PENNSYLVANIA ITEMS a — C—O HR IR SHIA — FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS, rr— SE ———————————————— - — — : men have taken hold of the development | Cie ie of this remarkable foature of California's | GREAT AMERICAN DESERT. ASPLHATUM. xe. | mineral wealth, and it will not bo long | i Bs Lon u plank. He fired at the grape, and v 18 | before it oducts | x Sfp age a : AND ITS | before our asphaltum and its produc One of the Strange Corners of Our |g. po: \ nding from the plank, hit a { will obtain a foothold in the markets 5 : : ; y } i not of America alone, but of the old Country—Its Sad Record, passer-by in the fuce, destroying one — . | world as well where, by the way. the an- The Great American Desert was al. | YY Phe injured man brought #n aetion gphaltum Was Formed Through | qual consumption is semething enor- | most better known a generation ago than | fSninst the purchaser of the gun, but the Pp : | 8 ny B . supreme has held tl | lain Some Tremendous Convulsion of mous. —{San Francisco Chronicle. it was to-day. Then thousands of the | DUpreme Lourt has heb int. tho plain l He wos told to fire at the hen-coop, but chose nx a mark ao grape, which he placed grap ihe p EPITOME OF NEWS GIFANED PROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE STATE. CCIIARLES burg, while insane from HOW RPRING © AME. & PECULIAR MINERAL 2 : USES. here was onee little boy who had not spent many winters in this world, | but what few he had roen, he did not eure for. He liked summer, with its out- | ; i door sports, its birds, and its flowers. | cutting his neck, GRUMBLING, of near Greens. the grip, stuck his gine, severely A doctor sewed the wound, head through sone window but Grumbling removed the stitches and bled N It is Utilized i Lift could not recover damages. The Nature -- s 1 zed in r Ways. State, and which is destined to prove an asphaltam. This is found quantities in Venturo, Santa Barbara, Rern and Los Angeles Counties, and the deposits already known to exist there are the most extensive in the world, while new discoveries are constantly being made. It is found in both liquid and crystallized form, and also in the shape of bitumen-impregnated rook or sand. There are many springs in the localitios mentioned from which there is a constant flow of the liquid asphaltum, made so by the pre<ence of petroleum. In other cases great ledges or masses of the erys- tallized product are found. Some of these take on the character of what might be called truo fissure veins, It would ap- pear that some tremendous convulsion of nature had occurred in the remote past by which the surface had been cracked and riven in ey ery direction, and into the fissures thus created a subterranean ower had forced the liquid asphaltum rom its source beneath. Ages of tre- mendons pressure have expelled every particle of volatile substance, and the re- sult is the existence of veins of erystal- lized asphaltum which are practically free from any extraneous substance and are of the highest value. In many cases these veins have, in the course of time, been covered over with a coating of earth or gravel of greater or less depth and only the pra d eve of the expert ean detect their surface indications that the pass unheeded. Some most remarkable deposits of this character been discovered in Northern Santa Barbara and in Kem county, the product of which, in its nat. ural state, is far purer than the refined product of the only other extensive as- phalt deposit in the world that of Trin- idad island, in the West Indies. None except those who have investi gated the subject has a correct concep- tion of the variety of uses to phaltum and its products For that matter its various uses are only just being learned by ex- perts, and new discoveries of ability are being made continual; say that the wi ments to chewine gum is state only a literal San Francisco tread exactly same sul school. girls and « cate between their teeth. In other words, chewing gun more nor asphaltum, appr colo: ed. Another use f 15] found in the manufac tarpaulin cloth, whicl invention of sheets of a conrse grade have a thin layer ot asphaitum spread be tween them and bs pound is made i {he prod tet 18 ing. far cheaper Buswering every terial will be a grea boon to the East aud of E fre juently necessary to pro harvested ¢ ete... from the rain Still anothe been found in by combining the liquid m coal dust. Penusyivania and r are literally mil it is called, for which no been found. There ar this finely -powdere I coal at the mouths of every anthracite nity has exhansted in the vain «of fort to hit upon some device by which it may be tamed to commercial aceount. Not until the valuable properties of the asphalt deposits of California partially nnderstood was anv solution of the difficulty reached. It has now been demonstrated, however, that bv an mixture of about 6 per cent of liquid asphaltum this culin may be moulded in. to briquettes of any desired size, which makes a most admirable fuel. The small percentage of asphaltum, which is of a combustible character, is just sufficient to add largely to the desirable qualities of these culm briquettes for generating steam or warmth, and tests made have been highly satisfactory Ax already stated, there are millions of tons of this refuse which can be turned to uecount at small cost, and it is evident that in dts wtilization through the use of asphaltam is a most inviting field for enterprise For uudergroun | pipes or couduits the ure of asphaitum has been found most advantageous. Nearly all water pipes existence from certain tyro would hsve which as- may be put. industrial its adapt- ) To ¢ range from street pave- covered Is 8 horses their fe that the ir elders mast: I'he beneath stance the HITS OF I0s8 HOW loss t a resident pressure rope, ops, sta ks of ise terial “mining regions of Fast ra Stites tons of fea mountains of conl pit, and ingen itselt i became ned. which operates us a preservative from the action of moisture or of chemiosl agents. Vipes carrving water for do. mestic use are lined with a coating of the same material, vet no hint of that fact the taste or odor of the water. As an anderground condu t for carry. ing electric wires so gre it an wathority os Thomas Edison has prowounced em. phatically in fuvor of pipes mnde of as haltum, which, lie states, is one of tha e#t non-conductors that can be found. An the movement for the removal of all ng, it can be seen that phaltum interest of California, but few realize the vast extent to which it is carried. alone each year, and nine-tenths of it comes from Trinidad. The amoant so used 1s incroasing constantly. "The ex- tent and excoptional purity of the depo. wits in this State are scarcely known be- yond our boundaries and the operators of the West Indian deposit appear to ve almost o monopoly of the market. ny great length of time, Gnaw the Rhinoceros, Purk Menageri fox terrier is to be found are confined. think there is aboutit. Asa fact, it is fun to the ter. rior and a protection to the elephant. The majority fable of the lion and the are no greater pests in the than the rats. These small rascally rodents have found that the feet of mouse, no hesitation in gnawing at them when chained condition, is unable to defend it- self against its puny enemies. This is particularly the case with “Tip,” whe, oving to his vile temper and murderous habits, has to be secarely chained The rats in a few nights this monster a perfect cripple were it not rip, the terrier, loosened at night, and woe betide th. adventurous rut that ventures quest for a tidbit of eld phant toe, ** rogue though be is, knows his good little friend and allows him to carl up on the : 3 would make for out on uo Tip.” 3 # Gaerous i fash across the vneaten bay. close beside hi body, and when there is a pen, followed by a mortal squeal, takes then, know. 3 one eve in a lazy way, and ing that he is safe for the his tiny friend i undisturve l a small vote of thanks to 3 1s Limselt amd gives up to slumber and areams of Indian Lately the rats 3 £ Hose ol thev hide of the Scotch terrier, jangies, have changed operations. It ruawing holes in the ** Fanny, were rhinoceros, who really rules the dees the best r was brought requis was locked up in the mammal and her first night there was one joy house, and i= one ot itters in the world, into tion. She Our Fauny i= a most me canine. When the in the morning she twenty.-sey floor hotse was opened und en rats in the midd wagging a sh aud was almost a hysterical manner her master, Phil Hol » remember there wa and taking one her mouth she ran litter of PHDS Was, just Queen Victoria®s Dogs, Her Majesty, as is wel i dogs. and Mr. (2 is are Cows of For eollies the Queen this ac WW indsor ways shown a preference, counts for the number kept n The Princess Beatrice's in the direction of fox-terriers, wh also well represente I. We are glad to note, by the w av, that the fox terriers in the roval keunels are not docked. 1 would be a good thing if the roval ox. “fancy lies hare £8 frie ample in this respoct were generally lowed: How any one can imagine thas mutilating a dog adds to its beauty fail to understand : Some of the roval fox terriers are cor tainly game enough. Ome of them- Jock by name-who when a store was recently cleared out had a chance of disiinguish. ing himself, killed twenty-two rats ina quarter of hour, Her Majesty, it should be said, frequently inspects the kennels, “inquiring into everything af. focting the health and comfort of the in- mates and giving each animal a caress. ing pat and kindly word of recognition.” When the roval dogs die they are laid to rest “benouth the turf where they gambolled as puppies and were exercised when they grew up. Each little grave ie s We an long and eight ioches across, whereon a few words are engraved, giving the name anid date of death.” Among the inscrip. tions on the tombstones of the dogs are the following: ‘Maurice, favourite Mount St. Bernard of H. R. H. the Prince Con- sort, died November, 1864." A little further away lies Princie, Scotch Tor. rier, Died February 6, 18747; and in the shade of a small fir rests “Nellie (Collie) mother to Bess, Flora aml Sailor, Died October 12, 1886," zette. A Fyzanan Hindoo has been restored which persons of another caste were trav. eling He had to pay his own weight first in rice, the vale ox, and thon in wheat, After to sit on a square stone, while his body excepted; ho was then taken up by two men and thrown into the river, and after a bath he wus received by the Brabmias, caste fellowship, hardy Argonauts on their to” Cali. fornia had traverse l that fearful on foot with their dawdling ox-teams, way wiste bleach in thut thirsty land. The survive. desert across it thint roll vivid idea of what Wis; now that we can in less roal--and still existing horrors largely forgotten. 1 have walked hideous length alone and wounded, and realize something more of it from that than a great many railroad journeys ure its continental railroad crosses the great desert which stretches up and down the continent, west of the Rocky Mountains, for nearly thousand miles. The northera cut its terrible two routes least erase its southern half-—the Atlantic and pierce some of its grimmest recesses, The first scientific exploration of this region Lieutenant Wheeler's United States surve y about 18H): he was first to give scientific assurance that we had hore a desert as absolute as the Sahara, If its parched sands could speak their record, what ao they might tell of sufferings and death; of slow-plodding caravans, whose patient oxen lifted their feet ceaselessly wis nnd slory irom the blistering gravel; of drawn human faces that peered at some lying image of Inke, and toiled frantically to sink at Inst, hopeless and strengthiess in the hot had inted with the hues and the very waves an placid on dust which the mirage I water Ne vis ided yone wi many have that in sieeh in i VEIT passes even ans ay Hg upon f many more who k, iu a delirium of thirst road sinlion som the $a nes at the rai . lured by vsert, strang arr moana IR 10% the oz botlerh lied with a gauge, re exactiy The orse les and steam like a locomotive. r the centre of the nected with the steam chests by side { nde boiler. con. rods, are two small cogwheels, probably inches in diameter, ends of the two runners about a lung each, and like ¥ geht ranners., The cogs are expect i twelve or hfteen and under each of the machine are steol foot fashioned ice to dig into the ice by foroe of steam, and thos move the machine along ice on the ranners at a rate of speed not yet estimated by the inventor, I'he cab is not large enough for a per son to get inside, but the machine will probably draw, or is intended to draw, a small platform car behind on runners, and from this car the throttle inside the cab and the reverse lover can be worked. The whole mac! ine weighs 1,000 pounds, as the ice at Fishkill Landing has been cut away, Some ye rs age Mr. Dodd of Dodd's Express built a machine at Fishkill Landing for travelling over the ice. All the machin ry attached to it was of pon- derous charac er, so that when the steam kix tons, It was placed ont the ice at Fishkill Landing to test its speed. The wero to force the boat along over the ie instead of doing so dag down into the jee and almost cut the mass of iron and losing his invention. tion had cost him many hundreds of dol. lurs, it had to be abandoned. of the kind that has come before the public since. It remains to be seen what it will amount to. It has one ad. vantage it does not weigh meh more than an ice yacht. [New York Times. A ANI - The Argun in Conrt. San The dangerous toy airgun figures in recont law reports, bat unfortunately the decision does mot hold the parents responsible for damage done by means of the gun. A father living at Benton Harbor, Mich. , bought an airgun for his nine-year-old son, nnd also bought some shot. When the nmmunition wos ex- hauvsted the mother bought some more shot. A boy ten years old, who happened to visit the house. borrowed the gun, and the mother gave him some of the shot, weapon, says that it is in constant use by children, 400 such guns having been sald in one jenton Harbor, which has 3,700 inhabitants. In spite of the feelings aroused by the thought of ao sonson in nine is armel with an airgan, the Court savs: “It would hardly be good sense to hold that this airgun is so obviously and intrinsically dangerous that it is negli. genes to put it in the hands of a child the hands of the child re sponsible forthe nct of another child of it fig tring possession without the defendant's consent or A War Time Relic. A relie of the war between the States on the dry dock, minor repairs and necessary to cominission her defence. the Monitor ever built, and the record of her useful. ness and her hard service may be seen in the shot dents of the turrets, hese are patinte $ in a color differeat to that of the surrounding iron, iw order their story; and thay serve lesson to show that, pared with our days, how inn the : 1 bellion, litference whether n oi toothpick or hoisted i all dead bul » is now receiving suth clearing as may be for harbor This wns second to emphasize ubjec fa niter when oom UO0s were the re mike 1" anit is killed | § i bonsted shot an Of course it do much vith a petard the sam Bn IKlaw pounds of +1 pound harbor of inte rey £h fie of rs WW eck The Depths wig Hecentis ' i i 8 heart br ¥ ARINC fetter from her written in Massachusetts She begeed me to go net to look at her little child her if the se were good to it Happily I could ber that the was in the hands of a wealthy family who were gis ing him the tenderest care. The mother comes to the surface ery time." A hicago Pos: and then write peo} write to babys lave nimost ¢ ““Colter’s Hell.” America had been discovered and the colonies were feeling their way toward the Pacific Ocean. And in the vanguard was the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark. which went overland to the mouth of the river Columbia. John Colter was a hunter in this expedition, and by some he went across the mountains on the old trail of the Nex Perecs Indinns which lead across the iis ide from the Missouri waters to those of the Columbia, When ho came back from the Nez Perces trail he told most wonderful tales of what he had seen ut the head of the Missouri. There were cataracts of sealding water which shot straight np into the aii; there were blue pounds hot enough to beil fish; there were springs that came up snorting and steaming. and which would tum trees into stone: the woods were fall of holes from which issued steams of sulphur; walls of ashes full of holes which let off steam like a locomotive, and there wore springs which looked peaceful enough, but which at times would barst like a bomb. In short, every one laughed at Colter and his yarns, and this place where all But for once John Col. ernted. But no one be. Vhen others wha afterward followed him over the Nez Perces rail told the same stories, people said thay had been up to “Coiter's Holl” and had learned to lie, Popular Selence Monthly. AA SA HE a A stylishand useful gown for early spring wear is of either black or blue worn over a gay little red surah silk blouse figured in black. A stylish gown of dark camel's hair in made with a yoked blouse, belted in Russinn fashion, with a rache of moss trimming and rows of gold and black spring vet, mamma?’ One of bis mamma's friends great comfort to him. Every time she came to the house she called out, ‘Spring is coming, Johnnie; here!’ was A spring is almost “This is a spring-gag, Johnnie.” said grandfather, wishing to make a little joke and interest the boy at the same time Johnnie was delighted. “then | ean go out, window, he exclaimed, “Can't I go out und take the spring, mamma?’ “Not Johnnie,” said ‘See! it ix snowing. vel, Mamma. You must wait a- while longer, and play with indoors.’ » ’ Poor John sorted him your gun ! Hix new hope hud de- ! 1 : He looked a out of the winlow. Then he | thought fully at his gun. He tus around, wd put his eve over the muzzle Ham nn! HXiousiy i LL he cried, eagerly spring. 1 e r's Young found the = here, }'es and he looked a country unbroken be OW he sun sink venoes ront sn 1s and fearful ing nearer, too areives, w in the a] them, hs panted Alas! it was all of them he had to fight when he brought bay at last Nearer and yet nearer they drew until the sharp snapping of their jaws could be listinctly heard amid their eries. Alse felt tliat his strength was spent. The stream still and his ruemics were closing in aroond him. He lifted his head despair ngly to the sarkening sky, and realized, too late, the folly of treating with contempt the dan. ger he might wll have avoided His foes were insignificant singly. but to. gether they ware a fore: against which ais boasted strength weakness, hey sprang upon him on every side, and the unequal contest was soon over, oor Alse! he was only one of many whe “hut all was wns far awav, was segiocte | to grow into a great one, and hat a life may be wasted by despising so-cmiled trifles, — Forward. A Mamond Watcher, There %is a special policeman at the wirner of Broadway and Twenty seventh those windows and gloat over the precious stones, sand dollars’ worth are usnndly in sight, Duce, some time ago, two men stood there wd looked in, and somehow a brick fell through the plate glass and a man's arm tinmonds within easy reach disappeared. The men was caught and the jewels re- policeman in a blue.gray uniform is on vxhibition. ; pause near that window some day as if you hadn't anything particular te do, and you'll get nequainted with him. It will be will bo all you'll want.—[New York Herald. . The cape on the back of the bonnet, whicn hans so long been abjured, ix reviy am Some of the novelties recoivel from fo degin Pravin Jiastixos, ex-Market Clerk of Aleshony, who was recently convicted of Iv been st Wilkesbarre and it engineers have vork in is thought the Penpsyl. vania Railroad will build a bridge over the river which will connect them with some collieries, retired MABRTELLOR, A farmer of lichlandiown, committed JON suicide by shooting hinmel! through the heart, A CAVEIX of the Payne's Mines, at Luzerne Borough, wrecked a num- stirface over ber of dwellings. n% 6 result of the Pending desl the gosr- anteed incomes of the Lehigh University snd St. Jauke's which were endowed by be in. endowment was io Hospital, st Bethlehem, Asn Packer, will creased 40 per cent. The Lehigh Valley Hallroad securities. Tus taking of tes commenced Meadville. The that the total liabilities of LInony was in the Delamater case st evidence showed the (on firm and individus] members were $1,100, snd the meets $300,000, Some of the securities were hypothees ATA nests af 1h icers of the Buie torial Associatic rrisburg the Quay ihel zuit azainst gd. A ni Yemes Isok ing to the pardod of th Fey 1blicans of Lancaster the Mayor, by over every ward in the Hazleton, Harris. iieans made LE pRsstngers wi steamer Massill OUliAws whi Sherif Me i ng 41 swroed him to grant 8 Heense to Lough & irough, distillers Tie Peonom tion at the quaint vi of York Springs. tes held their yearly selebrs. inge of Foonomy, it being fhe ¢ ghty. ighth year sirce the society was formed. Three new members were adm iited, Bic Jor.’ the “King of the Hane’ of Shamokin, commonly cal'el made a morderous ssauit upon Joseph Rodwick, a Scranton land soent, Fortin and Otto Simiax, two children of Sunbury, while skating on the Susquehanna River, broke the drowned, Mixmsren Moxy burg through ive and were , of Chili, came ta Harris stom. Washington, to sce Uavernor Pattison, who was unfortunately absent in Philadelphia. le wanted to get some points on our public school and tax system. Ax application for pardon has been filed with the Recorder of the Board of Pardons st Harrisburg, in the case of Louis Peiffer the sonvicied president of the Bank of America sm II Precious stone in lowa, An important discovers has heon made in Buachavan County, lowa. Professor Calvin, of the State University, recently made an examination of rocks in several sections and fonnd in large quantitios the peculiar limestone used so extensively in lithographic art, and which at present is obtained only in Germany. As the demand is so great and the prescat sap. ply limited the find will undoubtedly proven richone. A ll will he intro. duced in the present legislature asking for a thorough geological survey of the State. Chicago Herald. Ax English paper gives some interest. ing statistics us to the pecuniary return of a few inventions, ‘The stylographie pen for a while brought in £40,000 a year; the India rabber tips to pencils, £20,000: metal plates for protecting the soles and heels of boots brought in £200. clergyman realized £400 a week by the invention of a toy; another toy, the re. turn ball, brooght in an income of £10,. Oy: the “Dancing Jim Crow,” £15,000 n year, - The inventor of a copper cap for children’s boots wan able to lave his heirs £400,000, while Singer. of sewin ttle The people who would have dove so od #0, 1f they had beea the gt there, oh pe
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers