELLEFONTE. PA
Practices In all the courts of Centre County.
Spec al attention to Collections. Consultations
In German or English.
J. A. Beaven * JW. Gephart.
JgEAVEK & GEPHART,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
BELLEFONTE, PA
Office on Alleghany Street, North of High.
"Y° cum & harshberger,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
BELLEFONTE, PA
-o~S7kell£&,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
BELLEFONTE, PA
Consultations In English or German. Office
In Lyon's Building, Allegheny Street.
D~H. HASTINGS. W. T. RE ID SB.
jj actings & reeder,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW.
BELLEFONTE, PA
Office on Allegheny street, two doors east of the
offl -e occupied by the late firm of * Hast
ing*. 4At7
Dr. John Rae does not hold the com
mon opinion that the Esquimaux are a di
minutive race. is inclined to thiuk
that they are fully as tall as the average
native of London, and much heavier The
women, when youDg, he says, are very
pleasant-lookmg—almost pretty-extremely
solid and compact, with small feet and
hands and well-formed iimbp. As to strength
he found that the Esquimaux could lift
400 or 500 pounds with ease.
Ike pillleiii §®®nL
IT NKYKtt COUKS AGAIN.
There are gains tor all our losses.
There are Italins for all our patu.
But when youth, the dream departs.
It takes something from our hearts,
And It never comes again.
\\ e are stronger, and are better,
Under manhood's sterner reign;
Still we feel that something sweet
Followed youth, with flying feet,
And will never come agaiu.
Something beautiful has vanished,
Ami we sigh for it in vaiu;
We behold it every wnere.
On the earth, and in the utr.
But it never comes again.
AT Til K hEASIItK.
Of course nobody was glad that Elsie
Martin had been ill, but there was great
joy at the Grange when site was ordered
to go to the seaside as stxm as she was
strong enough for the journey, and
Charlie was told that he was to accom
pany her.
Their papa and mamma were uiialde
to leave home just then, so the chil
dren were to go to Mrs. Hawkins, a
faithful old Irishwoman, who had nursed
them Ixitli as babies, and who, having
married comfortably, and been left a
widow, resided in a pietty cottage close
to the sea-shore at Highbeaclq and oc
casionally let a couple of rooms as a
lodging.
These were taken for the two children,
and as they were respectively ten and
eight years of age. it was considered
that they were old enough and wise
enough to take care of themselves under
the supervision of Nurse Noran, of
whom they were very fond.
Charlie and Elsie loved their parents
dearly, but there wis something m the
novelty and independence of the present
proceeding that was quite delightful to
them and made up for the temporary
separation ; and I do not suppose there
were two happier small personages in
the world than this boy and girl were
when, after a pleasant journey, they
found themselves sitting opposite to
each other in their owu little drawing
room, at their own ten table, covered
by a spotless white cloth, spread with
bread, brown and white, excellent but
ter, newly-laid eggs, and a lovely dish
of prawns,
"Some day, Nurse Norali,'* said Elsie,
as the kind nurse placed the tea-pot ou
the table, and told them to begin, "some
day you must let us have a lobster."
"Snure wid all the pleasure in life,,
miss dear; an' it's the lioight of indi
gestion, it is, but wanst in away shall
not matter."
"And I'll tell yon what, Elsie," said
Charlie, with dignity. "I'll catch the
lobsters for you."
The next morning Charlie and Elsie
never left the shore—digging in the
sands, playing on the rocks, taking off
shoes and stockings to paddle in the
pools, and at last bringing home such
a collection of sea-weeds, shells, sea
anemones, and pebbles, that Nurse
Norah laughed aloud when the two hap
py net laden figures made tlieir appear
ance for their early dinners.
Charlie had seen some I toys on the
sands, and insisted on getting a cos
tume like theirs; his own kuiekerbock
ers, he admitted, would do well enough,
but he must have a blue knitted Jersey
and a long peaked cap, also knitted,
and also blue.
They had a toy boat with them, and
after dinner they went, back to the shore
and amused themselves by sailing it in
one of the pools, and when tired of this,
Elsie sat down on a stone on the sands,
and found fresh recreation in examiu
tug a green old basket that stood there.
"And it is the queerest basket I ever
saw, Charlie," she said.
"Do come and look.
"You could neither put anything in
nor take anything out of it."
Charlie looked down, boat iu hand.
"It is not a basket at all," he said ;
"it is a rat -trap ; only I never saw one
made ol wicker before, and it is uncom
monly large ; and why has it got a rope
tied to it ?
"Jbut look liere, do you see these
sticks at the top ?
"Through these a rat "
"Haw, haw, haw!" laughed a voice
behind him, and turning sharply round,
he beheld a boy smaller than himself,
but who looked quite as old.
"He was dressed just like him, for he
was the very boy whose Jersey and cap
he had admired so much iu the morn
ing that he had resolved to have similar
garments himself.
"It's queer rats they catches in these
traps master," said he; and he knelt
down and peeped through the bars.
"What would your feyther say ?" he
asked, with a comical wink of his left
eye.
"Oh," said Charlie airily, "he lets
me boat often enough ; and he is not at
Higlibeack, so I can't ask him,
"Here," he added, taking a bright
twenty-five cent piece out of his pocket,
"I'll give you this if you will."
•Oh ! and me too," cried Elsie,
fumbling in lier pocket, and producing
money also. "I've got twenty-five
cents as well as Charlie.
t'Take me too."
In fact, their mother had given them
each the same amount of money when
they left home.
Tne fisher-boy looked very knowingly
at the two glittering nieces of silver,
and put his tongue into nis uueek agaiu,
giving again a comical wink.
"Weil, I dont mind if I do," he said
slowly.
' Charlie stamped about the shore in 1
MILLHEIM, PA., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30,1882.
J his pleasure, ud Elsie clapped Iter hands
• and laughed.
"You be down on that roek," said the
boy, pointing to the place—"that's
fevther's boat there, d'ye see? —at
twelve sharp."
"Twelve 1" cried Elsie, charmed and
appalled at the proportions the adven
ture was amusing.
"Is it twelve at night? and have we
far to go ?"
"No, we haven't ; just round that
point there, and then a little bit more,
and there you are.
"Those rats never go far out to sea."
"And he laughed and winked again.
As the children ran home to tea, Elsie
said, while dwelling on the delights of
what was before thein. "But 1 think
he is rather a vulgar boy, don't you,
Charlie.
He winks and grins."
Charlie turned amazed eyes on her.
"I think he is an uncommonly tine
fellow.
But I am not sure that you ought to
go. Elsie.
I think it's not girl's work," lie said
presently.
"Oh, yes, Charlie ! oh. please !" she
crietl in a great hurry ; "oh, do let me !
"There'll be you to take care of me "
"Yes, I shall take care of you," re
plied he, with protecting grandeur, as
ho yielded.
The two children could hardly hide
from Nurse Nornli the state of excite
ment and expectation they were iu.
They got away from tier as quickly
as they could, and would not stay a
minute in the house till bed-time came.
Then they found her with her face
thnl up, a toothache from which she had
been suffering all day having come on
very badly.
"An' do yon think, darlin', you could
undress yourself this won evening?"
she asked "an' I'd go to my bed."
Elsie assured her she could undress
herself, and had often*done so at homo
when nurse was busy with the baby.
Now, though Elsie would not liave
practiced any deception on Nurse Norali,
she thought it was very fortunate that
she did not undress tier that night, be-<
cause the l>est plan was that she should
not take off her clothes at all so as to be
all ready at twelve o'clock.
As tliey ran home she had wondered
whether Nurse Norali would let her go,
but Charlie liud replied, "Bother Nurse
Norali!
"Say nothing about it, or you'll Hj>oil
the sport."
And Elsie had blindly obeyed him.
He slipped into her room now, and
highly approving of her plan ot lying
down In r clothes, bode her go to sleep,
and ho would awake her in plenty of
time.
Charlie set his little alarm clock that
he had brought with him, ami which
had awoke him ou many a dark winter
morning in time to learn liis tasks be
fore breakfast, to a quarter to twelve.
He was far enough away from Nurse
Norah for him not to be afraid of its
waking her; and then he too lay down
in his clothes.
"Get up, little lazy thing !" were the
words that woke Elsie wlieu she did uot
think she had slept for five minutes.
She sprang to her feet, for she knew
the voice; and the boy and girl, hand
iu hand, groped their way in the dark
out of the room, downstairs, and to the
house door. There was uo moon, but
the stars shone, aud the srtft calm light
was lovely. Something iu it made Elsie
stop suddenly, and say—
"Oil, Charlie ! is it naughty ?"
"Go back if you are afraid," he ans
wered her gruffly ; for he too, reproved
by the pure beauty of hud
felt his first qualms of conscience.
But Elsie dreamt not of going back if
ho went on, and, hand in hand, they
ran as fast as they could.
They reached the trysting-place, and
there was the fisher-boy waiting for
them, sitting in ins boat, that moved
lazily up and down, gently rocked by
the sea, which i self seemed almost as
leep.
"Well," grinned the boy ; "I never
dul! I thought you'd cry off."
"Shove off, my man 1" cried Charlie,
in a tone of command ; and "my man,
with a low laugh of approval, "shoved
off " as he was bidden.
The lioat went rapidly out to sea, in
order to round the point; ami Elsie
pleased and excited, nestled close to
her brother.
They soon fouud themselves within a
few yards of the rocks that formed a
picturesque barrier between sea and
shore.
Then the boat stopped, and the fish
er boy looked about him.
"Now then, lend a liaud !" he cried ;
and lie liuug the end of the rope lie
caught from the water to Charles as he
spoke.
N tlonal Accounts.
The First Auditor of the Treasury, in
his annual report for the year ending
June 30tb last, shows that the miuilier of
accounts received by the First Auditor's
office during the year, relating to receipts
into the treasury, was 7193, representing
$973,687,471.39; number of accounts rela
ting to disbursements '20,02, representing
$1,025,640,807.75; number of bond ac
counts, 1155; total number of accounts,
29,150; total value of accounts certified,
$1,999,298,279 14. The increase in the
number of accounts over the previous year
was 922, aud increase in value, $120,-
768,062,39.
A I'liifky Woman.
At an early hour recently Mrs. Con
haiin, of St. Puul, Minnesota, was aroused
front sleep by u burglar's stealthy step.
Site could ltear the burglar moving
along on his hands and knees from the
dining room to the bed room, and at
each step something struck the floor
which she believed to lx* either a billy
or revolver. But itt the meantime the
burglar had taken all her hnsbaud's
clothing which had been left on a chair,
including a gold watch and chain and
#OO in cash, and was stealthily making
his way back toward the dining room
door, which opens into a yard. Mrs.
Conltaim concluded that the time for
action had arrived. She left her bed,
walked to a bureau in one oornor of the
room wherein a loaded revolver was
kept, and in doing so must have passed
witliiu a few feet of the crouching burg
lar. After gaining possession of the
revolver, she entered the dining room
just as the buglar had passed out to the
porch, where he was found standing on
the step with most of the stolen cloth
nig under one arm and the vest held in
his right hand. This brought them
within about three feet of each other.
The brave lady covered the thief with
the weapon and exclaimed :
"Drop the clothes or I will fire !"
The response came m the sha}>e of a
blow over the head and face with the
vest held in the burglar's baud, he evi
dently iu tending to either blind her or
knock her down with the weight of the
heavy gold watch in the jacket. Luck
ily, however, the watch Hew out of the
pocket and, as Mrs. Couhaim threw her
hand up to ward off the blow, the chain
struck Itctween her fingers, close to the
watch. Instantly she closed her baud
over the timepiece, gave a jerk back
ward, which broke the chain, wliereapon
the burglar, with a fierce outh, threw
the vest at her face, unconscious of the
fact that the sum of #(0 in currency
had been left undisturbed in one of the
pockets. The burglar then started
toward Eleventh street, Mrs. Conltaim
firing two shots at him, without effect
probably, and following him as closely
as ]K>ssible. When he reache the side
walk on the latter street he stopped an
iustant, threw up both hands and drop
ped all the clothing on the sidewalk,
Mrs, Couhaim picking them up and
carrying every garment buck to the
house.
iiloumiiig I*i
A few days ago a drummer f<n* one of
our wholesale houses was traveling in a
buggy along a country road in Arkan
sas, when he came HIKJII a tall, roughly -
dressed mau sitting upou a rail fence
whittling. With a sociable "good morn
ing" the traveler drew* up his horse aud
asked : "Js that your field of corn over
there?" "Wal, 1 calkilate I'll freeze
onto a right smart sheer of it. I'm
working tiie piece ou sheers." "Looks
like a fine crop." "It does." "I sup
pose you are figuring ou great pros
perity iu future, such immense crops
indicating plenty for all." "Prosperity?
Stranger, that hain't no name fur the
cyclone that's agoiu' to hit this settle
ment atweeu the eyes this season. A
tornado mout come jist now an' laud
every durued bit o' grain in the country
over into Tennessee, aud yit the smiles
o' contentment'd never shift ofTii our
faces!" "Someunexpected good luck
lias .befallen you," the tourist replied.
"That's the play to a t-y tv. We're
gettin' our slice o' the millennium away
uhcud o* the advertised date. Fust, ol'
Zack Boltou up an' died last mouth, an*
thar' hasn't been a ear o' corn or a side
o* bacon missed iu the community since
we tumbled the dirt on top o' him.
Then Wash Tompkins, the boss ol'
sledge pip.yer, got sent to State prison
fur horse stealm,' thus givin' us poor
players a show fur our pile ; then Snaky,
the saloonkeeper up at the forks o' the
-oad. dropped down to ten cents a drink
fur whisky, and said he'd take corn
same as cash ; then my eld woman ran
off with a Yankee sew-in* machine ped
dler, an' my darter Sal got religion an'
joined Mount Zion Church, an' if blooin
m' prosperity ain't a haugiu' over the
neighborhood I'm a gilt-edged liar from
the Red River swamps. Got any sweet
tobaeker about you ?"
Au Alman:tc, ItiOO.
A double headed man stands before a
banquet taking the covers off the meats, to
represent January; it was the seasou for
the table and good cheer. A man on a
stool represents February; he has taken
off one shoe, and holds the unshod foot
ond both his hands close to a blazing fire,
it is "ovyl weder" out of doors, and shelter
is acceptable. A giil represents March.
She is in a garden that has paliugf around
it, with here and there a timber alcove,
and she is hoeing. It is time to prepare
the ground. In April, a man ploughs, his
plough drawn by two horses. In May, a
girl, seated, takes a bath in a tub in a gar
den, holding a small tree bough in her
hand. In June a man chops wood, las
axe swung far and high behiud him with
stropg muscle. It is time to thin the
forests, foliage being thick. Iu July, a
man has his scythe out cutting grass, flow
ers shooting up among it freely. Iu Aug
ust a girl uses a sickle M >rma-like, only
cutting straight up, close grown corn. In
September a man is gathering grapes, a
wine press near. In October, a man is
upon a ladder gathering apples lrom the
tree, a full sack erect upou ihe ground, a
basket for the immediate gathering hang
ing on a branch. In November, a man
chops again, great lying tree-trunks this
time, the living trees of background quite
bare. It is time to thiuk of shelter, lim
ber heing universal for it, (mainly.) tim
ber beiug abundant, aud ueediug the
seasoning which winter will give time for.
In December, a man is ready to heave his
hatchet down upon an animal's throat, a
lad holding the poor brute's head back to
receive the blow.
Captured by Pirate*.
The scooner I lansit is one of a number
of vessels by Jex Jfc Co., engaged
in the Central and South American trade.
Hhe runs between various points on the
Mosquito coast of Nicaragua, transporting
general merchandise, which is taken from
this country to Cora island by the steamer
Milliard. The Transit is commanded by
Captain John Thompson, an American
mariner of experience, and lias a crew con
sisting of two men and a cook. One day
the Transit lay al anchor in the Bay of
Gracias a-Dios, the extreme northeastern
point of Nicaragua. The schooner Jay
three miles out lrom the town, but within
the bar across the mwuth of the harbor.
In the dead of uight, and when the cap
tain was asleep iu tiie cabin, and only one
man was on watch, the schooner was silent
ly boarded by six pirates, who had steal
thily approached the ship in two canoes,
sheltered by the darkness. The marauders
were armed to the teeth, and, having taken
the Transit by surprise, were able to seize
Captain Thompson and his tiiree men after
a brief but desperate struggle. The cap
tain and crew were gagged and bound
hand and foot, ami the pirates took full
jKissessiou of their prize aud ransacked '.lie
ship from stem to stern. The ship's com
pany were thrown into the hold, and the
pirates then hoisted sail aud endeavored to
make the open sea, knowing that they
could not hope to retain their capture if
they did not quickly gvt out of port before
their daring deed was discovered. But
ttie captain of the pirate crew did not
know the harbor and was unable to get the
ship over the bar. After manoeuvreing tu
vaiu tor some little time he threatened
Captain Thompson with death uuiess he
piloted the vessel to sea. The captain
consented to do so if he was released from
the rojK'B which bound him hand and foot,
ami as he peremptorily refused to comply
on any other terms the pirate chief was
constrained to accept the condition.
Captain Thompson was given the use of
his limbs to navigate the Transit over the
bar and out to sea. By this time the
piiates thought themselves safe and were
indiscreet enough to indulge liberally in
tne aguardiente, of which the ship's locker
contained a plentiful supply. The fiery
stuff was partaken of to excess by all
hands, and soon the pirates were in a con
dition of almost helpless drunkeuess.
Captain Thompson was not the man to
let this golden opportunity slip. Watching
Liis chance he ran below, cut the rojies
which bound the captive crew, and with
their help quickly attacked the pirate
hand, subilmd them and secured the whole
six safely in irons. The course of the ship
was then altered and she was then headed
for Blue Fields, 380 miles lielow Gracios
a DIOR, the nearest point at wh:ch there
was a United States consul. Arrived here
the six pirates were lakeu ashore aud sur
rendered to the authorities, and Caplaiu
Thompson returned to the jiort whence
he had been compelled to sail so prema
turely and under such sensational circum
stances. The pirates were Spaniards and
of Ihe most desjnaate character.
Nevada FHIMIS.
Now that so much is being said about
the tracks of antediluvian elephants and
prehistoric man at the state prison quarry,
uear Carson, Nevada, it may he that some
of the scientists of the Pacific coast will
thiuk it worth while to take a look at the
tracks beyond Dayton, near the mouth of
El Dm ado canon. These tracks are in
rot k that is denuded. We have never ex
amined them, but have frequently heard
them spoken of by Professor VV. F. Stew
art, (now dead), who thought them very
remarkable and of much scientific import
ance. The tracks are described as much
the same as those found at the state prison
quarry. Though Professor Stewart said
nothing of the tracks of human beings, he
had a g>od deal to say of tracks of mam
moth horses. These may have been the
hacks of elephants or of the mammoth.
This would seem to indicate that the ground
was once the bottom of a lake Indeed,
ail the low ground iu this par to Nevada
shows signs of having been covered by
water in ancient times, and also some
plats of considerable altitude. In 1860 a
petrified log of pine, some 30 feet in length
aud 18 inches in diameter, wa9 fouud on
the side of a hill to the southeast of Amer
ican fiat. Strewn over Spring valley there
was also at that time much petrified cedar,
fir. pine and other kinds of wood. The
prospectors were in the habit of "sledging"
these logs up in order to get at the knots,
pieces of pilch and other parts that would
make specimens .for cabiuets.
These logs were no doubt the trunks of
trees that had 11 >ated about ou the ancieut
lakes until they became water-logged and
suuK to the bottom. The random way IU
which they were found scattered about
seemed to show this. In the year 1801 a
big flood wsshed out a great number of
petrified stumps of trees along a ravine
running from near the Daney nun Spring
valley, down in the Carson river. These
appeared to be the stumps of cottonwoods,
aiders aud such trees as grow along
streams. In ibis region, however, noltrng
more interesting is likely to be fouud than
appears on the surface, but farther down
the Carson, and to the eastward of tiie
sink, is a section of country that Would be
likely to yield niucu of value to the care
ful scientific investigator. There is in
that region a large area of recent sand-rock
of coarse, loose texture aud a granite gray
color.
Some four miles east of the sink of the
Carson an upheaval ot granite lias so raised
this sedimentary formation as to show it to
be about 800 feet in thickness. In many
places large canons have cut through this
formation, leaving nearly perpendicular
walls. In passing along the cauons, with
out making any special examinations, we
have found, slicking in the walls, boues
of Btnail animals aud birds, bits of wood,
twigs, and the like, all black as though
carbonized. On the bana of a deep
canon, northeast of what is known as the
Lower Bmk of the Carson, is a place
where is to he seen a great quantity of
petrified wood ot all kinds. A stratum of
this wood, some five feet thick, ami ex
posed along the cauou for a distance of
over 100 yards, appears to have been a
great drift. All is so thoroughly petri
fied and so natural in appearauce that
at a distance it seems to be a lot ol"
cordwood stacked up on the bank of the
cauou Mingled with this petrified drift
wood may perhaps he fouud the bones
and skeletons of animals, birds and rep
tiles. The bed of petrified wood is cov
ered to a depth of from three to five
feet with earth and gravel.
A l:*y in Mexico.
In the morning every one is astir befort
the rising sun. Hot chocolate or hot cot
fee, with a light porous cake, is ready it
the kitchen, and the servant comes to youi
room to know it you will have chocolate oi
coffee before getting up, or notifies yoi
that it is waiting in the diutng room al
your convenience. On (tossing lrom youi
room out into the corridor (all Mexican
houses are built cue story, in the shape o(
a square, with an interior, corn dor on three
sides facing a court) you need not feel em
barrassed if no one is about; your host has
probably had his coffee or chocolate and
gone to his business. Tha ladies will he
seen in an hour or two walking iu the gar
deu. You will order your coffee, if it has
not previously been taken in your room,
and then amuse yourself as best you can,
by a walk, or a ride, if you see fit, ordering
whatever you may desire from any servant
who may be visible. At about 10 o'clock,
youi host will make his appearance, and if
you are around, ne will greet you with,
"Buenos Dins, Signer, Couio haaseo Val a
Noche ?'* This is the morning salute
among both rich and poor, the translation
of which is: "Good morning, sir; how
did you pass the night?" The ceremoni
ous meal in all Spanish-American countries
is break last, and is usually taken between
10 and 11 a. in. Everything is served in
course*. Fruit first, soup often follows,
then meats, after that eggs, and, last,
"frijoles," the national d sh. This last is
a dark red bean, is cooked with lard, sea
soned highly with red pepper, and is served
in a soup plate aud eaten with a spoon,
it is very palatable and foreigners gener
ally become as fond of it as the native-.
Wine is always on the table, and breakfast
is never complete ufltil cigarettes are
handed, and every one is expected to
smoae. During the smoking, business is
discussed or the day's amusement canvassed
and the programme settled. This is the
principal meal and a little recreation iu
the way of music or receiving aud enter
taining visitors (the latter never remain
later than noon), the family and guests go
to their respective rooms and the daily
"siesta,'' or mid-day sleep, is indulged iu.
Between 3 and 4 p. m., the house is again
astir. Coffee or chocolate is unceremoni
ously served, each gotmr to the dining
room as suits their convenience. The head
of the house goes to business until 8 p. in.
and the ladies make their toilet for eveui jg
visitors. Both fashionable ami social cads
are made mostly between the hours oi 5
aud Bp. ui. Between 10 aud 11 p. in., a
light Btip(H;r is served, consisting princi
pally of hot "tomales." which is com
meal mush mixed with a force-meat of
chicken or beet, highly seasoued with red
pepper or ouions, all nicely rolled in a
clean corn shuck, tied aud put iu a pot and
boiled aud served iu lue shuck lioL Alter
this come cake and wine; then cigarettes,
aud alter that beer. This is the daily rou
tine in the house of a well to-do citizcu of
Mexico
Oyster*.
That the American is the best for cook
mg is accepted, aud that of the cooking
oysters the Saddle Rock is king. Many
hundreds of barrels of these oysters are
sent to E igDnd yearly, largely to noble
men and genilemen who have visited this
country. Iu Prince Alliert's lifetime, the
Dorlous always seut a barrel to Windsor
Castle for Christmas. It has been amus
ingly asserted by persons desiring to raise
the price, as in the ease of the leef impor
talion, that this feeble transmission will
affect the supply. It does not even touch
it. In England the supply lias liecome
scant from the small field for oyster growth.
But uo eye can see through the distance of
time the day when iu the United Slates,*
with its vast coasts furnishing unlimited
fields of growth, there can corqe a deaith.
In Virginia, every seasou now the oyster
seed can be had for 25 eeids a bushel, con
taining some 25,000 seed oysters, in two
years, #1 a 100 cau be oblaiued for the
crop. Of course, the natural enemies of
oyster here, as on the foreign coasts, are
many. Tnere are the star-fish, which
clasp the bivalves in their arms and rasp
away with the. natural files they carry
until the oyster itself is laid bare. Prawns,
too, attack the oyster when young with
great success. These little fairies may be
seen to "back" untill they get sufficient
room for a rush, and then go i ull tilt at
the tender shell, which they strike hard
enough to pierce it with formidable beaks
'This ramming is repeated until a convent
ent hole is made and then the prawn pro
eetds to least upou the oyster. The crab
is, too, the deadly enemy of the oyster.
The crabs may be seen, if you look down
from your boat into tiie water, growling
about everywhere in search of a young
der to crunch. At times they seem to
0 it for the pura pleasure of destrucionf
°r they have been watched taking the in
taut oysters m their pincers aud crackiug
them one after another as fast as they
could, or if the oyster is too big or strong
to lie crushed to death, a crab will lie
quietly by until the valves open when,
quick as lightning, in goes one of the big
claws as a wedge to be followed by a
smaller one, with which the oyster is
pinched out to be eaten piecemeal. lu.
France the oyster has au enemy of his owu
raw, who, it is prophesied, will gradually
drive hun out, as the Hanoverian ra f ,
which Charles Watterton always calied the
Drown, drove out the original black rat.
This is the Portuguese oyster, which is be
heved to have come irom the Tagus. It
is inferior in quality and fiivor to the
English or French or our oyster, Jbut is
much hardier aud more nushiug and grows
and multiplies at a prodigious rate. It
does uot cross tie ostrea edu'in in love—
Sheridan says in one of his plays "au
oyster may he crossed iu iove" —but it
crows it out whenever a footing cau be ob
tained. Tnese Portuguese oysters have
brought down prices. The Archacou
breeders now sell small oysters for iaying
down at $1 the thousaud, the prices being
somewhat lower iu the Mosoihau. Twelve
years ago they cost as much as £2 ss. a
thousaud, or eight pence a dozen, for the
fiuest and twenty-eight shillings for the
Portuguese. But at the doors of the best
provincial restaurants "the smiling, red
cheeked ecail lie res" charge two shillings a
dozen for green fins, though they can be
got for halt that price iu tne seaside hotels.
None of these particular cuemies, iiowev -
er, reach these shores, nor can auy of the
others, which ours have iu couriiou with
the toreigu oysters, make au impression ou
our exliaustless supply. 'The enemies
which our fish have most to fear are those
cross-nets so shamefully permitted which,
worked by steaiu-tugsaud stretching some-
times for near a mile, sweep remorsely
the bottom of the water, carrying every
thing spawn, young fish, and useless hsh,
into their smacks. Those which are of
value are picked out and the others care
lessly left there. And the similar des
tructive quality beloags to menhaden net
ting fishery. When the larger fish flud
themselves deprived of their food they
will soon seek fresh feeding fields. These
destructive nettings have already thinnevl
the supply of all other fish. Happily this
does not so much affect the favorite oyster
otherwise we should have a vigilance com
mittee and a number of net oysterers hang
ed. for all our great men, as those of other
countries, have been fon.l of oysters. Mo3t
of our great Journalists have rejoiced in
them. The late Mr. Bennett was wont to
say that he enjoyed his midday dozen
more than any other me&l, and Thurlow
Weed, now in Ins declining years, says he
finds more nourishment in them than in
any other fO(d. Our judges are all pat
rouizers of this delightful delicacy and
their most luminous charges have been al
most invariably aided by a preiiuiiuary en
joyment of a score of Shrewsbury. Then
of statesmen, President Arthur, when pre
siding at the Custom Home, might have
been seen daily at Mr. Southerland's
counter.
They Lfldn't Sell Stoves.
Four or five weeks ago, a woman with
an undecided look on her face entered a
Detroit hardware store, threaded her way
for sixty feet among coal stoves of every
pattern, and timidly inquired :
"Do you keep stoves here ?"
"Yes'm."
"Coal stoves ?"
- "Yes'm."
She said she had been thinking of gettidg
a coal stove for the winter, and the clerk
took her in hand. He showed her how
the doors worked and how the dampers
were arranged, and the flqes situated, and
lie talked of the double drafts, great sav
ings, increased cheei fulness, reduction in
Drice, aud ail that, and she said she'd
think it over and drop in again.
In about three days the woman reap
peared and inquired of the very same clerk
jif they sjld coal stoves. He replied that
I they did sell oie now and then, and he
cleared his voice and legan the usual
thirty-minute lecture on the Michigan, the
Detroit and the Peninsular base-burners.
Ihe beautiful nickel-plate, the place for
the ter-'iettle, the ornamental legs—the
anti-clinker shaker—ail pouits were tou
ched upon and praised aud explained, and
the woman sa d she wouldn't take one
aioug under her arm just then, but would
call again. She called again that same
week, beard the same lecture from the
same clera, aud started for the bank to
draw the money to pay for a base-buruer.
That was the last 8a;a of her for a week.
Then she walked sottly ij aod innocently
inquired:
"I suppose you keep coal-stoves t"
"No ma'am."
"Not any kiud ?"
a one. We used to, but went out
of the business a year ago."
There were twenty c.*l stove 3 on the
floor, but if she saw them, she did't let
on. She heaved a sigh of ds<appointment,
glanced around ner, aud went slowly out
with the remark.
"Well, I do.i't know as I want to buy
one, but 1 thought it wouldn't do any
harm to look at some of the latent makes.''
J.<pau*e Festivals.
Oue curious custom iu vogue is the ex
hibition of a fish on every house where a
ln>y has been born to the family during the
year. This showing is made during the
month of May, and ou the fifth of that
month there is a high festival held, the
relatives of the family making it the occa
sion of presenting gifts aud toys suitable
for boys, as well as giving clothing fitting
for the little chap. All sorts of child's
gear is to be seen on exhibition at this
time, and no boy is neglected. The boy
is the pri !e of the household, the parents
testifying their joy iu feasting all corners
uow honor them by theii remembrances.
The girl babies are not forgotton, but
they are accorded another day and a sepa
rate festival lime, this being the third day
of the third month—the third of March,
Then, instead of the fish floating as a sym
bol, the doll is to be seen iu abundance,
and all the toys known to the girl world
are lavishly displayed. There is very
much of pride exhibited ou both of these
child festivals, as the gifts presented are
ostentatiously displayed by the fond pa
rents for the aduiiraliou of their friends.
Diminutive suits of armour, tiny swords
aud bows anil arrows, toy horses with full
suits of trappings—iu fact, every imagina
ble thing tuat goes in the make up of the
Jap uiese warner of the olden tiaie are ou
parade on the fiith of may, while the third
of March bnugs forth all that is represen
tative of the life and fancies of the feminiue
gender. There are many who are not
content to await the full event of the time
for the display of the fish emblem, so that
luring the latter part of April it is no un
common thing to see au immense fish,
sometimes two, so constructed that it is
rilled by the breeze, doating from a bam
boo pole, ueraldiug the glory that has its
lodgment in the house from which it is
exhibited.
iiti/.or Hack Hog.
To the traveler tlirougb Texas, one of
the strangest auit most peculiar featuies of
laudscape is the razor-back hog. He-is of
Swiss cottage style of architecture. His
physical outline is angular to a degree un
known outside of a text-book on the
t-cience of geometry. The couutry razor
back prowls around in the woods, and
lives on acorns, peanuts and roots; wheD
he cau spare time, he climbs under his
owner's fence, and assists in harvesting
the corn crop. In this respect he is neigh
borly to a fautt, and, when his duty to the
owner's crop will allow, he will readily
turn in and assist the neighbors, even
workiug at night rather thin see his crop
spoil tor want ot attention. Crossing the
razjr-back wilh blue blooded stock makes
but little improvement. The only effec
tive way to improve him is to ctoss him
with a railroad train, lie then becomes
an imported Berkshire or Boland-China
hog, and it' he does not knock the train off
ihe track, the railroad pays for him at the
rate ot $1 a pound, for which they are al
lowed tlie mournful privilege of shoveling
the remains oil the track. Ine bam of the
razor-back is more juicy thau the hind leg
of an iron fire -dog. hut not so fat as a pine
knot.
NO 4S.