Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, April 16, 1857, Image 1
OXE DOLLAR PER ANNUM, INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE. TOW-AISTDA. : (TlptrsDan fflornittn, (April lU, 1837. Stiffteb |)oftrn. THE PLACE WHERE MEN SHOULD DIE. How little reck.- 5 it where men lie, When once the moment's past In which the dim andg'a/ing eye Has looked on earth its last— Whether iieneath the sculptured urn The coffined form shall rest,^ Or, in it- nakedness, return Back to its mother's breast. Death is a common friend or foe, As different men may hold ; And at his summons each must go— The timid and the bold ! B when the spirit, free and warm, Deserts it, as it must, What matter where the lifeless form Dissolves again to dust ? The soldier falls—'mid corpses piled, Upon the battle plain. Where restless war steeds gallop wild Above the mangled slain ; li.it, though his corpse he grim to see, Hoof trampled on the sod. What recks it, when the spirit free Has soared aloft to God ! The coward's dying eyes may close Upon his downy lied, Vud softest hands his limbs compose, Or garments o'er them spread ; Bat ye, wh > .-ban the bloody fray, Where fall the mangled brave, Go—(-trip his c-illin lid away, And see him—iu liis grave ! Twere sweet, i d-.-c-d. to cio-e our eyes, With tho. e we cherish near, An 1 waited upward s , by their sighs, Soar to soni; calmer sphere. But. whether on tl.e scaffold high, Or iu the battle's van, The littc-t place where man can die Is where he dies for man ! ist fll ;tn fo\\ s. How Printing Type are Made. In lh a manufacturing of printing type various processes are gone through, all requiring verv great accuracy anil cure. Many Improvements have been made, nor is it improbable that more will be eflected. \\ e shall give a brief, and we hope a clear description of the mod em manufacture of type, as we have observed it in a largo establishment of this city. Each "stalil'-hM.eiit has peculiarities of its own, but the general principles are the same. The letters, etc., are first cut upon a steel punch. This requires great skill. The char acters are oftentimes extremely minute, and every pains is taken to procure not only indi vidual beauty, but. general uniformity. Not only letters, but figures, signs and ornaments in endless varieties, are thus cut. There are al.-o spaces used to separate words. (Quad rats, which are larger than spaces, separate sentences, and in general occupy that posi tion among type that is represented by the un printed parts, both the spaces and quadrats being shortci than type, in a full font of ivpc tiire are abi ut three hundred different 1 iiaraeters. Ihe cost of the separate punches varies from two to f f:y dollars. After the punch has been cut, it is indented to a certain depth into a block of copper ; this is called ".he matrix. Kleclrotyping lias of late years Wen u-ed for the purpose of obtaining matri ces from the type itself, by which means type Hinders have been enabled to avail them selves of each other's labor. Business morali ty is a most elastic quality, and it would be a u-eles expenditure of time to question the pro priety of the practice. An apparatus denominated the mold, is used for forming the body of the type, and to this mold, which answers for all the types of a e.nit, the different matrices are adjusted as re quired. He who adjusts the matrices to the molii is ealied a jnstiher or more commonly a titter. Ail the types of a font are of the i aiiie length and depth, though the letters up on them vary in their dimensions. The mold so constructed as to admit of the width be 'g altered to suit the letters to be oast ; thus tin- letter I, which is very narrow, is upon the body of a type, the perpendicular face of u ':i his exactly the same as that of the letter which is several times as wide. It is uec *->;iry that the bodies of types should also ave their lines at exact right angles ; with -1 ut this they would not stand in line, and con wijiientiy would he useless. If the types va ■ til ju height, they would not give a perfect ' npression, in endeavoring to obtain which, -o.'Lie would be subjected to an injurious pres sure. A few types have a portion of the face "f the letter projecting over the body, as in ' ut l letter f ; this projection is called the kern, -'.il in combination with other letters the pro dug part generally extends over the next ttr-r as in fe. IN these combinations, where ■ the kern would come iu contact with ano '• '-IT letter, compound types are cast, as in the of If, fi, fl, fli and 111. Some years ago btse combinations were much more numerous, ut many have been dispensed with by alter- : '.- r the form of the letter. Ihe next operation is that of casting.— l 't old method, which is even to the present aeticiallv used in England, may lie thus •'-H-rihed. The matrix having been adjusted I mold, is taken by the caster in his left I •''' At his right, upon a furnace, is a pot j : n'>hen metal. This metal lie dips out in '•■' able quantities with a small ladle, anil • into the mold, at the same time giving T : "k upward jerk, for the purpose of forc die im-tal well into the matrix, to give the ' gooi face. A spring which holds the ' r;x in i*s proper position, is then moved ; matrix pried out from the type, the mold and the type thrown out. By this •' n ! an avenge of about 400 0 type a day can be cast by one man. An inaportant im provement was made in IHI4, by Archibald Binsey, of Philadelphia, whereby, with one motion of the hand, the matrix was thrown out and the mold opened. The invention in creased the rapidity with which types were cast at least fifty per cent. Type ousters ac quired great expertness, and with the hand moid were enabled to east with great rapidity, but only for a short time. In 1828 the costing machine was patented by \\ illiain M. Johnson, an ingenious citizen of New York, and put in operation in Mr. White's foundry, since which time it has been greatly improved. By this contrivance, a pump inserted into the molten metal injects the requisite quantity into the mold, which is brought sharply into contact with the piston ; the mold then eouies off from the puuip, opens and discharges the type into a box. In type foundries, generally, this machine is worked by baud ; but in the one we had the pleasure of examing, steam power is successfully ap plied. At least three times the number of tyue can he cast by the machine than by the ordi nary hand mold, and a velocity of 200 revo lutions per minute (each revolution forming one type) has occasionally been obtained, though the actual Results are by no means to be based upon that fact. Various causes op erate to prevent a* long continuance of sneh speed. The type, after being discharged from the mold, has a piece of metal called the jet, at tached to the bottom : this is broken off by a boy called the breaker, and the singular swift- ness of his motions is truly astonishing.— Smart lads, or girls who have great experience, perform all these operations with socli rapidity as to pain the eye that observes them. The j jets having been removed, the type are taken to another room, where boys and girls arc cu ; gaged iu rubbing off the inequalities upon tiie I .-ides. This effected by bringing the rype in contact with a smooth stone, prepared for the purpose, and moving it from side to side. The ] rubbers generally smooth several at the same time. Those letters which are kerned as be -1 fore described, cannot be wholly rubbed upon a flat surface, aud they are consequently filed smooth by an ingenious contrivance, which prevents the kern from being injured. After lids operation the types are set to : get.hcr, with tlie faces downward, in a compo sing stick eight inches long, and thence are transferred to the setting stick, which is one yard in length. Those who do this are called setters. The dresser now takes the setting stick, and placing the line of type upon a flat surface, tightens it with a screw : then, with a piece of steel having sharp angles, lie rubs off the edges, turning the line of type for that purpose. They are then placed, face down ward, in a vice, and tiie dresser, with a plane, cuts a small groove in the end, over the place from which the jet has been removed. lie now carefully examines the faces with a mag nifying glass, rejecting all such as arc in the least imperfect. The types are now formed, and they are placed together, side by side, up on a small beard with a frame on three edges, until there is a page. The page is uniform in size, being C 4 12 inches. A cord is then drawn several times tightly around the page, and it is wrapped up in paper ready fjr the printer. Type metal is readily fusible, and is compo sed of antimony, tin, and lead. These are used in various proportions, aecordii g to the size of the 1 >tter and the degree of elasticity required. Lately, a process, by which tiie face of of type is coated with copper, there by increasing its durability, Las been adopted to a considerable extent. Until within a few years tbre were but a few varieties of type in use—now they are to be counted by hundreds. They are cast from the most minute size up to large blocks hav ing a surface face of sixtceeu square inches. Of Diamond type (the smallest size in use) 201 lines measure 3 2 inches. Of an averaged size Diamond letter, 01,274 may be impressed on a surface of one square foot ; and there are Diamond spaces so small that 203,187 will go to a square foot, or 1.411 to the square inch ; and of these about 0,200 are obtained from one pound of until. The largest letter regularly supplied by type founders is called twelve iilie pica ; these are two inches on the face, varying in width with the letter. The largest sizes that We see on show biils Ac., are cut in wood. Such is a brief, and we feel a very imperfect sketch of the origin, progress, and present condition of an art which has already accom plished so much for mankind. Eulogiuin has been exhausted in its praise—it is beyond all praise ; like the sun, the air, it is a necessity —the art preservative of all arts. It has en lightened ignorance, dispersed error, coiivcte-1 superstition, overthrown armies. It strength ens tiie brave, encourages the timid, inspires the desponding, and consoles the afflicted. Its light penetrates the darkest dungeon, and cheers the most humble cottage. Truth ac companies it and error flies-before it. It will regenerate the world !— ohr want men Tcel graph. An elderly single lady, with a taste so fastidious that she refused to have the Chris tian Observer taken in the house, for she said it was often lying in the room when she want ed to dress, and she would not dress with an observer in the room, even if it was a chris tian—inquired at one of the fashionable dry goods stores for nice silk hose. The attentive clerk displayed the articles, and the lady ex amined them narrowly, passed her hand down oue of them and holding it up as if to see its length, asked : " How high do tliey come ?" The clerk, not thinking that she meant the price, blushed to liis brows, and stammered out, " Well, really, Miss—Madame—l think about to the knee !" " Well, you are the 've plus ultra ' of all clerks. I did't know there could be such a fool," and leaving the hose on tho counter, she sailed aw av. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., BY E. O'MEARA GOODRICH. " RE3ARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER." Ths Light of Home. A traveller returning towards his home af ter long wanderings in a distant land, his heart was full of happiness and hope. Many years had passed since lie had seen his father and mother, and the thought of so soon meeting .them again gave wings to his feet. While he was still upon the mountains which lie had to cross before reaching his native village, night can e on, and for some time it was so dark that [ Ire could scarcely see the staff in his hand ; and when lie descended inio the valley, he lost his way, and wandered backwards and forwards, til! at length, in deep sorrow, he murmured to himself ; "Oh that I could meet with some fellow creature who would guide back into the right road, after all my useless efforts to Hud it, with what gratitude would 1 repay him !" So saying, he stood still, and watched for a guide. While he was waiting, uncertain which way to turn his steps, he saw gleaming in tlie distance a feeble light amidst the dark ness, and its beams cueered him as it flickered in the gloom. " Ilail !" cried lie, " though messenger of rest ! Thou tellest ine of the neighborhood of some dwelling-place where I can obtain shelter, and food, and repose. The glowing beams of the morning sun have never seemed to me so gladdening, as thy feeble ray which now shines before me." He went with hasty steps towards the dis tant light, expecting each moment to see the man who bore it. But it was only a " Will o'-the Wisp," which taking its rise from the marshy lands, hovered over the stagnant pools, lie, however, wandered on, beguiled by it, till lie came to the steep bank of a river. Just at titat moment he heard a loud voice behind hill). "Stop, if yon w'sii to avoid death !" It was the voice of a fisherman who called to him from his boat. " Why," said lie astonished, " should I not follow the friendly light? I am a traveller and have lost my way." " Friendly light do you call it ?" returned the fisherman, " it is but a treacherous vapor, and lures men to destruction f-ee how un steadily it gleams this evil droduotiou of night and da kness " A - lie sp. ice the flickering marsh-light ex pired. The traveller thanked the man for his preservation with heartfelt gratitude ; but lie was astonished, and said : " You ought to thank God, for he it was who so ordered it that I should be in my boat upon this river. How can a man see his bro ther man in error and not strive to guide liiin into the right way ?" Then the kind hearted fisherman directed the traveller in the road to liis father's dwell ing. He followed the pnth pointed out to liini, and soon saw the welcome light of home shining with a bright and steady ray, now doul ly dear to him from the many dangers and difficulties lie had gone through before reaching it. He knocked, the door was open ed ; and parents, brothers and sisters, hung round his neck, kissed him, and wept tears of joy at his return. " JACKS IN OFFICE."—A number of politi cians, all of whom were seeking office under government, were seated on the tavern porch, talking, when an old toper named I) ,came lip to them. Now said D is a person who is very loquacious when "Corned," but exactly the opposite when sober. At the present time h ing " tight," lie said if the company had no objections lie would tell them a story. They told him to " lire away," whereupon lie spoke as follows : " A certain king—don't rccoilect his name —had a philosopher upon whose judgment he alto ays depended. Now it so happened that one day the king took it into his head to go a hunting, and after summoning his nobles and making all necessary preparations, he summon ed his philosopher and a-ked him if it would rain. Tiie philosopher told him it would not, and he and his nobles departed. While jour neying along, they met a countryman mounted en a jackass ; |.e advised tlieui to return, 'for,' said he, 'it will surely rain.' They smiled con temptuously upon him, and passed on. Before they had gone many miles, however, they had r< ason to regret not having taken the rustic's advice, as a iieuvjfcshowor coming up,they were drenched to the skin. When they had return ed to the palace, the king reprimanded the philosopher severely for telling him it would lie clear when it was not. ' I met a country man,' sa d lie, ' and he knows a great deal more than you, for he told me it would rain, where as you told me it would not.' " The king then gave the philosopher his walking paper, and sent for the countryman, who made his appearance. 'Tell me,' said the king, ' iiow you knew it would rain ?' ' I didn't know,' said the rustic, 'my jackass toid me.' " And how, pray, did he tell you?' tiie king asked in astonishment 'By pricking up his ears, your majesty.' The king now sent the countryman away ; procuring the jackass he placed him in the office the philosopher had' filled. And here," observed 1) , looking very wise, " here is where the king made a mis take." " llow so," inquired liis auditors.— " Why ever since that time," said 1) , with a grin on liis phiz, " ccery jackass wants an of fice C ' j TTAO HER THERE. —Two little girls—one daughter of a clergyman, and the other of a parishioner—feU into angry dispute. To mor tify and spite her antagonist, the layman's lit tle girl saw fit to remind her of her father's well known poverty, and intimated rather tart ly that had it not been for father's benevolent interference the poor minister would have been in the workhouse. " Well I don't care," replied the other, "if it had not been for my father yours would have been in hell long ago." A TCDKNT in want of money soid his books and wrote home, " Father, rejoice ; for I now derive my support from literature.'' Election of County Superintendent. This may possibly be the last number of the Journal that will meet the eyes of Directors, before they assemble to elect County Superin tendents for the next three school years. The proper performance of duty, so as to ef fect the original design of the liberal and fur seeing Legislature which established the office, will lie of incalculable benefit to the State, and the contrary will he equally injurious. It is, therefore, our design, as one amongst the thou sands of Pennsylvanians who have been watch ing the workings of this new feature in our educational system, with intense interest, frank ly to state the conclusions to which our obser vations have led. Three years ago, few Directors or others had any clear view of the necessity, nature, mode of operation or probable results of this office. The natural consequences were, in the first instance, numerous mistakes in selection and compensation. These have been, we think, erroneously attributed, both in am' out of the State, to a settled purpose to defeat the office, out of general hostility to the system itself.— In a few cases this feeling may have had its influence ; but iu most., the action complained of really grew out of mere want of knowledge ot the nature of the office itself, and an honest belief that such an addition to the expense and the working machinery of the system was whol ly unnecessary. Whatever m:iv have been the cause, however, it is certain that, in 1854, the duty of selecting County Superintendents was so perform-id as to produce one or other of the three following results : Either, I An incompetent person was chosen, who, of course, failed, no matter what the suiarv. Or, 2. A competent person was chosen, who, in most cases, failed or was greatly crippled in liis operations by total inadequacy of salary Or, 3. A competent person was selected, with adequate salary, who fulfilled the just expec tations of the friends of the measure. From this it would appear that fitness in the person and adequacy of compensation are the elements—tiie essential conditions—of success. Of course, as in all other complex affairs, there are instances that appear to conflict with this conclusion ; but on close inspection they will be found rather to confirm it. For example ; one Superintendent may have been so well qualified for the station and so devoted to the system, that he discharged its duties at a most shamefully adequate salary. But who will ar gue from t!iis, that it is the right of the pub lic to impress such a burthen on private means or individual patriotism ; Or, it may have been tiiat all the conditions appeared to be secured —both adequacy of salary aud " skill and ex perience iu the art of teaching,"—yet failure ensued. Yet who will condemn the office of County Superintendent, because, here and there, a good teacher may have made a poor Superintendent? Many an able lawyer makes a miserable Judge ; few of the most successful practising physicians are qualified for the Pro fessor's chair ; and so, n capital teacher of boys may not succeed as the Teacher of Tea chers, and the administrative officer of a com plicated school system It would be no difficult task, at the present juncture, to run over the whole State and show the correctness of the conclusions jnst stated. Cases of full success or of entire failure, or of partial failure or success might be instanced, in strict accordance with them. But it is nei ther proper nor necessary. What we have to do with, now, are general results. These are so plain that he who runs may read, and re quire no announcement of the facts on which they rest, from 'is. Taking it for granted, then, that oxncrience has fully justified the wisdom of the Legisla ture in requiring the selection of a fit person and t lie payment of a sufficient salary, for this oilice, two questions arise : 1. Who is a tit person for the office ? 2. What is a sufficient salary ? In answer to the first question, it mar. in the words of the school law, he replied that fitness consists in 1. " Literary and scientific aequirearntsT— These are both indispensable, and the degree of them should be considerable. In every county, schools of every rank and grade— from the primary to the high school, with its full round of branches—either are or must soon come into existence ; and to discharge the office properly, the Superintendent must be qualified " to examine " ail the Teachers, " to visit " them, and to "give such instruc tions in (lie Art of Teaching and tiie method thereof in caeli school " as the condition and grade of each shall require. llow can this be done, except by one who is scholar enough to teach the teacher of tiie highest branch taught in tiie highest school in his eountv. 2. " Skill and experience in the Art. of Teach ing" is another requisite ami is also extra t j eil by the law :—not only skill to know hut practice to do. It is no doubt true, that, in j some instances, the office has been well filled by persons of no great, or possibly of no netn •ai experience in the art. This is owing to the known fact that some men have naturally in them so much of the elements of the Teacher and such a love for the work and the cause, as to supply, to a great degree all other de fects. But the exception only proves the rule: for the instances of failure for want of this element have been too numerous to leave the question doubtful. The safer and the legal rule, is, in all cases, to require this " skill and experience." But mere learning and professional skill arc not sufficient, unless, as the law and the neces sity of the ease everywhere intimate, they are accompanied with the power to luakc them ef ficient. Hence, 3. Ability to impart knowledge and give in formation publicly, as well as priralely. is indis pensable. Since the passage of the act of 1 fc>- 5-1, —in addition to the public meetings for the examination of teachers, and the public visita tion of schools in the presence of directors and parents thereby prescribed,—the holding 1 of I district and county institutes, associations and I meetings, for the improvement of teachers, and the delivery of public lectures aiul addresses for the furtherance of the system and explana uation of the law, have become so general and are found to be so beneficial, that they may now lie regarded as an integral part of the Superintendent's duties. All these occasions impose the duty of addressing the public ; and the officer who does not do it, no matter what the cause, fails in his duty. The ability,there fore, to speak in public should be embraced amongst the requisites of fitness fur the office. 4. Energy of character and loir for the work, are the last essentials that need be speci fied Without these, the highest degree of scholastic attainment, of professional skill, and of power of expression will fail, for the great moving forces of the required character will be : w anting. With these present in large degree, I even a medium of qualification in other res ; poets, may succeed. Amongst the qualifications necessary to this most important office, it is, of course, not deem ed requisite to speak of temperance, honesty or industry, nor of common sense, suavity of manners, or knowledge of human nature.— These arc requisites to the safe and efficient discharge of every public trust ; the one in question being no exception to the general rule but rather demanding tlieni in a greater de gree than most others. Iu a word, and aside from special requisites, the nearer the charac ter of a County Superintendent approaches to that of the Christian gentleman, the greater will lie his acceptance and snecess. The answer to the questiou : What is an adequate salary 'I will depend mainly on the locality ; and the experience of the past three years will, in many eases, modify past action on this point. Many of the Conventions fix ed the salary in 1854, under a total or very material misapprehension of the nature of the office, the amount of service required and the degree of good to be effected. Now, in many parts of the State, all these points are clearly comprehended, and the action of directors will no doubt he different. No one who knows the people of Pennsylvania will, for a moment, sup pose that injustice will be done in regulating the compensation of those who are found to be amongst the most useful, most laborious aud most important of our public agents. The ac tual amount must, as just remarked, dejiend on the circumstances of each ease*; still, certain general principles are indicated by the nature of the office and the wants of the schools, which it may be useful to elicit. The first point to be determined is, whether the whole, or only a portion, of the officer's time will be required for the full discharge of the duties of the office. This will wholly de pend on the number of schools in the county. If they are materially over 100 and should be increased, then the best policy and the course most productive of good, will be to pay for and require his whole time and services. In such cases more than half of the year may be most beneficially devoted to school visitation, which to be effectual, should be full nnd fre quent. The rest of the year can be profitably devoted to tlie improvement of the teachers in one or more institutes of greater or less dura tion, to tiie officer's own improvement and to t lie preparation of his reports, Ac. In smaller countjes a less portion of the offi cer's time will be needed, and the salary in fly lie in proportion ; but in ail cases enough should be given to secure his whole time and efforts to the service of the schools while in operation, and to the improvement of the tea chers during a portion of the recess. The only other general principle to be kept in view in arranging the salary, is that of mak ing it large enough to command the very best professional talent within the reach of the Con vention. For reasons already given, no ether should be thought of. Tire man, then, whom Law, Experience and the Wants of the system demand for County Superintendent is :— A practical Teacher, who is aha an accomplished scholar, and a ready public speaker ; with sufficient lore for it to un dertake, and energy to perform, the great work before him ; and the sal cry should be sufficient to a mjensate him, as far as money ran. for the efficient discharge of so great a labor. Wherever such a man is found, he should be selected. Wherever he has already been found lie should be retained. At the present time it may be proper to re call to the attention of Conventions to elect County Superintendents, that section forty of the school law of Bth May, 1854, confers upon the State Superintendent of Common Schools, very considerable powers in reference to the commissioning of the persons elected. The words alluded '.o are these : " If objection be made within thirty days to the issuing of such commission, the Superintendent of Common Schools may require such evidence, under oath or affirmation, in regard to the election or qual ification of the person elected County Superin tendent, as lie shall deem necessary, and shall then issue his commission to the person proper ly qualified, who shall have received the high est number of votes." Under this provision it is competent for any citizen, and it would seem to be liis duty, to make objection to the commissioning of an nti quahfied person, and to set iu operation, for the good of the system in this respect, the po j wers vested in the State Superintendent. In j view of this fact, the true course for 1 L rectors j in their Convention will be, to vote for none unless such as by learning and professional skill are fully qualified to discharge all the du ties of the office.— Ta. School Journal, April. Goon RULES FOR Al.T..—Profane swearing is abominable. Vulgar language is disgusting. Loud laughing is impolite. I nqnisiti venous is offensive. Tattling is mean. Telling lies is contemptible. Slandering is devilish. Igho ranee is disgraceful, and laziness is shameful. Avoid nil the above vices, and aim at useful ness. This is the road in which to become respectable. Pride is a curse—a,hateful vice. *<ever act the hypocrite. Keep good compa ny. Speak the truth at all times. . ever be discouraged, but persevere, and mountains will become mole hills. VOL. XVII. NO. 45. A New and Certain Mode of Coring the u Shakes." A stranger, in passing through the lower counties of North Carolina and Virginia, will he struck by tlie sickly, cadaverous complex ion of many of the inhabitants thereof; this is occasioned by their proximity to the swamps and pocosins, whose poisonous exhalations they are constantly breathing, and which forms a fruitful source for that scourge of the lowlands, chills and fever. A few months ago, while riding with a ' friend, we halted for a few moments at the ca bin of a shingle-cutter, for the purpose of ob taining some water for ourselves and horse ; while there, we entered into conversation with the proprietor of the premises. Onr first in quiry, as to the health of himself and family, was answered, as his appearance indicated, " the chills and fever troubled tneiu occasion ally." On further conversation, we advised him to ptocure the medicine we named, one that had been patented by some physician, and was strongly pulled by some papers, as an in fallible cure for the ague, and a great renova tor of the system. The man shook his head incredulously, "Stranger, " doetors may invent and pay editors to write and print about their medi cines to cure the ague and other diseases— by so doing they have taken many a hard ear ed dollar from poor meu like myself—but they won't get another dollar from me in a hurry 1 for, sir, I have tried them and their medicines —they won't do down here in the bottoms.— Now, sir, you see that boy there, (pointing to a white headed pumpkin colored lad, whose age ranged somewhere between twelve and twenty ;) well, that boy, a month ago, was taken by the swamp shakes, and, .Tc-hu ! they gin him goss ! Bless your heart, you people who live in town don't know what the real shakes are ; but here's the place to see, as well as to feci them. Why, sir, the very first day, Bill shook himself right out of bed and into the nshc=, and kept up such a racket, that the old woman hustled me off after a doctor. I found one in town, and he eauie out with me. Bill, however, was better when we came back but the doctor stayed with us, for, lie said, he wanted to have a fair chance to keep off the xt attack. Well, he went to work on the boy, he dosed and lie drenched him. as I would have done a liorse with the cliolic, but it did him no good—for the next day the boy was down again ; this time he shook himself not only out of bed bat clean out of his breech es, and came nigh burning his skin, for he got into the fire. The doctor worked away like blazes, sometimes a tussling with the boy, all over the room, knocking over the pans, table and benches, trying to keep him in bed—but no sooner did lie git him there, than out he would come again, with his teeth chattering and hair on end. The doctor fout the var mint his darndest all day, but lie couldn't face him—lie was badly whipped certain—l told him he might go. Now, thinks I to myself, I'll try my hand to morrow, and see how my medicine will act ; so as soon as I got up 1 went to that chinquapin bnsh over yonder, and cut me about the all-firedcst long switch you ever laid eyes on. When I got back, I poked up Bill, who was rolled up in bed ; and says I. " Sonny, sonny, how do you feel yourself this morning " Why, daduy," says he, robbing his eyes, " I feel bad enough ; that blasted old shakes is comin on, and it's agoin to give me (its agin." "Bit up, sonny," says I, "and come out here into the yard, I want yon to help me drive out the old sow, for she's making awful work in our tatcr patch." In a few minutes Bill came out, with noth ing on but his shirt. As soon as he got well out of the lionse, I gave him sucli a wipe around his naked logs, that he jumped about ten feet, yelling like an Injun. " Now, then, my boy," says T, ' run!' and away he went around the field like a steam in gine. Every time he began to slacken his pace, I applied the chinquapin medicine to his hide. 1 kept him traveling, you may be sure; every time we came towards the house I pnsh : cd him the harder to keep him from gittin in. Bill would only have time to sing out—' Oh ! Mammy !' when he would dart by oat of hear in. Now, the old woman was gittin breakfast at the time of the rumpus, and on looking out got her natcr considerably riled at seeing Bill catching it so fast—and the racket he was making, led her to think he had nearly give out. On our approaching the house for the fourth heat, she could stand it no longer—for grabbing up the long handled frying pan that was on the lire, full of herrings, out she came, crying— •' Blast your pictcr ! fight me awhile, and let the boy rest." With that she brought down the durnedold pan, herrings and all, on the top of my cocoa nut, so hard that it capsized me fiat into the hog trough. 1 didn't care so mu'-h for the lick, although it made my head ache for a week afterwards, but one of them hot herrings got inside of my shirt, and, Je-ru-sa-lem ! how it burnt ! It actually branded mc before I get it out. Herrings is mighty good generally but they ain't comfortable as a poultice, no how. When I got up. Bill had gout; into the house, sweating like a stage horse in July.— He hasn't been troubled with the shakes since. Teat's the way 1 cured bun. Stranger, give us a chaw tobacco." Focsn AT LAST. —Tom Kirkmnnnsed to tell of a friend of his dropping 1 in about dinner time on an old lady, who invited him to draw up to the table. There was a lingo pie of the pot order for dinner. The old lady helped him bountifully, and he being hungry, was doing justice to it. " Stranger," said the old lady, " you will fiud almost every kind of meat, in that pie." " Yes, madam," F aid he "aud fish too," as he drew from between his lips what he imagin ed was the backbone of a red horse sucker. " Lor' have rnarcy 1" exclaimed the old wo man, " If thar ain't onr fine tooth comb that Hilly 10-t two week;