TIMELY TOPICS.
Tho California Constitutional Conven
tion was in session 157 days, and cost
several hundred thousand dollar*. Tie
session was to have been limited to I<K)
days, but it was impossible to complete
the work within that time, and #160,-
000 more than xvns apportioned for the
purpose was consumed for the pay of the
members and the convention's running
expenses.
Dr. I'alli. a distinguished Italian sa
vant advances the theory that the hu
man organism undergoes, in the course
of its existence, a slow oxidation, on the
f completion of which death ensiles. This
operation should require (accidents ex
cepted) about IIK) years To counteract
the devitalizing action, he recommends
that a few grammes of a sulphate lie
taken every morning as furnishing •>
check upon oxidation.
According to recent official statements,
the land appropriated to fruit growing
in the Cnitcd State* is 1,500,(X)0 acres.
I'pon this there flourish 112,000,(100 apple
trees, 28,000,000 pear trees, 113,'370,000
peach trees and 111,2<>0,000 grapevines.
The total value ot the fruiterop through
out the I'nitcd States is set down at
$238/319,700, an amount equal to half
the value of the average wheat crop of
the country. Toward that large sunt
apples are field to contribute $5O,l<X).<MX>,
pear* $11.130.(XX), peaches $17,135,(XX1, !
grapes $9,118,000, strawberries $5,000,-
0(H) and other fruit $10,432,000.
Concerning the charges of the express
companies the.4merie<in <?viliv<rfor says:
"The express companies in theirexorbi
ant charges fail to realize, or at lea-t fail
to lie governed bv the fact, that in all
other branches of business, both private
and corporate, profits are largely re
duced. The public demand lower rates
in accordance with the times. Mana
gers of express com panics should not de
lay making a reasonable reduction in
dieir charge*, and witln t forcing un
nealthy competition, or creating public
discontent by a grasping and selfish
policy."
Miss Nettie C. Carpenter, a young
lady from Michigan, has taken herself a
claim in (iraham county, Kansas, and
built thereon a very neat stone dug-out, j
roofed with poles and dirt. To keep the
dirt from falling down slm put heavy
paper on the under side of the poles, and,
hearing a rattling noise on the paper, she
thought that the mice were at work.
She got the broomstick and gave the
paper a gentle tap, when, instead of mice j
as the young lady thought, she brought
down a hissing viper. His vipership
immediately took possession of the 1 <-. l
and coiled himself for a tight, but lie got
more of it than he could stand and had
to succumb to the courage of Miss Net
tie. He measured four feet in length.
*
This is the way fortunes are made in
Lcadvillc, Colorado. A. Colon was one
of the speculators who went there to
look for a silver mine. His money
dwindled rapidly until he l ad only $3.50
left. In desperation he went ton whole
sale groei ry and bought a barrel of ap
ples, paying his entire capital on account
nrM remaining in debt $1.50. Then he
set up a stand at a busy street corner and
offered his apples for sale at ten cents
apiece. Before sundown he had sold
out. and was the possessor of nearly S3O.
The next day he find a larger stock-in
trade, and did equally well. In a fort
night he xva* a well-to-do man. His
profits had been immense. Now he has
% a large fruit, nut and easily business, and
has a store full of assistants.
A poor Hungarian lately showed a
black pearl to a I'esth jeweler, and leg
f[cd him to value it and give him what
le could for it. He was told that the
pearl was of great value, and that lie
would better take it to Hiederman, of Vi
enna. which lie did, and was naturally
asked where lie had obtaimsl possession
of such a rarity. The Hungarian an
Bwcrcd that he had got it from the valet
of the late Count Isiui* Hatthynni. It
turned out that it was one of three black
pearls which, more than 150 years ago.
were stolen from the Knglish crown, anil
which were for a longtime vainly sought
for, it Icing at that time supposed that
these were the only three black pearls in
existence. The British (iovernment has
bought the black pearl for s*.ono.
Telegraphic postal cards are another
new-fangled notion in Paris, that will l>e
likely to prove a great convenience
They are to lie sent almost instantane
ously from one quarter of Paris to an
other hy the pneumatic tube system
already constructed and to Im> used here
after exclusively for town dispatches.
For ten cents one can send a message of
any desired length within the limits of
a postal card, to be delivered in half an
hour after printing. Sealed message*
may also he sent lor a charge of fifteen
cents—the forms on which these are to
he written have twice the rapacity of the
postal eard. Telegraphing throughout
France is done at the low rate of about
one eent per word, but the new system
will make the average service in Paris
muck cheaper.
The following "points" are given hy
the Hur<U .VV w Yorkrr to persons buying
hot sea: " An intended purchaser should
have the horse brought out before him.
and watch tic animal as lie stand* at
rest. If the owner is continually start
ing the horse into motion, and urging
him to 'show off.' something may be
suspected, because it is when a horse is ]
at perfect rest that his weak points are ;
divulged. If tic horse lie sound he will
J stand square on Ilia limb*, without mov
ing any of them, tic feet Icing placed flat
upon tlie ground, and all his legs plump I
and naturally posed. If one foot be j
thrown forward, and the tc pointing !
to the ground, and the heel raised, or if
the foot be lifted from the ground, and I
the weight taken from it, disease or ten
derness may be suspeeted."
The Washington l"*i lias an aeeount
of the manner in whieli the new ten
dollar certificate* are printed hy the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing:
"The certificate*, like greenbacks, re
quire two distinct plate impression*,
one for tic back and the other for the
face. As the plate printer* can only
average about /50 impression* per dav,
thi* is the slowest part of tic work, in
order to prepare the sheet* for the first
impression, they have to be wet down
• ana subjected to a lieavv pressure for
ten hour*. Tic impression* arc then
taken, and the sleets are placed in a dry
box and subjected to intense heat. They
arc then ready (reexamination, when all
the lmjerfeet sheets are thrown out.
The edge* are (hen trimmed by ma
ehinery. Each of tlieite machines em
ploy* two persons, who can complete
about 15,000 impression* per day. The
sheet* nre then sent to Resurface presses
to have the nenl and the date imprinted.
Those mnehinea eaeh turn out on an
average 12,000 impressions per day.
They are then sent to the numbering
division, where eaeh machine average*
4,000 impression* per day. • The hack*
are usually printed tirst and go through
a long process of wetting down and dry
ing.
In conformity with the engagement
entered into by France and (iortnnny in
I Ir>/1 to keep up the touih* of *oldiera
I buried in their res|>eetivo territories, the
French government has taken action in
1,438 eouiniuiiea, situated in thirty-six
departments, ami containing the re
mains of 87,390 victims of the war; 37,-
*59 French and 21,87(1 (ieriuan soldiers
have separate sepulture, while 27,601
bodies, whose natVmality could not be
positively distinguished, have common
| graves. Municipalities and private com
mittees have erected 'tin monuments,
families eighty-eight,and (ierniatiy sixty
nine. The Front it government lias con
structed twenty-five large ossuaries,
with imposing ornaments, at an expense
of Tis'J. 177 francs. The total outlay lias
been 2,287, Htm francs, and there will be
an annual vote for the conservation ol
the graves ami memorials.
Contrary to a popular belief, it has
been recently found by an Italian pro
fessor that line vegetable perfumes exer
cise a positively beneficial influence on
the atmosphere, by converting the oxy
gen of the air into that powerful oxydiz
ing. and. therefore, purifying agent, i
ozone. The essences found by him to
produce the most ozone are precisely
those which usage has selected a* the
most invigorating, such as cherry, lau
rel, cloves, lavender, mint, juniper, t
lemon, fennel and herganmt, several of
which are ingredients in the refreshing
eau doCologne. Anise, nutmeg, thyme,
narcissus and hyacinth flowers, mignon
nette, heliotrope and lilies of the valley
also develop ozone; in fact, all flowers
possessing a perfume appear to do so.
whereas those hav ing none do not. This
interesting intelligence will he gratifying
to all. especially to lovers of flowers, and
the cultivation of these lovely disinfect
ants of nature should lie promoted iti all
marshy or foul places.
There are few person* who have any
idea of tie immense agricultural and
horticultural service annually rendered
by bees, but u calculation Just made by
the Rev. M. Sauppe, a great bee-master,
of Ztlck endorf. Saxony, goes far to prove
the utility and importance of lee cul
ture. Hi* calculation is that out of em h
of the 17.(HN) hives to Is- met with in
Saxony lo.noo !><*•* fly per day—equal to
170,000.000 —each bee four times, equal to
fiNU.(Mo,(moof flight*, or in 100 days, equal
to oso.noo.noo.ono. Kaeh Is-e flying home
ward visits fifty flowers, therefore the
whole assemblage has visited n > p-s
than 3, MM),000,000,000 of flower*. If out
of ten onlv one flower lias licconc fertil
ized. 310.d00.000.000 of fertiliz. .1 flowers
would be the r> suit. Supposing the
value of tin* fertilization ofi.nno flowers
to lie only a (b rman pfennig (one.tenth
of a penny). the united Ice* of Saxonyt
have earned per annum the sutu of on.',
ooo.onopfennig*—fieo.ono marks, or nlwuit
*l7o txxi. Thus ea h hive i calculated
to do a national service to the value ol
tin per annum, and this they ,|o while
paying more than the expense* of thiirj
keep hy the honey they gather. I'pon
these figures M. Saupp<* recommend*
that more bee* should lie reared ami
kept in Saxony, hut bis recommendation
xvili <lo for this country a* well.
A Friendly Send OH."
Young fluff" y was quite ill the other
day. and as the doctor had prescribed
perfo*t rest and careful nursing, hi* par- !
tit ular friend, .lack Itodgcr*. saitl that
lie would bring muntl some of the fel
lows to *it up with the invalid and
"brace him tip." a* Jack kindly ex
prc-s'-d it. So that night (Juffoy was
awakened from a feverish sleep by a tre- !
menibius clatter on the staircase ami
Rodger* appeared at the head of five
genial young men. carrying a demijohn,
various musical instruments ami other !
appliance* of modern inquisition*. These
kind-hearted fellow* had all leen im
pressed with the fact that nothing diss
sick ponton* so much go,*! as to approach
them with smiling faces and cheerful
word*, so they nearly shook tlufleyV
arm out of joint (he had inflammatory
rheumatism), and after assuring him at
the top of their lung* that he never
looked better in hi* life and they'd have
him right side up with care in a day or j
two, they piled their hats un over hi*
feet and settled down to their benevo
lent task. First, Tom Pliff told an ex-;
crucial ing funny story of how he threw ;
a waiter out of the third-story window
of the St. Charle* Hotel in New Orleans,
with an admirable imitation of the way ]
the waiter yelled when he struck the
pavement. Thi* anecdote cau*ed the ■
company to laugh itself almost black in
the face. Then Mr. Bladgers performed I
a little thing of hi* own in F. flat on the
cornet, which caused the landlady to
make some caustic remarks out in the |
hall and induced an unappreciative old
party overhead to hammer on the floor
and swear. Then young Tearer. who
belonged to an amateur dramatic associ
ation. said that he would, aathev insisted
on it, do some imitations, just a few,
ami he forthwith libelled twenty-eight
well-known stars in the most masterly
manner, and was the recipient of the
same ntimlwr of enthusiastic encore*.
Then Monagan. the baritone, sang "The
Old Sexton" in a style that'made tfie
coal rattle in the cellar, and after that '
got half-way through "There's Crape
on the Door before be was apprised by
sundrv vigorous punches in the ribs of
its decided inapprnpriateness, upon
which lie pulled up in the greatest dis
may. Jimtnic DifTcnderfcr, however,
put an end to the general embarrass
ment hy volunteering to dance a horn
pipe on a table, which he did to the en
tire satisfaction of ovorylwidy. The table
lie first thoughtfully pulled to the foot
of the bed, so that (tuffey could have the
best possible view of the performance.
Afler that the whole party vociferously
played cards, smoked and made hot
whiskies for two or three hours, with an
occasional song or " good story " to re
lieve the patient's tedium, About 1 !
o'clock A. M , however, they observed
that the sufferer seemed more at ease.
So, discontinuing a vigorous chorus
upon which they were engaged and with
many whispered ityunetions for silence,
they turned; down the gas and elaborately
filed down stairs on tiptoe, and when
the good-henrtcd fellows got safely into
the street they shook hands genially with
the air of persona who hail done a good
action and said me to' another as they
parted: " Deuced glad the dear old boy
Is sleeping, aint you f" Hut they were
mistaken—lie was dead!—. Sin Francitco
ft*.
DAffWFROIJS COPNTKRFKITM.
Mpurloua I' it Itr | Mlilra llaitk Not** In
Circulation.
Tim number of counterfeit national
bunk notes now in circulation through
out! lie country, nnd particularly in tin*
West, is a matter to which the secret
service of the Treasury Department are
ut the present time giving their almost
undivided attention. Special Agent
Hall, chief of tie* service in the West,
report* the " coney " men and their co
uifjutors, tin* " shovel**," us energetic and
daring in their crooked work. The C.'lii
; cugo 7Vu .i says:*
Mr. Hall lias in hi*pos* **ssion an inter
esting collection nf spurious notes. The
largest is abloom jiitcd State* note,dated
March 10, inrvj, hearing tiie signature of
1,. K Chittenden, one of which turns up
| about every six month*. Tin* only tie
fist noticeable in thi* Dill is the letter
" ti " in < 'hittenden's signature, which is
very defective, in many of tin* bill* dis
covered the defective letter has been de
stroyed, a* it picked with a pin. The
circulation of this hill ha* ls*en mainly
confined to New York, Boston and
Philadelphia, where a number were suc
cessfully exchanged. Thencxt is a $. r *>n
I nitisl States note, series of IHI itl. But
few of this issue am said to he in circula
tion, and it is believed tliat the plate*
were thrown in the Hudson river by the
Uttefer several years ago.
ttf the *ioo denomination there are
three distinet issues—on tin* National
River hank, of Boston, tie* Merchants'
National hank, of New Bedford, and tie*
Second National bank, of Wilkesharre,
Pa All these closely approach the genu
ine. Tiie only defeet noticeable in the
W ilkt -harre hill is tin* omission of the
word " l.iherty " from the crown on tin*
head of the female figure in the vignette.
(Inly fours if the*, - notes have Ix-en dis
covered a* yet. The River bank bill has
a marked defect in tin* fin-,* of the sailor,
and the general cxi-eution i* pronounced
sei-ond elitss. A large number of this
issue are in em ulation throughout the
West. The paper u*xl in the New Bed
ford bill i* lighter than the genuine, in
the counterfeit the loop of the " y " in
tile name of "Colby," deface* tl|e " M "
iii "Mass.," while in the genuine it
crosses over t lie first " S."
The Third National hank, of Buffalo,
and tin* Central National hank, ol New
York, are each honored with 9.in imita
tions. All notes of tin* former bearing
tin* name of 1,. K. ( 'hittenden a* register,
are pronounced counterfeit, while tin*
same applies to the second. Both tile
bill* were struck from the same plate,
and have each wide circulation. Spuri
ous."xi notes are alo very generally cir
culated on the Tradesmen'* National and
National Itro.'idway. of New A'ork City.
Several crooked issue* are known
to Is* in extensive circulation, principal
among them being tlu>* on tiie Ftr-i
National hank of lamaqtla. Pa .and tie
First National of Hanover. A new issue
of this denomination on the National
hank of Pawling, N. V., Ii Its just come
into circulation. There are two other
counterfeit f.N plates known to 1h- in i*x
isteiiei.hut the i.—IIC of hills from tliein
lias not lieen diseov * red for -e\ ,-ra] years.
From eight to ten spurious 91 plate-, and
perhaps a like nunds'r of plate*, an*
also known to Is* in exi*tenee, and to
have sent out large supplies of counter
feit hill*
Housekeeping Made Fnsy.
A couple may now set up foe them
selves with very few utensils, s> areely
any provision*, and next to no know
ledge of cookery. A gn* or oil stove
take* tie* place of a costly and < umbrou*
e<H.kitig range. Coffi-e is i*iuglit not
only parched )>ut ground. Spices and
pepper come all prepared fi<r u*c. Kvery
kind of iiread, sake and pastry ran lie
pureliased at a slight advance on tie
tif tiie materials they contain. |f
one wislte* the j„irt of making them,
self-raising flour may R* loul in any
grocery. Fruit of all kinds, all ready
fi>r tiie table, can be purchased about a
elieaply a* that which must iw* pre.
;u-'*t Not only lobsters ami other
shell-fish, but saSmon may be Ismght
cooked and ready to lie served at a price
but little alsive what tli crude articles
faist. and <xsik<*l (Xirned lH*ef. t<ingx|e,
and pigs' feet and ham have long been
on the market. There are alssi canned
soups, tliat only need to lie di!ut<-d;
mincemeat all ready to put between pie
<Tlst*. and roast meat* and fowls of
all description*. Some grocers keep
mush prepared for frying Boston baked
beans, put up in cans, have had a great
run during the past few year*. Fngiisii
plum pudding* are also on the market,
l-ast summer witnessed the event of
fried potAtoc* as an article of commerce.
Arid now comes the report tliat a char
tered company lia* iss-n engaged in tiie
manufacture of fish balls for the market.
It is no longer n'*ce**ary to lie a cook
in order to ke*p house. It require*
*oar<*ely any cooking utensil* to provide
a warm meal. A can opener, a frying
pan and a coffee pot are the principal re
quisites. Kvcn the last Is not absolutely
nisawasry, since a mixture of prepared
coffee, sugar and cream may readily he
obtained. It is even practical now for
the novice to dispense with a cook-book,
a* the label on every can tells how to
treat the contents.—Chisago TVerr.
The Sphinx.
Mi** Emma D. Boutliwick, describing
a visit to the pyramids of Egypt in tin*
lloston TmrrlUr, says : TlleJKpMnx. with
its mutilated face, yet grand and )M>nuti- |
ful. rises out of it* lied of sand, having
sUwid through so many generations tliat
no writer gives any clew to its designer
or design. The most tliat is known
about it ha* lieen gleaned from a stone
which was found in excavations about
the smallest of the three pyramids, and
is now in the museum at Cairo, and
which is supposed to have formed part
of a wall. It relate* that Horn*, king of
Upper Egypt, during hi* lifetime, clear
ed out the temple of Isis, ruler of the
pyramids, which is situated near the
Sphinx. From a figured the Sphinx on
thi* stone nml inserntion regarding it*
restoration, it is found tliat it was obi in
the time of Cheops, B. C. 391W, so tliat
we cannot wonder that it* fore paws
were found fifty feet below the present
surface, ami extending a gnwt distance
beyond the head, in eorn*s|Minih*nee j
with the body, a* to size, which is 140 I
feet long. The face, now almost obliter
ated, is thirty feet long from tlio upper
part of the forehead to the bottom of
the chin, and is surrounded by a huge
mass of stone in the form of a wig, while
on the head was formerly a cap on which
wa* an asp i rect, and lietween the paw*
was found the walls of a temple, an
altar, some tablet* and n lion; on one
tablet a king offering saerifiecs, and
figure* to represent the name of the
Sphinx, Harem Klioo—"The sun in his
resting plaro." Like other deitiro, lie
waa supposed to grant power and pure
life to the king.
How a Cornet Struck the F.arth.
It wit* a very small comet, and jus
the merest corner of the earth—but I
in list tell you tiie whole story.
About the year IH3!I we went to live on
the hank* of Rock river in the beautiful
State of Illinois.
During the early pin tof that winter,
the first newspaper was printed in the
little town near our sett lenient. It wu*
culled i||i- ,STur. My brother wrote some
ambitious verse* chanting the praise*
!of this "Star of our country! Star of
our banner! Bright Star of glory tliat
1 shiiieth afar!"—which were printed
; in tin* first number, and accordingly lie
wa* chosen from the youth of the
town to he the printer iiup of the filar
ofliro.
How I admired, with just a flavor of
envy, his sudden elevation! I used to
peep iii at the windows, for I was too
( shy to enter by tin* door, and would
watch the inking of the forms with the
hand-roller of those days. And I act
ually came to tliiuk my brother'* good
looks were improved by tin* sinubJi of
ink lie habitually wore over ids eye or
on hi* nose!
\\ ell, it was here, liovering about the
Si'ir olliee, helping oeeasionally to wash
tin* forms—alter I had grown bold
enough to go in—and lending a hand to
pick up the type, clear away the pi and
sweep out, that I had my first dreams of
the life awaiting nu* in the busy world.
I rue, there was no fountain of inspira
tion that flowed forme there, unless it
was til** ink fountain of the old Washing
ton press, lint my visions were shaped by
an object hanging against one of the
ease-stands, and that was—tin* foot of
an old Isiot!
< tin* day. exploring that dark abyss in
t lie Star office. I found a lot of types tliat
w-re only slightly defaced; and then
came to me tin* lucky thought that I
could ls*g these, and pick up enough
more like them to set up hy-and-bye a
printing office of mv own.
No prairie sun-flower ever grew so
quickly a* that idea, and soon I walked
with my head among the stars. It hap
pened, too, just about this time, tliat
everylmdy was expecting a shower of
meteors, or " falling stars" as they were
then called; and although I did riot see
them, I wa* constantly thinking about
tlii*ni arid the St'ir, and trying to work
out in my mind a plan for starting my
printing office, iuid, at length—how tin*
thought thrilled nu* publishing a paper
all my own! How should 1 print it'
NY hat name should I give it? My spare
hours were spent in trying to find
answer* to time ijipstions. And all
the time tliat tantalizing old Star was
coming out as regularly as any heavenly
body in its course. My pa|iermust have
a name taken in some way from the sky;
but what should it lie?
Meanwhile, no stamp collector ever
worked more diligently in gathering
varieties than I in getting together tin
type for my enterprise. 'Hie proprietor
of tip* ,Sf.ir gave me tile content* of
the old boot, and I searched daily the
sweeping* o| the office to add t-> Illy
stuck. I did "chor*s" for a fricndlv
carpenter. liorrowfd his tools, and
finally took iiiui into my confidence. 1
inadc a type-case by Ruing in a thick
plank a* many lioli** as there an* letters
in tip* alphaliet, with extra holes for
numerals, "spaces," " quads," "jKiint*."
double letters, etc. I made a press by
nailing to the end of a wijl-seasoncd
strip of two-inch oak a pji*<*e of hard
winf a fis-t s-junre and an inch thick.
The strip of oak wa* two feet and a half
long, and the hnrd-wood pieceformi-d an
upright, the strip, smootiily plAned and
levi*l"l. making tin* ls*d of the press. A
" cleat," nail-si along the upriglit on it*
inner face, furnished a fulcrum, and a
stick f>ur or five fi-rt long wa* the lever.
You will see presently how this
li>ni -made press wo* workisl.
"Giveme the fulcrum," said Arclii
mi'dc", "and I will move the world!" I
h ii ifuicrunt and a lever, and with them
I Imped to lift into existence a new l**!y
of i iji-xtjaj name.
But 1 was like a young bear— mv
Iron hi* s were ail ale ad of me. \Ylien 1
liegan to set Up my battered type. I
brought about mo a very hornet's ni*t
of di*i nuragement*. Stih I held bravely
on. My inck-knlle was constantly on
duty straiglitening up the sides" or
mending the fa<i*s of the crooked and
perverse little letters. When "sort*."
or particular kinds of letters failed me,
I had to rei onstruct them entirely, al
waysso far mindful of my "p's'' nnd
"qs' !1* to turn those letters Upside
down when I wa* short of "dV and j
" l>'s."' I mam* capital "F's" with
" F.'." just chopping off the lower limbs:
and a "Cj" learn is! to cry "O" after 1
had cut away it* tongue. The severest
strain, however, wa* to make two " V's " i
stand for "W." Imagine tire editorial
of a paper opening witii the quotation
" V\ lien, in themurse ol human events,
it becomes." etc!
Through thesi* many similar difficul
ties I led my little columns of broken
F.nglish, until they stood at last in hat
tie array on the bed of mv press, which
had been made true with the aid of a
spirit-level. Four hard-wood strips
formi*d the " chase," or frame, in which
the columns were " )o< kial up " U com
plete the " form." I liail two pages at j
two columns each, the slue of the page l>e
ing llin-e inches and a-half hy five inches.
I inked the type with printer's ink,
applied hy a hali made of buckskin
stuffed with cotton. I laid one of my
dampened sheet* of printing paper on the
inked surface, then a square of woolen
elotli. then a pie*e of hard-wood board
ten Incho* square, planed smooth and
true, and then, on ton of tliat, another
block half the size. Now came the su
preme moment. I grasped the lever,
fitted it lieneatli the rulcruni, ami
swung myself over the other end! I
seemed to sit astride the handle of the
Great Dipper, in this the proudest
moment of my howlife! I lob you,
there i* no satisfaction like that wliicji
comes from hard-earned success.
Now wa* fulfilled in>* luipe to bring
upoll earth, by means of my fulcrum and
lever, a visitant of lieavehlv title. The
star*, including my own viiingv ,%ir,
might "hide their diminished heads!"
For I stood that moment holding in my
linijil the first impression of the (W/.
Thus was uahi-red in. as we solemnly
say of the fourth of July nnd other
great events, the first hoys' newspaper
printed in the "Far West." It made a
stir when* I lived, and struek with as
tonishment nil the hoys of the villnge.
This "comet" struck the earth about
sixty-five miles west of Chicago, but 1
am compelled to admit that It exercised
no disturbing influence on the old planet.
It made an impression of one kinif, how
ever. Patience, contrivance and confi
dence wen* not left witlioutrewanl. Tin*
(\tmrt made me head boy in our delisting
club and president of our first juvenile
temperance society.— Kdynard C. KembU.
in A. Nirhola*.
Brilliant gathering—A cluster of dir.
monds.
UIASTH.
Mivr of llir Tall I'ruplr of HMlory
The existence of u race of giant* fur
exceeding those exhibited in modern
time* VVIMI fully believed in up to the
i <miiii<-ri' < tik iit of tin- eighteenth ci*n
tury Thi* belief wa* founded portly
I upon tin* Old Testament, partly upon the
discovery of 11UK'* horns supposed to lie
thorn*of human being*, mill portly upon
j tin* ifi'ountH handed down liy mi-din-vitl
writer*. Tin* >l<l Testament onyx:
' "There were giants in those day* " and
: (riant is applied to several rue"-* of men,
as ilie Anakilll, Iti'pliaiui, Kmirii, the
/oiiyeiiiui nnd others, I le-re are several
instance* in ihi; Old Testament of indi
vidual giant*. Htieh a* Og (who slept on
ft bedstead of iron) and (iolialh. The
height of ()g in not mentioned, hut Go
; linth, at moot, did not exceed eight and
a half feet in Mature Other IliotoriaiiH
(sometimes called proTane) also mention
giant*, hut Home of their account* are
not worthy of belief. I'lutareh Mates
that when tin; grave of AnUcus was
I opi tied by Serboniun the wan found
to be sixty cubit* long. Pliny aloo re.
lates that at an e;irth<|Uake in Crete tin*
hone* of a giant forty-nix cubit* in length
were discerned, Giants play a part in
tin* niytbology of almost all nations of
Aryan descent. The Greeks, who re
presented them a* being of monstrous
size, with hideous countenance*, and
having tiie tails of dragons, placed tl-r
abode in volcanic district*, wbctlier tliey
were fabled to have been banished after
three unsuccessful attempts Upon heaven,
when tiie gods, vvitli the assistanee of
llereuleH, imprisoned tlieni under .Etna
and other volcanoes. The body of Ores
tes, according to Greek history, was
eleven and* naif feet high. The giant
Galbara, brought from Arabia to Rome
; under Claudius Ciesar, was almut ten
feet, and the bone* of Seecndilla ami
Pulio, keepers of tiie gardens of Saliust,
were but six inches shorter. We read
that the giant Kerragus, slaid by Orlande,
nephew of the celebrated Ciiariemagm
w:is eighteen feet liigli. Funnum. a
Scotchman, who lived at the lime
of Kugene 11., King of Scotland,
measured elevt n and a half feet ; 1
and l-*i Mare, in his voyage to the
Straits of Magellan, reports that on I)e
--i-ember l*th lie found at Port Dcaire
several graven covered witii stone*, and,
having the curiosity to remove them, in*
found human skeletons ton and eleven
f"ct long. Coming to more reliable evi
dence, it seems certain that a height of
even more than nine feet has lx*<ri at
tained In the museum of Trinity Col
lege, Dublin, there is a skeleton eight
fist six inches in height. In tHemuseum
of the Koyal College of burgeon* of Eng
land is another eight feet two inches in
In ight. and anotiier in the*museum at
Bonn eight feet. Tiie giant who was
shown in Itouen in 1h35 measured eight
fist four and a half inches. The Em
peror of Maximin was one ineli sliorter.
Ski nkins and Plati rus, physicians of tin
last century, saw several of that stature,
and Coropins saw a girl ninetwn years '
of age who wa* ton feet high. In 1613
the remains of a supposed giant were
found on tiie Rhone. It was staUs] tli.it
tin skeleton had l>een in a tomb thirty
fist long, Is-aring the inscription " Tru-
The Parisians crowded
to SIS* tile hone* of the King T cue to
las bus; tint it was afbvward found tliat
the remains wi*re not those of a man.
hut of a mastodon. 1 r. Mat tier, in 1712,
announced the discovery of the lsini-s
and tis*tli of a giant in the province of
New York. The statement was pub
lished in tic " Pliilosopliieal Transac
tion*;" tint it was suhsivjuently ascer
tained tliat the bones in this ease also
were those of a mastodon. It apjicars
tlint attempts have lis*n made to manu
facture giants According to Geoffrey
Saint liilaire, Bishop Berkeley attempted
to in:vnu far-lure one. He reared an or
phan Isiy named Magrath on certain
hygienic principles, ami succeeded so far
that at the age of seventeen vears lie was
si x* n fis*t in lieiglit. He died with all
tiie symptoms of old age when lie had
completed his twentieth year, at which
tirili he was S' in fi*et eight inches liigli.
Great diversity as to lieiglit prevail*
among the human nice. Men rarely ex
wd -ix feet. In nortiiem latitudes men
are twdow tip* ordinary standard. In
temperate climates the lieiglit varies
from four and a half to six feet.
An Old-Fashioned Reaper.
One day, iust before harvest, an Ohio
farmer went to Cincinnati to buy a'
reaper. A delight-si agent collared the
firangi-r and dragged him into his ware
ii'ii*. As they walked down the well
stocked room the fanner, in a meditative
mood, quoted the line: " There is a
reaper whose name is Death." but ire
fore lie could start the second line the
agent broke in: "Ah. yes, 1 know it,
sir; 1 know it like a hook. We handled
tliat reaper one season, sir. and I'd take
9. r >.ooo out of my pocket this minute if
it would undo the damage that reaper
did our business in tliat one year. You
don't want it, sir. You don't want to
look at it. The machinery is compli
cated; it gets out of order easily; you
have to send clear to Akron for a new ,
piece of gearing; it doesn't cut clean,
nnd it nearly kills the horses; jam* their i
shoulders all to piece*, sir. I know that
reaper, sir. It's an old, old style, sir.
and you don't want it. Now here, sir.
I ran show you a reaper that—" But
the astonislusl farmer just interrupted
liini to say that the reaper he mentioned
wa* an old style, hut lie was certain it
did its work well, though, all the same; I
it wasn't the kind he wanted, and he
had no idea of buying it to work oa hi*
farm, lie bought another reaper, blood
thirsty as a Cossack, and red as an
autumn sunset, and the agent told how
nicely he sold a reapcT to an old fellow
who came in there just dead set for some
old machine that he had never heard of
before,
A woman in a Kansas Pacific railroad
■ ar sat facing a man who with one sye,
at least, seemed to be staring fixedly at
lo r. She became indignant, and said : j
"Why do yttn look at me so. sir P" He
I said tliat he was not aware of having
done so; hut she insisted. " I beg your j
pardon, madam, but It's this eve. Is it '
n;4 ? " lifting his finger to hi* left optic. I
"Yes, sir; It's that eye." "Well,
madam, that eye won't do you wry harm 1
It's a glass eye. madam—on!v a glass
• ye. 1 hope you will excuse it. But
upon my soul, I am not surprised that
even a glass eye should lee) interested in
-n nr. ;tv a woman." Jhe explanation
and tie-compliment combined to put the
woman In a good humor.
" Sam," said one IlUle urchin to an
i other—'" Sam. does your schoolmaster
j OVIST give you any rewards of mnritf"
*■ I *j*so he does," was the reply; "he
gives me a lickin' reg'lar every day and
I says I merit two."
. ~ A Bully Disposed Of.
A French paper tells the following
story While L'Eclair SO. 3 slowly went
up I.a 'inronne ri<T, Ixxlois IVkw
who was clerk on board tlx- steamboat,
and whom everybody called captain, I
Miy Ixxlois I'odensac was m much em
barrassed ax embarrassed could be. An
officer of the 13th n of hussars
was stretched at ease on tlir-- chairs—
one bore his body, the other hore hi* Jogs,
the third his left arm. Laprx-d into a
jeering beatitude, he smoked an enor
mous pipe, whose thick smoke was
blown i<y the wind straight into the
fins* of two charming ladies. The jatt>r
after having borne for some time this
disagreeable smoke, at last made sign to
< 'aptain Ixidoi* I'odemuic. If. ri t
understood what they meant, and went
Up to the ffi' . T and said: " Vou will
greatly oblige me were you to change
your place, ihetwo ladies behind you
■ire seriously inconvenienced hy the
smoke of your pipe. fix* officer slowly
ral-<d his eyes, lixiked at Captain Ixxiow
I 'slensac, smoked faster, drew inspira
tion deeper than ever: lazily moving his
right arm, lie |xiint-d to his salx-r and
said " ! refer you to C.xo." Captain
Ixxlois 1 islensa/ aked: " What do you
mean? Who is Coco?'' The officer
ironically replied " 1 refer you Ctxo."
' aptain Ixxlois J'odensae saw the officer
sought a ouarre., so J'txlensac turned his
fi.'i' k on tiic officer, who fTnok<*d more
than ever. The sbumlxxu was full of
passengers. Ihe ladies had no aiwma
tive hut to change their seats, which
were in the shade, and to sit in the sun—
an August sun. So they preferred put
ting up a little longer with the ineon
venionee, sure timt the enpt-'tin would
soon make the officer behave himself.
I'odens.v: was young: he was ambitious
to please ladies, especially when they
were his pa*M*ngers; so he attacked the
officer again and went up to him saying:
" Vou will oblige me to deal harshly
with you. hut it is your own fault. Vou
have no right to remain on the quarter
deck, for you have only a second-class
ticket. Your place is forward The
officer carelessly replied, still patting his
sword: "I refer you to Coco." "You
annoy me with your Coco. I don't
know Coco. I don't want to know
Coco, have nothing to say to Coco,
tt ill you go forward? Once, twice."
I refer you to Coco," repeated the
officer, smoking faster than ever. I'o
densv was furious. He went up "to two
sailors who wen- standing near the
smokestack and gave them an order in a
low tone. He returned with them and
said to the officer: "I should he vTy
sorry to use force, hut if you do not obey
me 1 shall fx- obliged to make my men
carry you forward. The officer 'juictiy
answend :" I rcfiT you to Coco." IV
d<-nsac's first impulse was to seize the
insolent officer by the collar and drag
iiim forward, kicking him as he went.
H' all at one*- exclaimed—evidently a
thought had suddenly occurred to him:
" You are right. You refer me to Coco.
I>o you think lam afraid of you, of such
nx vou.of Coco' Wait one minute and
111 let you see." The captain went be
low and in a few minutes afterward
came out of his cabin brandishing an
Imnien— saber. He went Up to the offi
cer and said, " See on our lee, tin-re is a
little island. It is entirely deserted. It
is the very place for you and me. I shall
land ymi there, and 1 shall say to Coco
more than you now dream of." The
officer rose. 'I lie captain ordered the
engineer to stop the boat and the helms
man to put her close to shore. When
she almost touched short the captain
ordered the gangway to be put out.
Win n it was in position the captain said
to the officer: "Will you land?" In a
moment th" officer we tm the island.
In less time the gangway was taken in.
a full head of steam put on and the boat
in the middle of the river. The officer
.veiled in a lowering rage. "What does
all this mean?" The captain yelled tan k.
" I refer you to Coco." " Have you
played a trick on tne?" " I refer you to
Coco." "Do you mean to insult me?"
" 1 refer you to Coco."
Satisfying His Hunger.
" For the sake of humanity give me
just one mouthful to eat." he said. as he
halted before one of the rating stands in
th° Central Market yesterday.
" I've nothing for tramps, replied th
woman.
" I'll take anything—even them 'later
parinps" lie continued, " for I haven't
t sstiai food in three days. If I i-an"! get
food I shall become desperate."
" I can't spare anything but this
prep-"
" I don t rare what it is." he inter
rupted. " only don't be stingy with it.
There— that's it—give me a heaping
spoonful and I'll always rcmemiier you
with gratitude."
It was a bottle of grated horse-radish,
strong as the grip of a paving ring on a
city, and the woman lifted out a big
spoonful and deposited it in his open
nioutli. The tramp must have taken it
for some sort of prepared infanta' food,
for his mouth closed with a yum! yum!
It opened again, however, and when he
started to run he upset a dozen flower
pots, two boys and a barrel of charroal.
Much of the dose was blown into the
eyes of a horse hitched to a vegetable
wagon, and after the man had run twice
around the market with his mouth wide
open he got a slant for the Itandolph
street fountain, and never took his chin
out of the basin for forty straight min
utes.— btlroil AVer Pre**.
Words of Wisdom.
without thought is labor
lost; thought wiUiout learning is peril
ous.
Friends are as companions on a jour
ney. who ought to aid each other tojpor
•fjw in the road to a happier life.
\\ ben the millions applaud you. seri
ously ask what harm you have done;
when they cenaure'you. what good.
I-ife is made up. not of great sacrifice*
or duties, but of little tfiirgs in which
smiles and kindness and smal(obligations
given habitually, are what win and pre
serve the heart and secure comfort.
Misfortune is but anotlier word for the
follies, blunders and vices which, with a
greater blind new*, we attribute to the
blind goddess, to the fates, to the stars,
to anything, in short, but to ourselves.
Our own head and heart are the lieavea
and earth which we accuse and make
nwponsiblo f„r all our calamities.
There is this difference between those
temporal blessings, health and money;
money is the most envied, but tile least
eiyoved ; health is the most eiyoyed. but
the fesst envied; and this superiority of
the latter is still more obvious, when" ws
reflect that the poorest man would not
p-trt with health for money, hut that the
richest would gladly part with all their
money for health.
There are, according to the Dubuque
(Iowa) Ifrmhl, one billion logs afloat on
the Chippewa, Menominee and Black
rivers. The mills, it thinks, will bay •
all they can do for the next two yean.