The Centre reporter. (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, January 16, 1873, Image 1
OS TOP OF 1 CHIMNEY. As I tii leaving the yard we imiiiif to trudge buck to the hit* of room* tro were forced to pnt no with ainee T asms to London in ordrr to get better v*ge*. I was called into the office by the fore man. " What's your present job, Liml say ?" bo asked, and I told him. "Humph! that can stand over for a day or two, can't it f Htublw baa fallen ill again, and you must take hi* place." I didn't care to be shifted Iwfore I'd finished what I was about, but a jour neyman bricklayer, with a wife ami children looking to him for bread, can not a fiord to be Lxi particular, ami ao I held my tongna. " Yon must go to Coot's Itrewerv to morrow morning ahd finish that chim ney," the foreman told me. He gave me a few more directions besides, and then want hia way while I went mine, not very well pleased at the prospect before me. I suppose I wwr ought to have fol lowed the trade, for though I'd gamed myself a good character as a steady workman,l hail never been able to over come a horror at being perched at any great height- In the country, where the buildtugs were low. I mausge-1 well enough, but in thia great eity there were roofs an which I could not stand without this dread oppressing me, nor look down without tceling as though something talow was tempting me to tliug myself over ami end at once the miserable sensation which no effort of mine could shake off. This huge chimney the foreman bad ordered me to fiuish was reckoned one of the highest ami lx**t built shafts in London. We were all proud of the job, which had Ixx ncarried on ,v far without a single mishap. lnt l had earnestly been hoping that I might not li- asnt ts it, and it wwsn't till the workmen had gvit almost -> the top that 1 li-gnn to a bit more freely, and trust that it would lx> finished without any help of mine. Ikuce at home with ftie vpuagwtcra' merry prattle in my eai-s, 1 forgot my uneasy feeling about the morrow's joh. but the moment I doled ef to sleep it eame hack upon me in a hideous dream. I th-nght 1 was falling down, and just aa the crash of my lx-4v striking the earth seemed inevitable, f woke np with a start to Sud myself bat Led in a cold li-npiration, sua trembling in avarv limh. No more settled sleep ri site*} UT pillow that night, ami it was a relief when the K*>ming of the clocks dispelled my frightful visions, and warned ma that it was time to face a reality. The morning was bitterly sold and boisterous, scarcely a sou! was to be seen in the deserted streets st that early hour, and the dnll thud, thnd of my footstep* sounded nienrufully in the ft i lines reigning around. At last the great chimuey loomed in might, and, gazing np at its immense height, I shiv ered at the thought of being on top of it, and forced to look down on the sick ening depth helow. If it had not Iteen for the name of ths thing I should have gone liack ; but the thought of Bessie and the children spurred me on ; so, buttoning my jacket tightly around me, I began to aseend the staging. In my jouruev npward I passed many cosily-curtained windows, and remember thinking, rather envious lv, how nice it runst be ta be rich aud sheltered on such a morning from the biting cold in a wann-furnished bed room. Some fellows wonld'ut mind the least _ bit if they were perched on the top of St. Paul's on the coldest of mornings, provided you supplied them well with beer; but I wasn't over-strong liml>ed, any more than I could pretend to be strong-minded; so what to them was nothing, to me was almost death itself. The higher I went the more intense the cold appeared to be. and my fingers became quite numbed by the hoar frost that was clinging to the sides nnd spokes • of the ladders. After a while I stood on the few boards forming the stage on the summit of the shaft, and, giving one ' gknee downward, my blood turned colder than it was already as I realized the immense depth to the yard beneath. Giving myself a shake to get rid of the dizzy sensation that c&me over me, and unhooking from the pulley the tub of mortar which my mate, waiting be low, had sent np, I at once began my so'itary work. I had been hard at it for more than an hour, and was getting a bit more recon ciled to my position, cheering mvself as I whistled and worked, with the thought that each brick I laid was bringing me nearer to a finish, when all at once a fiercer and colder blast than Wfore came shrieking around the 1 VM nearly overthrown, and, in the endeavor to recover myself, I tilted the board of mortar from off the edge of the shaft on to my frail standing puma. In a second, to my intense horror, I felt the boards and all that were on them gliding away with me from the chimney, ! and, in a few moments I should have l>een lying, a mangled corpse, below, if ' 1 had not succeeded in flinging my arm over and into the hollow of the shaft, j where, as the scaffold and its h>ad of bricks crushed downward, I was left hanging, with certain death awaiting me j qe moment I loosened my hold. My first impulse was to throw my { other band over and draw my body up, so that I could lie partially across the top of the shaft. In this I was success ful, and continued to I Milan cc myself, : half in the chimney aud half out. There for some time I could only cling with frenzied desperation, praying earnestly to le saved from the horrible death threatening me; but at last I sum moned courage to peer cautiously over the outside of the shaft. Not a bitof scaffolding remained with- ' in many yards of nie—and that but the poles, with a few boards dangling to ' them—and there was nothing to break my fall should I quit my hold. Khudderiug'y I drew my head over the shaft, for there the darkness hid my ] danjvr, while to gaze on the scene with out brought the old feeling of being dragged back to me in full force. _ Then I began to think of the wifa and little one* wham I bed !efi snng in bed, and bitter tears came into my eye* as I . wondered how they would live if I were taken from them. The thought brought me back to more selfish ones, and I kept asking myself, " Must I die? How long can I hold on with this fierca wild besetting me ? I there no hope ? Will no one, seeing how I am placed, strive to rescue me f" Again I turned mv eves downward. In the conrt-vard of tlae brewery and in the street befow people were fast collect ing ; window* were being thrown open, and women and children, shrieking and sobbing, were gazing from them at me. The crowd below thickened, running hither and thither. A large kite flutter ed nearer and nearer. How I tried to steady myself with one hand, that I might grasp the cord with the other as soon as it was within reach, comes vivid ly before me now. But it never did come within reach, a gust of the breeze carrying it far away, and dashing it to the ground. An hour passed on, snd though cling ing to the brickwork, it was almost un consciously, for cold and fear had so worked upon me that I became quite daz ed, and the chimneys, the people, the confused noise from the streets, and my own perilous position, seemed to be jumped together in a tangle which I could not put straight. While in this half-sensible state I heard a voice shout my name. But it had to be repeated twice before I could rouse myself suffi ciently to heed what was said. " Bill, Bill Lindsay ! cheer up, mate 1 help is coming!" were the words which rumbled up the shaft. After this there was a pause for some minutes, and scarce able to control my excitement, I tried to think haw this help could come. Then there was a warning shouted to me to keep my head back, followed by a whizzing, hissing sound, and looking within the shaft, 1 saw a bright shower of golden sparks lighting up the well-like hole, and knew that a rocket had been fired. Bat it struck the brickwork in its as cent and failed to reach me, so that once more I was left to wait and hope until the voice again Bhoated for me to keep clear. A moment after a fiery tail of sparks shot upward far above me, and an earnest " Thank God!" came from his heart], as I grasped a thin cord tha VOL. VI. fell by t\jy aide as the r-wket descended By thia communication a stouter ami stronger rope was sent me. But tuy danger was not over, for iu my weaken ed and numbed state, it was a perilous slide down it. At first I could scarcely brace my nerves up sufficiently to launch myself over the brickwork, sml my bead turning dixxy for a moment, 1 thought myself gone, but, conquering the hid ing by a great effort, I slow ly descended until atmu! half the distance was ac complished. Then the horrid fear seised me, ■"What if the rope should break or not be securely fastemil I" and dreading each seeoud that my fears would be fill filliil. iu feverish haste 1 slid on. Within s few yards of the luttom, overtasked uature would Ixar the strain no longer, and, 1-H-seiuug my held, 1 -lr>p|nl iut-> llie arms of those w ho had been breathlessly waiting rtiv descent. Other hands Ann mine finished the shaft m calmer weather, and, on a mure accural v-fatened s.-affoM ; and 1, w ell oared for by the Lest of little wives, soon got over the sluwk f my accident, but, sa 1 go to ami fro to my work, and look up to tlie huge chimney, I often reewl with s shudder the hour wheu 1 clung to its summit, counting tlie mo ments, each one of which seemed to bring me nearer to a dreadful death. Baste in Steam Engine*. i Thia waste arises from a variety of causes ;—lst, bail tiring, which means laid combustion ; 2nd, insufficient sur face to ali-orb the heat; 3rd, an unclean ronditiou of that surf any either from internal or external deposit or both ; tth, a faulty proportioning of the part* of the boiler to each other ami t> the work to be doue, which ceusca heated wab-r to l>e earned over with tlie steam —a cause of deficiency of evaporation, which, however, so far from being as a role detected goes to swell the apparent duty of the boiler. - But firing may result in the fire li'ing too thick or, too thin or irregular. If too thick the carlimic acid that is gen erated lv the combustion of the lower part of the fuwl with whiah the air first comes in eoutact ia changed in its pas sage through the upper part of the fuel into carbonic oxide, by al-sorbiug from the fnel a aocond cipuralcnt of curiam. If thia gas, carlxuiie oxide, doea not meet with free atmospheric air, and I meet with it at a suitable temperature in the npper part of tlie furnace, it must remain uuconsumed, and will pas* through the fines or tulx** of the boiler and make its es-aje into the air, carry ' ing with it the valuable uneousuuied carbon of the coal iu a gaseous forai. It ia eommonly said that smoke is uueou am til fuel." This is true ; but it is not couiinonly recollected that there may be invisible "smoke arising (even from a •oke-firat which shall contain the highly conibnstible ingredient carbonic oxide gas. When it is remembered that every pound of coal bunit into carbonic acid . is capable of evai-oratiug nbout 13 lb. of water from 212 teg., while a pound of coal, converted only into carbonic oxide, is capable of evaporating but 4 lb., it will ke seen how necessary it is that no mismanagement of the fire should cause a portion of tlie fuel thus to eou}e un bnrnt up the chimney. Auother defect in the management of afire (anoppaaite defect, as it were* by which coal mavlx' wasted is the admission of too much ! air ; and this arises when tip- fire is toa thin iu relation to the ciamuey-drnft, or when (a more common evil! it is thin iu places, owing to the neglifg-nce of the firemen in keeping it properly levelled. • The way in which waste arises froin these causes is that unnecessary air is introduced into the fire nt a tem|i ratnre of, aay, 60 deg., and that this air has to Ie heated, and then (oven if the heat i be abstracted from it, as far as practi cable by the boiler. it w ill t**ca]x? up the chimney at a temperature of from SCO deg. to*3oo deg. iu excess of that which it had ; and the whole of this excess re present* wasted coal. Thus, on the one liaud, it is of imj*>rtance that there should be a proper amount of air to se cure the perfect conversion of the car bon into carbonic acid; and, on the other hand, it is most desirable that this amount should not be exceeded, in -1 volving the necessity of uselessly heat ing air not wanted for combustion. Much a happily balanced state of things : it ia almost inifwssihlo but not nlioshite ly impossible, though only attained nt | competitive trials, and when these trials are conducted by highly skilled men. Matrimonial IncouipntabllHy. The Rev. I>r. Peabgdy, in a lste es- MT, Winches NJK >II this delicate mihject < after the following fashion : i The tmth in that the greater proper- ] tion of the so-called i noompatibihti-s ; - ami unoongeniahties of domestic lif* I which are ao often made the gTDIUiJ for ] the disruption of tlie matrimonial IMIUII, I are inadmissible as a justifying ground < for any aurh diaaolntion, uu<l could IK- I readily overcome and blotted out of sx- I isU-we if the parties moat Concerned i had only the will to do it. A coupl* are no sooner married than they find i that (lUfcrcnoefl of opinion and mutual • jars ensue, and all is not gold that ■ I glistened; and then one r both ] straight way imagine that there is no ! remedy hnt in ruthlessly breaking the ] solemn, aacred tie that binds them. A ( vague, restless feeling seizes upn n i or both, prodncing discontent, engend ering a certain thought of present bond age wlsieh exists only in fancy, and creating a feverish desire for other as sociations and spheres which are sup posed to lie more fitted and providen- . tiully designed for the mind and heart. No escape bnt in cutting the knot. It ia a delusion. The marriage relation, in all its history, was never expected to lie entirely free from misunderstanding and discords. Foolish to think that the whole mutual life can flow on, like j the earlv stream, without a ripple or an eddy. Rome is a school, a discipline, whereby husband and wife are to grow into each cither, getting rid of their an gularities, harmonizing their peculiar characteristics, and more and more lie •norning one in thought, sympathy and life. The trne blessedness of wedded s<mla ia not insured by a simple ex ' change of plighted faith. It Comes i through and after many a self-denial, many aerncifixion of the will, many a ' scourging of the resentment, anger, Eride, vanity, and passions of tha eart. It is'true here, as in other rela tions, that he who saveth his life shall I lose it, and He that loseth his life shall j save it. As INSURANCE QUESTION-. —A navel and curious question of life insurance is likely to arise in Delaware. Professor ! West, of Dover, hail his life insured ' for $*25,000 for Wie benefit of his family, f He has confessed to the killing of a negro named Gooch Turner, and to the horrible manner in which he disused of the remains. His apparent object i in the murder was that the mutilated • body of the negro might be mistaken for his own corpse, and the insurance companies lie defrauded out of the $25,000. The question arises, if West is hanged far this murder, will the com panies b compelled to pay the amount jof the insurance to his family ? If the insurance holds good, it will be to the interest of the companies to see that | the murderer gets oft' with some lighter I penalty, such as imprisonment for life. A Patkncah small l>oy vias fined eighty cents in the City Court the other day CENTRE IIAI.L IIEPORTERI 1 t asablauea. Wheu I was a boy, nothing ever af footed me ao much na the story of Oas sbatncA. Mv lx>yish bread was rent in twain, torn ifi twv, broken asunder aa it were, and the copiaua—yea, that's the word—copious tours rolled from tin eye* inontura-us, and you could ae the course they took for a whole day, by two clean streak * down my cheeks. I have attempted to recite it -Iramati cally on the *tuge, but 1 would be <• overcome ly the terrible atorv, that 1 invariably broke down and never auo ceeded in getting the boy off the burn ing deek, whence all but him bad the good sense to flee. I longed to emulate hi in, and once, • red by reading it, I rushed out and set tlie pig pen afire, and got upon tin' roof ami stood there, " U-aiitifiu and bright as l—ru to rule the storm," ami 1 rulle-1 aloud, " Hay, father, must I stay?" and my father cams running out and said he guessed not, and jerked me down so suddenly, and went to work on me with a barrel stave, that I thought the deek had blown up, rud the enemy's hundrcd pouuder* were still tdaxiiig away. This ls'V- that- stood - on- the- dti'k's uame wasii t t'nsabiaiiea, but plain Toiu I>iekenhara; and duriug the battle his father had told him to stay where he was till In' came back, and he stayed there. He had probably tried that lit tie game of lix Ixilieiiee before, and knew what it would result in. Now, iu my boyhood I have ofteu done a got*! many tlunga which seemed heroic, wheu in fact, I was constrained to li- heroic for fear of gettiiig an unmerciful li*k idg; and, after all, 1 never got into the nohool-rvaders as a model. I don't think 1 ever had justice doue, while other l—ya who have Iki-u brave and all that, have got themselves killed ami dane up in poetry for the benefit of other children, who are learning to read. Never uiiud, I am getting up a new Whitehuru Header, in every eh ip terof which 1 will appear to great a-1 vantage ami applause. As I was going ou to say the boy tloodon the burning deck, all oloue, and kept tlie !tattle ifc> himself ; all the rest had jumped overboard, and swnrn a.* as fust a* thev could run, for they knew tliat, "He who fights and rtins away will always live U> draw his pay." This little Iht of a lx>v would load a big cnu non all by himself, take it us in his arm*, and fire it right into tlie other vessels; ami all the while th • finnu rolled up on all sides of him sml made him sweat ; they completely enveloped him, and he found that it waa absolutely i necessary b> pull off hi* co.it ; still he would brush the flam--- away, and h .<1 1 and firo the cannon so rapidlv tint it got red hot. ami that was what'lie want- i til, for he then conld fire r <i-hot balls, and make a geiiead red-hot time, while he was at it. 'Hie canaoa-lmlls flew nrouml him. i One of them struck him ou tlie month, ' and nearly laiocked a tooth, a front om j down his throat. Wln-u he ran short of , balls, he would reach np ami take in one an a fly, ami all the time he would 1 shout, " Say, father, must 1 slay ?" The flames buroetl all hi* clothes off 1 hiin, but he said he didn't care a cent ! for the loss of them, as he conld get plenty more at a seuoiid-haud store. The thdne* wrappetl around him, but he r inarkil that he didn't cans for that *- he was getting mad, ami even if he did ( ran away, the <>hl gentleman would half . kill hiin any way. A mast fell, ami he picked it up and ! pirlied it over into one of the ships, ami it mashed iu the deck and killed a great many ; ami by anid In- could do ' without aiu oat, anyhow. And still out | alxve the lucming of can nan and bur-" ; ! ing of bomba, his voice was hoard, ' "Say, governor, don't you think it j would lx- consistent wiith the nature of thing---I sav with the nature of thing' —for me to get out of this here?" but no answer came. A 15-inch shell pass ed through hi* bosom, and at the same time a ball took off both his amis, but he continued to put in his time at load ing and unloading the caituou as if no thing had happened, until it uirlbil and ran over the burning deck, upon which you haTe been informed, lie sbssl whence all but him, etc. At hist all the ship was buroetl up . except the magazine, ami the powder which had been burning foraome minu ' tes, took a notion to go off on a sudden. Well, the lust that ever seen of biin In was ulx>nt four miles np, still shouting, 1 " Say, father, is it incumbent ou me to stay ?" A long Ikiuro. Jimmy Keunovan finished his thirty one hour's dance at 2 o'clock at night, says a Valligo, California pa|ier. Jimmy kept in locomotion throughout the whole time announced, only taking a brief recess for the purpose of bathing liia feet and having a brief respite. At . this time he showed Vw symptoms of ovej-exertion. liia feet were slightly swollen, bnt be •therwisc seemed as fresh as when he commenced. His ex tremities were bathed by hi trainer with brandy, which proved n most ex cellent specific lor the purpose for which it was used, lb-fore the expira tion of the ten minutes allotted Jimmy liegnu to feel sleepy, and was glad to begin his exercise again as soon ns possible. At frequent intervals hi drank wine with raw eggs as an in vigor ant. His appetite was also keen during the trial, and he ate heartily. When the last twentv minutes la-fore the el apse of the thirty one hours had come, j Jimmy, who it seemed, hail husbanded his strength for the close, " let himself out." He seemed us fresh and more vigorous than when he first began, mid he danced the last three danees with an energy and a heart in i>ss which wonld ' have put to blush a youth of sixteen. Jimmy, in f<M-t, did not stop when 5 o'clock struck, but kept on going for nearly ten niinete* longer. When the feat was finished he departed with his trainer for his lodging, whrc lie was placed in a hot bath, rubbed down, ana put to bed The spectators during tlie evening enjoyed themselves in singing and danring, aiul passed the time very agreeablv. Jimmy slept enltnly and peacefully until 7 o'clock the next morn ing, when lie arose and dressed himself. He made his appearance upon the street that forenoon, apparently as fresh as ever. For a person sixty years of age, the feat wliiefi lie has perform: dis truly . remarkable. Iteware of Poisoned Tea. A physician from the country was passing a down town restaurant a few days ago, and feeling a little famished after a long ride in the ears, be stepped in and ordered a cup of black tea. Al most immediately after partaking of it he felt sick at his stomach, and soon he commenced vomiting, which continued through the night. Twenty-four hours afterward he bail not fully recovered. The doctor attributed tlie effect to ver digris in the tea, which mnv have been used ns coloring matter or derived from the copper pans on which the tea was dried, or from the vessel in which it was drawn. Wo have heard of other instances in which verdigris was discovered in black tea.— Exchange. A pumpkin pie, ten feet iu diameter and four feet deep, was the ohibf feature of a California dinner recently. The enjoyment of the guests was somewhat marred Ijy a child falling into the pie and drowning before iheir eyes. CENTRE IIAI.L. CENTRE Co.. |>.\„ Til UItNDA V. JANUARY 10. 1H73. The Origin f II rd- Miwl men, aud women, too, desire fame, or notoriety. Yet a great name tuny come !• base uses. Si Kthehlre tla's muiie became llldtteuftl t Ht. Audrey, from wheneo came the word " tawdry," sign dying cheap and gaudy. It is stud that the nunges of the saint were so much ovcr-dresocd by her vota ries, that they uiuxiusdonslv furnished the Kuglish language with this very ex |K'iisivu term. Ami farther endorse ment was given to the word by tlie fair* held ou St. Uthehlreda'a day, at whieh articles of female finery were sold. Another sainted lady, who lived iu the sauna century, the seventh, gives a household name to tlie eat. " Tabby " is sanl to coiuo from St. Abbe. Two tow ns iu Kuglaiid are iisuuil iu her hon or, Tablev, but iintie from the corruptetl name "Tab." " Boston," on some few (xitple know, is St. Butolph's town, shortemil; and there is in the American a* well as the Kuglish Boston, a stm-t named " Butolph," after the s.oif Among the most curious deviations is the Turkish name of Constantinople, aitainboul. The colloquial phrase among llic tireeks to designate the place was " cis teli ixiliii," "to the city. ' t'f this ♦he Turks make " Istampoul," and, finally, Stamlxnil. 1u an effort to pro duce Knglisli wortls in TurktJi ft>rm, •i Turkish seholor could get uo nearer to •' stimudrel " than " Asomderel." The truiisformutiou in this case is aa curi ous as Htawbonl, from "eis ten pohn." York, from the l-atiu Elxiracum, would seem to present at the first glance little rvsa-mhlaucc to the original. The prts-ess of change iu common ts:ige was something as follows ; Klxe raeuui, Ktracu, Korforwic, Konc, Aork. This is almost eapial to the alerivatlou of the name of a pickle from Jeremiah King; Jerry Kmg, Jer King, girkiu. lillt (iilhspunl changes are not always to Ix* despised. They mean history. The i-ammou expression, " a game leg." for s 'uilie leg, would at first seem to Ix- mak ing game af a misfortune. The true wortl is "gam," old English meaning, defective. We have Cainbridges in great numbers iit the I'uited States, in places where there is neither s river, cam, nor a bridge. Every machinist knows that a " cam " is the name given to a piece -if machinery which causes an eccentric motion. The river Cam is a crooked river. Names of places hi this country aro meauinglesi iu their appliffiition, • OHM pi aa in the case of oh! towns, showing when* the first settler* --nni-- from, like Chester ami othnra. There are uiutiy N-ittiughaius, btlt those who -late their .•tiers in these towns do it without con scionsness that they are noting the fact that the respected ancestors ->f some of is were trogl-alyt-n (ui-l liv--l in cave*. Hnotincgoliain, the original name ->f Nottingham in Lug Land, signified "the home of the dweller# iti eaves;" an-l nn ti-piariau examinatMina liave fouml trncel of the residence* of these eave dwellers. Such arc a few -if the euwoiis trans formationa b- winch w-.r-ls and names are subject, while ax y#t Jxuple wer> unable to read. The sound changed the orthography, ami thus nearly every tracaaf thg original disappeared in the .imrn' of time. If the -.orl-l were in like condition now, with no printed b-Hika an-l ncwa|x|x-r U jr'i*rve the -i>rri-t *|x'lliiig, wild w-rk might k made ---en with prominent name*. Eel del-fy would hanily lx' rooogniaed by the ixun-ler, e.uil-1 he return. Bawlt mer wonld lx n puzzle t lanl Balti more. Two other lending riti-n, wh-gi mentioned b-gether, seem b> kavo in th-* sound of their names a distinction as b> age, nanielv, N- w A'ork an-l Nxw.-r Leans, though tlie ffitt- r loi< a syllable ill the second won! t-> the enrichment of the first. Wheu I was a (fiiild and iw-n-1 fairy tali's, I used to wish that 1 had the " invisible cap," that I might go where f cb-xi-' without the knowtrdgc of any other mortal. I can't way I wish it now. for if people use me as tffiey do other folk---:in-l what more likely ? I should Ix* apt b h--ar n g-xxl -f mys*lf, ami to Ix* iu a chronic state -if rug<* ->ti ac count of the ten, fiftx*n, or twenty years ad-led bi my #!'■ by uiy dearest friends, who knew i • first when " I waa a married woman ami they were onlv sixil-girla." I should hesr enti cisms on my dress, aiul my " tricks and manners," mil hear old bachelors nwnk •>f om* as a designing widow, mi whom if was dangerous to rail in No, I've given np mr dmiw for the invisible cup, but I realty should like to have second night. It 11*1* 1* con venient. If I had a* obi .Srwteh uncle or mint powieiißed of the areomplish nient, I Mould nit down and write to him or her, and any; •• Make your nlssle with me for life. Live in myteart and pny n< rent. Yli will l>e more useful than the washer woman, and more fioceeesry than the cook." Anl I should not act that aant. dit was nn aunt, to w**hu%' dishes. I should provide her with a big arm chair ami a bottle of whatever is neeea lary, aud act her to " spwring " forth with. There aha would ait in her eh aw, all hnndy, and when I aaid, " 1 II hare cod flab for dinner, she would say : " lion't do it. Mary." And I would any, " Why not ?" Ami she would any : " All the Topalieea are eoining to din ner. 1 aee nm." And then I should make a preparation of ronat and laiiled, and of dessert and of nfter dinner coffee, to any nothing af before dinner soup, and not writhe with anguish when the smell of eadfish and the TopalieeH burst into the ball to gether. When I put on that light silk dress aud that new bonnet, and took that new parasol in the fingers of my new glove*, with n blue sky overhead, jerbapK Aunty would begin to groan and would sav : " Beware ! at home." But wouldn't that la# lietter tliAti to lie caught in the rain ? 1 should think so. Kho would hnre vision* of Biddy giv ing away the cold mutton to her cousin* at the area gnte, and would know why we always had an little butter and so much soap-fat. In fact, alio would lie I letter than any private detective, and •< end of a com fort to everybody.— lsdf/er. T iKHTRrCTtON OP TWt BfKKAI/O. —The deatrurtion of the buffalo wax carried on during the pant year with a rapidity entirely unprecedented, although it haa been matter of regretful comment for yearn. One firm in Leavenworth re ceived 30,000 hidea per month, while two othera in Kan nan City reooived 15,000 each in flic name time. Thin in at the rate of 2,000 nlain per day. The immenae pilen or stacks of hidea to bo neen at all the atatienn along the line of the Kannnn Pacific Itailroad lieijr wit nenn to the alnughter. Prof. Madge, of Manhattan, Kan nan, who in well posted in the economy of the Plaina, "places the number killed per day at 1,000, which in sufficiently higli to itinnrc the early cx tiuction of the species. A Georgia woman is credited with having raised a la rue family, although not out of her teens. It wis her moth er-in-law's faaiily, and she did it with a keg of gunpowder planted in the^eellar. S-ix-n-l Nlfbt tn tbfli'iglnal Medusa. Near the headwaters of Ciw'lk brunch of Indian crock there resides nit old Shuwuee Imlluli woman by the nalue of Net tulln <|i|ah" fallilllnrly railed, ill the immediate neighborhood, Allut Netty. She otX'U pies a small log eslns iu w rocki cleft or guleli remote froin the Auhrey and Kansas City hwd, ami alsint one unle from the road. This old wouuui can not la- less than ninety years of age, although she w ill not under any consul ei'otii li state her eXWt age, Hhe i* a perfect rti'llise, as much SO HI though she were dead and buried. Few viait her lonely cabin, ami those who intrude oiiec upon her privacy seldom care to Venture there again. All attache of this pajx-r, in nun pony with Mr, Kuoch H. ■ tow ns, of Can coiiulv, paid a viait to the old Indian's cabin a few duys ago for the purpose of examining a rare col lection of reptiles said to lx* kept by the old sipiuw. After s-aiir little difficulty the calun was discovered ui a Ix-ii-l of the creek, completely souccalctl from \i-'w by pre cipitous nx'k banks, except from the south side of the raviue. A hllge, vici ous mastiff wolf dog showed his ugly fangs, ami for a time disputed entrance to the cabin. The door -.jh-iuhl, and a hl-leous old *<|Unw mode her aplx-iiramx* at the aperture, olid ill a guttural voice said somethuig to the dog, which atouce retreatil l- lun.l the stone chiumev at the eu-l of tlie cubin. With# it bidding the jxirty enter the old s|uaw retreated herself within the cabin, leaving the door open. Follow tug the old woman into the cabin, our rej"rter and las guide were for a moment blinded lv the smoke am! darkness. Standing near the d<sr for a few moment*, they were enabled to see the old x-JIIHW seated UJe on a bl.s k of w-xxl near a smouldering fire, smoking a small, red pi|x>, and ap|arrnUy nneonaciaiia -if the presence of itruugera. Mr. Dowiut well M'-|unmt ed with th-' old hug'a taste for whisky ami tobacco, hii-i a -jnautity of each in her lap. 'l'lk sight of these uuei}*x-tc<l luxur ies hu-l n magical effn-t UJSIII the s<|tiaw. II- r small, -lull bku-k < ves glittered with joy, uuil hr b ilthery fas- bright t iied with satisfaction. She arose, ou Ix-ing tuikle a4-<|uaiute-l with the object of tlie visit, dragged <ut a large lxX and a lrnrn-1 from near the fire, which at first njijx'aivd to lie filled with leaves, hut mi closer examination were found b eoutaiti tlie -d-l hag's family jx-t*. Mut tering some w inning, sing-song words, evidently of endearment, she put her hand down into the barrel ami brought forth firal huge " bin- racer," which, half torpid, roiled hera-df s!..wh into a knot U|s>ti th- a hearth. I heis alie t-M-k out several black snakes -if various tiiii, -uie --f which waa not less than lour feet 111 length. Then she lifted out a |x*rfect knot of mixed snakes, spotted, striped, and yellow, which were knotted ami etitwiiHil iu a coil as large a - a htdf lulshcl measure. All of th- loathsome reptiles, she said, she had collected lier u'l f m the rountry sroun-l alsmt her. Some of them *!■ nii-l she had had for Kacli f the snake* she MIII by names, iiul, ft*r laving tlx- writhing mass upon tin- warm hearth, 1 ft theiu t<i squirm and uncoil IU tlx* warmth Ki'in'rutiil by tin* fire. Turning to tin* Im>X ibi' opened tin' il l Htnl pointed to a large yellow anl block lam constrictor which lay coiled up, filling one-half of the lax. She caught it geutly by tlx* back of the neck ami the tail, ami liftiil it alao out upon the hearth, ami there from took a huge brown snake,of a vari i'tr unknown tc our rrporter. Kueh of tlone monstwr* was at lenat four or Ave fi*et in length, atal apjieared to lie far more active ami lively than the smaller snake*. Khe tlien ilwirKiil forth an ohl wolf-akin OIM< from Iter I**l in a corner near the fin-, ami unrolled a perfect medley of rattlesnakes of all httea, aixea, thickneaaea, and age*. These alio han dled roughly, rolliug flic anttiraimg mass out ti|*>n the hearth, where the riaitora. at a aafe distance, might view the loathaomc sight at lei-are. Upon the walla hung a variety of Miake akina, rattlea, dried snakes" hernia, lizards, ami pieotw of dried meat. The aight was the moat repugnant ever wittu-aaed hy >nr rejmrter. Tlie old hag ant dowgi uj*>ii the hearth, laughing and chattering her horrid gibberish, nml pwoviliil to wind the two largeat snnke* aronml her wriukhsl old neck, aud then to uncoil the half torpid mosses of snake*. In n ahort time nhe had her lap full of the M|tiimiing reptilca, nml appeared to handle and play with them like ao many linrndeaa kittena. The riaitora, nnahle to stand the lonthaonie, airkening aight, and the eflluvin generated in the clone, dark ilen, mam took their leave, leaving the old aijuaw to the eomjauiy of her singular jiel*. She devotea mueh of her time iu playing with them, allowing them to crawl over her lied and over the floor.'o She feed* them upon birda nml insecta. The former she eatcliea nlivi' ami feds to the larger anakea at inter vals of one or two week*. She works a small patch of garden, and depends mostly for ether IKHVHSU ries upon the siirrouinliug eonutrv in which she Ix'gs. She refused to follow her trilie south when they departed n few years ago, and they loathed her so mueh for lier hideous habits that they did not regret leaving her. In the warm months she jiennit* her pets to roam at will over the cabin, and in no instance lia* bee* bitten by auyof them; although they will hiss and dart with their poia ouoiis fangs at times, vet she appears to control tliem by a few whinuing words and a glance of her dull hlnek eyes. It is needle** to sny old Aunt Netty has few visitors, and those who have visited her are not anxious to rejent the visit. A'IIIIM* I'HI/ Tiuu *. The ( anailiitu Railroad*. From a review of the Canadian rail WHVH we see that the Oram! Trunk lCi.it way, with 1,300 miles of track, employ ing 5,000 men, and ninety millions ol cash investments, has not paid a divi dend for yenrs. Its expense* consume 77 1-2 per cent, of gross earnings. The (treat Western limit makes $10,40. gross earnings a mile, the largest of any siagle track in the world, but nttia it * expenses up to 00 |a*r emit, of the re ceipts, which are found to increase in n faster ratio than tlx- earnings. Oneyeai of the ten which the iKiminion Parlia ment granted for the building of (be Canadian Pacific Road lias pasaisl with- I out n stroke of work done, but a com pany has b<*en formed, its stock ia to be placed with most rigorous precau tions against its lieingcontrolled by any other than Canadian capitalists. Fur* and Ihclr Prkrs A Maine paper nays that mink are selling at SMI anil 87. Sable are quie plenty thin season—plentier than last— at $2.50. Sliver fox sell at 840 to 8M- Bear skins are worth $5 to 813. Musk rat are not nearly ne plenty an laid year. Kittens sell at flveeeWts ; Fall munkrata at 10 centn to 15 cents; Winter, 20 cents. The otter is scarce, and sells at 84 to 812. Very few are taken. The raccoon is milking himself scarce. He sell at 25 to 75 a#>nts. Weasel is not plenty, and and sells at a nominal price. He is stuffed nail kept for curiosity, but no body wears him. Weasel fur appears under the fashionable name of ermine, hut this fur is grown in Russia, and ia finer and longer than ours. A Had Hrrne. 1 Hiring the nrogreaa of tin* excavation of the rtiina of the Ventre atrret fire in New York, where aeven live* were loat, relative# of Uuiae who were miasttig alao crowded alMiiit the ruini, anil with eager anil watchful ■ yea pounced U(M>U every object which they tliought resembled a human figure. Among other* waa the young man, M<*(irnth, whoae naUr ia among the utiaaiitg, ami wlio remained in a jMHiition above the worknieu the en tire afternoon. At interval# of an hour he would leave the ruiua and hurriedly croon the street, where waa hitting iJnv* ering with Uie cold an old woman, thinly and poorly clad. Approaching her at one time with tear* in hi* rye, he aaid, hi# voire quivering with emotion, " There ia no aigti of her yet, mother; I'm afraid Well never find her." " (111, Mike, don't aay. that; let u* place our truat in thai." The young man walked quickly ai-roaa the htreet and waa again at hia pout watching an intently MM ever. The pre*- once of the old lady, together with her violent nobbing, attracted many around her, but ahe accrued to take no notice of what wan going on, keeping a steady gaze upon her aon. When it began to grow dark he left the building, und coining over once more to hi* mother, naked her to go home, aa nothing more could la* done. At firat ahe waa un willing to comply, but at laat went off in the direction of tlie car*. When ahe hail left the aon turued arpuml, and in a low voice, acarcely audi hie, aaid : " (Ih1 help her." In eonveraation with the writer, klr. McUrath aaid that hi* alater and himself kept houae for Ilia mother that ahe might enjoy the latter • dava of her life in comfort. " 1 know," aniil he, " ahe ran never I*-or up with thia loaa, ami what ia moat troubling me now ia that ahe a* well aa my poor aister will noon leave me." Mr*. DoaobtM, who loat her two oldest daughlera < her uitun aup|Mirt iat the fire, waa uualile to bear up under her loaa, ami loat her quad. Around her l**b>idr clung her four retuaiuiug eliildrvn, who were crying, but who are yet unable to realize the critieal condition of their mother <>r the ami and uutimelv end of tlirir older aiater*. The mother waa alightly letu*r yesterday, and spoke very ratioually, but it ia lielieved if ahe la |H-nnittcd to View the remain* of liar two girl* that ahe will never recover. Her entire cry yesterday waa : "Oh I the worat ia hi come yet." Father Miaiuey, of St. ftridget'a flum-lt, made nliuaioii to the unfortunate girl* yeahv ilay, ami naked the congregation pray for them. After dark the aceur* 111 and around the atutlou-liouae where lav the IMNIV of Fail 11 v Stewart were appalling. Mother* who had loat their children, aud who had t'nlrlii'il the laltor* of tht' workmen all the afternoon, with their feet im la-dded in the cold, damp allow, called on the Ciqihun h procure information of *' what would lie done cut the mor row ?" "if lie thought all the other la alien were an diafigun-d MM the one found F' mid hundreds of other qnaa tioiia which he aunwetvd aa heat lie coiihl. t New-Mexican Utr (base. In New Mexico, where young Indie* are aciirae, five men wooed the name dnmael. The lovera, it MUBI, were all equally p<air and—disreputable. The girl didn't love any of them, but ahe feared all of tlo-m. A* the w<aing waxed warm, the lover* liegan to in dulge in threat* of nhootingand throat cutting, ond one of them, more Ravage than the rent. declared he wonld cut the throat of the girl lumaelf aooner than nee her the wife of any of hia rival*. Thin no frtgliteucd the girl that ahe re aolvcd on flight. Making ample, but arret pre)Mirationa, ahe fled one morn ing, on borneliaek, hi the ranehe of a frieud, diatant nearly a hundred mile* from her home. Tlie next day ber flight waa dincovered, and the five lovera net out in purauit, every one of them de tennimal to eatch her and marry her, or die. They rode in eompany till the horae at one began to fall behind, when lie iiimah-d tliat the other* ahould slack - en tlieir speed, no aa to give him an eqnal cliam-e. This they reflined to do, when'- , upon he drew hia revolver and la-gnu hi fire at their lioraea. Tliia no maddened the four other lover* that they opened fire on tltur aaaailant, ami aliot him and hia horae, but not till he had wounded am! lamed two of their horae*. The owner* of the two wounded horae#, aeofhg that they wonld lie dis tanced in the race, demanded that their comrade# ahould give them an cqujil chance by all going on foot. Tina pro portion la ing declined, a aecoml fight waa immediately liegun, which ended in the death of two of the oomliatanta, and the wounding of the other two an aeri oualv that they could not pnice>iL After two day* of suffering, tlie wounded men were found by a part v of explorer*, and aont to a cabin wh.<r they could linve am-h help aa the limited n aonroea of a frontier aettler'a family | eou Id anpply, Tliere one of them aoon died, ami the other, after a long illncaa, convalesced anfficieutly to ride away on koraebuck in search of Mime old com panions. lie did not propoae to go in luirauit of the girl again, aa he had lcanl of her marriage to a cotiain who waa akillftil with the bowie-knife, und a dead allot. tool's Method What reoeaoea of tlie hiinian Sold can not be reached by tlie even tide of (bid? Ita refrealimeut #lid<-a up from gift to gift, and toaaea ita sprav into the face of iuingiiintioii, and lie# deep around the rooted aenaea on which men atuml to aoe their hope of immortality ami con amottaneaa of the divine presence reflect ed in it. If it ebb*, we recollect the image ami vcarn for the diurnal fresh ness. It lift# us with the nut of nature, ami all things tiud theinaelvea blithely afloat. Nice observation of an insert* • inbryo,W arm enthusiasm for the mortal law. the tenderness that seek* its liiuuaii kind, and the eeatacy that cliiima kin aliip with the invisible order—the whole of tloaworld ia iwrried round with tlie plnneta, ami roll# into the ordinary influence of all the heavenly lights; not one faculty can lag behind or lie dropjM-d out of tliia mental unit v. Noth ing truly preciona swims helpleaalv in the great wake of Oral's clear method, but every |mrt of tlie man ean la- ami therefore atrivea to lie abreast of the other. The mountaina follow the earth, i the air k*ta clasped the mountaina, and daylight and starlight stream forward onUuighsl in the air. Clubbing for dear life to each other, all solid and tenuous thing# describe the great, in variable motion, and God ia in the iniuiifnldnraa, drenching it with uni formity.—John ttViaa. Ilorrar* of Cuban Warfare. A coiVespondent of the New Yark Ifrra/d, writing from the battle-field of Viamones, in Onba, where the Spaniards lately defeated the Cubans, gives a ter rible' picture of the horrors of the war now desolating that island. No prison ers are ever taken. The enemy's wounded left upon the hattle-flehl are all slain by the victors. Their throats or#' cut; their nnns and legs lire ent off: in some (vises the top of the hood is out off with with a machete—a large heavy knife resembling a broadsword; and in some instances, the liodies are too shockingly mutilated for description. HucJi treatment of wounded men is a dis grace to civilisation. Roads and Road Making. At ilia Central New York Fanners' Club, A. O. Williama, in some very sensible talk <n the above anhjeet, sug gested as a possibly goral plan, tlie dl vi.ling of each of our present road dts trieU into ten <{ual parta, and that all j the ialxir lx- conn-titrated on one of thewe jisrt* each yesr, and tbn# secure at the end of a decade " splendid roads all over the Htate." It were a <*iuum motion devoutly to be wished, and, aa Mr. William" assert", it would add im mensely to the comfort and glory of the •iiinmotiwealth. It would carry its blessing to every 'cottage, It would double the value of the lands remote fr.un tlie cities and villages at once, by 1 making them easy of access at all sea sons of the year and bringing them near to market Tlie expense of building such a road would be about $2,(10(1 per mile, and, e-mac-|uently, the yrarl v cost for each section would be alxiut jriift, as each district is ihiut one mile in extent. There is now ex}xndod in work from S3O to SIOO. To accompltsh so noble an enterprise, Uie fanners could well afford to double tins appropriation for ton years, as, after that time, a much leas sum would lx- needed to keep tlie 1 roada in repair. The manner of con struction should he somewhat as follows: The road-lied should be about 14 feet wide, slightly rounded, ami properly graded. Then draw on stone from the fields, from two to tliree feet iu thiek iieaa, accordiug to the solidity of the road-bed, whether it is of gravel or loam, well packed together. The sur face stones should be well broken with the hammer and left sufficiently crown ing to turn tlie water, and the whole mode einonth by a alight covering of washed gravel, and this, rolledjwitl' an iron roller, wotihl complete the job. This kept smooth with a roller and scraper would IH> a road worth v of tlie Empire Stole Jta width ahoufd I# ao great aa to allow teams to |xias each otlier easily. Its surface should he ao Miux.th that teams insy travel all over it. ami not la obliged to follow each other iu direct line#, making ugly rut* in a abort time. At the *aine meeting, Mr. Heoville suggested the following plan, and said he had adopted it with mooes* in a small way on tlie road contiguous to his own ioixl : The aeiitre of the roa-l-lted should be excaivated to a width of eight feet, and to a depth of a foot and a half at least. Then let this trench |x- fill.-d with "torn nearly to tlx- level of the former road way, always placing the largest stones at the bottom an-l tlie smaller <mea ou , top, and it vrouhl lx- a very great ad-; vintage if then* mnhl he an addition of several inches of brok-xi atone and top dressing -if course ami fine gravel. Hucli a ros.l would lx- p*rfcet in con-1 it ruction and enduring. Tlie atone uae-1 f-r this purpose could lx- gathered frora tin- neighboring flel-ls, and thus get rid of thoae unsightly abate heaps i ami foul fence corners. Pratt* of ( attic KaUinir. W. <l. Kinp*bnrr, E*q., Chairmau of the Hoard of I>i rector* of the Agricul tural Stock-raiaing and Industrial Aa sot'intion of Western Texas, in an article . on cattle raising aaya: M. 8. Culver, ' (luaantville,. Nueces county, Texas.oom nxneed working with Mr. J. T. James, in IMS, for a pro rata of tlx- mavericks or atray cattle for the army, instead of j regular wages. Thw gave liim the first start HI ealtle. lie then took a stock to at tend to, for one thin] of the inereaac. j Other tmrties gave him one dollar per head, for gathering their lawns, aud fifty cent* per bead fr branding their calves. He now has 7,0<K1 head of rtit tle, NO saddle horse*. a good rancho, ! well improved with an inclosed pasture of 400 acrea. Tlti* statement has been furnished bj Sir. Alexander Coker, of Oakville, Live-oak county, an authority that no one in this country can doubt, Mr.Culver is but the type of hundred* I might ]irtirnlurixe throughout the i country. His property now would he cheap at fifty thousand dollar* specie, and if he livea ten yeara longer, will probably amount to over three hundred thousand dollars. Thomas O'Connor, post* office San Patricio, Texas, wa* discharged from the army of the Republic of Texan in 1837. ; Hia entire earthly posaenaiona then eon sistisl of a Spanish pony. saddle and ( bridle, two old hell pistols, one of which waa broken off at the breech, and one rifle gun. all of which were mueh the worse for baring been in constant use in obtaining our independence, i At this time, 1871. he has 80,000 head I of cattle, worth >100,000; six leagues or 'Jti.iVU acres of valuable river land, all improved, cheap at $5 per acre, $233,- • .Tilt; 500 head of saddle and stock horses i worth |90,0fl0; sent one drove uf 1.025 bewv** to Ksusns this year, was largely ' i interested in three other droves, and is ; shipping beeves by steamer to New Or- I leans all the trne; has ready money on j hand for all purposes of speoelatian,aud ' lost eighteen negro men, worth flß,ooo, hy emancipation. I vrish to mention, ! for the benefit of my laly readers, that Mr. tVOonnor is aw idower, very good looking in the face, not a bad figure, , ami very susceptible. 11 . I. -II l U.I L j—-T-t J How to IkwIWIUi Rlarkmailer*. The Journal of ftontnrrrr very sent:- ! bly says; We do not undertske to advise .i a persi'ii exactly what to do when a blackmailer calls to trv his giune upon j , him. We would not fielilwrately recom mend throwing hiui out of a third or fourth story window into the street. If , nil honorable man ia so transported with just indignation at the sight of a hlaek mailer as to ls attacked with " tempor , ary insanity," and should hurl the fel- ; . low through the window, sash and all, | j we think it would be hard to convict liiui 1 of homicide. Similarly, if he shonhl , kick the scoundrel down three or fonr | flights of stairs and give him R parting , " rwisi'" nt the door, which would land liiin in a mud puddle in the middle of , tlx* street, we could safely insure him , against exciwaive damages for assault . and I lattery. Much must le pardoned ; to the glow of righteous wrath; and ' these summary proeesaea do have . the advantages of neatness ami dispatch , but we will not gravely commend their adoption. The black-mailer should In* J handed over to the jsiliee. If he at . tempt* to escape arrest, he should lie de : tained, witli whatever force ia necessary j to keep him quite and docile. Home I |ieople would employ more force and r others less. Those unfortunately impul- I sive persons who cannot rest sain them selves, would jai.-sibly mark him witli a black eye—and that would assist in hia identification—but tlx* great object is to keep tlx* scoundrel fast and tight till the jHilieiman reajioixls. In the present public hwmor, we think that jurors snd judges would make short work with ' these crawling pest* of society. in NfwKkmg of ths establishment < f< Holy-tree Coffee-Houses, Mr. Be clier j recently remarked: "Talk of a ter |>er ance reformation—l think that a < >tU ] reformation ia neednl in thin country. I have traveled all fiver the length and breadth of thin land, and only in one ul two instances have 1 ever been able to get a cup of real good ooti'ee. Aa a ni'e, | a cup of coffee ia a swindle and a cheat, and it will lie a good thing if there ouu be established some places where tlu te can be obtained a cup of pure codec, and good brea! also." NO. a. TTip future f Hip #nilwMi Ua4*. The •lcMtti of tb late King of tin Hatidwich Islands and the future that Kingdom, In view of the fact thai hs loft io bet* to the throne, t* the sub j jwrt of <-o;untWralile comment and spec ulation in official and diplomatic circles (luwrtwr MeOook, of Colorado Ten ritoiy, who r*a minister naihot al Honolulu prier to Hen. Grant's admin nitration, fa of opinion that if oar Gov eminent wants to nunei <Khe islaudi it can be dona without much dilflenlty. if ottr prew ot minister show* any aart of unuiagemsui Jb awi have control of matter* The English and French minister# ara absent on leant. There ft re no hrreign vessels of war in the Hawaiian waitra except American, and iw all <le|Murt4Mei*ia of the government of the Kingdom the Atucrnam* have the ascendancy. principal oppo nent to the annexion of the inland to the t'lifted Mtatee w the ihtud King, Kamehainea. In hia youth be had viaitad tJua country, and unfortunately, the treatment he Deceived waa not of a character to prepossess him in war favor. Being a oolotedS man, and traveling in cognita' be m in many iuatinco* sub jected to indignities which he never for got. In couvaraatiou with (Jon. He- Cook, while lie waa miniater resident, on the aubjact of annexation, Kamcha meha atated that aa King ha raoeivad a ■alary much larger than Una of the i'rasidt-nt of the Cuffed HtoL-, aom forty Uunwand dollar* per annum, not to apeak of tbejxiviieguw of lus position aa aoverign; With annexation, tie Mid, aa an MoaorapUahsd fact, be would be cmueaven-ordinary eitsaeauf the United Btatoa. Be preferred, of course, to re main King. I'Uia waa liia puajtion. The aeutimeuta of hie. subjects, or at leaat the moat influential portion* vi them, were more favorable to tbe Unitod State® and to nuiiexation ; hat while Kamcha uieha bred the question waa not agitat ed. Shortly before hia dtftr the King eiprMMwd a deoire to viait tlie C lifted State#, for w hat purpose in not precisely known, but Uie fact waa communicated bi Mr. Petnt, otir miniater at Honolulu, wha informed hia Govusmtiuett. Th reanlt waa that Abe United State* atcam er California wm ordered to proceed to the Sandwich for the jmxpoee of Imaging the King hem That vessel i now on her way there under the original order, and not* at haa Iweti -stated, to protect tlie interest of American sttixeu* in tlie inland*. Tlioae familiar willt af fair* in the island* date Uiere i no acceMiity fur ordering a viwael la protect American ntiiiMM. It ia not known what court*- the Adiniuiatratioii will pnrwur, but it ia not improbable that in view of the importance of the inland* to the Unitcil State*, if a favoralde oppor tunity offer#, annexation will be at leant invited. Tu |t Stammering- Dr. yio tewi. writing in the Phila delphia /'-■/<'/. aaya Home rears ago * hunou* professer I'MiMt l <i town where we wens then re aiding, and announced that he could " core Use won! rum of stuttering iw ton minute* without a surgical oprew tion." A friend of mini nuaa inveter ate cone. Mid we advwed him to cat! upon the wonderful nutftfeua. He csdled, ww> convinced by the testimoni al* exhibited, struck up a bargain, paw! the fifty dollar*, and soon called at our office talking an straight a a railroad (rack ' We were greatly astonished, and asked our friend by what miracle he had keen strangely and suddenly relieved of hw life long .trouble. He most provok ing ly informed u* that be had made a solemn prom tee not to reveal the process of cure. We knew two other bad caw* —ladies —and calling upon them, reported what liad evuw to pass. They were aoon at the professor's place, came away greatly elated, ranted the hundred dcrtnu*, "went tlie next day, paid the Mi*h. am! in half an hour Were ready, had the question keen popped, to my "yea'' without a jerk. We were noon made acquainted with evenal other cures quite a* remarkable, and resolved to put on our aharpest wits and wait upon the magician otuwelve*. He seemed an honest man, and In two day* we made up our mind to pay him a largo fee, and learn the strange art. with the privilege of using it to cure whomsoever we would. Those who had been cured by the professor were solemnly bound not to reveal the secret to anyone, but onr contract gave us the privilege of using the knowledge as we pleased. And now wo propose to give the read era of Una journal a simple art which has enabled ua to make liappy many an unhappy stammerer. In our own hand* it ha* ohen failed to effect the desired result, but in three-fourths of the cases which we have treated the cure has been complete. The secret is simply this !---The stam merer is made ts mane the time in his speech, just as It is ordinarily done in singing. He is at first to beat cm every syllable. Ilia beat at first k-.w>n to read some simple composition, like one of David's Psalms, striking the finger on the knee al every word ; then read in n newspaper, beating each sellable. Ton can Vwat time by striking the fin ger on the knee, by simply hitting the thumb against the forefinger, or moving ; the large toe in the boot We doubt if the worst case of stutter j ing could continue long, provided the sufferer would read an hour or two every day, with thorough practice af the simple art. observing the same in his converse i tion. As thousand* have paid fifty and a hundred dollars for this secret, we take great pleasure in imparting it to the patron* of thi* journal. The Ik**! ruction of Pompeii. Tn the vear A. n. t2t, toe ancient city at South Italy. Pompeii, was visited by two earthquake*, oeeuring at an inter val of a few months, by which many public building" were thrown down, and an iiuinchac amount of damage done; and it liod net entirely recovered from the effect* of these diaanfcw*, when it wa* overwhalmM by tlw famous erup tion rf Vesuvius, August 24, 79, which involved it ami the neighboring towns of Horeuliuieuui and Stabim in a common destruction. Thenceforward, for nearly seventeen eenturies, the city vanishes from hi*- i ory, h1 though the name seem* never to have keen totallyforgotton. A village, constructed from it* ruins, snbsequent ly aruee upon its aite; but, after the de struction of fliis by the eruption of 472, the Campus Pompeina, as it was long called, remained, until the middle of the last century, an undisturbed and un j inhabited plain. The eruption of 79 produced striking physical changes in the vicinity, and | the sea. which formerly laved the wall* of the city, is now upward of a mile I from it* site, while the neighboring river Re mo lms lieen considerably di verted from its ancient course. He*co I I the geographer Cluverius, who invest t gated the anbjeot in the early part of the .seventeenth century, following tin description of ancient authors, was in -11 duoCd to locate Pompeii at a ariag of ■ \ sevcrfd ratlea from its actual poaitici . • ) "7' ■■ ~ " I A Maine breach of promise suit, four teen yenrs old, has at laat been termin ated by the death of both parties to it. -t 1 i - Ij - ■ f■■ jtap ; , 4 1- I iieiM if mm a tortil for sixteen yam* TSera haa uevwr boan a ssaSon whan the Connecticut tobacco crow premised ao many Havana oigam aa this. J A Chouteau avenue (St. Louts > girl frankly confesses that bar advwoaey dr , the woman'a right# movement ia dua to an inaane desire to wear red-top boola ; and a piatol pocket, Mr* Mary 0. MmL widow of ths lata regiater of deed# of Loaawworth, <*>.. Kan., haa been appointed hy the W 'of Con urn Crmmomdanam to sweessd her lata htiaband in that offlm, The Khedive of Egypt hia ordered the wedding outfit oftlJ daughter to b. made in Pan# One of tha itornt of the order ia flounce* of point d Ah®eo® at •800s vanl, and f!o00of other laoaa are to be added. _ . A parent hi Haw Albey*l't who had fifteen daughters, haa prisoned hia |1 dog, taken the lock# off the doora and ! ! hung rape hidden over hia dooryard 1 ! fence by the doaen, and atil tba pre • I vision bill ia aa aver. Iftas Floreuee Birney, • daughter of General Birney, baa been learning to set type in tho office of the Dedham iMmm i Oamttr for the part ai* laootha, and hat weak ah* went South to aastot in editing a newspaper. A maiden of sixty lately died in Woet mo4and. England, and left |500,000 to a gentleman who had captured her nto ture affection* Tbe will ia now being . oonteatod on the ground of irregularity, ' incapacity, and ignorance. An ill-need husband around the Wo 'Kan.; Jit aider office makes thia obaar vmtioa: " If Susan B. and bmreonfamaa get abut up in priaon for llhgal voting, we know kits of men wbe will urge tbaar wives to try voting next time. Settle Clauaer, • young woman of aweot fifteen, in Algehoa, Shawano Co., ! Wis., will give her left hand to her hue ! band in marriage, if aheevmgete one. Her right hand waa ebot off hat week , while she wee gracefully oareaaiag o ' revolver. A voung woman in Virginia, feelitof j socially inclined toward a neighbor the . other aide of a formidable river, and ' having no horse convenient, made the toenail in safety and dryness recently ; by taking two chairs and uaiiig them aa ctiita. One hundred and sixty-one pmuenu ! have died in Eoghad during the Mat lu year*, whoM pereonal property alcme exceeded five million doUara in each caac. Only ton of them left this smalk .nyrtiiit; the rest ranged from that sum up to fifteen millions each. The Cleveland girl who shot Henry Print, otherwise knewn aa Harry May uani, the gyulaaat, whose home was at Snacnae, gets off with no pumahsmt at ell, the grand jury before whomthe owe was ealled belrrviag the shooting to hare been accidental and refusing to indict her. The time has come when the ques tion of false weight* and measures must be met aquawiyaiid settled. When th. * public refnuif from buying fraudulent UMckagea, the dealer* will quickly r fTirnj. and not before. By taking thia coatee, the public will be a law for themnalrca. Tbe Loudon Lancet aays the roedkal .ifficcrm of the British navy preserve their surgical instruments from rust l v a mixture of carbolic acid and olive oil, in equal parte, smeared over them. How the acid flan taenia— the effort of tho oil ia not plain, but. iI it nmllj does it, the pl*r ia worthy of adoption. The great-grandfather of Thames Edwards died at one hundred and four teen; hia grandfather at on hundred and four; but the father dwd at the f-arly aim of sixty-eevea. Hia young son* Edward, now only ninety-fiye, nuklrmh oommittod matrimony with a chit of seventy. This ia what comes of being aa unadvised orphan. There are in Austria twelTcpriaona for men and six for women. The num ber of prisoner* attheendtrf last jmr was 10,422 of both aexee. The number of person a who died in prison during the year waa 552. Every pneoaer i obliged to attend echoel regularly, end popular lectures ara delivered to the prusoneiu on Bundaya and holidays. Albert C. Abbott, Unman, of Cbariea towa, injurad at the great fire, died in the hospital, aged thirty-thrw-. At the time of hi* injury be was engaged to be married to a voung iady, and at the de sire of both parties the couple were married three day* Wo* the young man's death. His brother was buned in the ruins at the same fira, *i*u ,n * mother died from grief at her beraava meni. Noble county, Ohio, a county of 400 •quara miles, with a population of 10,- dOO persons, haa not one single grog shop The liqnor nuisance waa abatod there in 1870 by the euioreemsmt of the Liquor Law. Not a fakmv haa b committed, not e gh— of liquor sold, not one person in prison, in that eotuity for two rears, nor have Um criminal courts had a solitary oruninal to try for aug offense. Innumerable buttorfliea lately viaitod the citv ef Fiorenoe, in clouds se dense, sav the Italian papers, thai the gaa iighta were ohacurcd, and die streeto at night rendered almort perfertly daik. The mmiictpai Milioriiie* imiafdiittly ordered fin- to be lighted, which at tracted the insert* and burned off their wines, ao that in a shert time the atraato wew oovewd with their white bodice to the depth of half an inch, as if w*h a fresh fall of snow. Tbe term horse-power, aa applied to •deam boilers, is so indefinite that it has come to be regarded by many engineer# m prarticallv valueless. A committee rrcejutlv appointed by the Franklin lih xtitute of Philadelphia, recommended t|>t ita use be discontinued. One of the members said that bone-power, as the tonn was used by different engineer# and boiler-maker*, indicated aa actual power, which in one eaae sometimes varied one hundred par cent from that in another. The Panama Star and 'Herald givet a striking illustration of the vigor and rspiditv of vegetation in the tropica, by tt Jerriag to the bushes and twos grow ing in the ruins of the burned Aspinwali Hotel st Panama. It is acsrraly mora than two years since this couragmtion took place, and yet there itig within the walls trees at least thirty feet in height They belong to what arc called trumpet trees fj/vnus Oecropia) and tk* brancnes are mud to be crown ing out of the highest doors and wm iowa, so aa to render it prehable that in their further growth they wijl throw down the walk with which they ara interlaced. A great botanicau work by Prof. De caianeon the genus i'yria, or pear-treec, baft iuai been published at Pwjj 111 French language of conree. Ttereato fourteen hundred varieties oftkis fruit in the Jardon des Plants. The author regards all cultivated pear# aa belonging to'one speciea, divided into six races, which he names : Ist Odttc ; '2nd. Ger manic ; 3d. Hellenic; 4th. Pontic; sth. Indian!- and 6UI. Mongolian. The pears of France, which it seems are used ex tensively in the mannfarture of oham pagne at Eperoay, belong to the Ger manic race, which also includes our own 1 common pears. Thus far a natural clas sification of pears has been found i - practicable, and the arrangement **opt ed is ttiat of grouping them according to the period of ripening. [ , Everything that entejrs Puns has to pay octroi duty. For many weeks aa [ 6 from the out tikirte to the cityrbei ll ? attended every ! evening by a neat-looking groom. One , night the dogcart was npeet in ths presence of the gendarmes, who, on go- gl ' mg to the rescue, notioed Chahthe grooin had not moved from his seat. ' 4 Come, * r said one of tlie men. The groom pre nerved a diguified silence. " Coma down," eried tlmy anaply,''.dimt you i sea your master is hurt - Is hv drunk or stupid?" The pre ierved his Eugbsh mny froid, wad the 1 employes, giving him a shake, disoover . Ed, to their unutterable astonishment - that he was iqadfe of xinc, and ooutifined 150 likes of oognaa I