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