Indian Summer.
Oh! those days,
Autumn days!
Whon the languid earth lies dreaming,
In a sort of golden haze;
When amidst the verdant woodlands
Stand the maples all ablaze;
pr" ftold and crimson, brown and orange.
[ How they rise,
(Rowing pyramids ol color,
Tot ho skies
When the summer tasks are done,
I And the song-bird southward's gone,
[And 110 sound
Stirs tiie voiceless, breathless lorest,
Save whon, lar away and seldom,
, The ripe acorn strikes the ground;
iOr when leaves,
With a melancholy rustle,
And unstirred by any breeze,
Circling downward Irom the ttcea,
Spread around
A rich carpet brighter tiutod
Then the cunning Persian weaves.
Oh" these days,
| Autumn days'
Who can pnint the g!ow and glory
Of these halcyon autumn days ?
' THE ROYAL ZULU.
A TALK. KOI'NDEO Ot* PACT.
Beneath the shade of a grove of palm a
Zulu maiden knelt in prayer on the morn
ing of the fatal twenty-second of January,
IK7(. lier face was pretty beyond most
of her country-women, and her small
hands and fret, her distinguishing orna
ments and graceful form bespoke her 'lie
daughter of some powerful chief. Rut
strange, considering her nationality,
were the words of supplication which
flowed front iter lips its she raised her
clasped hands to heaven. Not from
witchcraft or enchantment, or from the
equally powerless deities of tier nation,
did she seek for help, but from Him
only, the one true God, Jehovah.
"Father!" shecried, "to whom all the
ends of the earth look for help in trouble,
hear me for the sake of Jesus. The evil
spirit of war and persecution has conic
down and entered my father's kraal, and
Cetywayo has folded his hands and
bowed his ear to listen. ID has sworn
I todrink the blood of thr white men, and
eat up all the Christian Zulus of his
nation. Oh, Great Father! in this hour
of trio,, keep Cassatonga and me faithful
to thyself!"
At this moment a movement beside
her caused the worshiper to turn
around, and she beheld a stately war
rior standing near her, leaning on his
black shield. His eyes were fixed with
unspeakable love on the youthful form
before him. "1.u01a," tie said, "your
prayer for me is answered; I can tight
no more for Cetywayo. Lait night the
murder, indescribable in cruelty, of
Sirayo's wives, for their adherence to
the Christian faith, proves what little
mercy the king would show toward any
one, even yourself, were you to oppose
his will; and though it is our duty to
bear persecution when it comes, it is no
doubt equally madness to provoke it.
Here we can no longer stay without de
claring our faith, and therefore we must
fly with all haste to Ilelpmakaar. You
know the good missionary there, the
same who taught us the will of the
Great Master, and beneath his care you
will be safe from your father's wrath.
This alternative is the only one |< ft to
us, and 1 feel it is the right one. Will
you eotue'now, Luola* My horse stands
readv in the thicket."
" I will." And though the hand ex
tended to him trembled. the voice was
steady that decided their fate.
"By Rofke's Drift is our shortest
road." he said, as they reached the tree
where hi* horse was fastened, and plac
ing the princess on its back, tie mounted
behind tor. and turned Ids steed in the
direction of the Buffalo. They traveled
for some hours with ex'reme caution,
skirting every kraal nnd open ground,
till at length they arrived at u iarge
thickly plan to! wood, in which they
hoped to find an hour's repose. Rut they
had scarcely dismounted ere tlm roar ol
artillery and tire cracking of rifles,
mingled with wild yells, were heard In
the aistani-e, and Cassntonija hastened to
conceal his royaljiliarge be tore endeavor
ing to discover the cause. Hiding I.urda
and his horse in the densest part of tlie
grove around him, he selected a lofty
tree, whose thick branches would be a
shield in themselves. Gliinhing with
the agility ol his nation to the topmost
houghs, lie beheld the fatal field of Isan
dula spread out before hint. Amaze
ment at the vnex peeled sight and deep
admiring pity flashed 111 his eyes as lie
looked on the tiny band of white men
wtio, shoulder to shoulder, received un
flinchingly the masses of his country
men, as they - wept down upon them.
The first emotion of his heart was to
fly to the aid of the devoted column,
but the thought of his bride restrained
' him, and lie sank ha k among the shel
tering leaves. Straining his sight over
the awful plain, lie could distinguish his
•vn fierce regiment, although foremost
in the work of death, yet not so preoc
cupied therewith as to be unconscious of
the plunder which lay ground, pausing
even in the butchery to collect cattle,
atop-- and wagons to be driven to their
distant kraals. Horror and disgust
filled his now enlightened .soul. " Why
do those English soldiers stand there,
he asked himself, as the breath eame
•uiekiy through his laboring chest, "on
that plain of Africa. far away from their
island lioni's, to be shot down, steady in
their matchless ranks, by their swarthy
foes?" His own heart gave him the
reply; "Tosave helpless women from
the savage butchery he beheld ieet night;
to gum d the gray hairs of old age from
going down to a terrible grave beneath
the real or feigned imputations of witch
craft and divination; and. above all. to
tench the pure faith of the Gospel where
reigned the degrading demonology of
bis native land.' His dark eyes biased
and hi.', uulses throbbed as these thoughts
surged through his mind, nnd he pressed
his bands ovei his aohlilg eyeballs as he
bowed himself to the service of that flag
which shelters freedom and truth be
seath its folds,
j Rut meanwhile the worg of denlli
I went on. Those who were sent for help to
Knrke's Drift were, alas! shot or a*e
gaied; few, how few ' readied the river,
r and Gassatonga beheld with dismay thpt
tin Zulus were scattering toward the
lb if- Gould he skiit tiie wood and
reach the ford before them with his
precious charge? was now his anxious
; thought. Descending quickly from Ids
position, lie found the trembling f/Uola
b terrified at Ids long also nee. lie <|e
#rrit#ed the nwftil suene he bad just wit
nessed. and told her of the immediate
I necessity for endeavoring to it.its the
livsr.
The l>loo<l <>f the lion-like founder of
her dyniuity (lowed in Euola's vein*, and
though convinced of imminent danger,
alio wiui not wanting in courage. "bet
us BO," she said: (Sod will help UH
and 1)0 our shield."
Remounting, they rode on till tlmy
came to the edge of the wood, when a
new Uanwr menaced them, whleh tested
to the almost the fleetness of theirstoed.
Rarely out of range of rifle shot, some
scattered parties of Zulus wi re coming
toward them. Cassatonga knew well
he could give no reason for not being
with his troops, anil the daughter of the
king was not unknown. Were alio
seized and conducted hack to her father
lie dared not think of her fate. I'rging
his horse to a gallop, lie cleared the
wood, and by carefully placing every
hill and eluuip <( bushes between him
and the savagi s, he sui cmlcd in making
several miles undiscovered.
Rut just as lie and l.uola were begin
ning to hope they might escape un
noticed a yell in the distance told that
they were seen- Now was llie hour of
trial for horse and riders. The uoblc
animal seemed hardly to touch the
ground as he flew over the plain, the
wild yells of the Zulus ringing behind .
At length the hauks of the Buffalo rose
high before them, and Cassatonga real
i/eii with horror that ho had not time
to look tor the ford, and that lie must
only trust his nearly exhausted com
panion and breath less horse to the perils
of a plunge from those lofty hanks. Rut
it was their last hope of safety; they
must do it or die. At length they
reached the hank, which rose full six
feet aliove the stream . Cassatonga held
the princess tightly in his arms, and the
horse's nostrils dilated and his eyes shot
tire as he gazed 011 the torrent heneath .
Rut not a second did the noble animal
waver; obedient to his master's hand
he hounded front the hank, and in
another minute tossed Ids noble head
atsive the wave as In bravely breasted
the stream- In a few moments, how
ever. his feet touched the Isittont; tlio
ford was found, and the worst of the
terrible strain was over. At length they
gained the opposite hank, up which the
weary horse toiled slowly; and soon, to
his rider's great astonishment, the small
English euiup lay before theni-
Thc pair now paused to consult about
tln ir next move. 1 heZulus,they justly
conjectured, would make no delay in
crossing the river, and their poor horse
was far too • xhausted to take them that
night to Ilelpmakaar; therefore they un
hesitatingly felt their wisest course
would l>e to place themselves ut der the
protection of thr English eotntnander.
i'ving a whit.- handkerekief to the end
of liis spear, Cassatonga approached thr
ramp; and when within ear-shot lie
Culled out io aloud Voice to the sentries,
informing him that they were Christian
Zulus flying for safety. They were ini
ni'sliately s >izvd and hrouglit before llie
officer in charge, who received theui with
murh suspicion, as he had only just
heard of the disaster at Isandula. and
was in no nmod to harbor Zulus of any
kind. Their tale was soon told. Rut
though the officer expressed his pity for
t he suit-Tings of the royal maid, fie gave
orders to have them strictly watched, at
the same time commanding that their
wants should be supplied.
It is needless to give a description of
the nif lit that followed. All the world
knows how through llie darkness the
tide ofimttle surged up. wave after wave,
against the weak harriers of the little
fort, and was again and again repulsed.
All the world has ning with the names
of Rromhcad and Chard, and a'l tl •
other le-rocs who with strong hands and
stronger hearts held the fort that night.
Rut among them ail who fought beneath
the red-cross flag that night there was
no stronger ami, no braver heart than
his, the young Zulu chief, who had re
nounced friends, fortune, country, to
enlist beneath the banner of a higher
cross and strive henceforth for a more
enduring victory. As the morning broke
upon th • -eene and disclosed the dusky
foe. disheartened and d-f.d. vanish
ing dk'- dark clouds fi hind tiie distant
hills, thegallnnt officiT, Ix-gritned with
powder, ixed tiie now scarcely darker
hand of the nohle Zulu, and thanked him
as a British soldier for his timely niu.
l.uola felt in that moment she was re.
ward'-d for* il the terrors of the night.
After some hours'needful rest at the
fort, the young travelers prepared to re
some their journey. Tliey were followed
by the benedictions of iiji. lAtoia had
bean untiring in her assistance to the
wounded, ami tlm dying wrecheep d by
lier words of eomlort. 'I bus. amidst
many good wishes. tlmy bade farewell
to their new friends, and accompanied
by the officers biaring dispatches, they
set out for Ilelpmakaar. Tiie evening
shadows were lengthening as they
entered and rode through the streets if
that town, and soon they were received
with warm welcomes beneath the roof
of the good missionary.
Not long afterward, before these offi
cers returned to their po<ts. they were
called upon to witness the union of tie ir
Zulu comrade with fits royal bride
The ceteniony was performed by their
friend Mr. R in the words of the
beautiful service of the English church.
And here let us leave them. They have
set themselves resolutely to the task of
preparing for that labor of love which
they feci certain God will in His own
good time open up for tliem—a wide
field of missionary work in their dear
native land. Re it ours to pray for tlie
success of all such noble hearts, and for
the time when the swords of all the
world shall lie beaten into pruning
hooka, and the nations study war no
more.— English Mai/nzinr.
An Editor's l.ahors.
Noticing the retirement of Mr. George
k. Nixon, editor and publisher of the
Rridgeton (N. J.) fhiily and Chronicle
after twenty years of active service, the
Rridgeton Dollar Weekly .VVim says:
If ever the history ol the weekly pub
lisher of uiany years service count lie
written ' ut, none would be so much
surprised at the an.ount of labor and
heavy burden of responsibility borne, as
tiie publisher himself. We aro not
speaking now of swarming detractors;
flippant cavillers,or incompetent critics,
nor of place-seeki rs who choose to use
the editor of a newspaper for personal
aggrandisement, to be thrown aside
when of no further use, nor yet of the
cheeky fellows who worm through all
nossible advertisements under the guise
of local paragraphs; these are toon
understood and properly labeled, hut
mean more particularly the constant
strain and worry in llie preparation of a
newspaper. Everything to he rem cm
tiered, nothing forgotten; everything
new; no advertisements, or If so, every
one's advertisement in the biggest lot
lets. a joke at every one's expense but
their own. nobody's church, party, or
Sunday-school to le noticed but "ourn."
and a multiplicity ol matter just as vex
atious, are expected of the average
editor.
TIMELY Tories.
The towing of vessels on canals l.y
means of locomotives lias recently been
successfully tried in France. A railroad
is laid on the tow-path, near tliw side of
the canal, on wliiali are run small loco
motives of four or morn tons, according
to tin* weight to lie pulled. One man
manages the locomotive. Vessels are
thus drawn at a speed of two mil.-s or
more an hour—about twice tho mean
rate of a horse upon the tow-path. The
locomotive lias drawn an empty vessel
six miles an hour, but such speed in
jures tin- bonks of the canal.
In Turkey, where wine and intoxi
cating drinks arc forbidden by the Ko
ran, tho juice of the grape is boiled
down in great quantities and commonly
used in the household, tnu'-li us we use
lam, answering the purpose of both
nutter and jam. It is considerably
thicker than treacle, and in winter can
lie cut with a knife like butter. It is
put up in goat skins, and is a common
article of trade in the market. It is
called " rck iucz,"and is used as a drink
when diluted with water. It tastes
somewhat like n< w ci.hr.
Professor Swing wisely remarks that
it will lie a great misfortune if the re
turn of good times shall bring hack tin
old mania for property and speculation
which made mortgage* among the most
popu ar thingsof Uie day. " Mortgages,"
he adds, "arc a pi stilcnce, and debts are a
regular < hob ni. Estates die under thera ;
churches sicken and have to be sat up
with at night; individuals pine away,
wives and children )income disheartened
in the mortgage season; and tie- finan
cial grave-nigger is busy day and night.
Swamps and dirty houses were tie
black dentil of Europe; debts are the
plague of America."
A correspondent writes: I see the
rumor is revived that the ex-Empress
Eugenie proposes going into a convent.
I had to contradict that statement some
time u-.'o; and on the authority of Mon
signor (loddard I do so again. The right
reverend gentleman informed me—and
no one probably knows more as to the
intentions of the ex-Empress -that then*
was not a word of truth in the report.
Her ex-majesty x* iJI probably leave
Camden place a* *oon as iter health is re
stored ; but she has no thought of taking
tin- vail, nor has she l. n advised so to
do. By the way, the little at
Cliiselhurst containing the remain of
tin 1 Napoleon* father and son—iss<f:l
daily xlsit.-d by large numbers of p.-o
ple, a gr at many of thin American* so
journing in London.
The speed of carrier pigeon* appear*
to depend as much on tlie clearness of
tin ir sight as on tin? strength of tln-ir
wing*. The Lindon SpfUtlnr relate*
that in an experiment recently made
with some It.-rliii pigeons, on a clear
day, a distance of over 300 miles, from
Cologne t" It rlin. was a< coß)t>!i*h'-d in
five hour* and a half, r at the rate of
sixty mile* .-in hour; while the most ex
pedition of a group let loose the n> xt
day—a day not oft')" *am* kind—took
twelve hour* to reach Berlin. H<nie it
would appear that in the latter .-as.-a
good ileal of the pig<*>n*' time wo* tak< n
up in cxplorir g tie- country for land
mark*. as wa* some of Mr. ForlxV in
ids ride from Ulundi with news of Imrd
Chelmsford's \i t<>ry. It is not in*tin>'t
but sight by which the carrier pigeon
guides its flight.
Calistoga i* a famous tnin.rai spring
re<>ri. sixty-eight mile* from San Fran
cisco. it was intended to !■ tii- Sara
toga of the I*a< ifleeoast, th* name being
an abbreviated combination oft 'alifornia
and Saratoga. The waters are prin fi
nally sulphur, iron, soda and magnesia.
Some of them will boil an egg in two
minutes. Over one is built a pr.-fty sum
mer house , Jt i call's! the chick' n soup
spring lb-re the guests resort, after a
both, Willi pepper, salt and era. k'rs, and
if you are very hungry and of an imagin
ative turn ol min<l, you may. perhaps,
be induced to believe that nature ha*
ir.'bii prepared in her subterranean
kitchen this delicate d.-.-oetion for her
visitors. After people have been in
California awhile tie-y learn not to lie
surprised at anything that romes from
the heaven* above or the earth bcn"ath.
M. SeiiiHot, a French engineer, has a
plan of alternate ship railway and canal
tor crossing the tsthniua of Panama, the
coat of which he estimates at fifl.tWO.-
000. Hi* proposed rails consist of rails
tiiteen times n* heavy as tlie ordinary
rail, laid about thirty-five feet apart,
over whieh vemei* up to T.ooo tons bur
den may lie transported in immense
dock* or <-ar* supported by a thick.
Friends of this scheme claim t ha' B speed
of nine to eleven miles an hour .-an he
attained, the whole distance from ocean
to.n-.nn being traveled in five hour*.
The length of the railway would be
about twenty mii.s, with twenty.five
mile* of ejuml. It i* stated that as long
ago as 1*73 the t 'ohimhirtn government
granted M. Heblliot permission to con
struct a ship railway over the moun
tains of the isllnnu*.
The colony of New Zealand has a very
extraordinary prime minister In the per
son of Sir (oorge Grey. This gentle
man was twice governor of the Cape,
and then appointed to the government oi
New Zealand. When hi* tenure of tin
latter office expired he elected to remain
in tlie colony, and took tip Id* abode in
a remote locality, an island, where he
lived almost exclusively among the
Maori -, with whom lie cultivated the
most intimate relations and domestic
tie*, lie ha now liecn for sometime
governor, hut of late serious di**en*lons.
: assuming the character of violent per
sonal antagonism*, have arisen in Uie
cabinet, and the retirement of the
premier is expected. Sir George i* a
man of force and ability, but decidedly
eccentric, both in character and habits*.
New Zealand, whose area is estimated
at 122,000 square miles—about that of
the Hritisli islands—is divided into
"ight province*, each of which is g >v
crned much after the fashion of one of
, our States, while the general govern
ment consists of a cabinet of live offhx-r*.
In ore of the suburbs of Ixmdon. the
other day. a medical district officer
called in to see the children of a man
named llolley sick with an eruptive dis
ease, declared that they had small-tinx
and ordered the whole family to go into
hospital. When tliry had been there a
fm might tliey were disehargt-d with tile
enrvnlatorv assurance that the doctor's
diagi.isis wa*erroneous, that they never
as a matter of fact had small-pox, and
that what the children had caught wa*
chicken-pox, nn innocuous form of in
fantile disease. Thus the whole family
had bepn exposed for a lengthened tini"
to tiic contagion of a most mortal and
loathsome malady; the bread-winner
lost hi* situation and two week*' pay,
anil the local authorises, byway of
compensation, magnanimously offered
tlie sum of five shillings in money, two
shilling* worth of groceries and four
loaves of bread. A family Is broken up,
a house disinfected at considerable e<>*t,
and no end of mischief done because an
incompetent health officer could not dis
tinguish between variola and varicella.
Tho moral is obvious.
The production of nickel in Norway
has become an industry of considerable
importance of late years. The first mine
was opened in 18-to by an English com
pany in the Valley of Espeihil, in tli
mountain district of Sondre-Gudhrands
dal, but this was closed in IK r 7 in con
sequence of tin* difficulty of approach
and the absence of communication*.
StibscqU' ntly t" tliii mines were opened
at Kingerike and (iambic, near Ski'-ri,
and from iHfil .0 there Were eleven nickel
mine* worked, averaging 3,1.' j<l ton* per
annum. In the latter year the produc
tion rose t<> 5 2)*) tons from fourteen
mines, and it gradually increased until
1W75, when it attained its maximum at
tons. The greater part of this
yield is exported in the shape ol ore,
Norway hung the principal source of
the nickel supply and furnishing quite
one-third of the yield of the world. A
part of t' e ore is smelted near the mines,
averaging between I*7l 5 a yearly make
of no,'smi kilogramme*. About tu.'>
workmen arc employed in nickel min
ing, though the number ha* been dimin
ish' d within the last year or two, owing
to the lessened demand.
The Siberian exiles, when released
from prison and the mine*, have had to
choose between starving or st- aling the
meat,* "f üb-.ixt< nee; being deprived of
all civil rights, they were not allowed
to ail-jit any honest calling. Such hiu.
been the < on.lilion of the Siberian ex
iles for centuries. I'ml. r the ifireum
stanc *, it was natural tkat during the
warm seasons I he Silwriun forest* should
lie fiM< d with criminal vagrants, who
resorted to 1M gging, sb ding, robbing
and tnurd'-r, in ord. r ti keep body and
soul together. Hoth the eeononiiea! and
the moral Int. i sts of Siberia suffered
Irom tie H. evils; and the govertiinent
lias ofi. n be.-n petitioned to i mcdy
th.-m. It ha* Ims ii found til at, in order
to k'-ep all throe exile* in prison it
would te r>< i .-ssary to erect a large ad
dilional number of prisons, costing not
less than fifty iniiiion* of roubles. The
government eottid not spar. - sueh a sum
.if money, and so the Czar r ■ ntly
promulgated an or.b r allowing the exile*
to pursue different occupations, upon
the recommendation and under the sur
veillance of the hsal autlioriii'--. The
political exiles, however, are denied this
right of honeatly making a living.
To.d* tireat M.-n Work With.
It is not t.Hi * tfint make tlie work
man. hut the trained skill and jierse
yeranee of the man hims.fif. Indeed,
it is proverbial that the ba<! workman
never vet had a good tool. Some one
askedl ftpie by what Wonderful pr.H .-*s
he mixed lii color*. " I mix tie in with
my lirrrins, sir." was hi* reply. It is
the same with every workman who
would excel. Ferguson made marvel
ous things—sueh as his w.Hxlen clock,
that accurately measured the hours—by
mean* of a common p-nknif<.a tool in
everybody's band ; but then everybody
is not a Ferguson. A pan of water and
two thermometer* w,re the took by
whieh I>r. Black discovered latent ln-at;
and a prism, a hn* nn.! *h< < t of paste
boar.l enabled Newton to tinfo d tie
composition of iielit and origin ot color.
An eminent foreign savant once called
upon Dr. \Voolla*ton, and r.qn. tol Ui
be shown ov< r hi* ialmratori.-*, in whi. h
science ha* b<n fnri.b.d by m> many
important discoveries, wle n the doctor
t.M.k liim in a study, and pointing to an
old tea tray, containing a few watch
gla-ses, t<"t-papers, a small balance and
a blow-pipe, said: "There is all tl.e
.aborntorv I have."
St'ithard learned the art <>i eomhining
color# by closely studying butterflies'
wing*; h" would often say that no one
knew 'vhat he wwl to these tiny insets.
\ I, unt *li k and a barn-door s< rve 1
\\ i'kie in lieu of pencil and canvas.
IW-wiek first practiced drawing on tlif
cottage walls of Id* native village.whieh
heeovered with lii sketch.* m el,alk.
ntid Itenjnniin West made hj* first
brushes out of the cat's tail.
F rgtison laid himself down in tlie
fields at niglit in a blanket, and mad" a
map of the heavenly bodies, by mean*
of a thread with small bead# en it,
stretched let ween lli* eyes and the star*.
Franklin rtr*t roblted the thund.r cloud
of its lightning hy mean, of a kite ma.'r
with two cross-*ti< k* and a siik hand
kerchief.
Watt mode lila lint model of the con
densing steam-engine out of an old an
atomit's #\ringe, used to inject the ar
teries previous to dissection. Guilford
worked hi* first problem in mathematics
when a cobbler's apprentice, upon small
scraps of leather, whieh he beat smooth
for the purpn-<\ while Uittenhou*.-, the
astronomer, first calculated eclipse- on
hi# plow-handle.
The tireat Bridge.
Both ot tli'* towers of the New York
and Brooklyn bridge rest on sunken cais
son*. whieli were substituted for tl.e
solid foundation which the engineers
were unable to obtain. It was expected
that when the weight of the structure
came upon the tower# they would ink
some. "We are surprised," *ai, Col.
Paine, of the enginerr corps, to a re
porter, "that the towers have sunk
little. The New York tower rests upon
t wont v-two feet of limber and is seventy
eight feet under water. In making the
timber foundation there was a gain of
two and one-half inches, hy reason of
the pieces not coming close together.
This we allowed to stand, ex peeling tl.nl
the tower, when finished, would sink
more than that; but now that the tower
is all completed and over four-fifth# of
all the weight that it is expected to tie or
is upon it, wc find that it has sunk about
an inch and a half, or hut iittie more
than half of the unintentional increase
in Its height. That is not near so much
as we expected. At a certain altitude
we had iron spike# driven into the tower
at every angle to it on all sides, and we
took Uie level from another spike, driven
a* a ben eh nuirk into the sill of a win
dow in South street. Ily taking tlie differ
ence in tho level of those spike* to-day
we get tlie di stall CO the tower has sunk.
At oilier peculiar thing is that it ha*
*unk evenly all around. Tbc Brooklyn
tower lias not mik so much—not over
an inch, 1 think."
lowa boosts of a farmer who for thir
teen months pet has drank nn average
of ten gallons of water adny, and cannot
even then sntDfy Lis morbid appetite.
The rtilled Slates Signal Service.
A Washington /W reporter ha* paid
a visit to Fort Whipple (on<- of the
suburbsl tho notional capital), where
flM* trairiiriK iM'lioolof tin; IJnitwl StaU*
Signal Service j* located. The Ameri
can Signal Service ha* lr*n organ I z<<l
seven year* ami now covers the west
ern continent like , t net-work. The
officer in charge at Fort Whipple was
willing to answer .juestion* and to ex
plain the methods of training.
"ilow do you begin?" questioned the
reporter.
"By putting the men at once in the
Held. They drill, receive instruction*
in military signaling and telegraphy;
: they learn the signal service duties by
aotual work in tin- field for two months
when they first come here. Then they
take up a regular course of study, in
cluding meteorology, electricity and ail
hrani lies which are necessary to fit till 11l
for their work. They learn "to telegraph
fifteen words a minute. With tin in.ok
course tiny still continue tlie field
practice."
" And iiow lone are they here?"
"That depends on their proficiency,
w iii.-li is t'-sti-.l liy examinations. After
; leaving here they have a year of study
:i* assistants at stations. iaiU-r tln-y
conn- In re again for instruction in the
high. r h.-an.-hes, and -ire again examined
and tested by pra- tiee In-fore being in
trust'.! with the management of sta
tions."
"Ilow many nnn are under instruc
tion here nov/ ?"
"Thirty. A* tlic men are constantly
coming and going, the number i* always
varying."
" And how many in tin- entire signal
service?"
"Of th '-nlist'-d force, ISO sergeants,
thirty corporals and 270 private*. Ily
a r.-e. lit decision, two sergeants are each
year appointed second lieutenants, and
tin- stimulus of possible promotion have
I it* usual gisid effect."
" Are tin-re many applicants?"
" Tin- lists ar< crowded, Andliicser
vice, wit ii its yearly increasing import
anc . aud it - ciiant. - for achieving dis
tinction, is attracting the #t rla*# of
citizens. If you want to see what you
would n-e at any signal station in the
I"nited Stat. *. we will go ut. intotln- in
strument shelter. up on tli- roof in a
little square room inclosed by blinds."
Through tin- OJK n slats the air comes
fr<-1 y. hut tin forc-nf tin wind is hr< k<*n.
and the g:ar< . f sunshine and heat
shut out. In t lie qui.-t half-light of this
shelter hare tin-instruments - tin-baro
meter. tin- dry and wet-bulb tliermomc
ters, which three time* every day are
r.-ad, and whose record* make up the
telegraphic report* which nr.- trans
mitted to the central office Yotl go
outside and look down at Washington,
whieh from this height links n very
Stale, fiat and Unprofitable place.
" Jlow far away do tin- signal parties
i go?". ..
" Various distance*; eight miles, forty
miles, Y- us..- Bald mountain way out
J there < n tin- horizon 5 l*ok through
the glass. That is forty mile* away.
We frequently go to tliat jmint. When
we go ovr beyond tin- Capitol,
tlie heated air rising from the dome is a
gr.-at annoyance, oft<-n putting a stop to
observations altogether."
I pon tin roof were a weather-vane
and the nnomometcr, whose r. stlcws
revolutions were registered in the room
bCiow. Fort Whippl. lux# an ordinance
sh<>l fur the protection of Catling guns
and aruis, and a bri< k magazine f.i the
safe storage of ammunition, signal shells
and pyrot.s hni. s, for in tlnir spare
moments the nnn make experiments
with shell# charged with tun-cotum and
"tin r interesting explosive*. Tln-y lorn
to maneuver with field telegraph trains,
and thej- liav. a pracfjee telegraph line
forty mile* long. t)n a fWdTne eight
min* long In-twcn the Fort and the
town ofib <•, diffi niit tonus of telephone
are tested,
"Aid what do you signal b-side#
flags?"
" Torches and the heliograph. We
use the sun.flash"* in the sann-way that
the F.nglish did, you r mem ber. in the
Zulu war."
And the heliograph was kindly
brought out for a practical illustration.
It Is an inno. ent-.ooking little affair,
standing on three leg*, and with a little
mirror at the ton, almut five indies in
I diameter. In the enter of the mirror
I i* a small h le, and thr>ugji this the in
strument is "sighted" and the *un
, flash tli row n wherever it is desired.
Words of Wi*dom.
Adversity is the balance to weigh
j friend*.
, To him that live* well every farm ol
life is good.
We mut lot look around on the uni
v<r*e with aw.-, and on man with scorn.
Ixvve, like fire, cannot subsist without
i .s.ntinual movement; MI soon as it rem- *
to hope and bar it .-eases to exist.
love .and enmity, aversation and fear,
are not aide w heller* and quickner* of
i the spirit of life in all animals.
No man is called on to ]o*o hi* own
balance for Uie advancement of the
j world in any particular direction.
logic helps us to stripofTtlie outward
disguise of thipgs, and to behold and
judge of them in their own nature.
' The law of food i, that man should
( eat what is good for him. at such limes
and in sucu quantities as nature re
j quires.
i The sweetest music is not in the ora
torio, hut in the human voice, when it
' speaks from its instant life tone* of ten
derness, truth and coinage.
Have the courage to show your re
j spect for how sty, in whatever guise it
appears, or your contempt for dishonest
duplicity, by whomsoever exhibited.
An Interesting Enterprise,
A number of prominent citizens of
New York, have formed a company,
with a capital stock of 98,000,000. for a
conservatory and zoological garden in
I that cltv. Thy have purchased a tract
"f land bounded by tho Harlem river.
I St. Nicholas avenue. One hundred and
fifty-fifth and One hundred and Hfty
' ninth streets. There arc three plateaus
upon the Und of whieh the highest
i point is nearly IU feet above Eighth
avenue. Tl <• land has b.*'n purchased
j for 9100,000, and surveys have la* n
made by nn Austrian engineer and land-
I #oape artist at an expense of ftO.COO.
• The plans have been prepared by Wm.
Mcrtanez. who laid out the zoolocica]
garden in Philadelphia and other simi
lar places of resort. Arrang. menu have
Jwcn made to set at work about Mm !.
borers who are t< lie .ngag.d in lornt
ing the topogrnpiiv of the ground to Un
contemplated buildings. The proposal
building will be among the Jarge-t and
most elegant In the country.
A WONDERFUL CLOCK.
The f tirloiM Hfurhliiff thai an Alloona
IHan ha* hffti Worhliii mm for Nven*
fern I'm*
For the post seventeen years a #r**nt)<?-
rnan of this city ha* been engaged in the
vonst ruction of u curioun clock which li<•
expects to have completed ly tic first of
January next. A representative of the
(Vf accidentally <■amc across it tin* other
day firi! was kindly given the following
description of it ly the inventor who ex
acted a promise that Ids name should
not he Riven to tlie public at the present
time:
Ittonsist* oi sixty-live automatic fig
ures and workmen. The bane represents
a hill of stone upon which is a large
structure. To the left is a beer garden
with beer on draught wliich one figure
occasionally draws and passes toanotlier
near by.
I wo more figures, a lady and a gentle
man, are s* at* d le ne.ath a tree in the at*
lit ul< of lovers. 'lie- la ly i- reading and
at interval* turns her head toward her
companion as if for his approval,
I he next repre-entation is of an old
fashioned linseed.oil mill. Here are
workmen ngagi-d in the various jhirta of
the husines- (trie OUT ilea a large VMM)
and i rooties it into the hopper* to be
rire-sed hy the stamper* On the outside
is a carpenter, iiateliet in hand, who as
■ends a ladder in a perfectly natural
manner, slopping when half way up, as
if to iook over the miil to *<■ that all is
right.
Adjoining fills is a blacksmith shop,
in lie- background rf wliicli are work
iiien hi alirig iron, wlio cluing'- the piece
after aliowingi t;o heat. A man is also
engaged .n shoeing a iiorse and strikes
his first blows gently; he gradually in
••p s t!i -m until tie last i a strong one,
i t ulateil to drive the nail borne. An
other is at the anvil and occasionally
rest* when fiis wife brings him Kim'' re
freshment*.
A fountain play* near by and in a
-mull summer liouo- where a professor is
i reading and when be income* , xcited
over some passage, raise* Ins hand and
brings it down uin.n tbc page in an ei
cited and i mpbatic iLUim r. IP-low is a
workri ui engag d in splitting stone, lie
strikes top'-al'd blow* upon a wedge
unti the spine crai ks, fall* awav, and
I then replaces itself. Above tbeblack
stnifb Imp is a nw mill where a log is
b ing aw< When tin- end is reached
the boards an- taken away and tin-flume
r< placed
•still above tbin is a shoe factory win re
a half do/- n men and women are engaged
in tin- different duties p (iuiit<- for the
lii.uiufai tut' of sin., s. One is waxing,
nnoth'T 'tiffing out. another pegging,
another -t-wiug and still another bev-o
ing. ,
Ovi r tie' linseed mill is tl.e gristmill.
In frnt is a miller dressing a-stone; an
otlie r comes out of the room and empties
a large Yes-el into the hopper. As the
flour is ground and the bag. accumulate
a man tarries tlem away. A large ele
vator bu ket carries up the wheat and
dump* it into a bin. making but one as
eenl to the before m' nlionod man's two.
To the left is a dwelling lmusc. in the
kitchen a servant is at work, who pisses
aitout inside and out to attend to her du
ties. i'pon Mm top is ibtraddcaoe "f
the owner of the respective mil *. Here
visitors occasionally call, with whom the
mistress shakes hands and talks about
her neighbors. The clock proper crown*
the strui ture. It is in all aitout five feet
in lengtli and four f"i-t liigb. Kacb figure
lias a different motion, and some liavt*
two motion*, requiring very complex
machinery to run the whole. Two
: bucket* of water fumisli an unending
supply of j*>w - r. as it i* used over and
over again. Tlie saw and grist mill are
run by this water falling on an over-shot
wheel. Tinner tlie water fall* on an other
wheel whi< h run * the linseed mill. The
water and all is kept in motion by an
' iglity-nine hi f onc-iialf j ound wt ight.
It i truly a k of art. and over seven -
t'eti years w. -H-cupied in it*construe
i lion.— AUoona (Pa.) Call.
4 ft cuubrful Georgia Parrot.
Some months ago, say* a oorrespon
dent of the St. Ixeii* We./knwof, I
met a gentleman from Alabama who
related the following parrot story,
which I tieljere to Is- the iicst I ever
beard Ir. .of Montgomery, Ala.,
ownitl a parrot during and aft r the war
that was the pride and wonder of all
Montgomery county. The doctor, like
t ail physicians, was frequently called out
at night by some one's •' halloo" at the
front gate. Polly learned this, and one
night when thedoctor answered a shrill
"halloo" by coming to Urn door and ask-
I ing what was wanted. Polly answend
from a bunch of rose huahes: "He! hi!
ha' I fool thedoctor that time; hi! he!
ha!" 1 Polly received a sound thrashing
for this trick and was quite sullen for
a week or so. when onodork.rainy night
the do< tor woke up to hear sonic one at
the gate repeating his " halloo" fre
i ciU' ntly. doing to the door he asked
who was there. From the top <f a tall
Ixmi hardy poplar the parrot screamed
i out in fiendish glee: •• Ha! ha! ha! You
j can't catch Pollv this time! You can't!
you can't!! you can't 11! * All the doc
. tor's persuasive arts were called into re
quisition to gel the parrot down from
i lier high perch, but she cor Id not be de
ceived, coaxed or flattered into doing as
,he coniuiandid or . ntnatid tier. She
resolutely kept her perch nil night in
the rain, and waited until t e started off
next morning on hi* daily icund before
she ventured down.
Th edoctor had a little hoy aged
about two year*, for whom the parrot
formed a strong attachment. Worrm
was the child's name,and hy-and-bve he
' foil siek. The parrot moped around and
! appeared to be ouite melancholy. At
time*, when the child was left alone for
a few moments, Polly would hop up on
the edge of the cradle, and. spreading
: out her wings, she would vibrate them
! like fans, and ask as she had heard the
I nurse ask: " Poor baby! Baby want
water? Baby sick? Bahy hungry? Poor
baby? Polly's so o-o sorry."
Finally the ehiid Hied, and the par
rot slunk away for th* two dav* preced
ing the funeral, and was neither seen
nor heani. On returning from the
•■emetcry, thr family met it, waddling
along the middle of the road, repenting
to herself in the tmdenwt and most
mournful manner: "Wlierc's little War
ren? Poor hxby! Baby sick? Baby
wantwaur? P-o-o-o-o-r baby! Pollv*
so-o-o sorry."
She was picked up and taken heck
home, but never spoke another word un
til the day of per death, when she
cried out. Hawk*, hawks," and the
next minute wa* whisked away in lite
talon* of a monstrous chicken-hawk
that had hem watching for an oppor
tunity to carry hqr off for several hours
Pennsylvania ha* eighty incorporated
county agricultural o. h ties, thirty-one
of which have representation in ita
.State Bo.ird of Agriculture