Vol XXXVII—WhoIe i\. 1971. Terms of Subscription* ONE DOLLAR FEB! AMSUI, IK ADVANCE. For six months, 75 cents. ?I3= All NEW subscriptions must be paid in advance. If the paper is continued, and not paid within the first month, $1,25 will be char ged ; if not paid in three months, $1.50; if not paid in six months, #1,75; and if not paid in nine months, #2,00. Rates ol Advertising. One square, 1G lines j 2 squares, 6 mos. $5,00 1 time 50 | " 1 year 10,00 " 2 times 75 j i column, 3 mos. 8,00 3 " 1,00 ; " " G " 10.00 " 1 mo. 1,25 " 1 year 15.00 " 3 " 2.50 1 column, 3 mos. 10,00 " G " 4,00 " G " 15,00 " 1 year 6.00 " 1 year 25,00 2 squares, 3 times 2,00 Notices before mar " 3 mos. 3,50 riauks, &c, sl2. The above rates are calculated on burgeois type. In smaller type, 15 lines of brevier, or 12 lines of nonpariel minion constitute a square. For stereotype plates, a liberal deduction will be made. The above are cash terms for all advertisements inserted for three months or less. Yearly ad vertisements are held payable, one half at the end of three, and the balance at the end of six months. Communications recommending persons for office, must be paid in advance at the rate of 25 cents per square. iJOftVD. Answer Me, Burning Stars. Answer me. answer me, burning stars of night, Where, where is the spirit gone, Where, where is the spirit gone; Tiiat's past the reach of human sigh!, E'en as a breeze has flown ? E'en as a breeze has flown? And the stars answered me, " We roll, we roll, In iight and power on high ; But of the never-dying soul. Ask things that cannot die! But of the never-dying soul, Ask things that cannot die!" Speak, then, thou voice of God within, Thou of thf deep, low tone ; Answer me through life's restless din, Where has the spirit flown r And the voice answered, " Be thou still ! Enough to know is given : Clouds, winds, and stars, their task fulfil—• Thine is to trust in Heaven ss( isc e 11 anto it £ • "From Arthur's iioiue Gazette. A FISHING FROLIC ON LIKE PONTCHARTJvAIN, RY A TRA'VEI.LISC NATCRAMST. (The following was related to me by a gentleman of unquestioned voracity, now a merchant in New Orleans. 1 have made no alteration except in the language, and but little in ihat, except to soften some ol the author's expletive?.) It was in the spring of 18 13, that 1 ■was taking a tour through Louisiana and Texas, for the restoration of my health. My tour was a comprehensive one and included various excursions through cane brake and mountain, as fancy and a pro clivity for a hunter's life impelled me. During one of the cane-brake expeditions 4 in search of burr,' the following adventure did truly happen, as a certain deep scar up on my propria persona can laithfullv 111 tc't. I had been several hours passing the trail of an 4 old he,' in company with several hunters, whose loveol * ban* meat so far exceeded their courtesy to strangers, that an hour had elapsed since 1 heard the veil of their dogs far down the lake, al though they knew that my horse had thrown me ofl and taken bimselj oli at precisely one and the same time. Being thus alone on the north side of the old Pontchartrain, and seeing every probability of my remaining there until next morning, I took it fur a good time to catch ti?h, and rigged up my hooks for the purpose. These Southern lakes a? every body knows, have muddy shelving hanks, the last places in the world to look for fish, seeing that the blindest fishes in creation will see the sportsman long be fore his eve can catch a glimpse ol them. This peculiarity made it necessary to seek out a leaning tree or some such conve nience, from which he may reach water deep enough to cast a hook, and il said leaning tree possess a bushy top, in which the fisherman can conceal himscll, so much the better for his purpose. Alter a little search, I found ouc exactly to inv tasie. It was an ancient beach, that had ventured to grow so near the edge of the bank that a very slight cave-in uti derminded its centre of gravity and bent it in a profound bow far over the lake. With my tackle always in my pocket - for such purposes, and a couple of frog, that 1 had fortunately caught napping, 1 crept along the trunk out —out —out — out to the very extremity, at least 60 feet hum the bank, and seated* mysell tor work. It was a beautiful evening. The deep green of the spring leaves in that intense region, always reminds ine ot looking through a thick pair ol green glasses, and at that particular hour of the day the color seemed even deeper than usual; in fact it was so green as to appear absolutely dark ; as washerwomen put indigo into their soap-suds until our shirt-bosoms get white enough to appear blue. 1 had scarcely got my hook bailed, be fore the birds, frightened at first by my ap proach, returned and after a little-- proudish twisting of their necks lo look for ate. B®io?maa> xjtjsi flt&BSflisiinßiiS) wx tmrnssEWTXa ssntmsssss amssswsa resumed sport and labor as if nothing had happened. An immense heron, whose legs dangled under him as he flew, like a New York clerk's at his counting stool, settled on a dead bough half-way up an ancient cy press, a hundred feet up the lake. A gang of parroquets screamed backwards and forwards, their garish plumage glit tering in the evening rays with green and gold, and their undrilled voices reminding me of the concert 1 had listened to the week before at Madame Loaceveau's semi nary in ihe town of Franklin. A mater nal duck led her tender fleet directly under me as I sat silent, not suspecting anything of my presence. A flock of raven-winged —but 1 forgot that 1 was to give a fishing frolic and not a dissertation of birds. To return then. 1 had seated myself far out over the water, and cast my hook for whatever might he swimming below me. And a great time I had among the ichthy ologiu you may be sure. Such a conster nation in the finny tribes had not been heard of within the memory of the, eldest inhabitant. Gar, goggle-eyes, brim (nn gliee bream ?) white perch, trout and cat, fairly wearied my arms as they seized nr. baits and exercised their various evolu tions ere they yielded to till my pouch, or he cut up for temptations to the rest. In my excitement 1 scarcely observed that it was growing late, and tiie sun had gone below the trees and the stupid heron flown off toward the east, before 1 with drew my hook and folded my line to depart. During my sport, I had noticed that the beach top in which 1 was suspended had occasionally settled nearer the water, but it was not until now that 1 observed the cause. My weight, so far out from the fulcrum, had been too much for the weakened roots, and the bank being composed of very fri able soil, hud given way, untii some thirty or forty feet of the trunk was under water. Now 1 never was a good hand to walk a log. \s ruuch as 1 have hunted and fished over torrent and ravine, 1 ahvavs took live 4 safer way about,' in preference to 4 the director way across,' and though 1 had walked the huge beach trunk with some boldness, when unloaded and out of water, it was quite a different aliuir, now that portiotts of it were three feet sub merged and I was shouldering fifty pounds of fish meat. Standing long enough in suspense to perceive that every moment made the case worse, by increasing the gloom and my trepidation, 1 decided to hang up my fish until morning, and make the attempt. No sooner said than done. With my arms extended, like the Ravels on their light rope, but not half so grace fully, 1 commenced feeling for the log with my feet, and advanced landward at the rate of twelve inches to the minute. But even this progress was suddenly checked, for, as I furtively stole a glance to the shore, to measure the distance, I was chilled lo horror to observe directly be tween iuc and the bank, tiie head of an enormous alligator, raised out of water and with its little wicked eyes turned full upon me ! I saw it all in a minute. The mon ster had been watching me during the whole process of my 'fishing, and had crept up so cautiously between me and my only means ol exit, that, in my excitement 1 had not remarked it, and here 1 was, fifty feet from shorc.guarded by an alligator! In iny first surprise, my feet slipped upon the wet bark of this tree, and i be came completely wet in my struggle to re gain my footing. You may be sure, dear reader, that 1 scrambled actively back to where the large limbs gave me shelter, and pen:!ting myself above my now neglected string ol fish, I took a survey of my situ ation. While doing so, and wringing the water from my clothes, my horror was in creased by observing that the monster had drawn his full length upon the log, ami was slowly crawling towards me. As the black knobs upon his back rose al ternately above the water, in his motions, I could get a lull view of him even lo the last joint ol his tail. Nor was the view at all calculated to increase my confidence. It was quite fifteen feet in length, and of lull size. 11 is body, frvJui neck lo tail, was reeked witlf slime gathered from the lake bottom in which he lived. llts mouth, as it partly opened with ev ery step he took upon the log in his sham bling awkward gait, revealed rows of teeth such as old hunters covet for powder charges. As he breathed with a sighing sound, 1 fancied thai his breath was load ed v illi a carrion smell that turned my stomach. While making these discover ies, the. hideous thing had approached to tiiat point where the limbs commenced to leave the trunk, and so great was his weight added to mine, that I sensibly felt the whole tree top sinking with it, anil had I not been confident that the limbs rested upon the bottom of the lake, I should have given myself up at once as lost. As it was, I was constrained to leave my post and seek a larger limb some ten feet further out, upon which I climbed and tied myself by iny handkerchief and suspen ders, in the very top. My villainous sentinel crawled a lew steps further, and reaching my string of fish, deliberately devoured them at a gulp. How I wished they might choke him. FRIDAY EVEAIACI, APRIL 2, 1852. After performing this feat, he spread himself at length upon the trunk, and fix ing his eyes upon me, seemed to say, be in no hurry, good fellow—l have had a snack now, and can wait awhile longer for you ! As he lay thus expectant, how 1 cursed my stars that I had not even a pistol with which to salute him. There they were in plain sight, mv trusty rifle leaning in the fork of a dog wood bush upon the bank, my rifle pistols, gooil at twenty paces, hanging bv their side—one shot to bore out this rascal's red ; eye, if 1 had to die the next minute after wards. But all this was sheer nonsense, as 1 was very politely informed by a wide yawn, which the alligator made in my v ery face. The fact was farther corrobo rated by a large owl, which took up its station close by, and commenced the most dismal hooting that ever 1 had thought an owl capable of making. All tiiis was discouraging enough it will seem to you, good neighbor, but you are mistaken if you think so ; it was not enough, by a great deal, for before the -owl had finished the first chapter of his melancholy tale, a splash in the water called my attention to the fact that another reptile, •* of same sort" with my sentinel la alcr/u, had approached, allured bv some instinctive notion ol prev, and was swim ming about the tree top. as if to find out the most convenient mode of entrance. Now, 1 beg that the reader will not, misunderstand my state of mind at that particular time. It is no uncommon thing to hear a man laugh at the ftiry of a tem pest after it is over, who trembled like a u hipped hound, as the trees crashed around him. 1 have seen rascals making sport of rev iva! meetings, who during their influence were prostrate in the straw, screaming with all the terrors of an awakened con science, and moving heaven and earth lor pardon. And although, as 1 sit here near by my peaceful fireside, with lit tie pus si/ pulling and hauling and singing at pa's knee, 1 can write in this jocular strain concerning that night's horrors, vet had you stood just then by that beech tree root, and looked out about eighty feet over tiie lake, you would have seen as fright ened a specimen of hutnanilv as ever tied himself by suspenders and handkerchief to keep from tailing "into an alligator's mouth. 1 vow, that 1 did not sleep for a month afterwards, hut ! was solving the physiological problem as to the tmderest place whereat to reach an alligator's vitals. Vsk old Chambers, at whose house 1 boarded during that time win lo my wounds were healing—hut 1 anticipate. 1 can scarcely be supposed to remember all tin: events of that protracted night. Let alligator No. 2 tell us how many times he swam around the tree top, and took telescopic views at me, as il "strietlv to define my position." Enquire of alligator No. 1, how often he raised himself upon his feet, as I made the slightest motion, and seemed to offer the red lining of his mouth, as if to catch me in mv contemplated fall. Ask that most doleful of owls, how many times he commenced the same subject, as il he could not open it to his satisfaction, and alter t( n minutes practice dropped it with a hoot ol despair. Apply to those moccasin snakes, whose cold slimy skins would ever and anon chill mine, as they squirmed through the tree top. Igh ! how 1 shudder when I think of them. That night was a polar night in length —a Tartarean in horrors, it vividly re called Christian's journey in Pilgrim's Progress ; where he is depictured as pass ing through the valley of the shadow of death. Not a moon would rise, not a star shine. Heavv banks of clouds moved up from the South, and shadowed the lake's surface. It rained a smart shower. Then it ceased, and the wind changed into the north, and it became cold, very cold for a spring night in Louisiana, and as 1 hung in that beech bough, ! shivered to the back hone under its influence. But stil! 1 knew by the splash ing that No. 2 was not weary in its efforts, and by an occasional yawn, that No. ! slumbered not at his post, while the abom inable owl, to my imagination the most terrible of the three, had found a dry hol low, and added a more dismal tune to his most dismal song. Morning got awake at last, and nature's protracled sleep ended. The day-birds lievv off their perches, and. to my great delight, a gang of jay birds attacked the owl, and drove him clear across the lake. Some deer came down near by, to drink, and although they soon scented ine and j tied, vet it was a salilaction even to see tlu'm there. The sun came up gloriously, and warmed and dried me, leaving room 1 for comfort to enter mv chilled carcase. Alligator No. 2, got tired of his cireumant bulaiions, and left for parts unknown, l ite moccasins avoided ine greatly to my satisfaction, who always had a horror ol snakes, and especially of that sort. The duck sailed by with her gentle j fleet, and plumed her feathers leisurely, i without ever observing that Iter toilette I was witnessed by any but the tenderlings, who picked playfully at every waste feather she threw oil". The long-legged heron came back to the very same cypress, and commenced his day's fishing; in short, there was nothing to hinder a scene painter from making a very good thing of it, except a certain gentlemen perched in a beech tree top, and fondly guarded by an alligator ! A es, there I was, and ihere I staid, until j long alter noon that day, when the sentinel, . to my great joy, slipped off and sullenly sunk to the bottom. Aon may be sure thai I lost no time in lowering myself from my post, but my limbs were benumbed, and it was with great difficulty that 1 i could move at all. As it turned out, how ever, it would hate been better for me to have made still more delav, for as I slowly and painfully felt my way along the trunk, and before 1 was within twenty feet of shore, 1 heard by the loud splashing that my enemy had seen my movement, and was after me again. Did you ever, while in a real night marc, imagine yourself to be chased by a monster and feel so shackled that, for the lite ot you, you couldn't get away from him ! Il so, you can realize what despe rate efforts I made to use mv muscles, stiffened by* so long confinement and the cold 1 had experienced. 1 plunged, 1 spattered the water with my hands like an ostrich fanning the air with its wings ; 1 stumbled and slipped upon the smooth bark, and only kept my balance with lite greatest difficulty. All this time 1 heard the broad paddles of my pursuer drawing momentarily nearer and nearer, as he tore through the mud and water to intercept ine before 1 reached the bank. Not to be tedious, il was a drawn race, the parties coming in neck-and-neek. I fell down just as I got to the root of the beech, but my friend kindly helped me up with a wipe ot his tail, intended to break mv back. Had it hit a few inches higher it would have succeeded ; as it was, it hoisted me clear over the huge root, over the bank, and over, 1 dare not sav how much ground besides, until my fall was broken by a sturdy holly-bush, whose points penetrated my flesh and lore my clothe? in a hundred places. Thus I was saved, though sorely bruised and out of breath. My hip was sprained so that 1 kept the house for several weeks, and to this day a deep cicatrix gives token of the force of that alligator's blow. 1 must not forget to add, however, that 1 was not altogether uurevenged even upon him ; for my dear reader, should you ever visit the place of my adventure and see anything of a reptile about fifteen lect long, (or by this time possibly a little more) whose right eye has been knocked out by a rifle ball, set him down as the identical individual who so cleverly broke up vour friend's fishing frolic. SKarCciiMural, From tin* Oenesee Farmer. Spring and Summer Work. The intelligent farmer will have all his plans of culture for the succt cding year formed in his mind the autumn before hand. During tiie winter he will reflect upon them, and use every means to in ert'...-e his knowledge, >o that he may per form all his operations with facility and economy. He will also make and repair many of his implements, am! get every thing ready for the spring, so that when it comes he can avaiNumsell of the first op portunity to commence operations. The shortness of our working season renders tiiis forecast doubly necessary and advan tageous. Jlarleij is a crop which lias paid very well for the last lew years, and the de mand is increasing, so that we may expect good prices for the inline. Light, dry, sandy loam, is best adapted for this crop. If the soil is rich, it may be sown after wheat; the earlier the better, providing the soil is dry enough to work well. Two bushels of seed to the acre is usually sown, though we think two and a half and in some instances thtec bushels is none too much. The laud should always be rolled alter it is sown. If not in good condition before, it will do to roll when the barley is an inch or two out of the ground. To in sure a good crop it should always he sown tiie first or second week in April. Outs should be sown as soon after the Bailey as possible. They will grow oil almost any kind of soil, from a still clay to a black muck. The heavy land, how ever, yields the heaviest weight per bushel. Two lo three bushels of seed are gener ally sown per acre. Sixty bushels pet acre is a good crop, and is not often, though sometimes obtained. There is an opinion in some districts, that oats are an exhausting crop, and that wheal does not do well after them. V> e are inclined to to think this view erroneous. They should be cradled and tied up, as they are apt to shed much if loose. One and a half bushel of oats, half a bushel of barley, and a peek of gray peas, are olten sown together per acre in England. The pro duce is very large, and when ground, forms an excellent feed for horses in the spring. Indian Corn is, of all the cereals, best adapted to this climate ; and on the rich lands of the great west, is raised in large quantities with little labor, excepting plant ing and harvesting, In New York and the eastern States, however, it is absolute ly necessary to have the soil well and deeply pulverized, and in many instances well manured, and also handhoed twice or thrice, to insure a large crop. In this dis trict it is usually planted about the middle of May. It should he marked eacli way, three leet apart, as it is then planted straight er, and is much easier horse hoed, plowed, bushels of oats jier acre have been p;o luccd, with tiie aid of a little manure. On the 28th of February, 1851, 1 com menced ploughing for oats, six inches i deep, and finished on the 11th of March ; harrowed the ground, with a heavy harrow, on the 27th, and sowed two bushels of well cleaned seed per acre on the 28th and harrowed and rolled it in. The oats grew well and yielded 55 bushels per acre, weighing 31 lb. per bushel. Notwith standing the uncommon dryness of the season, this was the heaviest crop ! have ever grown on the ground, and 1 attribute it to the ground being plowed early, and becoming sufficiently packed for tiie oats to take root immediately. 1 have sowed front 1 ! bushels to 3 per acre, and find that as much oats can be raised from two bushels sowed as from anv other quantity. It sown too thick, i\ew Beries-Vl. fi—l\. U|. the straw is weak, and more apt to fall, and the heads not so well filled. is. Philadelphia eo., March 1, 185*2. Uc— f BX sbzi it* <0 Attorney at Law, Of I - K I', in West Market street, opposite the post office, will attend to any business in the courts of MilHin, Centre, or Huntingdon coun ts. lewistown, Jan. 23, 1852. .1. W. PUiKHK, Attorney at Law, Lewistown. flififin co. Pa, DR, J, B, HERRING, OFFERS his professional services to the citizens of Lewistown and vicinity. Oltioe on south cast side of the Diamond. Certificate from J)r. Joseph B. ArJ. it a Holds me no smull degree of pleasure to stain, that Dr. J. 15. IISRKIMO, after several years of study, gradu ated at the University of Pennsylvania and is welt tjnali tied to practice .Medium, with honor to himself and ad vantage to those who may he pleased to employ him. JOSEPH 15. AKD, M. D. Lewislown, December 19, I*3l-tf. DR. ft-;. W. HALE his professional services to the x. J citizens of Lewistovvn. He can be con stilled at ali times nt the Bee Hive Drug store, l.ewistown, August 31), 1850-tf BR JAS. S. WILSON," OFFERS his professional services to the citizens of Newton Hamilton and vicin ity. DR. A. W. MOSS OFFERS his professional services to the citizens ol Lewistown and vicinity. Of fice with Dr. HOOVER, one door East of F. Schwartz's store. may 9, 1851—tf MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE -lIIK 1S T BAN ISOO VIli:, Justice oniic Peace, CAN be found at his office, in the room re cently occupied by D. W. Huling, Esq. where he will attend to all business entrusted to him with the greatest care and despatch. WILLIAM LIND, BSMiiiy 'iiUiia East Market street, Lewistown, IN returning thanks to his friends and the public generally forJlie liberal support heretofore extended to him, would inform them thai he hns just received a splendid assortment of Fashionable car .cr ys CASSIMERES & VESTINGS, selected in the city with special reference to being made up for customer work, which he is enabled to furnish at ! lower prices than similar articles could be procured in i the stores. Gentlemen desirous of having a superior article of clothing, are requested to call and examine his stock. With long experience and the aid of first rat ; workmen, he flitters himself that he can furnish his , customers and friends with superior garments, at rea sonable prices. Lewistown, Nov. 28, 1851. BR IS BIN & DINGES, : Mil™ TAILORS, Maikct street, one door IVY si of W/n. P. M ti lt ken's Store, LetvisJowia, Pa. A large and well selected assortment of Cloths, Cassitneres, Nestings, &c., constantly on hand, which they will sell or make up to order, on reasonable terms and at the shortest notice. f October 10, 1851.-ly. JOHN CLARK & CO. Boot ami Shoe iManufacturers, 1 iloors west of Eiscnbise's Hotel. ALL KINDS OF BOOTS & SHOES rll made of the best materials and in the manner cheap for cash. Lewistown, Sept. 12, 1851. jjddim, m ¥dm7 A:<*. ' f&fc. tVi*. r jjMlE undersigned continues to manufacture celebrated Quilted and French calf Boots, together with all articles connected with ins | business. MOSES MONTGOMERY. Lewistown, August 8, ISpl-tf MAUTH'S SELF REGULATING SEUI.Mi 11 AC Hi.\ I-, the use ol this Machine one person can do us much sewing, and make better work lit in five nr six can do by hand. Tailors, saddlers, KA T & ST, Dr. L. is a regular graduate of the Balti more College of Dental Surgery, and devoted his entire attention to the business for seven years, which warrants him in offering entire satisfaction to a!! who may favor him witu their patronage. Lewistovvn, Oct. 21, 1851—tf. A*iou<*hiii£ Reduction 111 THE PRICE OF £2 C£> , k M F.RICAN Rolled liar Iron 3 ct*. LA Hurse Shoe Bar 31- •' Nail Rods 4* tt warranted good, nnd will be sold for cash At the above lates, by W* E. e. FR AN CISC LS OIIOL LDLR Braces, :i new and superior article, AT A. A. BANKS' Variety store