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POOR HL'MAXITY.
In purple robe and jeweled crown
The great king sits in regal state,
And if he smile or if he frown
A hundred noble lords who wait
Bow at his throne ; yet what is he,
In spite of royal robe or crown,
Iu spite of kingly sm .le of frown,
But part of poor humanity!
Outside the palace gate there stands
A beggar, with a'face of woe,
Who. clad iu rags, with outstretched hands,
Asks alms of those that come and go—
A brother of the king is he,
A common Father both may claim,
That God our weak lips may not name,
Who pities poor humanity.
See in the careless crowds that pass
Along the city's busy street,
The rich and poor ; there, too, ulas!
Bold shame and modest virtue meet;
Brothers and sisters all are we,
Whatever is our worldly lot,
It matters not by whom begot—
A part of poor humanity!
The rich man sipping costly wine,
Wliute'er the foolish worldling thinks,
Is linked with him who from the vine
Crushes the juioe the other drinks—
Though nursed in easy luxury, he
May scorn the laborer in his heart,
Forgetful that each forms a part
Of that poor thing humanity!
I'p yonder crazy stairs dwells one
Who toils through all the livelong day,
Toils till her weary work is done
T drive the famished wolf away—
A sister, wan and pale, is she,
To her, that other, young and fair,
Who rides behind yon stylish pair,
A part of poor humanity!
Great Ib aven, look kindly from above
On us the children of Thy care,
And nil our selfish hearts with love,
in ev.-r this our earnest prayer—
Oh give us grace that we may see
The faults that every virtue mar,
And strength to bear the ills that are
The lot of poor humanity!
THE GUERILLA MOSEBY.
fiie New York World lias published a
;• > of interesting articles giving the
nacter and achievements of various
•i'l leaders. They are written by one of
\s late staff officers, and must be accept
is coming from one of the strongest
I'd proclivities. One of his last contri
tions is on the übiquitous Moseby, the
• it guerilla chief of the Virginia border
die man who perilled the safety of every
n-roost, horse-stabje, money-till, grocery
id <lry goods store, corn-crib and larder
itliin his range, and who delighted in
nping railroad trains and robbing every
i>seiiger indiscriminately, regardless of
. . sex or circumstances, of all monies,
itches, jewelry and other valuables. Of
-accomplished free-booter the World's
rrcspuiideuts thus graphically and kindly
Cites, and we give it as a matter of gen
i interest to our readers, who knowing
! seby well will appreciate his history :
ibis man, figuring in the popular eye as
i r iffian and low adventurer, was born
1 . iTed, and is, in a manner, a gentleman,
i s family is one of high standing and iu
• -dgence in Virginia, and he jvas educated
hie I niversity of Virginia, where he
studied the law. He commenced the prac
-1 married, and would probably have
'vvj through life as a "county court
Wit had not the war taken place.—
f Virginia seceded he imitated other
■ - men, and embarked in the struggle
•; a private in a regiment of cavalry.—
-i' re he exhibited courage and activity,
eventually became Ist lieutenant and
4 ' jutant. When the miserable "reorgan
-1 ■" system of the Confederate States
' uriimi iit went into operation in the
•- 1 1*62, and the men were allowed
M ■' < t their officers, Moseby—never an
i" indulgent officer—was thrown out,
• '-Tain became a private. He returned
)' ifc r; "'ks ; but bis energy and activity
•■•■ en frequently exhibited, and Gen.
-'•!. who possessed a remarkable talent
"-covering conspicuous military merit
s ,rt in obscure persons, speedily
; lor 'din, and from that time employed
j"" 18 . 4 scout or partisan. It is proper to
V 1 rt 'ader here that a scout is not a
Moseby's duty was to penetrate the
. of country occupied by the Federal
-ieither alone or in command of a small
of cavalry ; and by hovering
w /°ds around the Union camps, in
•'gating citizens, or capturing pickets
1 Meiers, acquire information of the
N 1 R numbers, position, or designs. If
i i inution could be obtained without
... ( s ■'!. nil the better—but if necessa
; ; w as the duty and the habit of the
S r ,. 1 ' :ittac k, or when attacked, hold
• v~ r '! u "d lls long as possible. In other
- 'm il' was inaugurated in the coun
c . "k'" d by the Federal forces a regu-
Uf r'" "' P :irl ' sa " warfare, the object
, " •' w as to harass the invading force,
It"i' V '~ r ~ wa y ''"pair its efficiency.
a - s at this time I first saw Moseby,
, a P' ,ear ance was wholly undistin
o. a i . waH thin, wiry, and, I should
five feet nine or ten inches in
• u . r -flight stoop in the neck was
r ^ ra o 11 ie c,lin was carried well
•• 8 Wfcre f' l '" and wore a
'■'•' ri Ur r l 8,11 "'e ; the eyes, under
1 eft hat, were keen, sparkling,
1L O. GOODRICH, Publisher.
VOLUME XXVI.
and roved curiously from side to side. He
wore a grey uniform, with no arms but two
revolvers in his belt ; the sabre was no
favorite with him. His voice was low, and
a smile was often on Irs lips. He rarely
sat still ten minutes. Such was his ap
pearance at that time. No one would have
been struck with anything noticeable in
in him except the eyes. These Hashed at
times, in away which might induced the
opiiiou that there was something in the
man, if it only had an opportunity to "come
out."
I am not aware that he gained any repu
tation in the campaign of 1862. He was
considered, however, by General Stuart,
an excellent scout and partisan ; and the
General once related to the present writer,
with great glee, the manner iu which Mose
by had taken nine men, deployed them over
several hundred yards, and advanced, fir
ing steadily upon a whole brigade of Fed
eral cavalry, which hastily retired, under
the impression that the attacking force was
heavy. Such things were common with
Moseby, who seemed to enjoy them greatly;
but iu the spring of 1862 the tables were
turned upon the partisan. General Stuart
sent him from the Chick hominy to carry a
confidential message to Gen. Jackson, then
in the valley.
He was resting at one of the wayside
stations ou the Central Railroad, while his
horse was feeding, when a detachment of
Federal cavalry surprised and captured
him—making prize also of a private note
from Stuart to Jackson, and a copy of Na
poleon's "Maxims," accompanying it. Muse
by was carried to the Old Capitol, but was
soon exchanged ; and chancing to discover
on his route down the bay that General
Burnside was going soon to reinforce Gen
eral Pope in Culpepper, he hastened, on his
arrival, with that important information to
General Lee, who telegraphed it doubtless,
to General Jackson at Gordonsville. It is
probable that the battle of Cedar Run,
where General Pope was defeated, was
fought by Jackson in consequence of this
information.
My 6bject, however, is not to write a
biography of Colonel Moseby. It is for
tunate that such is not my design ; for a
career of wonderful activity extending over
about three years could not be condensed
into a brief paper. I shall speak of but
one or two other incidents in his career—
and one shall be his surprise of Brigadier
General Stoughton at Fairfax Court House
in the winter of 1862 This affair excited
unbounded indignation on the part of many
excellent people. Let us see it it was not
a legitimate partisan operation. It was in
November, I believe, that Moseby received
the information leading to his movement.
The federal forces at that time occupied
the region between Fredericksburg and
Alexandria, and as General Stuart's activity
and energy were just causes of solicitude,
a strong body of infantry, cavalry, and
artillery was posted in the neighborhood
of Fairfax Court House and Centreville.—
Colonel Wyndham was in command of the
cavalry, and acting Brigadier-Gen. Stough
ton, a young officer from West Point, com
manded the whole district, with his head
quarters at the small village of Fairfax.—
Moseby formed the design of capturing
Gen. Stoughton, Col. Wyndham, Col. John
son, and other officers ; and sent scouts to
the neighborhood to ascertain the force
there. They brought word that a strong
body of infantry and artillery was at Cen
treville ; Col. Wyndham's brigade of cav
alry was at Germantown, a mile from Fair
fax ; and towards the railroad station an
other brigade of infantry. Fairfax thus
appeared to be inclosed within a cordon of
all arms, rendering it wholly impossible
even to approach it. Those who' know the
ground, as many of my readers doubtless
do, will easily understand how desperate
the undertaking appeared of penetrating
to the town, and safely carrying off the
Federal commandant. It was one of those
schemes, however, whose very boldness is
apt to cause them to succeed. Men rarely
guard against dangers which they do not
dream it possible can threaten them.—
Moseby doubtless based his calculations
upon this fact ; at any rate he decided up
on the movement, and with twenty-nine
men set out one dark and drizzling Novem
ber night for the scene of operations.
The party had to steal off with their cap
tives, if any were made, or cut their way
through, and on that black night no uni
form was discernable. Moseby approach
ed Germantown by the Little River turn
pike, but fearing Wyndham's cavalry, ob
liqued to the right, and took to the woods
skirting the Warrenton road. Centreville
was thus, with its garrison, on the right
and rear, Germantown on the left,and Fair
fax, winged with infantry camps, in his
front. It was now rainiug heavily, and the
night was like pitch. The party advanced
by bridle paths through the woods, thus
avoiding the pickets on the main avenues
of approach, and the incessant patter of
the rain drowned the hoof-strokes of the
horses.
A mile from Fairfax the gleam of tents
greeted them in front, and liuding the ap
proaches barred in that direction, they si
lently obliqued to the right again, crossed
the Warrenton road, and gradually drew
near the town on the southern side. Again
the wet and rain served them. Their ad
vance was undiscovered, and at last they
were close upon the place. An infantry
picket was the only obstacle, and this was
soon removed. The sleepy vidette found a
pistol at his breast,and the picket was com
pelled to surrender without firing a shot.—
The way was then clear, and Moseby enter
ed the town at a gallop. His object was to
capture the Federal officers known to be in
the place, burn the public stores and carry
off as many horses as possible.
His party was accordingly divided for
these purposes, and Moseby himself pro
ceeded to Gen. Stoughton's residence. It
was afterwards said that a young lady of
the place, Miss Ford, supplied him with in
formation, and led him, personally, to the
house. This, Col. Moseby stated to the
present writer, was entirely a mistake ; he
received information neitherfrom Miss Ford
nor any one else except his own scouts—
nor did any one accompany him in his visit
to Gen. Stoughton. He found an orderly at
the door, who was taken charge of by one
of his own men, and then mounted to the
General's bedchamber, the occupant of
which was fast asleep. At Moseby's uncer
emonious "Get up, General, and come with
me !" the Sleeper started erect,and demand
ed, "Do you know who I am, sir ?" appar-
TOWANDA, BRADFORD COUNTY, PA., OCTOBER '26, 1865.
ently indignant at such want of ceremony.
" Do you kuow Moseby, General ?" was the
reply. " Yes," was the eager response,
"have you got the rascal?" "No, but
he has got you." And to the startled "What
does this ineau, sir ?" Gen. Stuart's cav
alry are in possession of the court house,
sir, and that you are my prisoner." This
disagreeable state of affairs slowly dawn
ed upon the aroused sleeper, and he soon
found himself dressed, mounted, and ready
to set out—a prisoner. Several stall - offi
cers had also been captured, and a consid
erable uumber of horses. Cols. Wyndham
and Johuson eluded the search for them.—
Deciding not to burn the public stores which
were iu the houses, Moseby then mounted
all his prisoners—some thirty-five,l believe,
in number, including about half-a-dozen
officers —cautiously retracing his steps,pass
ing over the very same ground, and steal
ing along, about dawn, under the muzzles
of the guns iu the works at Centreville, so
close that the sentinel hailed the party,
swam Cub run, struck southward, and at
sunrise was safe beyond pursuit.
The skill and boldness exhibited in the
conception and execution of this raid con
ferred upon Moseby just fame as a partisan
officer : and the regular organization of his
command commenced. He was made cap
tain, then major, then lieutenant-colonel,
and colonel, as his force and his operations
increased. From the solitary scout, or
humble partisan operating with a small
squad, he had grown to be an officer of
rank and distinction, intrusted with impor
tant duties, and eventually with the guard
ianship of the whole extentof country north
of the Rappahannock, and east of the Blue
Ridge. The people of the region speak of
it with a laugh, as "Moseby's Confederacy,"
and the name will probably adhere to it, in
the popular mind, for many years to come.
Let us pass to these latter days when "Col
onel" Moseby gave the Federal forces so
much trouble and aroused so much indig
nation in General Custer, General Sheridan,
and others, whose men he captured, and
whose convoys he so frequently cut off and
destroyed,
Moseby was born to be a partisan leader,
and as such was probably greater than any
other who took part in the war. He had by
nature all the qualities which made the ac
complished ranger; nothing could daunt
him ; his activity of mind and body—call
it, if you choose, restless eternal love of
movement—was something wonderful ; and
that untiring energy which is the secret of
half the great successes of history, drove
him incessantly to plan, to scheme, to con
ceive, and to execute. He could not rest
when there was any thing to do, and scout
ed for his amusement, charging pickets so
lus byway of Bport. On dark and rainy
nights, when other men aim at being com
fortably housed, Moseby liked to be moving
with a detachment of his men to surprise
and attack some Federal camp, or to "run
in" some picket, and occasion consternation, ;
if not inflict injury.
The peculiar feature of his command was '•
that the men occupied no stated camp, "and, j
in fact, were never kept together, except j
on an expedition. They were scattered J
throughout the country, especially among j
the small farm houses in the spurs of the
B'ue Ridge ; and here they lived the mer
riest lives imaginable. They were subject
ed to none of the hardships and privations j
of regular soldiers. Their horses were iu j
comfortable stables or ranged freely over |
excellent pastures ; the men lived with j
their families, slept in beds, and had not li- ;
ing to do with "rations" of hard bread and '
bacon. Milk, butter, and all the house- J
hold luxuries of peace were at their com
mand ; and not until their chief summoned
them did they buckle on their arms and
get to horse.
While thoy were thus living on the fat
of the land, Moseby was perhaps scouting
off on his private account somewhere down
towards Manassas, Alexandria, or Lees
burg. If bis excursions revealed an open- j
ing for successful operations, be sent off j
a well mounted courier, who travelled rap
idly to the first nest of ranges ; thence a I
fresh courier carried the summons else
where ; a few hours twenty, thirty, or fifty
men excellently mounted made their ap
pearance at the prescribed rendezvous.—
The man who disregarded or evaded the
second summons to a raid was summarily
dealt with ; he received a note for delivery
to Gen Stuart, and on reaching the cavalry
headquarters was directed to return to the
company in the regular service from which
he had been transferred.
This seldom happened, however. The
men were all anxious to go upon raids, to
share the rich spoils ; and were prompt at
the rendezvous. Once assembled, the ran
gers tell into column, Moseby said " Come
on," and the party set forward upon their
appointed task—to surprise some camp,
capture an army train, or ambush some de
tached party of Federal cavalry on a for
aging expedition.
Such a life is attractive to the imagin
ation, and the men came to have a passion
for it. But it is a dangerous service. It
may with propriety be regarded as a trial
of wits between the opposing commanders, i
The great praise of Moseby was that his j
superior skill, activity and good judgment j
gave him most uninterrupted success, and
invariably saved him from capture. An at- I
tack upon Col. Cole, of the Maryland cavH
airy, near Loudon Heights, in the winter of j
1863—4, was his only serious failure, and j
that appears to have resulted from a diso- j
bedieuce of his orders. He bad here some |
valuable officers and men killed.
He was several times wounded, but nev
er taken. On the last occasion, in 1864, he
was shot through the window of a house
in Fauquier, but managed to stagger into
a darkened room, tear off his stars, the
badges of his rank, and counterfeit a per
son mortally wounded. His assailants left
him dying, as they supposed, without dis
covering his identity, and when they did
discover it and hurried back, he had been
removed beyond reach of peril After his
wounds, he always reappeared paler and
thinner, but more active and untiring than
than ever. They oidy seemed to exasper
ate him, and make him more dangerous to
trains, scouting parties, and detached
camps than before.
The great secret of his success was un
doubtedly his unbounded energy and enter
prise General Stuart came finally to re
pose unlimited confidence m his resources,
and relied implicitly upon him. The wri
ter recalls an instance of this in June, 1863.
General Stuart was then near Middleburg,
REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION FROM ANY QUARTER.
watching General Hooker, who was about
to move towards Pennsylvania, but could
get no accurate information from his scouts.
Silent, puzzled and doubtful, the General
walked up and down, knitting his brows
and reflecting, when the little figure of
Moseby appeared, and Stuart uttered an
exclamation of relief and satisfaction
They were speedily in private consultation,
and Moseby only came out again to mount
bis quick grey marc and set out in a heavy
storm, for the Federal camps. On the next
day lie returned with information which
put the entire cavalry in motion. He had
penetrated General Hooker's camps, ascer
tained everything, and safely returned.
This had been done in bis grey uniform,
with his pistols in his belt ; and 1 believe
it was on this occasion that he gave a
characteristic evidence of his coolness.—
He had captured a Federal cavalryman,
and they were riding on together, when
suddenly they struck a column of the Un
ion cavalry passing. Moseby drew his oil
cloth around him, cocked his pistol, and
sai<l to his companion, " If you make any
sign or utter a word to have ine captured,
I will blow your brains out and trust to
the speed of my horse to escape. Keep
quiet, and we will ride ou without troub
ling anybody." His prisoner took the hint,
believing doubtless that it was better to be
a prisoner than a dead man ; and after ri
ding along carelessly for some distance as
though he was one of the column, Moseby
gradually edged off, and got away safely
with his prisoner.
FUN, FACTS AND FACETISL
REFINED TASTE. —"Always buy your chest
nuts biled," said Mrs. Snow to Abemlech, who was
about investing a penny in that little brown com
modity, '-cause the raw ones want looking after,
and the wormy ones you have to throw away ; but
with the biled ones it don't make no difference—
worins can't hurt nobody when they're biled."
DEFINITIONS FOR THE NEXT DICTIONARY.—
Honor. —Shooting a friend through the head whom
you love, in order to gain the praise of a few others
whom you despise and hate. Virtue. —An awkward
habit of acting differently from other people. A
vulgar word. It creates great mirth iu fashionable
circles. Wealth. —The most respectable quality of
man.
WHY is tlie toothache like an unanswer
able argument V —Because it makes people hold
their jaw.
A DETERMINED advocate of the water-baths,
especially the Turkish, expatiating on their bene
ficial uses to Bruton, said that in old Borne, when
the hath wis a general resort, there were no doct
ors in that land, and not an ill to be found. " I
beg your pardon," said Bruton, " Borne has always
been celebrated ibr her seven hills
A r.irri.E girl, after returning from church,
where she saw a collection taken up for the first
time, related what took place, and among other
things she said, with all her childish innocence,
"that a man passed around a plate that had some
money 011 it, but I didn't take any."
" JOE, MY dear," said a fond wife to her
husband, who followed the piscatory profession on
1 the banks of Newfoundl mil, "do fix up a little,you
j look so slovenly. Oli. what an awful memory it
| would be for me if you should get drowned look
j ing so!"
A WE 1.1. -KNOWN- lawyer had a horse that
! always stopped and refused to cross the mill-dam
| bridge leading out of the city. No whipping, 110
! urgiug, would carry him over without stopping. So
1 hi' advertised liim, "To be sold for no other reason
1 than that the ower wants to go out of town."
Two gentlemen walking together were
I talking of the senses—seeing, feeling, and the like.
One n marked that his sense of hearing was re
| markable for its acuteness, while the other was
not wonderfully endowed in this respect, but ob
served that his vision was wonderful. " Now, to
illustrate," said he, "I can see a fly on the spire of
yonder church." The other looked sharply at the
place indicated. " Ah!" said he, " I can't see him,
but I can hear him step."
MAX leads woman to the altar—in that
act his leadership begins anil ends.
" NEVER saw such stirring times," as the
spoon said to the sruce-pan.
THERE was a deacon in a town in this
State by the name of Day —by trade a cooper.—
One sabbath morning he heard a number of hoys
playing in front of his house, and he went out to
stop their sabbath-breaking. Assuming a grave
countenance, lie said to them: "Boys, do you
know what day this is V" " Yes, Sir," immediately
replied one of the boys, "Deacon Day, the cooper."
\\ HY is the letter e a gloomy and discon
tented vowel V—Because, though never out of health
and pocket, it never appears iu spirits.
" You can't do that again," said the pig
to the boy who cut off his tail,
" I'M attached to you, and yet I wish my
self away," as the overloaded donkey said to the
cart.
WHY is a stale egg like a wicked com
pan ion ? Because lie's a bml ejtj-saniple*
AT one time at Gibraltar there was a
great scarcity of water. An Irish officer said "he
was very easy about the matter, for he hail nothing
to do with water ; if he only got his tea iu the
morning, and punch at night, it was all that he
wanted."
JAMES the First once went out of his way
to hear a noted preacher. The clergyman, seeing
the king enter, left his text to declaim against
swearing, for which the king was notorious. When
he had finished James thanked him for his sermon,
but asked him what connection swearing had with
it. "Since your majesty came out of your way to
hear me," said the clergyman, "I could' not do less
than go out of mine to meet you."
THE celebrated divine, Doctor South, on
one occasion preached before the Corporation of
Tailors. He took for his text the appropriate words
—"A remnant shall be saved."
Ax Irishman being asked by a friend
what was meant by an author's posthumous works,
replied that " they were the works an author wrote
after he was dead."
REST NEEDED. —"Doctor, I want you to
prescribe for me." The doctor feels her pulse.—
"There is nothing the matter, madam ; you want
rest, " "Now, doctor, just look at my tongue ! just
look at it ; look at it! now, say, what does that
need?" "I think that it needs rest, too." Exit
madam in a state of great excitement.
THE following is a characteristic short
sermon which, it is stated, President Lincoln was
in the habit of preaching to his children ; " Don't
drink, don't smoke, don't chew, don't swear, don't
gamble, don't lie,don't cheat,love your fellow-men,
as well as God, love truth, love virtue, and be hap
py"
THERE is a tempest in the tea-pot of China.
The native dealers are "bulling" the market fero
ciously.
"COME till America, Pat !" writes ason of
the Emerald Isle, to his friends in Ireland ; " 'tis
a fine country to get a livin in. All ye have to do,
is to get a three-cornered box, and fill it with bricks
and carry it till the top of a four story building,
and the man at the top does all the work!"
How TO RECEIVE A PROPOSAL. —You onght
er toik it kind, lookin down hill, with an expres
shun about half tickled and half skart. Aftur
thee pop ez ovur, ef yoor lower wants to kis u, I
don't think I wood sey yes nor know, but let the
tiling kind uv taike its own coarse.
KINGS never hear the voice of truth until
they are dethroned nor beauties until they have
abchCted their charms.
THE ASSISTANT TBEASUFIY.
The leading financial institution in the
J United States is the United States Assis-
I tant Treasury at New York. Though it is
j only an assistant treasury, and the Treas-
J ury proper is at Washington, yet the trans
actions of the former are so vastly greater
in volume than those of the latter that the
chief work of the Washington office is keep
ing record of the business done by its New
York branch. Nineteen-twentieths of the
the public creditors are paid here ; nearly
all the public loans are disposed of here ;
by far the greater part of the revenue from
customs and taxes is received here ; and
and here is paid, on the days fixed by law,
the interest on $2,000,000,000 of United
States securities. A business of from $3,-
000,000 to $10,000,000 daily done here—
done quickly, quietly, and without errors
or disputes. No institution in the city is
better worth inspection than the Sub-Treas
ury ; and be it said, in simple justice, no
man is more willing to have it inspected
than M. VAN DVCK, the Sub-Treasurer.
The vaults are a sight which can not be
witnessed elswhere in this country. There
are two of them ; but one is comparatively
empty, as it only holds some $10,000,000.
The other contains over sixty millions of
dollars, one half in coin, the other half in
paper. How many readers have ever seen
a million dollars in paper or iii gold ? We
remember one of the oldest of our Judges
a man of large experience and profound
wisdom, interrupting a party of talkers,
who were chatting about millions of gold,
with the naiave questions :
" How big is a million of gold ? Would
it rest on this table ? Would it go under
this chair ? How many men would it take
to carry it? What does it look like ?"
His Honor might have gratified his curi
osity by a visit to the Sub-Treasury There
thirty millions of gold lie dormant, await
ing the resurrection of specie payments.—
They are put up in bags containing SSOOO
each, and weighing say 45 pounds. These
bags are piled one upon another in closets,
which line the inner wall of the vault ; a
hundred bags fill a closet. When fibed the
door is closed, locked, and sealed with the
cashier's seal ; a ticket attached specifies
that in tiiat dark and narrow hole $500,-
000 in gold lie hidden. Fifty or more such
closets may be seen, duly closed, locked,
and sealed. Hut in that vault,whose wealth
far outshines the wildest fables of Oriental
story, bags of gold lie around in every cor
ner. You kick one as you enter. Others
rest on trucks waiting sepulture in the clos
ets. They are so plentiful, and so seeming-j
I}' despised by the officials who handle them
that insensibly the spectator loses his re
spect for them, and forgets that the posse
sion of a few such bags would realize his
life-long dream of material prosperity.
These bags are the products ot customs'
duties. Every day, between 3 and 4 o'clock,
a little hand-cart, ark-shaped, painted red,
covered over, and locked, may be seen
traveling up Wall Street, propelled by two
stout men, and wendimr its way from the !
Custom-house to the Sub-Treasury. There
are but two men ostensibly engaged in
pushing the little red cart. Hut a careful
observer may discover two other men, like
wise stout and very watchful who lounge
up the side walk on a parallel line. They
look as if they carried revolvers. In these
days, when the customs' duties are heavy,
ttie little red ark sometimes contains $740,-
000—a prize worth the attention of robbers
Hut it is never attacked. When it reaches
the Sub-Treasury it is unlocked, and the
bags handed in. Each bag is then count
ed by the Sub-Treasurer's clerks. They
count with both hands, and with a rapidity
and accuracy truly wonderful. They seem
to possess a sort of instinct, the product of
long experience, which enables them to
discover a false coin at a glance. Pieces
which have been split open, the insides fil
ed out, the cavity filled with iridium, the
two halves soldered together, and remitted
on the edges, are so like genuine coins that
the best judges are often deceived by them.
They weigh precisely the same as genuine
coins. They are precisely the right size.
They have the ring of pure gold. Their
external surface throughout is gold Yet
these counterfeits are detected at a glance
by the experienced clerks of the Treasury.
It used to be said of Mr. E. 11. BITDSAI-L, the
present Cashier, that when he was a clerk
he could, in emptying a SSOOO bag, at the
first dip of his hands into the glittering
mass, pick out all the spurious coins.
There is a quantity of silver in the Sub-
Treasury, in bags|and kegs, but after one
has been handling millions of gold it seems
a poor sort of metal. A silver closet holds
$40,000 ; there are a few dozen of them
full to repletion. Within a short time con
siderable amounts of silver have arrived
here from New Orleans—the product of
duties or of the Confiscation Act. Many of
the coins are rusted, and dingy, and it is
shrewdly suspected that, during the dark
days of rebel supremacy, these pieces slept
the sleep of the just in damp underground
holes. Oue of the New Orleans banks is
known to have buried its coin when Con
federate shinplasters made their appeara
ance, and the plan was doubtless adopted
by many private individuals.
Of paper-money the Sub-Treasury in Mew
York holds some forty millions. Of this
over eighteen millions are in fives, tens,
and twenties, and are piled on a shelf in
the vault. As nrarly as we could calcu
late by the eye, there is about a cord and a
half of this money. It might fill a two
horse hay-cart. When a pay master calls
with a draft, the clerks give him a trunk
full or a bushel basket. The notes are mix
ed indiscriminately—some old and worn,
showing evidence of long service, others
new and crisp. By-and-by, when Govern
ment begins to call in legal tenders, woe
betide the national banks whose issues ac
cumulate in this vault !
The larger notes, $ 100's ssoo's and slooo's
have the honor of closet room. There is a
closet there which contains half-a-dozen
millions. Lying on the top of a mountain
of these notes was a package which we ex
amined. It could easily have been put in
the coat pocket and carried away without
inconvenience. It contained one thousand
SSOO legal tenders, and was therefore
worth just half a million. But for the con
tempt for money which the inspection of
these enormus sums is apt for the moment
to inspire, one might have coveted this lit
tle package. How many able and success
ful men toil for a lifetime in the hope of ac
quiring just such a parcel ?
per* Annum, in Advance.
But, if you are going to steal, gentle
reader, let us recommend coupons as the
most convenient article to "convey." Sev
en-Thirty coupons are so small that you
can easily put $50,000 worth in your waist
coat pocket, and as to Ten-Forty coupons,
a pinch of them, between finger and thumb
and linger, is small fortune. These little
paper, no bigger than apothecary's labels,
or half the size of a live cent in fractional
currency, represent stune varying from $25
in gold to $365 in currency. As interest
day comes round they pour in from all
quarters—from the far West and the late
ly rebellious South : from Germany and
Holland ; from crowned heads in Europe
and from industrious washer-woman in this
country. To examine and sort these little
bits of paper is no slight task. One of the
richest men in New York is said to keep
his daughters, married and single, busy
cutting off coupons for a whole afternoon
and evening before interest-day ; when the
cutting is done the eldest daughter herself
sweeps out the room to intercept waifs and
estrays. Over $125,000,000 are disbursed
annually at the New York Sub-Treasury in
payment of such coupons.
The vaults of the Sub-Treasury may re
ally be said to defy burglars. In the first
place they are built of thirty-five feet of
solid masonry, so that digging under them
and working by a tunnel to the floor would
be impracticable. Then, they stand in the
main ball of the Treasury building, in which
a watch is always kept, and into which it
would require no small labor to intrude af
ter nightfall. The vaults themselves are
iron chambers, with iron floors, roofs, and
walls. The latter are two feet thick, and
hollow ; the hollow being filled with mus
ket- balls, which defy the burglar's drill.—
Four doors, of massive iron, close the en
trance to the vault ; each door is locked
with two locks, so that eight different keys
of peculiar mechanism are required to open
sesame. Uncle Samnel, poor fellow ! is
not likely to be robbed at tiiis office, how
ever he may fare elsewhere.
We remember the Sub-Treasury when
Mr. Cisco was first appointed its chief, in
two rooms of the Assay Building—a quiet,
retired establishment, in which nobody
spoke above a whisper, and a few clerks
leisurely counted their gold, and demurely
paid the salary of the President and other
public functionaries. People went there
to chat with the Sub-Treasurer, and
twice a year called to collect their interest.
It was so slow and so old-fogy an institu
tion that even the small Wall Street bank
ers used to laugh at it.
In these days the Sub-Treasurer at New
York lias his grip on the throat of nearly
all the bankers in the country, and we no
tice that none of them are disposed even
to smile when the name of Mr. VAN DYOK is
mentioned.
UNOLE BILL'S FIRST LOVE.
My Uncle Bill and my Aunt Airy reside
; on Long Island, and not far from the far
: famed resort, Pickaway. One eveninsr last
i week as Aunt Airy was boiling chestnuts
for us "Yorkers" to eat, and Uncle Bill sat
smoking a good llavunna we bad brought
down with us, we persuaded him to tell us
a story. Uncle Bill tells a good one when
he chooses, and being a man that loves to
please, he dipped deeply, very quickly, into
the merits of the one he proposed telling,
somewhat :
" When I was a slip of a chap, I had oc
casion to travel some distance in a stage
coach, as steamboats and rail cars were n .t
so plenty in those days. Now 1 had heard
tell often of fellers fall in' in love at first
sight, but I never much believed it till that
stage made me kinder think so. I had the
luck of setting along side of one the pret
tiest woman I had ever seen." (Uncle Bill
looked slyly at Aunt Airy.)
" f soon fell in love up to the brim,chuck,
with the gal. As it was growin' dark, the
stage was passin' through a thick wood,then
1 thought my time was come surely. As I
felt my strength goiu' quickly,l kinder gen
tly lifted up my arm and drew it round the
fair one's waist; she moved not, but only
made a slight noise,which 1 supposed was a ,
love sigh ; says I, ' Dear one, sweet one, I
love yer, will yer love me V The girl said !
nothin', but made what I supposed was a
love-sigh again. I then pressed her to me ,
her head fell on my shoulder, and I began
to tremble all over ; but still I kept my
tongue again, and says I, ' Dear little one,
won't yer love me, can't yer love me, will
yer love me, will yer marry me ?' The stage j
then drove out of the woods, and the moon '
shone on her face,and I looked on it—and—
and—"
" And what?" we all exclaimed.
" And," says Uncle Bill, " she was xleepin'
and snorin' in my arms !"
When our roars of laughter had somewhat
subsided, Uncle Bill said :
" There she sits, bilin' chestnuts."
MOUNT SINAI.—I have stood upon the Alps
in the middle of .June, and looked abroad
upon their snowy empire ; 1 have stood up
on the Alpines, and looked abroad upon the
plains of beautiful, eventful Italy ; I have
stood upon the Albanian inouot, and beheld
the scenes ot the Auuiad from the Cireeau
promontory, over the Campagno to the
Eternal city, and the mountains of Tivoli ;
I have sat upon the pyramids of Egypt,and
cast my eyes over the sacred city of llello
polis, the land of the Goshen, the fields of
Jewish bondage, and the ancient Memphis,
where Moses and Aaron, on the part of (rod
and his people, contended with Pharaoh and
his servants, the death of whose "first-born
of man and beast in one night" filled the
land with wailing. But I have never sat
my foot on any spot,from whence was seen
so much stern, gloomy grandeur heighten
ed by the silence and solitude that reigns
around, but infinitely more heighted by the
awful and sacred associations of the first
great revelation in form from God to man.
1 feel oppressed with the spirit that breathes
around and seems to inhabit this holv place.
I shall never sit down on the summit of
Sinai again and look upou the silent and
empty plains at his feet ; but 1 shall go
down a better man, and aim so to live as
to escape the thunders which once reverber
ated through these mountains, but have
long since given way to the gospel of
Peace.
AT twilight every hen becomes a rooster.
DON'T try to awaken sympathy when it is
very fast asleep.
A SPANISH BULLFIGHT.
The following description of a bullfight
is communicated by Mr. T. Sopwitb, M. A.,
F. H. S., to the Hexham Courant. The writ
er states :
" Before taking my seat I walked round
to see the stables, and there saw the inen
who were to perform, as also their horses.
Judge of my astonishment on seeing a
small chapel lighted up with candles,where
the whole of the men are confessed before
they begin their perilous avocation, and
where, in the event of their being mortally
wounded in the course of the combat, the
sacrament of extreme unction is adminis
tered. There was no laughing nor joking
either among the performers or lookers-on ;
the former had quite the air of men who
knew the risk they were about to run. The
arena is about 100 paces in diameter, and
surrounded by a double barrier.
" After a flourish of trumpets the arena
was cleared of spectators, several soldiers
on horseback assisting to expedite their de
parture A procession then entered, con
sisting of two masters of ceremonies, five
picadors on horseback, fourteen banderiller
os, including three matadors, all dressed in
red or blue silk, richly embroidered with
, gold, silver or black silk, and two teams of
! mules, three in each, with nine or ten as
sistants, to draw the dead carcasses from
! the ring.
" The whole procession crossed the arena
and advanced to the front of the royal box,
i which on this occasion was empty,but from
an adjoining box a bunch of keys was
; thrown to liberate the bulls from their dun
j geons. The procession retired with the
i keys, and none but the banderilleros re
mained. A door in the barrier was then
| thrown open and No. 1 bull trotted into the
| ring. He stopped when he had gone about
! twenty paces, and gazed right and left in
1 evident bewilderment. They evaded him,
and engaged his atention by waving flying
! cloaks of different bright colors about his
head. The bull soon stopped and stood
1 steadily looking at the banderilleros, who
advanced close to him, and cleverly evaded
the several charges made by the animal.—
The latter was very undecided, and seemed
afraid of his opponents. The spectators
now began to express disapproval of his
J cowardice, and there was a general hissing
when the bull, on being boldly confronted
by Cuchares, turned away. Trie trumpets
now sounded as the signal for another act
of the performance to commence. Darts
were given to the banderilleros, who stuck
them into the shoulders of the bull ; they
were stuck in, not thrown. The art of so
doing requires a very active movement,
| which, by its dexterity is graceful. It is
| done when the Lull is charging, and the
1 darts—about thirty inches long— are thrust
in two at a time. This must be done delib
erately,and the place of insertion is a fleshy
part of the lore shoulders. No wound dur
ing the whole of the performance is inflict
ed on any other part than the shoulders.
" The bull being a coward the spectators
1 called ' fuego;' and the darts, instead of be
ing plain, were provided with squibs and
! crackers, which ignited as they entered the
I flesh, and were seen blazing about the be
, wildered and now infuriated animal. .Six
darts were thrust in, and although the
I wretched animal was wild with paiu and
; rage, he was not thought sufficiently brave;
| a flourish of the trumpet announced the
1 last act, the picadors not having be u put
; in requisition at all.
"Cuchares, the principal performer, now
appeared upon the scene with a red cloth
; and long thin sword. The bull was com
pletely frightened at him, and it was only
after being followed for some time that he
showed any disposition to turn upon and
attack his persecutor. Cuchares allowed
him to charge two or three times, just step
ping a foot or two aside, and then, gazing
steadily at him, plunged the sword nearly
to the hilt in the shoulders of the bull,which
immediately fell on his knees and received
the final wound with a poinard.
" A second bull now galloped into the
i ring, and at once began to chase the ban
deiilleros, who ran before him with great
coolness, and at times waved the*r long
mantles about his horns. As the buil ran
faster than the men, the latter must either
turn aside or try to baffle him with their
bright mantles, and this they generally suc
seed in doing. This requires very great
adroitness as well as activity and presence
of mind, for it the mantle was not properly
thrown, the performer would probably step
upon it and lie thrown down, at the risk of
almost certain death. Picadors were now
introduced, and the bull in pursuing the
banderilleros suddenly caught sight of a
horse close to him ; he seemed thunder
struck, pawed the ground,lowered his head,
and rushed upon the horse. The picador
thrust at him with his lance, but the bull
broke right through this defence, and, with
a tremendous gore, killed the horse. He
then rushed at another horse, was twice
repulsed by the lance, but succeeded the
third time and unhorsed the picador. A
third horse suffered a similar fate, and his
rider received a heavy fall, which disabled
him lor the rest of the da\ - —indeed, the
only chance for his life was in the immedi
ate rescue by the banderilleros. Tliifc bull
was very clumsily treated by the second
matador, who failed no less than five times
in the attempt to inflict a death blow, and
for which he was hissed by the people.
"The third bull made what was called
the 'best' light of the day. During his ca
reer fie charged three horses in the middle
of the arena one after the other,lifting them
completely off the ground. The picador
was thrown from one of theiu six paces
forward, and lay extended on the ground.
The bull was going up to him, mad with
rage, when Cuchares actually seized him
by the horns, and thus saved the life of the
fallen man. This act of daring was greet
ed with tremendous applause. I may say
that the merit of a bull is judged by the
Spanish aficionado (connoisseur) by the num
ber of times he enters to the lauciug
charges of the picador, without turning
back or appearing to dread the prick of the
lance. If a bull does not enter at all, the
people have a right to demand fuego, as
was the ease with the first bull this day,
and the President in such a case gives con
sent for darts to be used with crackers on
them.
NUMBER 22.
" 01 the remaining three bulls a similar
recital might be made. The banderiileros,
who began with caution, and with the air
of men who knew what they were combat
ing with, grew bolder ar.d bolder, and it
would be useless to describe the several
varieties of skill and courage they dis
played."
A WORD TO BOYS.— Begin in early life to
collect libraries of your own. Begin with
a single book ; and when you find or hear
of any first-rate book, obtain it if you can.
After awhile get another, as you are able,
and be sure to read it. Take the best care
of your books ; and in this way when you
are men you will have good libraries in
your head as well as on jour shelves.
THE dog-days should be called the auti
dog-days, judging from the way a dog gets
mad in them.
STAMP a letter, and it will go. Stamp a
man, and he may not be able to go at all.