F McNEIL. Editor and Proprietor. IS PUBLISHED grery Friday Morning on Juliana Street, OPPOSITE THE HESfiEt HOtSE, BEDFORD, BEDFORD COUNTY, PA. TERMS: t'-1.00 a year if paid strictly in advance, -2.25 if not paid within three months, $2.50 if not paid J within the year Rates of Advertising. One square, one insertion... SI.OO One square, three insertions 1.50 Each additional insertion loss than three months, 50 3 months. 6 months. 1 year. One square ..' $ 4.50 $ 6.00 SIO.OO Two squares 6,00 0.00 16.00 Three squares 8.00 12.00 20.00 Half column....* 18.00 25.00 45.00 One column..., 30.00 45.00 80.00 Administrators' and Execu'.ors' notices, $3.00. Audi tors' notices, if under 10 lines, $2.00: if over 10 lines. $2.50. Mieriffa's sales, sl-73 per trat t Table work, double the .(hove rates: figure work 35 per cent, additional. E.-trays, ''.rations and Notices to Trespassers, $2.00 for three in -ertions, if not above ten lines. Marriage notices. 50 cts. such, payable m advance. Obituaries over five lines in fi.rth, and Resolutions of .Beneficial Associations, at half ivcrtising rates, payable in advance. Announcements of deaths, gratis. Notices in editorial column, 15 conta •XT line. No deduction to advertisers of Patent liedet'ibes, or Advertising Agents. PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS CARDS. ESPYM. AIJSIP, ATTORNEY AT LAW, BEDFORD, PA., Will faithfnlly and promptly attend to all business en trusted to his care in Bedford and adjoining counties. Military claims, Pensions,back pay, Bounty, Ac. spee ilily collected. office with Mann A Spang, on Juliana street, 2 doors . ,utli of the Mcngel House. April 1, 1564.—tf. J. B. DTKBQBRUV, ATTORNKV AT LAW, BUDrOIID. PA. Office one door south of the "Meugel House." W— 1 attend promptly to all business intrusted to his eare Collections made on the shortest notice. Having, also, been regularly licensed to prosecute Claims against the Government, particular attention will lie given to the collection of Military claims of all kinds; Pensions, Back I'av, Bounty. Bounty Loans, Ac. Bedford, apr. 8,1864 —tf. ALEX. KINO. ATTORNEY AT LAW. And agent for procuring arrears of Pay and Bounty money. Office on Juliana Street. Bedford, Pa. April 1, 1864—tf. liPIMELI. A USGESFEI.TEH, ATTORNEYS AT LAW. BEDFORD. PA. Have formed a partnership in the practice of the Law office on Juliana Street, two do..r South of the Mcngel House. April 1.4864 tf. JOHN MAJOR, II STICK OF rilK PEACC, HOPEWELL, BEDFORD COUNTY. Collect!' ins and ail business pertaining to his office will be attended to promptly. Vt ill also attend to the sale or ■ lit lag of real estate. Instruments of writing carefully in'-oared. Also settling up partnership* and other ac -'•Ulit*. April 1. 1864—tf. J NO. MOWER. ATTORNEY AT LAW. Bedford, PA.. . A, ril 1, 1864.—tf. JOSEPH W. TATE. ATTORNEY AT LAW, BEDFORD I'A. \I TILL promptly attend to collections and all business \ > entrusted to his earein Bedford and adjoining coun ties. M-mey advanced on .Todgmeu Notes and o*hcr f'Jaims. Has for sale Town Lots, in Tatcsville. and St. X eph.s on Bedford Railroad. Farms and unim pr .vc.l land in quantities to suit purchasers. office opposite the Banking House of Reed A Schell. apr. 15, 1864—10 m. JOHN Li rz, ATTORNEY AT LAW, AND Regularly licensed agent for the collection of Guvem iveui claim's, bounties, back pay. pensions. Ac., will give prompt attention to all business entrusted to his care. Office with J. R. llurborrow, Esq., on Juliana Street. Bedford Pa. August lVth, 1864. —tf. M. A. POINTS, ATTORNEY AT I.AW, BEDFORD, PA. Respectfully tenders his professional services to the Office with J. W, Lingenfelter, Esq., on Juliana ■trect. two doors South of the "Mengle Jlouse." Bedford, Pec. 41, 1864-tf. DENTISTRY. 1. N. BOWSER, Resident Dentist ol Wood bury, W ILL spend the second Monday, Tuesday, and Wed. \ \ nesday, of eae-h month at Hopewell, the remaining three days at Bloody Run. attending to the duties of hi* profession. At all other times be can be found in hi* of ico at Woodbury, excepting the last Monday and Tues day of the same month, which he will spend in Martins urg, Blair county, Penna. Persons desiring operations beaid call early, as time is limited. All operations war anted. \og. 5,1864,-tf. N. HICKOK. J- G. MINNICfI. JR. DENTISTS, BEDFORD, PA. < in the Hank- Building, Juliana Street. All operations pertaining to Surgical or Mechanical Hentistry carefully and faithfully performed and war ranted. TERMS CASH. janti'Bs-ly. DR. B. F. HARRY, Respectfully vendors his professional services to the citizens of Bedford and vicinity. Office and residence on Pitt Street, in the building fornrtrly occupied by Dr. J. H. Hnfius. April 1. 1864—tf. J. L. MARBOURG, M. D. Having permanently located respectfully tenders his ofessional services to the citizens of Bedford and vi nity. Office ou Juliana Street, opposite the Bank, one douy north of Hall A Palmer's office. April 1. 1864—tf. DANIEL BORDER. PITT STREET, TWO POORS WEST OF THE BEDFORD HOTEL, Bedford, Fa. Watch maker A Dealer In Jewelry, Spectacle*. Ac HE KEEPS ON HAND A STOCK OF FINE GOLD AND SILVER WATCHES, SPECTACLES OF Brilliant Double Refined Glasses, also Scotch Pebble Glasses. Gold Watch Chains, Breast Pins, Finger Rings, best quality of Gold Pens. lie will supply to order any thing in his line not on hand, apr. 8, 1864—t1. UNION HOTEL. VALENTINE STECKMAN, PROPRIETOR, West Pitt Street, Bedford, Pa., (Formerly the Globe Hotel.) THE public are assured that he has made anipe ar -1 rangementsto accommodate all that may favor him with their patronage. A splen did Livery Stable attached. fap'r64. U. S. HOTEL, HARRISBURG, PENN'A., CORNER SIXTH AND MARKET STREETS, OrPOSITF, READING it. R. DEPOT. D. H. HUTCHINSON, Proprietor. jan6'<J3-3m. A LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWSPAPER, DEVOTED TO POLITICS, EDUCATION, LITERATURE AND MORALS. BRITISH PERIODICALS. YIS. The London Quarterly Review (Conservative). The Edinburgh Review (Whig). The Westminster Review (Radical). The North British Review (Free-Church). AND Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine (Tory). The American Publishers continue to reprint the above named periodicals, but as the cost of printing has doubled and the price of paper nearly trebled, they arc compelled to advauce their terms as follows: Terms for 1865. For any one of the Reviews. $4 00 P annum. For any two of the Review* 7.00 For any three of the Reviews 10.00 For all four of the Reviews..... 12.00 '• For Blackwood's Magazine 4.00 " For Blackwood and any one Review... 7.60 For Blackwood and two of tha Reviews 10.00 " For Blaokwgod and three of the Reviews 13.0" " For tifawkweod and the four Reviews.... 15.00 " These works will lie printed on a greatly improved quality of paper, and while nearly all American Periodi cal* are either advaneed in price or reduced id size—and very generally both—we *hail continue to give faithful copies of all the matter contained in the original editions. Hence, our present prices will be fouud as cheap, for the amount of matter furnished, as those of any of the com peting periodicals in the country. Compared with the cost of the original editions, which at the present premium on gold would be about SIOO a year, our prices (sls) are exceedingly low. Add to this the fact that we make oar annual payments to the British Publishers for early sheets and copyright in Gold—sl costing us at this time nearly $2.50 in currency—and we trust that in the scale we have adopted we shall be entire ly justified by our subscribers and the reading public. The interest of these Periodicals to American render* is rather increased than diminished by the articles they con tain on our great Civil War, and though sometimes ting ed with prejudice they may still, considering their great ability and the different stand-points from which they are written, be read and studied with advantage by the peo ple of this cvuntrv of everv ereed and party. LEONARD SCOTT A CO., Publishers. No. 38 Walker Street, New York. Jun. 27, 1865. THE NEW - YORK TIMES. The prire of the TIMES (Daily) i* FOUR CENTS. To Mail Subscribers per annum $lO 00 Including Sunday morning edition, sl2. THE SEMI-WEEKLY TIMES. One copy 1 year ...$3 00 Two copies 1 year 5 OO THE WEEKLY TIMES. One copy I.year $2 OO Three copies 1 year 5 OO Fresh names may at any time be added to clubs, both of the WEEKLY and STMI-WKBKLY, at Club Rates. Payment invariably in advaaee. H'e have no authorized traveling Aijeute. | Address H. J. RAYMOND A CO., Publishers. Dee.23,'64-2!. DESCRIPTIVE CIRCULAR OF THE HOPEWELL OIL COMPANY. Capital.—s2oo,oo6. Shares.—2oo,ooo. Par Value,sl.oo. Hon. JOHN ROWK, President. J. SIMPSON AFRICA, Secretary and Treasurer. DIRECTORS: W. £s. FLETCHER, MeContieUabutg, Pa. JOHN Ilowe. Greencastie, Pa. F. BENEDICT, Bedford, Pa. J. 11. SEYMOUR, Hagcrstown, Md. J. C. EVKRHART, Martinsbnrg, Pa. JOHN J. SCHBLL, Somerset, Pa. C.-P. RAMSDELI., Oil City, Pa. | The property of this Company consists of 200 acres of iand, in fee simple, situated on the west side of the Alle gheny river, a short distance above 'he mouth of Scrub Orass Creek, in Scrub Grass Township, Venango county, Pa. It has a frontage along the river of one mile, wilh good boring surface for the whole distance. Two good oil well* are now in operation on the cuat side of the river, immediately opposite the property of the Co. The following in regard to an adjoining tract, is taken from an editorial in the Philadelphia I'rire Current, ot December 1": "The geological relation of this property to Oil Creek, is such that the oil-bearing strata, which supply the wells on the Middle Section of Oil Crock (from the Washington McClintock Farm on the north to the Buchanan on the South) must pass under this property: the range of the strata certainly bringing the two localities into this mutu al relation. Other data, obtained from an investigation of the conformation of the ground, and the underlying rocks, lead to the same conclusion, viz: that the wain belt of oil, which extends down from the north-northeast and supplies the wells on the Washington, McClintock, Egbert, Stone, Tar, and Buchanan Farms, sweep* down still farther ou the same south southwest direction, cor responding with and controlled by the inclination of the strata, and underlies this property. It is well ascertain ed by the testimony of aged and respectable residents that the Indians, years ago, gathered oil from the surface of the ravines on this property and used it for rhenmatie af fections. In later times the teamsters of Bullion Iron Furnace, gathered and used the oil for the pnspose of applying it to galls and bruises on their horses. Oils for years was seen to exude at a number of places: among others, at the root of an old stump on the bank of_ the Allegheny river, and in the ravine alluded to. A tew years ago, the then owner* of the tract, with one or two of their neighbors, bored a well, a few feet above the old stump. The first vein of oil was struck at the depth of 286 feet, and the second at 4611 feet; an experien ced man from Oil Creek was employed to tube the well, which produced a stream of oil three quarters of an Inch in diameter. The owners of the well, uot satisfied with it* production, pulled out the chamber, and drilled some feet deeper, when they struck salt water in large quantities and of great strength. Believing that the man ufacture of salt would, at the time, yield tbem a bettei profit, they arranged their seed bags in the well, so as to enable them to exclude the oil and pump the salt water. Still oil was pumped along with the water, in such quan tities as to gather upon the top of the water-tanks, from whence it was collected, barreled and sold." There is every reason, therefore, to believe that the pro perty of the Company is rich in its supplies of oil. The inclination of the Strata proves, conclusively, that those supplies of oil ou Oil Creek have a higher level than the oil-bearing rock* on this property: and that, consequently, the supply will be more permanent than that of Oil Creek itself. The large extent of boring territory, equal to that of half u dozen companies on Oil Creek, a boat-landing on the Fann, with the advantage of a navigable stream for the transportation of oil, and the certainty of the exis tence of large quantities of coal upon the tract, makes the property ot" incalculable value. The Company are about preparing to sink several wells, and confidently expect the early development of oil in paying quantities. The plan of organization adopted by the Company com mend* itseif to public approval, from the fact that it places no fictitious value upou its stock, but confines the sale of share* strictly to their par value. A limited number of Shares can be had by applying to the following named gentlemen. F. Benedict, Bedford, Pa. Jacob Reed, " " B. F. Meyers, " " J. Henry Sehell, Sehellsburg, Bedford County, Pa. James Lowthcr, Altoona, Blair Cuunty, Pa. S. 5. Barr, lloUidaysburg, Pa. C. W. Ashcotn, Hopewell, Pa. I. H. Kausler, Hagcrstown, Md. S. 11. Prather A Co., Gretncastie, Pa. J. lloetetter A Co., " " ■T. J. Phillips, Waynesboro, " John S. Miller, Huntingdon, * Samuel Henry, " " W. D. McKinstry, Mercersburg, " And at tne Office af the Company, No. 435 Walnut St., hiladelphia. dec.23,'64. Blanks. Blank, judgement notes, deeds, bonds and mort gages te, &8., for sale at the INQUIRER Office. BEDFORD. Pa., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1865. W0 11 XD ♦ DAY DREAMS. I have been unduly ambitious, With hones it is hard to forget: Such day-dreams are all too delicious To vanish and leave no regret. Hopes, like the mirage in the distance, To win the bright chaplet of fame, To leave, as I pass from existence, A worthy and wide honored name. Dreams only; their death-knell is ringing; Proud heart, to thy destiny come; Thou fain wouldst be soaring and singing— Sink down and forever be dumb! To fetter the soul with a burden Ot longings it never can tell, And grant it no loftier guerdon Than failure —0 God ! is it well? 'Tis well! for such lesson* compel us, A loftier standard to raise: Ho can bat be selfish and jealous, Who lives on the incen-e of praise. Such lessons the stars might ha<i-e taught e. A* round us their glamour they fling— fcuch lesson* the flow'rets have brought us, On every sweet zophvr of Spring. In desert* and solitudes lonely The flowers refuse not to bloom; Though heedlessly trampled, they only Yield sweeter and richer perfume. The stars—we walk under them nightly, And mnrtnur no accent of praise: They beam on us none the less brightly, Nor dream of withholding their rays. So shine, noble soul—ever giving, No heed to negleet or to strife, Content with the glory of living A true and a beautiful life. For being is nobler than seeming— And fame is a perishing toy; And doing is wiser than dreaming, And culture is nobler than joy. —Joira School Journal. A VOICE FROM PRISON. BY A BOY SIXTEEN. There are hearts with hope still beating. In our pleasant northern home, Waiting, watching fur the footsteps, That may never, never oorne. In southern prisons piniirg, Meager, tattered, pale and gaunt, Growing weaker,, weaker daily, From pinching cold and want. Here brothers, sons and husbands, Poor and hopeless captives lie. 0 ye. who yet can save them, Will you leave them here to die? From out our prison gate, There's a graveyard close at hand. Where lie ten thousand Union men. Beneath the Georgia santi. Scores on scores are laid beside them. As day succeeds to day, And thus it ever will be. Till they all shall pass away : And the last will say, when dying, With uptern'd and glazing eye. Both love ar.d Faith are dead at home. They have left us here to die. A.MIEKSO.NVILLE, G A. WE LOVE THE TRUTH. We are the boys who love the truth. And mean to (peak it come what may ; Falsehood is cowardly and base, And God condemn? the liar's way. We'll strive to keep our conscience clear. As on we pass through age or youth: Where'er we are, whate'er we do, We'll speak the truth, we'll speak the truth. Wc are the girls who wuu't deceive, Our faults we'll Hot deny or hide ; Parents and teachers it would grieve, If we should choose the wicked side. No, no: we'll keep a conscience clear, As on wc pass from age to youth : Whate'er we do, where'er we are, We'll apeak the truth, we'll speak the truth. is£ 11 ia at nits. STEVENS AND CLAY. To the Editor or the Franklin Jlepositorg. In another p 'otr - iust read your late article on the Hon. Thaddeus Stevens and a Cabinet ap pointment. One of your suppositions is erroneous;' and, as it attaches the odium of a bad faith tq a de ceased statesman who has otherwise left behjnd him an honorable name, the mistake should be correct ed. I never was an admirer of Henry Clay as a statesman : my interference in hi 3 favor wtll not. therefore, be suspected of partiality. I was the main if not the only agent between the friends of Mr. Stevens and Gen. Harrison on the occasion al luded to in your article, and my testimony should have some weight. In offering the following state ment I depart from a rule long adhered to —tbat of not troubling the public with explanations of the past. But in this case lam perhaps the only per son now living cognizant of the whole facts, and I therefore feel compelled to do justice to the name of one of our most distinguished men. After the presidential election of 1840, it seemed to be conceded that Pennsylvania was entitled to representation in Gen. Harrison's cabinnet. A number of gentlemen, who had been prominent in the campaign, met in Harrisburg, and after consul tation. agreed to demand the position for Mr. Ste vens. Measures were taken to place the matter be fore the President elect, and 1, being Chairman of the State-Committee, was charged with the duty of urging it. Gen. Harrison was subsequently waited on at Cincinnati, and though the probability of fhilure in the application even then began to show itself, yet, by his own special request, a final interview was agreed on to take place the beginning of the follow ing February, at Washington. In the latter part of January 1 was at the seat of government, in order to be on the ground before his arrival and to ascertain the movement of the dif ferent cbainet interests. By the advice of my im mediate constituents, and with letters from some of them to him. I first called on Mr. Webster, who, it was then well known, would be the Secretary of State, and made known my business. His aid had been strongly relied on in our favor, as we thought, for good reasons. But the interview was unpromis ing. He was quite sparing of words, and very for mal. This was then so obvious, and his coldness subsequently became so plain, that had you written Marshjield instead of "Ashland," when indicating the person who defeated the expectations of Mr. Stevens' friends, you would not have had the troub le of reading this letter. But be this as it may, Gen. Harrison did not aV rive in Washington till well on in February; and while waiting I made, for the first time, the ac quaintance of Mr. Clay. He was then looking ahead to the Presidency, and treated me with un expected consideration, having no doubt ascertained my mission, as well as my relation to politics at home. The first conversation was at his own quar ters, and by his own invitation. It was somewhat prolonged, though mostofitwason mere general mat ters, for I had neither authority nor sufficient ground on which to attempt to interest him in my purpose. I remarked that my stay would be for some weeks, and he offered me kiudiy sUe.h services as he could render. Of course I thanked him, and then added that I promised myself no little pleas ure from attempting "to find out some of the un der-current* of public affairs at the seat of govern ment.'' He replied, with his peculiar arid pleasant smile, that if I succeeded in getting much below the surface I would be more successful than he had ever been. When I rose to leave he laughingly asked me to favor him with the result of my observations before I left the city, which I promised to do. My instructions, as has been intimated, directed me to avoid Mr. Clay and rely on Mr. Webster, for reasons not now necessary to be stated, but ou the occasion just alluded to, the bearing of the former seemed so frank and his knowledge of my mission so obvious, that 1 designedly threw out the above intimation of my intention to watch all the sources of intrigue, and then judge for myself. That he understood the allusion to be some particular object I had in view was plain, for during the next three weqks we never met, even causally, without some reference by him to my "explorations below the surface." lam now quite satisfied, that even if lie had any hostility to Mr. Stevens, this course would have seemed to restrain him from active op position. Yet if even he had those feelings, there would have been neither wrong nor dishonor in his opposition to our wishes. Not only had he not in timated any design to sustain us, but he had not even been applied to or trusted on the subject; and, more than that, the friends of Mr. Stevens in Pennsylvania, had been the known opponents of his Presidential aspirations. But to shorten the story. Mr. Stevens was uot ap pointed. To say nothing of Gen. Harrison's fla grant breach of his own volunteered written offer and promise, of the extent of which even I then knew nothing. The causes of our defeat, as I un derstood them, were—l. The treachery of one of our own men at home, who has since gone to his last account, but who made a small office for him self out of his baseness. 2. The defection or want of nerve of Mr. Webster; and 3d, an influence, then predominant, which over-rid ail political con siderations, and feared Mr. Steveus' determination and talents if admitted to the sources of power. The full history of this transaction, if written out, would be instructive to the politician and student in human nature; creditable to a few, laughable in some of its details and disgusting in others; but in all showing that a knowledge of private character for firmness and integrity is the best clue to pub lic conduct. The day after the affair was decided, und a few hours before leaving Washington, I called on Mr. Clay according to promise. I then, for the first time, told him what had been my business, and that I was unsuccessful. "1 regret to hear it," said he. "It is a mistake. Gen. Harrison will discover that no man who betrays his friends will be long able to sustain himself. His friends in Pennsylvania had strong claims upon him, and none more so than Mr. Stevens." 1 then intimated that I had come spe cially to let him know the result of my observations of the under current in conuectiou with my busi ues* at the capital. This seemed to iuterest as well as amuse him. I said, we have had no right to ex pect aid nor any to complain of opposition to him to say, that I had not detected the evidence of any interference by him or any one under his known in fluence. against our claim. He at once rose to his feet with much animation, and said: "Sir, 1 thank you for this. Yo do me no more than justice, and justice is so rare that lam thankful for it. I have not moved a finger against your claim. If I had been consulted 1 would have favored it. I will tell you now what I have not been in the habit of men tioning. Gen Harrison did me the honor, soon after his election, to tender me the appointment of Secre tary of State. I declined it. He then consulted me as to the proper person to appoint. Situated as Mr. Webster and I are, in relation to each other, I could not do less than name him. which I did. — Since that time, I have urgently requested the ap | poiutment of my old friend Clayton, of Delaware, to the Treasury Department, but could not effect it. I have taken no other part in the formation of the Cabinet. 1 tell you these things because you seem to appreciate my course." He then proceeded to talk of future political movements; but as my time was limited, and the prospect then ahead in that direction very obscure, I did not prolong the conversation. 1 never met him again. But from all 1 saw. and heard, and learned on the subject, and no one had a better opportunity for becoming acquainted with it. I am satisfied you do the memory of Hetiry Clay injustice in supposing "that the real author of this violated faith sleeps in the shades of Ashland." As to Gen. Harrison's written offer of a place in his cabinet, before the election, to Mr. Stevens, those who know the latter gentleman best will not lie surprised when told that even I, the trusted and known agent of his friends in their application in his hehalf, did not learn of its existence till years afterwards. Himself honorable, and always keep ing his word with scrupulous exactness, he would not arm even his friend with a volunteered and con fidential document, or compel by a threat that which should be conceded withont demand. Hence, no doubt, the alarm and trepidation in that weak man, so conspicuous every time 1 saw him on this subject, but which I could uot account for at th e time. Hence probabiy, also, his truckling offer of a scat in his cabinet to another Pennsylvania!! at the time wheu he announced this breach of faith, but who being one sf those demanding the appoint ment of Mr. Stevens, indignantly refused it, and hence I suppose, the unexpected appointment of Walter Forward to the Treasury Department, in or der to avoid opeuly insulting the State which had nominated and elected him, though her wishes as to her first choice were disregarded. T. H. B. LANCASTER, February 2, 1865. Do IT WITH THY MlUHT. —Fortune, success, fame, position are never gained but by piously, determin edly, bravely sticking, growing, living to a thing til] it is fairly accomplished. In short, you must carry a thing through, if you want to be anybody or any thing. Na matter if it does cost you the pleasure, the society, the thousand pearly gratifications of life. No matter for these. Stick to the thing and carry it through. Believe you were made for the matter acd that no one else can do it. Put forth your wuole energies. Stir, wake, electrify yourself, and go forth to the task. Only once learn to carry the thing through in all its completeness and proportion and you will become a hero. You will think better of yourself—others will think betler of you. Of course they will. The world in its very heart ad mires the stern determined doer. It sees in him its best sight, its brightest object, its richest treasure, i Drive right along then, in whatever you undertake. ; Consider yourself amply sufficient for the deed. — : You'll bo successful. Never four. THE ORIGIN OK PETROLEUM.— There have been a great many theories accounting for the existence of petroleum in the bowels of the earth, all of them more or less ingenious and apparently correct de ductions from the results of research, but inquiry has generally shown their falsity. The last theory has a show of reason on its side, and ispresented by a contributor to the Pittsburg Commercial. He says that all geologists agree that our bituminous coal has been formed from the prostrated forests of an age long past. We find that, by putting this bituuminous coal in a retort, we can obtain the same general character of product as by striking a well at Oil City. What is left in the retort, after the oil is taken out, is a species of coke. Arguing from these well-known and acknowledg ed facts, he arrived at the conclusion that what man has attempted to do in a cast-iron retort, an all-wise Providence has more effectually done by the opera tions of His laws in nature ; and that the anthra cite coal fields in our own lands, and other lands, are simply what remains in this laboratory of nature, after, by the application of heat below and pres sure above, the oil and grease have been driven else where. The oil thus pressed out has trickled through the crevices of the rocks below these, now anthracite, but once bituminous coal fields, and we find it to-day in the pools and crevices of our different oil regions. The anthracite coal which remains answers to our coke. We use it for the same purpose, for melting ores in furnaces, and for melting iron in foundry cu polas, the great difference being that it is vastly su perior in quaility, a fact not to be wondered at when we remember the laboratory in which it was made and the all seeing eye that superintends its produc tion. This thing is worthy of attention not only be cause it may unveil the mysteries of the chemistry of the earth, but also if correct it will solve ond or two other interesting questions concerning internal heat, Sic., which will so much cause the advance of science. Ax ENGLISHMAN ON LINCOLN. —There is some thing in that steady bovine persistence, that resolve so iron that it cannot even bend to make phrases, which is infinitely impressive to spectators, which in the South must create, more even than defeat in the field, a sense of the hopelessness of the con test. You may face any man however superior in strength, but the bravest will not stand up to the locomotive. The president does not boast, shows no hate, indulges in no cries of triumph over the "steady advance of our arm'es," threatens no for eign power, makes no prophecies of speedy success, comforts the people with no assurances of a Utopi an future; but, as if impelled by a force other than his own will, slides quietly, but irresistably, along the rails. He is in his groove, and moving ; and those who are in his path must ride with him, or He flat, or retreat —must, at all events, recognize that it is they, and not he, who are to move out of the appointed course. Mr. Hawthorne, who detested Mr. Lincoln-for his want of refinement, once doubt ed audibly whether his destination was right; for, said he, "I have noticed that the people always in such crisis hit on the right man." When the smoke of this struggle ceases to make English eyes smart, they, also, we believe, will recognize the intuition of fhe man of genius was truer than bks taste.- - London Spectator. THE HIGHT OF THE ATMOSPHERE. —The received opinion is that its upper surface—if it has a surface —cannot be nearer to us than fifty, nor more re mote than five hundred miles. But it is impossible to fix any precise limit, by reason of its growing tenuity, as it is released from the pressure of its own superincumbent mass. It is something to know that more than three-fourths of the atmos phere is below the level of the highest monntains.— The other fourth is rarified and expanded, in con sequence of the diminished pressure, until the hight of many miles be attained. From the reflec tion of the sun's rays after he has set, or before he rises above the horizon, it is calculated that the up per fourth part must extend at least forty or forty five miles highei. Sir John Herschel has shown that, at the hight of eighty or ninety miles, there is a vacuum far more complete than any which we can prodnce by any air-pump. In 1783, a meteor, computed to be half a mile in diameter, and fifty miles from the earth, was heard to explode. As sound cannot travel through a vacuum, it was infer red that the explosion took place within the limits of the atmosphere. Herschel thence concludes that the aerial ocean is at least fifty miles deep. ROYAL MARRIAGE. —The following statement ap peared in the last number of the English Church man : "The hand of the Princess Mary of Cambridge was sought by a peer of Great Britain. The Royal Marriage Act, howerer; stood in the way. It is true that it is in the power of the Qneen to remove all obstacles by ber consent. This, we regret to learn, was refhsed. If it is necessary to preserve the throne of these realms as an object of competition for the illustrious race of the Saxe, Co bourgs, by all means letitbe done ; but since the Princess Mary, or any children of hers, could hard ly by any possibility succeed to that station, the re fusal is utterly without excuse, and deeply do we re gret that her Majesty should have been advised to withhold her majesty should have been advised to withhold her consent. However, consent or no, in the presence of God, and with the blessings of the Church, the Princess Mary, as we hear, has assert ed her own rights, and the marriage has taken place." THE WORDS WE USE. —Be simple—unaffected ; be honest in your speaking and writing. Never use a long word where a short one will do. Call a spade a spade, not a well known oblong instrument of manual industry—let home be home, not a residence —a place a place, not a locality, and so of the rest. Where a short word will do, you always lose by using a long one. You lose in clearness—you lose in hon est expression of your meaning, and in the estima tion of all men who are competent to judge, you lose in reputation for ability. The only true way to shine, even in this false world, is to be modest and unassuming. Falsehood may be a very thick crust, but in course of time Truth will find a place to break through. Elegance of language may not be in the power of all of us— but simplicity and straightforwardness are. Write much as you would speak; speak as you think. If with your inferior, speak no coarser than usual; if with your superior speak uo finer. Be what you say. and within the rules of prudence, say what you are. Avoid sll oddity of expression. No one was ever a gainer by singularity of words, or in pro nunciation. The truly wise will so speak, that no one will observe how he speaks. A roan may show knowledge of chemistry by carrying about bladders of strange gases to breathe, but he will enjoy better health, and find more time for business, who lives oa cDanaon air. ANECDOTES OF GRANT.— In the first action in i which Grant commanded, his troops at first gained j a slight advantage over the confederates. They be gan to plunder the Confederate camp in spite of all : that Grant could do to stop them. At last Grant, whd knew that confederate reinforcements were coming up, got some of his friends to set fire to the camp, so as to stop the plundering. Then he got his troops together, as well as he could, and retreat ed; but, in the meantime, the confederate rein forcements came up. attacked Grant, and defeated him. There were five Colonc-ls under Grant who had not by any means supported him effectually in his attempts to stop the plundering and collect his troops. Mr. Osborn saw Grant a day or two after wards, when he expected to be deprived of his com mand on account of the defeat. He said, "Why do you not report these colbnels? They are the men to blame for not carrying out your orders." "Why," said Grant, "these officers had never been under fire before; they did not know how serious an affair it was; they have had a lesson which they will not forget. I will answer for it they will never make the same mistake again. I can see by the way they behaved in the subsequent action that they are of the right stuff, and it is better that I should lose my command, if that must be, than the country should lose the services of five such officers when good men are scarce. Grant did not lose his command, and three oat of the five officers have since greatly distinguished themselves. The day before Grant attacked Fort Donaldson the troops had had a march of twenty miles, part of it during a bitter cold night. Grant called a council of war to consider whether they should attack the fort at once, or should give the troops a day or two's rest. The officers were in favor of resting. Grant said nothing until they all had given their opinion; then he said, "There is a deserter ceme in this morning: let us see him and hem* what he has to say?" When he came in Grant looked into his knapsack. "Where are you from?" '" Fort Do nelson." ' 'Six days' rations in your knap - sack, have you not, my man?" "Yes, sir." "When were they served out?" "Yesterday morning." " Were thesame rations served out to all the troops?" "Yes, sir." "Gentlemen," said Grant, "troops do not have six days rations served out to them in a fort if they mean to stay there. These men mean to retreat, not to fight; we will attack at once." He did attack the confederates, defeated them, and took a large number of prisoners.— Edinburgh Scotsman. TRICE OF AN ESQUIMAUX DOG. —One day, in feeding the doge. I called the whole of them around me, and give to each in turn a capelin, or small dried fish. To do this fairly, I used to make all the dogs encircle me until every one had received ten of the capehns apiece. Now Barbekark, a very young and shrewd dog, took it into his head that he would play a white man's trick. So, every time he re ceived his fish, he would back square out, move a distance of two or three dogs, and force himself in line again, thus receiving double the share of any other dog. But this joke of Barbekark's bespoke too much of the game many men play npon their fellow-beings, and, as I noticed it, I determined to check his doggish propensities: still, the cunning, and the singular way in which he evidently watched me, induced a moment's pause in my intentions. Each dog thankfully took bis capelio- w. his turn came round, but Barbekark, finding his share came twice as often as his companions, appeared to shake his tail twice as thankfully as the others. A twinkle in his eyes as they caught mine, seemed to say "Keep dark, these ignorant fellows don't know the game I'm playing. I am confounded hungry!" Seeing my face smiling at his trick, he now commen ced making another change, thus getting three por tions to each of the others' one. This was enough, and it was now time for me to reverse the order of Barbekark's game, by playing a trick upon him. Accordingly every time I came to him he got no fish; and although he changed his position rapidly three times, yet he got nothing. Then, if ever there was a picture of disappointed plans,—of envy at others' fortune, and sorrow at a sad misfortune, —it was to be found on that dog's countenance as he watched his companions receiving their allowance. Finding he could not succeed by any change of his position, he withdrew from the circle to where I was. and came to me, crowding his way between my legs, and looked up in my face as if to say, "I have been a very bad dog. Forgive me, and Barbekark will cheat his brother dogs no more. Please, sir, give me my share of capelins." I went the rounds three times more, and let him have the fish, as he had shown himself so sagacious, and so much like a re pentant prodigal dog.— Captain Hall. THE PRESIDENT'S STORT TO THE PEACE COMMIS SIONERS. —If we may believe the New York Herald's correspondent, the following story told by Mr. Lin coln to the rebel commissioners, when they said the passage of the constitutional amendment would be an obstacle to peace : There is an old farmer out in Hlinois who had made his arrangements to raise a large herd of hogs; he informed his neighbors that he had found away to raise cheap pork. This excited the curiosity of his neighbors, and they asked him how he was go ing to do it. The old farmer replied that he should plant a large field of potatoes, and when they had got their growth, wonld turnthehogs in and let them dig and eat, thus saving the expense of digging the potatoes and feeding them. "But," said his neigh bors, "the frost will come before they are fattened, and in all probability the ground will be frozen a foot deep. How do you propose to get around that?" "Oh," replied the farmer, "they will root somewhere anyway, and may as well root away there even if it is hard work." "WHARS THE FROST?" —It is well known, says a rebel paper, that Wheeler has some splendid troops, and some who are as bad as bad can be found. — These are scattered from the Ohio river to Savan nah. A gallant soldier tells the following: He was going through North Alabama to rejoin his com mand, and stopped to get his dinner. To the old iady'u- "Who's yonins ?" he replied, ''Wheeler's cavalry." "Whar gwine?" "To the front." The old lady put on her spectacles, eyed him intently, and then drawled out: "Mister, some of them fel lers you call Wheeler's boss critters have been gwine by here every day—some gwine north, some gwine south, some east some west, some this way and some that —they all said they *ero gfcine to the „ front: now, mister, kin you tell me waar is the front?" The soldier left. THIS is the style in which the fair ones in some parts of Yorkshire convey the hint to backward swains. "Why don't you get married ?" said 4 young lady the other day to a bachelor friend who was down there on a visit. "I've been trying for the last ten years to find some one who would be silly enough to have me," was the reply. "Then you have not been down our way," was the inamiativq afriadbt. VoJ 88: No. 0
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers