.c.cj.a.d : HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., EDrroa and Publisher. ' ' , ELK COUNTY T1IB REPUBLICAN PAItTT. Two Dollars per Annum. VOL. II. RIDGWAY, PA,. .THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1872. NO. 27. POETR T, TWOFOLD. - " . BT HUB. 1. D. T. WHITMKT. A double life la this of enra i A twofold form wherein we dwell I And heaven itself It not ao strange. Nor half bo far an teachera toll. With wearjr feet we dally tread The circle of a (elf-same round I Tt the strong soul may not be held A prisoner In tho petty bond. ' The body walketh aa In Bleep, A shadow among things that seem : While held In leash, ytt far away, The spirit moveth in a dream. A 11 Tins; dream of pood or ill. In coves of gloom or fields of light ; Whero pnrpoae doth iUolf fulfil, And longing love U instant slttht. Where time, nor apace, nor blood, nor bond May love and life divide In twain ; But they whom truth hath inly Joined, Meet inly on their common plane. We need ndt die to go to Ood ; Be. how the dally prayor is given I 'TIs not across a gulf we cry, " Our Father who dost dwell in Heaven 1" And "Let Thy will on earth be done, As in Thy heaven," by this, thy child I What Is It bnt all prayers In one, That aonl and sense be roconcllod f ThM Inner sight and outor "com f No more in thwarting conflict strive ; By doing blossom from the dream. And the whole nature rise, alive f There's beauty waiting to be born, And harmony that makea no sound ; And bear we over, unaware, A glory that hath not been crowned. And so we yearn, and so we sigh, And reach for moro than we can see : And, witness of our folded wings, ' Walk Paradise unconsciously ( And dimlv feel the day dlvino With vision half rodoemed from night. Till death shall face the double life. And Ood himself shall give ns light '. THE STORY-TELLER. THE FIRE TEST. I believe it, sir I do, indeed I There never was an evil that some good did not spring from it. It is something hard to believe it was for me once but it is truth. Shall I tell you why I changed my mind ' I don't know as I ought to, for I am not much of a story teller I can balance an account, or scale a load of lumber better but I will try this time. Ah, how I Wish I could felt it and saw it I But I don't believe anybody ever could do that, so I'll make the best of it. I am in the employ of a heavy lum bering company doing business on the lake-shore, and have been for years. Most of the time there were two of us in the office John Richards, a son of one of the owners, and myself, Jocobed Jackson.., J aim usually goes into the pineries in the .winter. Well, last winter was unfavorable for logging there was no snow to speak of and our supply of logs was so much less than usuaL, that we were obliged to shut down the mill about the 1st of September. That left thirty or forty men idle.' You know these lumbermen have to eat sometimes, and wear clothes, and the firm decided to put a crew into the woods, if it was early. So about the 4th or 5th of September, a lot of men started. John Richards went up to boss them ; and to be frank, as I always want to be, I was glad when John was out of my sight. There were two or three reasons why I was. glad.. First, John Richards was not a very agreeable person to have aroundt He was haughty and over bearing to the last degree, and many a wordy tilt have we had. Again, he was paying attention to a beautifnl girl whom I loved. No doubt I was a little selfish, but I . really couldn't help it. There was no open rivalry between us, however, for I never had insinuated even to my dearest friend, my mother, that I cared aught for Belle Royalton. But I loved her ; and the idea that John Richards or anybody else, for that matter would bear off the prize, even before I had entered the list as a com petitor, was repugnant to my feelings, to say the least. Lastly, John Richards was my enemy. Wherefore, I could not fathom, unless gqme act or look of mine had betrayed my love. "But he was my enemy, and I tqat glad when he was out of my sight. ' John had been gone nearly a month, when the firm received a letter from him, in which he stated that he had found a large tract of pine land for sale. The owner had just been burned out, and John advised that I should come up with a few thousand dollars, for a splen did bargain could be made. The partners held a consultation, and finally decided that I should go up. I was to start immediately after dinner, on horseback. I knew the road well, and was some what acquainted with the few people who id ventured to settle in that wil derness through which I had to pass ; therefore I apprehended . no trouble. Noteo with nyT, mother, however. She took alarm at the first mention' of the journey. "I" wish you were not going, Joe," she said, with ;a show of much anx iety. '"" k . . : .It ' Why, mother " The fires, Joe. They are burning all over the woods, and you have to camp out one night." I laughed at her fears, for I thought them groundless, .and she did not press the subject further.. The look of anxie ty remained on her face, however, and I promised to be very careful. I chose to use my own horse ; so, af-J ter dinner, 1 went out to the stable ana saddled Jim, and rode down to the office. Thev were not auito ready, and Mr. Richards said I had better take a turn around, and see if there were any letters to send to the men. It was only by some such transient method that we had any communication with the pinories, and I found many letters already written. After I had Visited all who had hus bands in the woods, I headed toward the office again J but I happened to think that perhaps Belle had some word to send to John Richards. It was not pleasant to think of, and I selfishly de cided that I would not be the bearer of communications between them. But my bettor nature prevailed, as I hope it always may. 1 rode over to Squire Royalton's, and asked for Belle. She was at home ; and I think I trembled a little, wnile the servant was calling hei, tor 1 never bad spoken with her except in the presence of others, much less vis ited her in her own home. I was even more agitated when she entered the room, and the touch of her hand thrill ed me through and through. It was only by a mighty effort that I controll ed my feelings. Ah, how lovely she was 1 I dared not dwell upon such thoughts, so I stammered oat the business that brought me there. She smiled whon I. told her a mischievous smile, I thought. "Thank you, very much, Mr. Jackson, but I have no word to send to Mr. Rich ards that I know of." I was surprised, and she saw it. " You have been led into an error," she said, more seriously, " but I thank you all the same. I hope you will see no trouble on the journey. You must be very careful, however, for fires are burning through all that region." You don't know how these words cheered me. Notwithstanding my em barrassing position, I could not feel sor ry that I went ; and apologizing for my mistake, I took my leave, very much happier, yet, withal, feeling a sort of pity for John. Tne first part of my journey was per formed without serious trouble. It is true, I had some narrow escapes from the fires which I found everywhere, thus proving my mother's fears not without foundation. But, on Saturday night the night for camping out I met with the first of a series of mishaps that promised a very unfortunate ending to my trip. The camping out, however, was not so disagreeable as I anticipated; for our men on the way up, had erected a cabin for themselves, and a sort of sta ble for the horses. In the latter I tied Jim, finding hay and grain enough for a feed, and then betook myself to the other cabin, where I made preparations for passing a comfortable night But I could not sleep at first. Ten thousand dollars in one's pocket is not a remark able narcotic, especially when one is in a lonely cedar swamp, with fires light ing the heavens above, the suffocating smoke retarding respiration, and you don't know how many desperate men prowling around for prey. But sleep came to me after a while, and money, fire, smoke and robbers were forgot ten. I do not know how long I slept, but I do knew that I was awakened very sud denly. I sprang from the heap of straw, which had been my bed, and, by the light of the fires which haH burned near er, I saw a man standing in the door. His face was toward me a black face it was, too, but whether artificially color ed or natural, I could not say. ' If you don't want to get burned up, you'd better get out of here !" he said, gruffly. "Ten minutes more, and the hut will be ablaze." I needed no second bidding. I found that his words were true his warning timely. Un three sides of the cabin the hungry flames were greedily licking up everything combustible, and, at one point, were only a few rods from where I stood. The smoke was sifting, the heat was scorching. I had no timo to waste. The stranger was already on the move, as I knew by the sound of his horse's foot falls. I was not far behind, I assure you, for my faithful horse seemed to realize that we were in peril. The smoke was so dense that I could not see a rod ahead, but I struck out boldly, and a ride of half an hour took me out of immediato danger. Then, for the first time since my awakening, I thought of the money. I quickly clap ped my hand to my breast-pocket. It was empty. Can yeu guess my first wish ? It wag that I had been left to.mf fate in that rude hut, for death seemed preferable to dishonor. These thoughts did not re main with me any length of time, how ever, for, somewhere in advance of me, fleeing from his victem, and from the devouring element, was the robber. My only desire, then, was, to overtake him and wreak out my vengeance on his worthless carcass. Putting the whip to my horse, I dash' ed on, making but little progress, how ever, for the way had never been traveled before, 'unless by some footman. Toward daylight the way improved, and goon alter sunrise 1 struck a road. 1 now moved on more rapidly. By frequent inquiries I learned that I was on the track of the villain, but some hours be hind him. I wag gaining on him, how ever. As the day waned I heard of him nearer and nearer. I hoped to overtake him before dark, but tailed. . I did not despair. I kept on ; and somewhere between eight and nine o'clock, reached a village situated on the border of a bay, or . the lake itself. I could not tell which. I rode down to thn hav to cive mv thirst v horse a drink. but he had only touched nig lips to the water, when he lifted up his head, turn ed square round, and, wjth dilated eyes, swelling nostrils, and elevated ears, gazed toward the wods which nearly surrounded the village. Ana l, too, turned in the same direction, fpr a low, rumbling sound, inexplicable to me, broke the Sabbath stillness. Louder and louder it grew as we gazed, until it was like the noise or mighty, lrresisti. ble waters, sweeping toward us. The inhabitants of the village were aroused, Though conscious of gome terrible dan ger, they were yet ignorant ot their aw lul doom. Even the domestic animals took the alarm, and fled, helter-skelter, trampling many a poor unfortunate un der toot in their mud night. But the worst wag yet to come. - Dumb with awe rather than fear, I stood facing the mysterious roar stood alone, for my frightened horse had broken away and fled while fiercer and more terrible became the horrid mystery. '!;..-' But the worst was not yet. Suddenly swift as the lightn'ng'g flash burst upon us a deafening crash, like the uprooting and downfalling of ten thousand forest giants, and with it a sheet of flame one wide lurid sheet of soorching, merciless, devouring fire, ' enveloping the village and everything therein a sickening holocaust. Pesh tigo was doomed I Unly when tne tornado ot wind and flame struck the village, did I realize my danger. Fortunately, I was close by the water's edge, else I never should have told the story. With a few others as fortunate as myself, I rushed into the cooling element, waist-deep. "Joel J oo I save me I t or Ood s sake, don't leave me here I" Those were the words that smote my ear, shrill above the roar of the devasta ting fire. I turned in my flight. It was as light as nobn-day a hot, sick ening light, if I-may so term it; and lying on the bank, but a step from the water, 1 saw John luchards, begging ol me to come to him. a " Oh, Joo I just try once to save me only once, Joe 1 I'll ask no moro I" Uould you have retused, even though it seemed like certain death to venture back into that burning heat ? No more could I. One noble man God prosper him aud his in this life and hereafter 1 re turned with me, and together we drag ged poor John through the water into comparative safety. " liod bless you, murmured John, as he felt the cool water enveloping him. " You have saved me from a horrible death, and I will repay you. Bend your head down, Joo. The money u all right, Joe." " What I tell me that again I" 1 de manded, forgetting everything but the hope of saving my honor unstained. " 1 took it, Joo. 1 knew .Belle loved you, and I couldn't bear it. That letter 1 sent was to get you where I could car ry out my plan. I might have left you in the hut, but Belle would always re member you then, while a shadow of suspicion upon you would have ended it all. But I give her up to you, Joe. I'm not good enough for her, even if she wanted me ; but if I live, I'll do better. You'll not tell Belle, or father V" "No, John," I said. By this time the heat was so intense that we were forced to wade deeper into the water, and keep our heads wet to save our skin from blistering. Ah, sir, it was terrible ! Many a poor being fled down into the water that night, and never returned fled from one death to find another, and perhaps, an easier one. Well, I hardly know how we lived through that awful night ; but here I am, as you see, considerably scorched, and somewhat stiff and sore, but quite a man, after all. There is John, too John Richards, in that bed in the cor ner. He will get over it, I guess. I shouldn't be telling you this now, only, he said I might, lie has turned over a new leaf, and docs not want any secrets weighing mm down. There is Belle, too, lust coming up the walk. They put my bed here, so that I should be the first te see her when she came, and the last when she went away. Isn't sho beautiful? Ah! but that is nothing to her goodness. She has saved John and me, they say ; and she is my promised wife. Do you blame me now for saving there never was an evil that good did not spring out of it '( A Monster Moon-Btone. in our issue ot the loth instant we called attention to the fact that on that day occurred one of those periodical meteorio showers which have always been the source of more or less terror to the unlearned, and the cause of which has occasioned much discussion among savans of all ages. The evening of the 10th, it will be remembered, was cloudy, and altogether unpropitious for observ ing the phenomenon, and so far as we know the heavens exhibited no unusual appearance in this vicinity. But other localities were more fortunate. Captain Scott, who is cultivating several thou sand acres of the Fowler farm in Ben' ton county, reports the fall, near his residence, northeast of Oxford, of one of the most remarkable aerolites that has ever been seen in the United States. Indeed, it has never been rivalled, un less by the monster moon-stone weigh ing 1,635 pounds that fell near the Red Uiver, in Arkansas, and which is still preserved in the cabinet of Yale Col lege ; and it may not prove second to that in size. According' to Captain Scott's account, he wag returning from camp-meeting about half-past ten V. M, The evening was cloudy and dark, with occasionally a little rain, and it was with difficulty that he could distinguish the road leading across the fields which he was following. Suddenly he was startled with a blinding glare of ' light that illuminated everything as far as the eye could reaoh with more' than noonday radiance. Simultaneously be beard a rushing sound, as he describes, like a terrifio gust of wind, and the next instant saw shooting vertically down ward a huge fiery ball that struck the earth but a few rods from where he wag standing, with a deafening detonation and a shock like an earthquake. Cap tain Scott owns to being badly fright ened, and for a few moments stood mo tionless, completely at a loss to account for what had happened. In the mean time a hissing noise came from the spot where the mysterious object bad landed. accompanied by a steam-like vapor and a strong sulphurous odor. The blind ing light continued for full fifteen min utes, and before it had altogether sub sided Captain Scott mustered up courage to make a closer investigation. The aerolite wag still smoking where it had fallen, and too hot to be removed ; but after considerable trouble a fragment of the substanoe with which tbe interior was filled was secured, and may now be seen at the Courier office. It hag much the appearance of volcanic rock, but is considerably lighter, being scarcely heavier than gome of the more solid woodg. Kvanwille (Ind.) Courier, ALLEGED DISCOTERIES IN ART. ZONA. Finding of Precious Stonet-Oil WclU Flowing Fifty to Slxtf Barren a Day- Ant Hill Geology, A SDCoial correspondent of the N. Y. World, writes from Erensburg, Arizona, as follows: On the road from Prescott City to this now town on the Colorado River, I collected quite a large number of valuable specimens and some precious stones, comprising rubies, sapphire, amethyst, and diamonds, the latter ex ceedingly small in size, Dut diamonds nevertheless, and here let the World, and the rest of mankind know that the Ari zona excitement is based upon fact, and that diamonds Have been found in the region of the Ant HUH through which we passed, and taken to San Francisco, whether the people East decide to bo liove it or not. I have not seen a news paper since we loft Prescott, but judge trom what they then contained that more 'confidence is placed in Arizona than in Southern Africa aa a diamond field by the people outside of Arizona. And justly so, for diamonds in Arizona a tact as immovably nxed as the granite hills hereaway. On reaching this place we soon ascertained that the diamond fever had spread not only throughout the adjacent Territories and California, but the disease was spread ing through the States East at an alarm ing rate. Let it rage I It will do this country good, diamonds or no diamonds. But while the absolute truth in re gard to the discovery of diamonds in Arizona can never be wrung from those who are now here, nor from those who succeed in escaping from this domain of the bloody Apache with their lives, the inducements are such as will justify any one possessing an adventuresome nature to go diamond hunting in Arizona provided, however, at all times, that such a one leave his last will and testa ment in the hands of administrators of his estate, if he have any, and write his own obituary before leaving home. But I'll have more to say concerning diamonds in Arizona in another letter. want to tell you something now of more importance than " Arizona dia monds, viz. : Arizona oil wells I Yes, actual petroleum emanating from the bowels of the earth more oil Irom one spring than any one well between Oil City and Titusville could boast in Penn sylvania's greasiest daje. What is the quality of the article ? How is it acces sible r and where are the springs loca ted '( Mum's the word I Don't flatter yourselves, denizens of civilization and participants in Presidential elections, that experiences gone by go for noth ing to men who risk life, limb, and top knot to penetrate into this new El Dor ado. Wait till our return, when you may be solicited to subscribe- oil Btock ; but till then wait. Our little party were the first of the race that ever brought oil out of Ari zona from springs that run from fifty to sixty barrels a day ; and we did it. Our samples will reach San Francisco soon. Stand down the hall. Near Skull Valley dug trom a mound many pieces of human bones relics of Tel tec and Aztec life and from the ruins of an ancient town a number of pieces of burnt bricks, ranging from one-half inch to two inches in thickness and eight inches wide, remains of Azteo civ lhzation. I am unable to decide the length of the brick, as I found only fragments. At Round Valley I collect ed several thousand specimens of rose-chalcedony from a calcareous con glomerate. It is the finest assortment of the kind I have ever seen, and they are valuable, as nature produces no more boautitui specimens of jewelry. 1 have them as a single rose, double rose. and so on to twenty roses in a single cluster. I have collected some canes from the flower-stem of the " century plant." so called, which grows here extensively and large, it is utilized by the natives, as it yields an excellent food, while the Mexicans make from it a liquor, Bharp ana pungent, "wmcn intoxicates very readily. It produces a fibre which is manufactured into paper and cloth, making it at once the most useful plant that grows on the American continent. It matures in from five to seven years, and, like the " modern maiden," blooms aud dies, too fair for earth, passes off ana gives room lor its successor, which in its turn, blooms, yields its soed, and dies. Its flower is the most beautiful I have ever seen on this continent. have also canea from the palo verde and ocate, also specimens of the rose-cactus, the mesquit, and swarre, or post-cactus. This last mentioned cactus grows to the height of forty feet, and a grove of them scattered sparsely over the ground hag the appearance at a distance of irregu larly arranged telegraph poles. The truit oi this cactus is called gwarro pronounced as three syllables, su-war row and is very sweet and delicious. 1 have in my collection a piece of blanket excavated Irom one ot the ruins in Chi no Valley. It is charred, as ' is the seed and graia I toek from them, and thus is in an excellent state of preservation. The fibre is well preserved and will af ford the curious an opportunity on my return to inspect it and guess the ma terial of which it hag been made. I have a very handsome collection of minerals which 1 have named my ant hill collection. These little insects are of more consequence than hag hitherto been accredited to them. They are in themselves a curiosity. They are honey-making ant. A bag or sack of honey about the size of a large pea is at tached to the female ant, which ig fed by the male, the female never leaving its nest To this singular ant am I in debted for many services rendered me in my geological investigations. At San Bernardo, New Mexico, I first be gan to inspect their mounds, for they are as truly mounds-builders as were their ancient prototypes, who preceded them on a grander scale, but no more in teresting or usetul to the modern in vestigator. At this point I discovered that these ants had collected a great number of Indian relics, the first of which I collected on the ant-mounds They consisted of splinters or chips from Indian arrow points, beads, bits of tur- uome, and other fragments which the ndiang had left while working out their stone implements and ornaments. Tbe finding of these small stone chips led me to think that the Indians had done considerable work in the neigh borhood "of these ant-hills, and so I found it. The surrounding country was literally strewn with fragments, con sisting of m orb-o gate, jasper, obsidian, silioitied wood, and other rock of like nature. I also found several good com plete arrow-heads. I improved upon this my first lesson in ant-hill geology, and sinoo that time I have collected from these ant-hills quite a number of gems, including the garnet, opal, ruby, chal cedony, aqua-marine, quartz-crystals, tapaz, and (probably) the diamond. And now all I have to do to determine the geological character of the country am in is to visit an ant-hill, and be fore me I have all the characteristic rocks of the locality. I first supposed the ants brought the small rock of which portion of their mounds are construct ed from under the surface ; now, how- however, I am convinced that they col lect them from the surface. And they exercise most excellent geological taste in their selections, as they select inva riably from the rarest and most beau tiful rockg to be found in the neighbor hood. When the ant-hill is located near vein of ore many specimens of the ore, with the rock of the vein, the wall rock, and the rook in which the vein is locat ed, are invariably found. In a few hours we start on a perilous journey across the country towards Los Angeles, Ual., a distance ot over 200 miles, about eighty miles of which is a sandy, bar ren desert. We shall, travel across this, and most of the entire way at night, in order to avoid the excessive heat of the daytime. Self-Dependence. No alliance with others can ever di minish the necessity for personal en deavor. Friends may counsel, but the ultimate decision in every case is mdi- vidual. As each tree, though growing n the same soil, watered by the same rains, and warmed by the same sun as others, obeys its own laws of growth, preserves its own physical structure, and produces its own peculiar fruit, so each person, though in the closest com' munication and intercourse with others, and surrounded by similar influences, must be himself, must do his duties, contest his own struggles, resist his own temptation, and suffer his own penalties. There is too much dependence placed upon co-operation tor security Irsin evil,- and too little reliance upon personal watchfulness and exertion. There are some who seem to feel in a great mea sure released from obligation if they do not receive such aid, and some will plead the shortcomings of others as an excuse tor their own. We would by no means disparage the effect of influence, or discourage in the slightest the generous assistance which we all owe to one another, or under value the important effect of a worthy example. These are vital elements of growth, and their results can never be fully estimated. But they should not usurp the place ot a proper selt-relianoe, or diminish the exercise of individual powers. Moral force must be a personal possession. It can never be transferred, and while we gladly welcome what is good from all sources, it can only be as food which must be digested before it can truly nourish us. Material benefits may be conferred by simple gift, but mental and moral activities can only be sustained by their own exercise. Thoughts may be exchanged, but not thought power; moral help and en couragement may be given, but virtue cannot be transferred ; responsibility cannot be shitted. The most permanent good we can do to others is to nourish this individual strength. To aid the physically desti tute most effectively, food, fuel and clothing, are not nearly bo valuable as steady, remunerative employment. To educate a child, it is not half bo impor tant to instill large amounts of informa tion, as to set his mind to work, to bring out -his mental powers, to stimu late his thoughts, and quicken his facul ties. And in moral lite, especially in cities, where masses are crowded to gether, and men incline to leap upon each other, the best lesson to enforce is, that virtue, to exist at all, must be strict ly individual. That which cannot stand alone, but depends on props and supports, which needs the constant spur of fear, and the bribe of reward to ensure its activity, is but the semblance of virtue, and will crumble before temptation. A well-de veloped body ever excites admiration, But a well-developed and self-reliant spirit is a nobler thing, It is calm, modest, and unassuming, yet linn in 4. 4! : conscious integrity of purpose, aud steadiness oi aim. Inflated by no van ity, it ig at once humble, yet courage ous; helpful to the tempted, yet reso lute in assailing evil. How He Got Over. In Scotland they have narrow, open ditches they call sheep-drains. A man wag riding a donkey one day across a sheep pasture, and when Mr. Donkey came to a sheep drain he would not go over it. So the man rode him back a short distance. and turned him around, and put the whip to him, thinking, of course, that the donkey, going go fast, would lump the drain before lie - ever Knew it. But not so. On they came, and when the donkey got to the drain he stopped all of a sudden, and the man went over Mr, Jack'g head. No sooner had he touched the ground than he got np, and looking W.T. jjonney siraigut in me iace, ue said, " Very weel pitched ; but then how are ye going to get over yersel r Comino to the Point. (Young lady of the period) " And go you wish to marry me, ehr" Well can you wash, iron, sweep, tend babies, darn stockings, get up Lood dinners Y If you can, I'll marry you. No old-fashioued men for me." Opinin Smokers. Poot human nature is seldom seen at greater disadvantage than when discov ered in a Chinese opium-smoking room. The houses devoted to thig use are gen erally found in gomo narrow, dirty street, filled with the heavy, pungent, peculiar odor of the drug. Let us enter ,ie of the establishments. The room is lined on both sidos with couches con structed of rattan and bamboo, nearly every oio of whieh has an occupant. Some of the miserable, lniatuatou crea tures are already asleep under the in fluence of the narcotic, and tho rest are rapidly advancing, puff by puff, to tho same (to them) happy state of oblivion. Here is one just coming in; he takes one of the few vacant couches, stretches himself at full length thereon, arranges the little bamboo pillow, and calls for his supply of opium, which, together with the pipe and other instruments necessary for its preparation and inhala tion, he is soon supplied with by an obliging attendant. Let us watch thu modus o).erandi. You see the parapher nalia of the opium smoker consists of first, the pipo, a bowl of some kind of hard clay or porcelain, about an inch and a half W diameter, but having a very small hole in the top. This bowl is placed a few inches frem one extremity of the stem, which is about eighteen or twenty inches in length, and three- quarters ot an inch in diameter, second ly, a small brass lamp, with a glass cover having a circular opening at the top through which the flame may bo reached. Thirdly, a small box contain ing tho opium, which is in a semi-liquid state, having something the appearance of thick, dark-colored molasses, and lastly a steel, or iron probe, about the sizo of a knitting-needle. The operator commences business by dipping the point of his needle into the opium, and taking out as much as will adhere to it. lie then holds it over the flame of the lamp, keeping the opium in its place by dexterously turning the needle between his fingers, continuing the operation until the opium has at tained the proper consistency. He now places the little sputtering, fizzing mor sel of poison on the orifioe of his pipe, and moulds it with his linger and thumb into the form of a pastil, then pierces it down through the centre with his needle, and it is ready. Placing the stem of the pipe between his lips, he holds the bowl over the lamp, so that the flame can reach the opium, takes two or three inhalations, and then expels the smoke in puffs from mouth and nose. This finishes the first pipe, and the same proceedings are repeated until his brain becomes clouded, his eyes are fixed in a glassy, idiotic stare, the pipe falls from his enervated grasp, anj he sinks into a deep slumber, having satis factorily finished his smoke, and, at the same time, "driven another nail into his coffin." How men can barter away health and reason for these hours of transient pleasure, is incomprehensible. When awake, and free from the in fluence of the narcotic, the opium smoker is half-dead, and, in despair, re sorts to his opium again as his only solace, that insidious poison, which, while it comforts, kills him. We have reason to dread the introduction of this terrible drug among us, for, although rum is a groat curse, opium performs the work of destruction quicker, and is really more to. be dreaded. Rattlesnake Poison as Medicine. The London Court Journal publishes the following : It may not be generally known to our readers that snake poison is used for medical purposes in these days, and that under tbe name ot " Uro talus Uorridus, the poison of the rattlesnake is utilized homoeopathic pharmacy. Messrs, Thompson and Capper, of. Liverpool, having recently imported a number of rattlesnakes, abstracted the venom from the live animals in the following ingen ious manner : Tho reptiles were in separate compart ments of a case, fitted with a double lid for extra security. A long staff, fitted with a thick India subber noose at one end, which could be loosened or tight ened by the hand at pleasure, was in serted through the partially opened lid, and the opportunity quickly seized of slipping the loop ovr the snake s Read, the loop being immediately drawn tight by means ot tho cord attached thereto. With a similar contrivance the tail was next fastened, and tho snake being thus securely held, was lifted out of tho box to the floor of the room. A pickle bottle containing chloroform was then thrust over the snake's head and carefully held in its place by keeping time with the animal's efforts to extricate itself. As the reptile became stupefied the noose was gradually relaxed, to enable the lungs to have full play, and when it ftp I a i a i i pearea powerless, me snuge was iaia in a long, narrow box, made lor tho pur pose, with an aperture at one end, out of which its head projected while the after operation was performed. Its jaws were then opened and fixed, and the poison glands were pressed with forceps, then with tbe gloved nnger and thumb, while a small-blown graduated phial was held t receive the drops as they oozed slowly out inrouga me poison iangs. Twenty drops was the average quantity yielded from each snake. i a V . ; r m The venom ig of straw color, thick and gummy in consistency, and decidedly acid in its reaction on litmus paper. It ig readily soluble in glycerine or water, but ia precipitated by strong alcohol. the precipitate being redissolved by the addition ot a little water, its toxico- logical properties were fully tried on variety ot animals. Half a drop pro I duced death on a linnet within three minutes after being imjected under the wing. The symptoms produced in all coses were very similar. A Ballard county (Kentucky) man got very drunk on bad whiskey, and went to sleep in the woods. During the night a poor, deluded rattlesnake crawled slyly up to the drunkard, bit him, and died. The man is doing well a could be expected. Facts and Figures, Tho end of timo tho letter E. It is said that a fanner in Western New York hog cleared $900 by burying wooden Indian cigar Bigns for a few months and then digging thom up and selling thom to colleges for petrinod Mohicans. A Bridgeport lady remained too long on a train to kiss a female friend, and trying to get off after it had started was thrown violently on lier face. " If evei I kiss any bcly again !'' said she, venge fully, as sho arose ; " any woman, at least !" she thoughtfully added. A clergyman on his way to church, one Sunday, was overtaken by a heavy shower of rain. Ou arriving at the ves try he exclaimed, rather impatiently, " I wish I were dry." " Never mind," said his colleague, " you will Boon be in the pulpit, and there yon will be dry enough." There is a wheat-field on the west side .. of the San Joachin river, California, thirty-five miles in length by eight in width, with an area of 1 70,000 acres. Es timating the average yield at sixteen bushels to the acre, it would give a total yield of 2,8G7,200 bushels, or 86,015 tons. This amount of grain would load 8,001 cars. Endeavor to take your work quietly. Anxiety and over-exertion are always the cause of sickness and restlessness. We must use our judgment to control our excitement, or our bodily strength will break down. We must remember that our battle is to bo won by a strongth not our own. It is a battle that does not depend upon the swift nor the strong. In New York there is a mill which makes from paper such articles as milk- pans, cups, bread pans, wash-bowls, etc., which are said to be superior to wooa metal. The paper being pulped is pressed to shape, dried, enamelled, and subjected to a neat that would destroy some utensils of the kind. The material light and easily handled, and does not rust, shrink, or easily break. If vou belong to a wealthy family in the City oi Mexico nowadays, and drive into the country a few miles from the apital. vou will be gobbled up oy guerillas, who will send the cheering in telligence to your friends that they want $2,000 or $5,000, and if you are not forthcoming in bo many hours, you will be shot. The funeral over you, a few days later, when your bedy is found by the roadside horribly muti lated, will be very impressive. Mexico is a more healthy country for poor peo ple at this time. How to fit a new collar to the shoul der of a horse is thus told by The Valley Farmer: Tho collar should be of the nroDer size ; iust before putting it on the first time, immerse it in water, let ting it remain about a minute, and im mediately put it on the horso, being careful to have the hames so adjusted at the top and bottom aB to fiit the thoul der, and then put tho horse to work. The collar, by being wet, will adapt it self to the shoulder, and shonld dry on the horse. When taken off it should be left in the same shape it occupied on the horso, and ever after you will have snug-fitting collar and no wounds. The Missouri Legislature passed a very sensible bill at the last session, a circumstance in itself worth noting. It provides that all doors of ingress or egress to and trom an pu'iuo scnooi houses and other public buildings, and also of all theatres, assembly reonis, halls, churches, factories, with more than twenty employees, and ot all other buildings or places . of publio resort whatever, where people are wont to as semble shall be so hung as to open out wardly from the audience rooms, halls, or workshops of such buildings or places, provided that such doors may be hung on double-jointed hinges, go as to open with equal ease outwardly or inwardly. The great globe which we inherit is itself a magnet. On the one side of the magnetic equator, the north end of the needle dips ; on the othor side, tho south end dips, the dip varying from nothing to ninety degrees. If we go to the equatorial regions of the earth with a suitably suspended needle, we shall find there the position ot the needle to do horizontal. If we sail north, one end of the needle dips ; if we sail south, the op posite end dips ; and over tho north or south terrestrial magnetic pole the needle sets vertical. Tho south mag netic pole has not yet been found, but Sir James Ross discovered the north magnetic pole on the 1st of June, 18U1. Faraday. ' The following items in connection with the Khorter-Tiine-and-More-Money agitation have reached us : "A lunar telegraphio dispatch reports that the Man in the Moon has struck work. He 1 represents that eight hours a day are quite enough tor such a clever teiiow to shine in, and declines to carry his bundle of sticks any longer. This announce ment has caused great consternation throughout the whole of the Solar Sys tem." A report comes from Holland that all the Dutch clocks havo com menced striking. They are determined not to work more than twelve hours a day. It ig believed, however, that the Uovernment will deal with the onend erg under the Winding-up act, ag strikes are not allowed in Holland." A iournev through the six New Eng- , land States, and a portion of New York, reveals the fact that the apple crop is equally abundant in all quarters, the trees everywhere being loaded with this staple fruit Along the Hudson, from Troy to I'oughkeepsie, it is nearly tne same as in Connecticut ; the apple treeg are loaded. "Golden sweets sell to dealers for $1 a barrel, and purchasers are scarce, even at that rate. Many farmers are feeding them out to' their stock. In Maine it ig, the same. A large dealer refused, last week, to take Rhode Island greenings,deliverable in October, at any price above $1 a barrel I It is a great year for apples, and there is a " fair to middling " prospect of an abundant product of cider the coming Fall, .
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers