SAN MABINO.
T*i Queer I.lttle Hewublle which Ilea
Stood the Teat at I.SOO Veen-How
It Is oTerned--Ita Mtandln* Army of
Thirty Men -- A Notion Without a
Tress.
I.a Kepublica di Snn Marino, the
roots of whose history run down to the
days of Charlemagne, lies about twelve
miles southwest from Rimini, and
about four miles from the shores of the
Adriatic, in Italy. A "orrespondent
writes :•
The republic proper stretches over n
tcrri'ory seventeen miles long and about
half that width, and has a population,
all told, of about 6,000 people; the cap
ital. where we were, having about 900
of them. They were governed by a
council of .sixty , which is a close corpo
ration. nominally composed of twenty
princes, twenty of the middle class, and
twenty of the peasant chiss, hut in
point of fact, as I afterward learned
ami. indeed, as might he inferred from
the fact thottliey themselves tilled all
vacancies, and the people iiiul no more
to <lo with the choice of the memlicrs of
congress—all were nobles and if you
were to address one otherwise than as
"nohilissimo," you had better not have
addressed him at all. I gathered that
the real distinction was that twenty
were taken from tlie landed gentry,
twenty froin the town gentry, and
twenty promiscuously Irom any part of
the territory.
This council, independent of all hu
man control from alum l or below, elects
two executive officers, who are called
captains-regent; it designates all execu
tive committees, imposes taxes—in fact,
conducts the government. The regents
receive no pay—another evidence that
San Marino is not a republic, after cis-
Atlantic ideas at any rate.
My renders are doubtless already im
patient to know something of the army,
which for 1,300 years lias defied the man
ifold elements of disorder that have been
fatal to so many dynasties and dismem
bered so many larger nnd more popu
lous territories in Europe. The mili
tary defense, then, of the republic of San
Marino is committed to a regular army
of thirty men, who are supposed to lie
always ready to respond to the call of
honor or of patriotism.
A police consisting of five or six per
sons protects the property of tlva terri
tory. and gives peaceful slumbers to its
honest burghers In emergencies the
militia of the country may be called in
aid of its unconquered legions. Tbey
have two judges, who are, however, re
quired by law to be taken from without
the territory, and are changed every
three years. But all eases of appeal arc
decided br the court of causation, or
review, in the neighlxiringcities of Bol
ogna. Badua, Turin or wherever that
tribunal may chance to he sitting at the
time.
The currency in use among them,also,
i* that ol the Italian government. They
had once some sous coined, the equiva
lent in value ofour cent— my host at the
inn gave me two or three of them; but
tfiey were not coined in the republic.
Their number was very restricted, and
they are rarely to be met with except |
in the collections of numismatists.
It is certainly one of the eccentricities
which distinguish San Marino from all
other countries that it puts its litigation
out, as some families put out their wash
ing. and trades exclusively with tliecur
rency of foreign states. The country
which buys and sells with a currency
over which it has 110 control, and sub
mits its differences to foreign tribunals
for adjustment, gives prettyheavy bonds
to keep the peace with its neighbors,
whatever be the title it gives to its form
of government.
The expenses of their government will
not s em large to an American. They
n> verexceed 25.000 francs—say $5,000
—army, navy, postoftice, education, |
prisons, police, diplomatic service, rep- :
re-.-ntation, all included. The revenue j
i* rai*ed out of the profits realized by j
the government from the purchase of
-onie 00o,(>00 pounds of tobacco in the
leaf, which it manufactures to sell at n
small advance; from the sale of about 1
*hi sacks of salt, and atrifling stamp tax j
of three cents on notarial, judicial and
otic r legal document*.
fhn health of the republic is looked ;
alter by one physician and one *urg-nn
employed by the state, who are required 1
to attend and prescribe for all who send
for them, hut wtio are not expected to
n sent the offer ola gratuity from those
who can afford to pay for their advice.
These functionaries receive $5OO a year
each from the state. -The judges re
ceive the same. San Marino has not
oiuy never been afflicted with a news
paper, hut no printing press has ever
stood upon its territory. This is a lim
itation upon its capacity for manufac
turing money which distinguishes it
more than anything else from republics
of .osev longevity.
41 I'm the Only Eon on Your Hide."
In one of the Western States a case
was trieel and at its termination the'
judge clinrged the jury and they retired
tor consultation. I lour after hour
passed and no verdict wai brought in.
I h" judge's dinner arrived, nnd he bc
ramo hungry and impatient. Upon in
quiry be leairned that e>ne obstinate* jury
man was holding out against eleven
That lie could not stand, and lie ordered
tne twlcve men to be* brought in-fore
him. He told them thnt in his charge
I" them lie had so plainly stated the
ease nnd the law that the verdict ought
to be unanimous, nnd the man who per
mitted liis individual opinion to weigh
against the judgment of eleven men of
wisdom was unfit and unqualified ever
again to act in the capacity of juryn an.
At the end of this excited harangue a
little squeaky voice came from one of
the jurymen. He said: "Judge, will
V'>ur honor allow me to say a word P"
I being given, he ndded:
May it please your honor, I am the
°n,y man on your side."
Another Motor.
A new and giant motor, says the
American Engineer, is again on the eor
""t, with a greater probability of sue
than had any of the wonderful
inventions which were to revolutionize
tne engineering world. It bails from
: 'ttsburg. The method of it* operation
is the transmission of a powerful and
quickly generated vapor from bisulphide
of carbon and petroleum, from thechnm
t>T of a condenser to the boiler of on
ordinary n n- -ondensing steam engine.
• lie boiler being filled with water
11 ated to about 200 degrees, a pressure
ns high ns 900 pounds per square Inch is
rapidly developed from the vapor thus
and is easily controlled. A
■r'niendou* energy is thus made uvuil
for driving engines. This new
motor has been subjected to thoroughly
praetleal test* by leading ex,pert*, ana,
d is said, with promising result*.
The Fires or 1879.
During the past five years, neoording
to the figures collected by the Insurance
Chronicle, 9353,018,965 wort li of property
has been destroyed by tire in the United
States. In 1876 the|)o*s,wn*9'< N . 108,985,
in 1876 $64,030,600, in 1877 98,965,800,
In 1878 964.315,900, and in 1879 977,703,-
700. The last year, it will be seen, was
unlucky and only 9400,000 better than
1875, although in 1875 Virginia City,
Nov., was visited by a bfnzc which
swept away over 96,000,000 worth of
properly. The losses to insurance com
panies last year were in excess of the
i josses of any of the four previous years.
| These losses amounted in 1876 to $39,-
I 396,1<i0, in Ih7o to 931,374,500, in 1H77 to
939,398,900. in 1878 to 936,575,900, and in
! 1879 to $14,404,700. During the live
! years there were 55,576 tires. Poorly
j constructed buildings, carelessness on
J the part of occupants and incendiarism
are the principal causes of ilres.
Among the several States New York
leads in the figures. In 187P her loss was
$14,090,000, in 1877 9' 1,456,400, in 1878
99,397,000, and in 1879 $15,793,900.
Pennsylvania comes next with a total
loss in the four years of $28,193,500.
Massachusetts lost $20,991,300; Illinois
$14,432,200.
Of agricultural implements factories
33 were burned last year, 10 almshouses,
86 bakeries, 13 butcher shops. 30 billiard
i saloons, 111 blacksmith shops, 13 book-
I binderies, 18 box factories, 42 breweries,
! 103 carpenter shop*, |O4 carriage faeto
j tics, 20 cheese factories, 13 chemical
1 works. 90 churches (of churches 58 were
! burned in 1878, 04 in 1877,00 in 1876 and
I 77 in 1875), 9 theaters, 25 cigar factories,
: 10 ooflin factories, 17 college buildings,
! 12 coal yards, 40 confectioneries, 33
j cooper shops, 20 cotton mills, 13 cotton
: warehouses, 13 court houses, 17 distil
j leries, 223 drugstores (of drug stores, in
1 the five years beginning with 187 ft, were
j burned respectively 111, 145, 150, 191
j and 223), 20 drying houses, 11 dye works,
| 14 engine houses, 13 express offices, 34
j fancy goods stores, 58 feed stores, 170
i flouring mills (a great increase over for-
I mcr years), 83 furniture factories, 153
cotton-gin houses. 10 glass factories, 50 !
; grain elevators. 34 grain warehouses, 12
j greenhouses, 77 grist mills, 470 retail
and 11 wholesale countr>grocery stores,
31 harness factories. 13 hat factories, 384
hotels, 994 liquor stores, 10 boor saloons,
13 spoke factories, 61 ice houses, 70 iron
.foundries, 10 jails, 13 junk stores. 16:
laundries (not one owned by a China- i
man), 65 lumber yards, 42 machine j
shops. 11 mattress factories, 45 meat Joe- j
tories 47 newspaper offices (an average
number), 24 oil refineries, 12 oil tanks,
45 paint shops. 29 paper mills, 18 nig
shops, 12 paste factories, 55 photographic ,
galleries, 13 picture frame factories, 80
planing mills, 21 pork .packing houses
12 powder mills, 51 printing offices, 38
public halls, 07 railroad depots, 28 rail- i
road repair shops, 12 railroad stables, j
218 saw mills, 39 shingle mills. 28 sasli {
factories. 109 restaurants, 58 school j
houses, 29 slaughter houses, 40 shoe lac- j
tories, 13 shoddy mills, 16 smokehouses, |
23 stave factories, no stone yards, 10 su- I
gar refineries, 40 tanneries, 15 steam
| boats, 22 tobacco factories, 27 tobacco j
i barns, 24 tinsmithies, II wheelwright ,
shops, 10 wood-turning shops, and 30
woolen mills.
Castle Garden.
A New York paper has a deseiiption
of the •' Battery," situated at the'
southern point of the city. The article j
says ol Castle Garden, the queer-look
ing building where the emigrants are
landed: It has not much of a castellated
look, and any stranger would lie more ,
apt to pick it out for a cheap ware
houseman for a place with such a high
sounding name as "Castle Garden, nt
the Battery." There is n good deal
more of the castle about the building,
j however, than most people would sup
pose. The high wall around it conceals
! its lower story from the outsidp, leav- j
I ingotily the wooden upper portion ex
| nosed to view. (Jo in through one of
j the three or four gates, however, if you
can get pnt the guard, and when once
inside turn Ui the right a dozen yardsoi
| so, if one of the inside officers does not
i stop you, and vou will see that Castle
1 Garden is rightly named. What now
I forms the lower story of the round
building is the wall of what was once *
i fort, or battery; a wall so heavy and
thick, that it is a curiosity to see in
these days of flimsy buildings. It is
built of great brown stones, with port
holes at. regular intervals, tapering
down toward the inside, where, instead
of a cannon's mouth, a glass sash may -
now be seen. The glass may lie seen,
but nothing beyond it, unless the jani- 1
tor lias very lately taken it into his head
to wash the windows. An upper story 1
of boards lias lieen added to this solid
wall, a roof lias been put on, a gn at
number of little wings added, like j
wards in a hospital—and this is Castle
Garden, where Bat first sets foot when
he arrives from Ireland; Hans when he j
comes from Germany; our street-sweep
ing friends, the Italians, and all the 1
other distinguished foreigners whose'
purses will not permit of their coming
over in the cabin and eating suicidal
pastry. The big room that they are
Ushered into, on a day when an rmi
grant steamer arrives, Is .worth walking
all the way down from liarlem to see.
to a man who has no corns. Some of
the queerest looking people in the world
come in here, and look wildly aliout
them, and at length drop their bundles
on the floor, sit down on them and light ,
their pipes. Some of the men are di eased
in leather breeches, and nearly all of
them wear coats thai might be stretched
out a few inches longer without detri
ment. No pen of the male persuasion
could describe the costumes of many of
the women. When a few hundred of
the emigrants flock in from one of the 1
transfer- boat* and open their bundle*,
and go to cooking their scanty dinners
on the four stoves that are provided,
they make a picture tall of color and ro
mance, and one that is much more ro
mantic us seen from the spectators'
bafcony than from the midst of the
characters. On a fair day, the walk* ,
surrounding Castle Garden are full of,
these emigrant*. They lean against the
wall in sunny places, and swuriu like
bees. Presently they disappear, many
of llieni going West, some North or
South, and a good many remaining in
tliis city and becoming aldermen. But
one ship's load is hardly disposed ol be
fore another ship's load arrives, bring
ing members of Congress, tax commu
sioners, referees, and sometime* a judge
or two.
A Baltimore barber lost confidence in
the pecuniary responsibility of a ronn
whose heard he was shaving off, and
demanded his pay when the job was
half done. The mat, bad no money,
and was turned into the street, where
the peculiarity of his face—half clean
and half covered with wbUkcrs—drew
* throng.
FOB THE FA IK SEX.
Nprln Millinery.
There will be very little change in the
sliopes of bonnet*, and those of medium
sizes, neither very large nor very small,
arc most seen at present. Poke shapes
of the moderate sizes are very largely
imported in all the various braids, suou
as Tuscan, chip, lace straw, Knglish
split straw, sntin braids, and leghorns.
The creamy yellow Tuscan braids and
the lustrous satin straws are verv hand
some, and promise to be the leading
fabrics. The lace straws are open braids
i in beautiful lace-like designs, and appear
i to be much stronger than the frail straw
laces formerly used. Sometimes the
! brim only is striped with this luce,
while the crown is of more solid braid,
j such as_ chip or Tuscan. A special
: novelty is the cashmere effects given 10
these new straws by introducing ool
j orcd threads in the lace-like design;
I pale blue, heliotrope, and red thread*
| are very effective when combined with
the naturul hue of the straw. There
! are also mottled effects of color given to
chip hats to match the costume with
which they arc to be worn, and some
times two shades of colored chip form
alternate stripes all around the bonnet;
! these are excellent for morning wear or
I for traveling bonnets in two shades of
j brown, beige, lavender, gray, or green.
| Hlack cfiip bonnets have merely the
crown of chip, while thescoop brim and
| the curtain are formed of straw lace,
! which is heavily beaded with fine jet
j beads: sometimes old gold straw is nr
ranged in stripes in the black chip bon
j nets.
Ribbons will be much used for triin-
I riling bonnets, and for this purpose they
| are shown in three widths, known to
j dealers as Nos. 7, IS and 22, and varying
from one and half to three inches in
breadth. Satin ribbons are shown in
: great variety, anil are especially hand
some when double-faced in the new way
that makes the wrong side exactly like
: the right, or rather does away with a
1 wrong side altogether, so that the rib
bon may be turned and twisted in any
j fashion, which is a desirable thing and
withal economical in making bows,
loops and rosettes. Striped ribbons are
also shown in two shades of satin, or
else in contrasting colors in most capri
cious arrangements, such as bronze with
gold, or else sapphire blue with gold,
pink with blue, garnet with cardinal, or
j red wiili old gold. The new colors that
are developed in these importations are
Isabellc yellow- the historical Spanish
! color—pheasant brown, and new shades
! that have purple for their base, and re
, call the lilac, iavender, mauve, violet
and heliotrope tints. For millinery pur*
poses tin- old fashioned lustering ribbons
; are revived; these are of the smooth
silks which the French call taffetas, and
1 arc now shown with tape-like borders,
or witli feathery edges, in many of the
j styles used twenty years ago. They are
I very pretty in coachman's drab, argent
and pheasant brown shades. Very soft
| satin duchesse or merveiUetMe ribbons
i have changeable colors through the een
tor, with a border stripe of full satin on
: the edges. Again, tfiere arc arniure
! striped ribbons that are douhic faced,
satin and gros grain, with the stripe like
j a broken cord. The Oriental figured
ribbons come in new quaint colors that
, are more nearly modeled after the Jap
anese than the cashmere colors of the
■ winter. Very rich Gobelin rihiton* are
I shown that appear to he literal copies of
j stripes of old tapestries, and there are 1
polka-dotted and dam aw rihlmns of
1 endless varieties that have hut one thing
in common, viz., the soft pliablcness
, tliat makes them easily twisted and
turm-d into knots and bows. Exp?ri- j
enoed milliners write from Paris or the
decided preference among designers for
the pheasant brown shades that com
bine well with all shades of buff, such
as Tuscan and Isabellc, and of Ibe light
purple tints. The soft silks for Irim
i inii.g the crowns of Itnnnet* conic in the
twilled lustrous fabrics known a* sntin
duchesse, or as satin sublime, and are
represented in light cashmere combina
tions as well as in the new plain colors.
Fichus and hnrbes of black or of white
Spanish lace are to be used to drape
summer bonnets, just as they have been
seen during the winter on opera bonnets.
A chapter might be written on the
old-fashioned flowers thnt nrtistic dress
ing has brought into use. Those with ;
yellow and red shades predominate,
and include the marigold sunflower,
dandelion, buttercups, carnations, as-1
ters, dahlias and other stiff-pctaled
flowers; chrysanthemums, poppies and
peonies—not of the largest sizes—are
copied to perfection, and the great
crushed roses without foliage are shown i
in every shade that nature ha* ever pre
sented them, from the palest tea-rose to '
the darkest red damask roses. The large
flowers are commended for corsage bou
quets; but tasteful milliners know that
the most graceful trimmings for bon
nets :ire made up of fine flowers, such a*
heliotrope, myosotis, mignonette, vio
lets and pansies, witli merely one or two
large flowers to give the rich coloring j
required now by fashion.
Ostrich feathers come in the three !
small tips that represent the three nod- <
ding feathers of the Prince of Wales, and j
are now In different shades of one color I
rather than in the contrasting colors
that were too much in the fcatlicr-dnatcr
style; tbess are very handsome when
showing cream. Tuscan and Isaliclle
shades, or else graded from beige to
pheasant brown, or from pearl to hello
trope. These nodding piumcs arc chosen
for Tuscan and chip hats, while for the
more full-dress lace bonnets are the
light fluffy marabout feathers of n deli
cate hue, tipped on the edges with
cashmere colors. For walking bonnet!
in turban sbspe, and for round hat*, are
stiff feathers- mounted brea*t fenthert
and wings -that pass around the front
and sides of the crown, and entirely trim
the hat in the way so popular during
the winter. Pheasants' brown feathers
and those of the Guinea-hen are used
tor these, wlii e others combine the blue
green loipliopbore and gold eyes of pea
cocks' feathers to form cashmere colors
snd Japanese combinations. Quantities
of tiny green bugs and beetles are set
about on these feather.*, and again the
feathers form butterflies, rosettes or
thistles.— llart*r'* Pnzar.
■ a Oar llniMdmothn'i Itart'
The lnrge melon-shaped reticule with
drawstrings and carried on the arm to
hold the handkerchief, purse and work,
is only an old fashion revived, as are
the large block satin aprons embroidered
with Dower.) in block or in colors and
trimmed with flounces of old lace or the
deep knotted feinge. With these are
worn long black mittens, mutton-leg
sleeves, deep outside cuff and the deep
round lace collars, thnt serin A relic of
fmat ages. Fortunate are those who
invo only to go In the garret and look
through grandmother's stories in the
ancient liair-eovered trunks. When the
high tortoise comb is worn, necklet of
velvei and bracelets of the same, one
can almost fancy they have before them
a grandmother transformed—gone back
to her first youth in complexion, bright
eyes and dark hair and only the dress
remaining to proclaim the fact that our
aged friend is still here. These ancient
costumes are considered very stylish for
afternoon costumqp at home, or when
invited out to " teas" and " coffees."
Mannar of Making Mourning Droun.
The simplest designs used in making
colored dresses are repeated in those
worn as mourning. The coat basque,
the round overskirt very simply draped,
and the short round skirt, is the model
for most costumes. For the deepest
mourning a broad habit of crape is
used tor trimming the basque and both
skirts, dispensing with all flounce-like
plaitings on the lower skirt. The cus
tom oi covering the entire basque witli
crape, also all that part of the lower
skirt visible below the overdress, is
confined to widows, and is not even for
them so generally ndopUd as it formerly
was. There is a tendency to lighten the
unwholesome heavy mourning attire
lately worn in the somber English
styles, yet to retain its simplicity and
nun-like plainness; thus the neck of the
dress is worn very high about the
1 throat, the sleeves are tight anil with
out cuffs, tilt shoulder scawis are short,
J the bust is not draped, and the beauty
| of the corsage depends upon its fine fit.
Crape, however, is worn but a few
j months, and lustreless silks arc chosen
I for dn ss from the first period of inourn
! ing. While paniers, sashes, fussydrap
ery, fiounces and open throats are, of
I course, avoided, yet a dinner dress ol
mourning silk and crane is fashioned
very much as a colored dress of silk and
brocade would be. Thus the short
basque and the front breadth are covered
with English crape, and the flowing
train is of the rich silk, with perhaps
, some panel rcveis of crape down the
i sides, and a knife-plaiting of the same
on the edge. Very rich and appropriate
j suits for the street are made of Henrietta
cloth or of imperial serve after the
models in use for cloth costumes this
winter; the basque is coat-shape and
doubie-breasted, with a deep collar,
cuffs and square pockets of crape. The
skirt lima full straight back breadth
without drapery, and ia widely bordered
with a band ol biaacrape, while in front
I 's a deep round apron, much wrinkled,
and tailing quite low, yet disappearing
in the side seams where the full straight
back liegins. The wrap with such a
suit ia a long coat-shaped garment made
of the material of the areas, warmly
lined, perhaps with fur, or else with
wadded silk or flannel. There are also
figured cloths that are used for wraps
with mourning dresses, and many of
those have a deep collar and wide cuffs
of black fur. A border of fur is not
liked for mourning clonks, as used in
that way the fur is only a showy trim
ming, and not for comfort, and detracts
from the severely simple look given by
the deep collar and cuffs. Sealskin
] cloaks are now worn in the deepest
mourning, and furriers select those of
the darkest hue for this purpose. The
large circulars of cashmere cloth with
fur lining are worn as carriage wraps
by ladies in mourning.— Harper'' Datar.
Wsws and Nmm far W*ms,
Mrs. Grant says that the prettiest girl
seen in all her travels was at Reno,
, Nev., railroad station.
A!>gra Eggleston. a young Brooklyn
artist takes a portrait by only looking
at the subject for a few minutes, and
then draws a picture that every one re
cognizes.
Manchester. England, has a society
of women painterr to which the other
sex is not admitted, not even at the
yearly exhibition.
Miis M. E. Gage, daughter of the
poetess, has established a ladies' ex
change for mining stocks in New York.
A generous lowa lady. Mr#. Cordelia
Miller, hsa given $30,000 to the Garret
Biblical institute, at Evanston. 111,
Madame de Witt has just completed
her history of France, which is the
sequel to her father's (11. Guizot) his
tory.
The widow of G. P. James, the nov
elist, is living at Eau Clare, Wis. She
is now eighty years old, and is well
cared for by her sons.
A London correspondent writes that
American nationality is accepted in
England as a presumption in favor oi
a lady singer's success.
There are nine ladies on the London
school board.
i Princess Alexandria, wife of the
Prince of Wales, is somewhat deaf, and
has ordered an American audiphone.
Lady Burdett-Coutts lately gave a
tea party to over two hundred Ixmdon
cabmen and their wives as a means to
induce the cabmen to treat their horses
witli kindness.
j The lady principal of a Michigan
school iias resigned her position to com
mence tlic study of medicine.
The American Sunday school, oi New
York, has been presented with $lOO,OOO j
by Mrs. J. C. Green, of that ciy, the in
terest only to he available. This is to
be devoted to " the development of Sun
day-school literature of a high merit."
Mrs. Gladstone and Lady Rose berry
attended all the Gladstone meetings
at Edinburg. and sat in front of the
platform listening attentively to every
word and occasionally nodding assent,
which sight was said to be very pretty
and interesting.
There was married recently in De
troit a damsel who had been several
years employed in a large manufacturing
establishment. Her marriage had been
for some days a subject of pleasant con
gratulation by her employers and fellow
employees. One day one of the pro
prietors, who always wears a " tied
tick apron in the factory, said to her,
" .1' you will wear this apron on
your wedding-dress when you are mar
ried I will mnks you a present of 050."
"Yes," added the foreman, "and I'll
give you $10." The girl accepted the
challenge, wore the apron, and pocketed
her #(10.
Gamhctta says that "if girls are not
educated up to the level of the republi
can ideal the republic will fall clown to
their notion of what it ought to be."
That the beat adviaort he ever hnd, not
alone as to the conduct of his private
life, but in politics, were good women,
whose minds were emancipated from
sacerdotal tyranny, and it was of vital
importance to the commonwealth that
the fullest justice should be done to the
girlhood of France.
" rrind words can never die." How
bitterly does a man realise that terrible
truth when he sees all the kindest words
lie ever saw in his life-glaring at him
from liis published letters In a breach
of promise suit.—
Useftil sad Interesting.
There are 3,750 languages.
Two persons die every second.
The average human life is thirty-one
years.
Slow rivers flow four miles per hour.
Rapid rivere flow seven miles per
hour.
A moderate wind blows seven miles
per hour.
A storm moves thirty-six miles per
hour.
: A l.uniciine moves eighty miles per
! hour.
] A rifle ball moves 1,000 miles per
! hour.
Sound moves 743 miles per hour.
Light moves 103,000 miles per hour.
Electricity moves 288,000 miles per
hour.
Tin first steamboat piied the Hudson
in 1807.
The first iron steamship was built in
1830.
The first lueifcr match was made in
'1839.
The first horse railroad was built in
1826-7.
Gold was discovered in California in
1848.
The first use of a locomotive in this
country was in 1839.
The first printing press in the United
States wns introduced in 1029.
The first almanac was printed by
George Von Purbach in 1400.
Until 1776 cotton spinning was pei
formed by the hand-spinning wheel.
The first steam engine on this conti
nent was brought from England in 1753.
Measure 209 feet on each side and you
will have a square acre within an inch.
As acre contains 4,840 square yards.
A square mile contains 640 acres.
A mile is 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards in
1 length.
A fathom is six feet.
A league is three miles.
A Sabbath-day's journey is 1,155
yards (this is eighteen yards less than
two-thirds of a milej.
A day's journey is thirty-three and
one-eighth miles.
A cubit is two feet.
A great cubit is eleven feet.
A hand (horse measure) is four
i inches.
A palm is three inches.
A span is ten and seven-eighth inches.
A pace is three feet.
A barrel of flour weighs 1196 pounds.
A barrel of pork weighs 300 pounds.
A barrel of rice weighs 600 pounds.
A barrel of powder weighs twenty-
I tive pounds.
A firkin of butter weighs fifty-six
| pounds.
I A tub of butter weighs eighty-four
! pounds.
The following arc sold by weight per
I bushel:
Wheat, beans and clover seed, sixty
| |K>unds per bushel.
Corn, rye and flaxseed, fifty-six pounds
! per bushel.
Buckwheat, fifty-two pounds per
: bushel.
Barley, forty-eight pounds per bushel.
Oats, thirty-five pounds per bushel.
Bran, thirty-five pounds per bushel.
Timothy seed, forty-five pounds per
bushel.
Coarse sait, eighty-five pounds per
i bushel.
Historic Slang.
How common isttieexpression, "Oh'
| she is down in the dumps"—that is out
of spirits. This is a very ancient slang
phrase, and is supposed to be derived
Irom "Pumpos, King of Egypt, who
built a pyranrd and died of meinn
: cbolyao that the thieves and gypsies
are not all to hiame for having given us
a few expressive words.
We nextcome upon a word fullof pa
thetic meaning for many of us; it is the
ghost that haunts and pursues us more
or less throughout the year—it is the
word "dun. It is a word of conse
quence, for it is at once a verb and a
, noun, and is derived from the Saxon
word "dunan," to din or clamor. It
owes its immortality—so tradition says
—to having been the surname of one Joe
Hun. n famous bailiff of Lincoln, in the
reign ot Henry VII., who was so active
and dexterous in collecting had debts
that when any one became "slow to
pay," the neighbor* u#ed to say. " Dun
him"—that is, "send Dun after him."
"Draw it mild" and "Come it
strong," have their origin in music, be
ing the terms used by the leader of an
orchestra when he wished his violin
players to play loudly or gently. From
this they have passed into synonyms for
. e x agger a tors and boasters, who are rc
q nested either to moderate their state
ments or to astonish t heir audience.
The word " coach," in these days, ia a
familiar one, as parents know who have
to employ tutors to assist their sons to
swallow the regulation amount of
" cram " necessary for competitive ex
• amination. The word is of university
origin, and can boast of s logical etymol
ogy. It is a pun upon the term " get
ting on fast." To get c-s fast you must
take a coach; you cannot get on fast in
learning without a private tutor— eryo,
a private tutor is a conch.
Another familar word in university
slang is "a regular brick"—that is. a jolly
good fellow; and how the simile is logi
cally deducted is amusing enough. A
brick is deep-red, so a deep-read man
is a brick. To read like a brick, is to
read until you are deep-rend. A deep
read man Is, in university phrase, •'
good mana good man is a l, jolly fel
low " with non-rending men— tryo, a
ollv fellow is a " brick.
A Mine-Owner's Mistake.
A man now a prominent merchant o
Virginia City won at poker an un
developed gravel claim near Nevada
City, worth in the neighborhood of two
hundred dollars. His friends had the
laugh on h'm for several days regard
ing bis "investment," and asked hiin
what proportion of the taxes he would
pay in ease they accepted the property
a# • gift. He finally got mad at their
incessant guying, and told them they
would see he was not sueli a fool as
they took him for before he got through
with that mine. He then wrote to some
capitalist acquaintances that he hnd n
claim wvrtlt a fabuloos sum, which he
would seil for $3,000, being hard pressed
financially. The hank was next visited,
$5OO worth of gold dusi and nuggets
bought, and the claim thoroughly
"salted." When the intending pur
chasers arrived tliey pro*pctcd the
ground a Uti le, and the pan nine out wns
attended by big clean-ups. They paid
the $9 000 the same dnv. and got posses
sion of the ground. Work was at once
begun, and tliey took out #8 000 inside
of three weeks. The "salter" was so
taken aback that he did not smile lor a
month, and the parties to whom he con
fided liis shrewdness at the time of its
perpetration never meet hint to this day
but tliey ask him if he has another
gravel mine to sell—Neroda (Col.) 7>iwi
tcript.
FA KM, VAKDKIt M IMJBUOUk
T DIM •rottPctM*.
In Fruice th* farina fr, largely OMd
for culinary purpose*. The famous
gravies, sauces, and soups of France art
largely indebted for their excellence to
that source, and th* bread and dm try
equally so, while a great deal of the so
called cognac, imported -into England
from France, is distilled from the potato.
Throughout Germany the same uses
arc common. In Poland the manufac
j tore of spirits from the potato is a
most extensive trade. "Stettin brandy,"
well known in commerce, is largely im
ported into England, and is sent from
thence to many of our foreign possessions
as the produce of the grape, and is
placed on many a table of England as
the same; while the fair ladies of our
country perfume themselves with the
spirit of potato under the designation of
tim de Ool'M/ru. But there are other uses
which this esculent is turned to abroad.
After extracting the farini, the pulp is
manufactured into ornamental articles,
such as picture frames, snuff boxes, and
several descriptions of toys, and the
I water that runs from it in the process of
manufacture is a most valuable scourer.
For perfectly cleansing woolens, and
| suchlike articles.it is the housewife's
panacea; and if the washerwoman hap-
I pens to have chilblains she becomes
j cured by the operation.
Few persons are aware of the great
demand for jsjUOo flour, and of the al
most unlimited extent of the market
tliat can be found for this product,
which is simply the dry evaporated pulp
ol the ordinary potato—the whiter and
more free from black spects the better.
I I 1 is used for sizing ana other manufac
turing purposes, and by precipitation
and with the aid of acid is turned into
starch. In Europe it meets with a large
and increasing demand in primitive
state, as potato flour, and In
alone 20,000 tons are sold annually, and
as many more would be taken if put on
the market. When calcined it is used
largely for silk dressing and other pur
poses. At present the quotation for po
tato flour in Liverpool is nearly douoie
that of wheat flour. Consignments to
Liverpool are solicited by the brokers
there, who promise to take all that can
be furnished.
During the Franco-German war the
j French government purchased all the
farina it could secure and mixed it with
wheaten flour in "potato cakes" for the
arm 7. Farina at that time rose to 9200
a ton, and even the supply fell far short
of the demand. Sines than an increased
amount of farina has been regularly
consumed in France, and Carina mills
have correspondingly multiplied in that
country. • The manufacture of potato
flour is so simple, ana the results so
I methodical, that it requires very little
experience to reach a satisfactory issue.
The potatoes are first steeped in water
from six to twelve hours to soften the
dirt and other matter adhering, after
which tlicv are thoroughly washed by
meebnnicai means with the aid of either
steam or water power. They are then
reduced to a pulp by a rasping or grind
ing process in a properly constructed
mill. A small stresm oi water it caused
to flow on the upper surface of the rasp
or grinder, to keep it clean ol accumula
tion of pulp. From the grinder the
pulp falls into a washing machine,
through which the farina is forced by
revolving brushes, the coarser pulp be
ing thrown out at lateral openings. The
granules of farina pass into a trough,
and are conducted to rats, where the
farina is permitted to deposit. After
the proper number of (titrations and de
positions have occurred, until the last
| < posit, which is pure white farina, the
latter Ixvomes of sufficient consistency
: to cut into lumps, and place either un
supported or in conical wire cases to
dry. The drying process can i>e accom
plished in a building supplied with
shelve*, and capable of being heated
(roni fio°. at which the farina begins to
dry, up to 212°, which is as high a tem
perature as it will require. The heating
apparatus may be sueh as is most conve
nient. In Europe the farina is packed
in 300 to 913 pound fine sacks, but flour
barrels are said to be preferable, as the
wood protects it from damage and
allows it to be transported safely to the
most distant regions. The Journal
Applied Science.
Health Hints.
To make a mustard plaster that will
draw well, hut not blister, mix with the
white of an egg instead of water or
vinegar.
Fresh radishes, well masticated, and
the various kinds of turnips, if digestion
! is strong enough for them, are good for
gravel.
The following is recommended as a
chilblain ointment: Take of lard nine
ounces, oil of almonds three and * half
ounces, white wax one and a half ounces,
chaphor, powdered, one and a half
ouncas. Mix and apply to the chilblain.
The following liniment is said to be
useftil for rheumatism, lumbago,sprains,
bruises, unbroken chilblains and insect
bites: Take one raw egg. well beaten
up. half a pint of vinegar, one ounce
of spirits of turpentine, a quarter of an
ounce of spirits of wine, and a quarter
of iut ounce of camphor. Boat three in
gredients well up together, then pat
them in a bottle, cork it, and shake
them for ten minutes, or till they are
thoroughly mixed. Then cork very
tightly, in order to exclude the air. For
rheumnlism in the head, rub the hack
of the head and behind the ears. and.
for other complainta. the parts affected.
A Brest Comet Discovered.
News comes from tiie Cardobaobserva
tory in South America that Dr. Gould,
director of the observatory there, has
discovered"a great comet, which, in the
somewhat obscure language of the dis
patch, " is passing the sun in a north
ward direction." The only comet of
short duration expected this year is
Winnccke's. and that, according to the
accepted calculations of its orbit, should
oe visible before the latter part of De
cember next. Probably if Dr. Gould
has really seen a great comet, it is a new
visitor from the depths of space. If
we are to b treated 10 such a celestial
spectacle as those of its remember
who saw the great comet of 1858,
this generation may be considered
peculiarly fortunate in that respect: lor
it Is the lot of very few men to heboid
more than one such a sight in a lifetime.
One of the most impressive things about
these wondering visitors, which In
former ages struck whole natiors with
terror, is the tact, whi h seems unques-
they voyage from sun to
*un and system to system, occupying,
probably millions of years in thejour
ney from one star to another— New
York Bun.
Specie* of the oaotus plant, fifty fret
high, that grow up like a cigar. and bear
deliciousjfiiiit. I wive bseo discovered in
Arizona Territory.