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HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. NlU DESPERANDUJI, Two Dollars per Annum.
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VOL. IV; RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA!, THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1874. NO. 12.
S
My Good-for-nothing.
What mre yon good for, my bravo little man ?
Answer that question for me if yon can
You, with fingers as white as a nun,
You, withyoar ringlets as bright as the sun.
AU the day long with your busy contriving,
Into all miBchlof and fun you are driving j
Bee if your wise littlo noddle can toll
lYhat you are good for now ponder it well.
Over the carpet the dear little feet
Came with a fatter to climb on my seat ;
Two merry eyes, full of f rplio aud glee,
Under their lashes looked up unto me ;
Two little hands prosmng soft on my face,
Drew me down close in a loving embrace ;
Two rosy lips gave the answer so true
" Good to love you, mamma t good to lovo you !'
THE CIRCUIT-RIDER.
He Meet a the Champion of Satan on their
Own around and Demolishes Them.
Eggleston tolls the story of a cironit-
rider in the early days of the West, who
was evidently a man suited for the time
and the occasion :
Magruder, the circuit-rider, had been
so pleased with his success in organi
zing a class in the Hissawachee settle
ment that he resolved to favor them
with n Sunday sermon on his next
round. . He was accustomed to preach
twice every week day and three times
on every Sunday, after the laborious
manner of the circuit-rider of his time.
And since he expected to leave Ilinsa
wachee as soon as meeting should be
over, for his next appointment, he de
termined to reach the settlement before
breakfast, that he might have time to
confirm the brethren and set things in
order.
When the Sunday set apart for the
secona sermon drew near, Morton, with
the enthusiastic approval of Captain
Lunisden, made ready his tin horns to
interrupt the preacher with a serenade.
But Lumsden had other.plana of which
Morton iiaa no knowledge.
John Wesley's rule was. that
' preacher should rise at four o'clock and
spend tho hour until live in reading,
meditation, and prayer. Five o'clock
found Magruder in the saddle on his
way to Hissawa?hee, reflecting upon the
sermon ne intended to preach. When
be had ridden more than an hour, keen
ing himself company by a lusty singing
ci nymns, no came suddenly out upon
ino Drow or a ma overlooking tuo His
sawachee V alley. The gray dawn was
streaking tuo clouds ; the pre.icb.er
checked his horso and looked forth on
tho valley just disclosing its salient
features in the twilight, as a General
looks over a battle-field before the en
gagement begins. Then ho dismount
eo, ana, Kueeiiug npon the leaves,
'.f.CV , prayed with apostolio fervor for victory
, , over " the hosts of sin and the devil.'"
''. ; When at last he got into the saddle
( ,' ; . - again the winter sun was sending its
. -. : first horizontal beams into his eves, and
all the eastern sky was ablazo. Ma
. gruder had the habit of turning the
. wnoie universe to spiritual account.
and now, as he descended the hill, he
made the woods ring with John Wes
leys hymn, which might have been
composed in the presence of sneli a
scene.
O sun of rightooubuoes, arise
With healing in thy wing ;
To my diseased, my fainting soul,
Life and salvation bring.
.These clouds of pride and sin dispel,
i By thy all-piorcing boain
Lighten my eyes with faith ; my heart
With holy hopes inflame.
By the time lie had finished the sec
ond .tanzo, the bridle path that he
was following brought him into a dense
.. forest of beech and maple, and ho saw
walking toward him two stout men,
none other than bur old acquaintances,
. Bill McCoukey and Jako Suiger.
" Looky yer," said Bill, catching the
preacher's horso by the bridle ; "you
git down 1
"What for?" said Magruder.
' We're going to lick you tell you
promise to go back and never stick j our
head into the Hissawachee Bottom
agin."
" But I won't promise."
" Then we'll put a finishment to ye."
" You are two to one. Will you give
me time to draw my coat ?"
Wal, yes, I 'low we will."
The preacher dismounted with quiet
deliberation, tied his bridle to a beech
t limb, oflVring a mental prayer to the
God of Samson, and then laid his coat
across the saddle.
'My friends," ho said, "I don't
want to whip you. I advise you now to
ic uie Bioun. as aa American citizen,
i nave a right to go where I please. My
iuiuur was a revolutionary soldier, aud
menu io ngni lor my rights."
bhet up your jaw!" said Jake,
swearinc and aDnroachino' th "nrenMi.
' from one side, while Bill came up on
the other. Magruder was one of those
short, stocky men who have no end of
muscular force and endurance. In his
unregenerate days he had been celebra
ted for his victories in several rude en
counters. Sever seeking a fight even
then, he had, nevertheless, whpn m.
ambitious champion came from afar for
ine purpose of testing his strength.
felt himself bound to "give him what
he eame after." He had now greatly
the advantage of the two bullies in his
Knowledge of the art of boxing.
T" . . "T l 11 n . ...
jjeioro jaKe naa nnishea Jus pre
liminary swearing tne preacher had
surprised him by delivering a blow that
knocked him down. Bnt Bill had taken
advantage to strike Magruder heavily
on the cheek. Jake, having felt the
awful weight of Magruder's fist, was a
little slow in coming to time, and the
preacher had a chance to give Bill a
most polemical blow on his nose ; then
turning suddenly, he rushed like a mad
bull upon Sniger, and dealt him one
tremendous blow that fractured two
of his ribs and felled him to the earth.
But Bill struck Magruder behind,
knocked him over, and threw himself
upon him after the fashion of the West
ern free fight. Nothing saved Magru
der but hi immense strength. He rose
right up with Bill upoa him, and then,
py a aeit use of his legs, tripped his
antagonist and hurled him to the
ground. He did not dare take ad
yentugeof his fall, however, for Jake
had regained his feet and was coming
np on lum cautiously. Bat when
Sniger saw Magruder rushing at him
again, he made a speedy retreat into
the bushes, leaving Magruder to fight
it out with Bill, who, despite his sorry
looking nose, was again ready. But he
now ' fought shy," and kept retreating
slowly backward and calling out "Oome
up on him behind, Jake I Come up be
hind 1" But the demoralized Jake had
somenow got a superstitions notion
that the preacher bristled with fists be
fore and behind, having as many arms
as a Hindoo deity. Bill kept backing
until he tripped and fell over a bit of
brush, and then picked himself up and
made off, muttering :
" I ain't a-goin to try to handle him
alone I He must have the very devil
into him I"
About nine o'clock on that same Sun
day morning, the Irish schoolmaster,
who was now boarding at Goodwin's,
and who had just made an early visit to
the Forks for news, accosted Morton
with : ' An' did ye hear the nooze.
Moirton ? Bill Conkey and Jake Sniger
h'.-v had a bit of Sunday morning ricre
ation. They troid to thrash the pray
cher as he was a-comin through North's
Holler, this mornin' ; but they didn't
make no allowance for the Oirish blood
Magruder's got in him. He larraped
'em both single-handed, and Jake's ribs
are cracked, and ye'd lawf to see Bill's
nose ! Captain must a had some proi
vate intherest in that muss : hey, Moir
ton?" " It's thunderin' mean," said Morton;
"two men on one, and him a preacher ;
and all I've got to say is, I wish he'd
killed 'em both." '
" And yer futur father-in-law into the
bargain? Hey, Moirton? But fwat
did I tell ye about Koike ? The pray
cher's jaw is lamed by a lick Bill gave
him, and Koike's to exhort in his place.
I tould ye he had the botherin' sperit
of prophecy in him."
The manliness in a character like
Morton's must react, if depressed too
far ; and ho now notified those who
were to help him interrupt the meeting
niuD ii any disturbance were made he
should take it on himself to punish the
offender.
What We Eat.
Sovcr. the culinarv anthnrif.v.
Mr.
the cook of the London Reform Club,
and a great artist in his line, goes into
mis sort oi calculation in one of his
books the " Modern Housewife"
and obtains results startling, if not
alarming, to persons who had never
looked at the subject from an arithnieti
cal point of view. To take a boy of ten
years to the top of a hill, as he takes
his mythical personage, and surround
him with the objects thut in the course
or iiis lifetime he will have to devour,
may be truly described as appalling.
iirst there are 30 oxen, then 200
sheep, 100 calves, 200 lambs, 00 pigs,
1,000 fowls, 300 turkeys, 263 pigeons,
140 rjounds of salmon, 120 pounds of
usu, au.uuu oysters, 0,443 pound
weight of vegetables. 243 pounds of
butter, 24,000 eggs, 4 tons of bread
about 3,000 gallons of tea and coffee!
besides tons of fruits, barrels of sweet
meats, and hogsheads of wine.
This is, after all, only an outline,
and Soyer assures his readers that.
30 far from exaggeration, he has, from
experience and observation, made up
a scuie oi ioou lor me aav lor a beriod
oi sixty years, it amounted to 3a
tons weight of meat, farinaceous food.
auu vegetaoies. Tins statement can
neither be denied nor affirmed without
going into the statistics, but it is parti
ally corroborated by a gentleman who
states that for fifty years he has eaten
two eggs tor breaklast, making 730 per
annum, or a total tor half a century of
46,500 eggs. This goes for a period of
only fifty years, 12,500 better than
Soyer, and does not provide for the
quantity eaten in puddings, cakes, des
serts, aud the like. Where does it all
come from ?
A Brutal Bigamist.
A coach-driver named Gustave
Goethe, a native of Prussia, was placed
on trial in iew lork city for biganiv.
District Attorney Rollins claimed that
the prisoner had been married on the
13th of February, 1809, to Sophia Zim
merman, and had subsequently married
a woman named Uabettd Wagner, dur
lug the lifetime of his first wife. The
jury, without leaving their seats, found
Uoethe guilty, and he was sentenced to
four years in State prison, the Reoorder
stating that he believed the prisoner
naa peen guuty oi perjury as well as
Digamy, un being taken to the pns
oner's box, Goethe stood in front of his
first wife, Sophia, who had testified
against him, and struck her a heavy
uiow in tne face witn ins clenched nst,
The brutal ruffian was immediately
overpowered by the court officers, and
by direction of the Recorder was again
placed at the bar. For the cowardly
assault on his wife, the Recorder sen
tenced the prisoner to an additional
year in State prison, making the sen
tence five years' imprisonment. On his
way to the Tombs, Goethe stated to the
officers in charge that if he ha4 had a
pistol ho should have shot the Re
corder. The Flying: Shilling:.
This is purely a slight-of-hand trick.
but it does not require muoh practice
to pe able to do it well ana cleverly.
Take a shilling between the forefinger
and thumb of the right hand : then bv
a rapiu iwisi oi tne nnger, twirl the
coin by the same motion that you'd
spin a teetotum. At the same time rap
idly close your hand, and the coin will
- ; a . . i n . . ....
disappear up your coat sleeve. You
may now open your hand, and, much to
the astonishment of your audience, the
coin will not be there. This espeoial
trick may be varied in a hundred ways.
One plan is to take three shillings, and
concealing one in the palm of your left
hand, place one of the others between
the thumb and forefinger of the ri?ht
hand, and the third between the thumb
aud forefinger of the left hand. Then
give the coin the twist already de
scribed, and closing both hands quick
ly, it will disapper up vour sleeve, and
the left hand being unclosed, it will be
louna to contain two shillings. Thus
you will make the surprised spectators
believe that yon conjured the coin
from your right hand to you left.
The Heart Not Essential to Circulation
As you well know, Dr. Brown-Se
qnard tells us, the blood circulates
from the arteries to the veins, and Prof,
Draper, of New York, has perfectly
wen proved mat tne chemical changes
ocourring in tissues must be a cause of
activity of the circulation. But there
are many other facts besides those he
knew, which show that wheu we irri
tate a nerve, if there is more blood in
the part where that nerve goes, it is
not because that nerve goes to blood
vessels, "and affects them by dilating
tuem, put pecause of the direct trans.
formation of nerve force into chemical
force producing an attraction of blood
A great many facts indeed show ns that
circulation will go on without an im
pulse from tho heart. In plants the
circulation proceeds from chemical
changes without any heart at all. with
out any power that pushes the liquids
forward.
In foetal monsters in our own species
there are cases in which the monster
had no heart, and in which tho comma
nication of its circulatory system with
that of the almost half child with which
it was connected, was too slight for tho
circulation to go on if we were to look
upon tne heart as tho only organ pro
ducing circulation. Besides, in em
bryos, in animals at a certain degree of
tneir development lorm tne ovum, cir
culation takes place while the heart is
not yet formed. And we may say that
instead of tho heart being the only
organ mat serves lor oirouiation, that,
on the contrary, the heart is formed by
circulation. The circulation helps to
give it a form of organization, and
helps to give it a function when it has
accomplished its organization.
I long ago made an experiment with
frogs, consisting in making a section
of tho ventricle of the heart, dividing it
so as to do away with more than two
thirds oi the length of that part. After
a time a clot is formed there which
unites the lips of the cut, and the circn
lation goes on with a part of the ven
tncle, which is so small indeed that
there is hardly an impulse coming from
it. 'Ihere is a passage, however, for
tne Diooa mere, and that is all that is
necessary, that the great cause of cir
culation, which is attraction, may be
accomplished in every tissue through
life. Even in our own species it has
been my lot to see ono case, that of a
lady, in which the heart was almost en
tirely destroyed by fatty denosition.
Tho heart in this case had very litte action,-
if any, but still lif o persisted for
some time. In appearance there was a
state oi health, until suddenly one day
death occurred.
There is en record the case of a man
who for three days had had no beating
whatever of the heart and who, never
theless, had had a circulation. He had
had no pulse the beating of the pulse
depending on the heart but the blood
was circulating, and life was maintained
all the time. Therefore, although I
would not say certainly that the heart
is a useless organ, it is certainly by far
less important than it was considered
to be, a great deal of the work of circu
lation being due to the attraction that
tissues exert on the blood. That at
traction is increased by certain nerves,
and thereby circulation is considerably
increasedTsometimes locally to a most
wonderful extent, by an irritation of the
nervous system. In cases of inflamma
tion we see this very plainly. Where
tho inflammation exists inside of the
cranium, we find that the carotid artery
beats with tremendous violence. Some
times we find an enormous increase of
pulsation in tho arteries of the temple.
As we find in such cases that the heart,
as indicated by the pulse in tho wrist,
is not beating with much more force
than usual, we must conclude that
there is considerable irritation and an
inflammation in the membrane of the
brain or the brain itself.
Messages from the Moon.
Of all the heavenly bodies, tho mnnn
is the nearest to us and the most easy
to observe.- It is especially interesting
as the boundary between astronomy and
meteorology; everything above the
moon is in the celestial heavens, and
consequently belongs to the former
science ; everything below the moon is
the terrestrial fikv in tliA
and therefore lies within the domain nf
the latter. The connection between the
moon and the earth is closer than is of
ten suspected. If a line be drawn frnm
the center of the earth to the center of
tne moon, there lies in it a point (much
nearer to the moon than to us) where
the moon's and the earth's attraction on
any material object are exactly equal
If the object be removed a little toward
us, it will fall upon the earth ; a little
the other way, it will be drawn towards
me moon. Arago has calculated the
toice necessary to shoot a bodv fmm
the moon to reach this intermediate
point of equilibrium, and finds it to be
py no means an impossible or unattain
able force. Consequently, it is not im.
probablo that many (though perhaps
nut mi oi iuo meteoric Btones that fall.
. . , . ..lit i ii.. a." t . . : .
are sent hither from the morn. It would
bo very possible for an inhabitant nt
tho moon, supposing such inhabitant to
exist, to keep up a daily communication
witn me eartu py means or proieotilH.
For ns to reply to tho correspondence,
would bo immensely more difficult.
The nearness and conspiouousness of
the moon have caused the human race
from tho highest antiquity, to attribute
to it great innuenoo on tho variation of
tho weather.
A Land of Milk and Honey,
A San Diego editor savs that at the
risk of being pronounced a falsifier by
Eastern people, ho will state a few facta
illustrating tho fertility of Southern
California. He. had seen a mass of
wheat, the product of a single grain, on
which he counted one hundred and
nineteen stalks. It was taken from tho
ground before being allowed to matnm.
otherwise each stalk would have borne
at least sixty grains, being a yield of
over seven thousand grains from one.
Two years ago a Mr. Kimball planted
some olive cuttings, which have beobme
thrifty trees, the height of a man.
Bees filled an empty hogfchead in a back
yard with honey, and the alfalfa-fed
oows yield milk enough to fulfill the
scriptural requirements of a promised
land. . , , ,
, Tho Wrong Ticket. '
Calvin Luther has been a resident of
Whitehall for many years. He has
spent probably more money for lottery
tickets man any man in t'hiiadelphia.
Week after week his earnings have gone
to the venders of lottery tickets. Cal
vin has pinched himself and family to
satisfy his passion. Once in a while,
as if to tempt him on, the Fates have
favored him, and a small prize has been
drawn. .
Large sohemes have been mailed Jiim
regularly, and the next mail would take
back an order lor tickets.
His hopes have been great, alwavi
feeling, and telling those who expostu
lated with him about the evil, that he
knew he would draw a big prize yet.
iiast summer an astroiogist came
along. She was tho seventh daughter
or a seventh daughter. Calvin over
heard a conversation about her remark
able powers. He made up his mind to
consult her about a lucky number in a
lottery of which ho had received the
scheme that day. Calling at her board.
ing-house, ho was shown to her room
Going into a trance, she informed
Calvin that, "t if he would say nothing
to any ono, but go home and think in
tently on a number, he would dream of
seeing the lucky number on tho person
of his wife." Ho was to keep his secret
on the subject to himseu for three days.
and each night he would have the
dream repeated. At the expiration of
the three days she told him to go buy
tne mimuer ne naa seen.
Calvin went away overjoyed. He
could Bcarce contain himself, nor wait
until night. v .
That night he dreamed of seeing two
figure 4s. one each side of a large ring
worm on his wife's person. He woke
next morning nearly beside himself,
At night the dream was repeated, the
two 4s. being seen on the same place.
The following day was a long one to
Calvin. The hours passed slowly. He
was almost tempted to send and pur.
chase the lucky 44. Still he waited, as
the astroiogist had told him that he
would not get the lucky numbers un
less he followed instructions. (The
third night arrived, and the dream was
repeated. There were those two 4s
one on each side of the ring-worm on
his wile s person.
Calvin arose early the next morning.
He telegraphed immediately, asking if
No. 44 was sold, if not, his orders were
to send it C. O. D. An answer was
returned that the lucky number was
unsold, and was forwarded according to
instructions.
The ticket arrived, and was paid for.
Calvin could hardly wait till the next
day, when the drawing was to take
place.
Tho day arrived, however, and with
it a message to Calvin, which read fis
follows;
'No. 404 drew the first prize."
' There," exclaimed the unfortunate
man, with a terribly disappointed look.
" just my darned luck! 1 left out that
ring-worm,"
Burned to Death,
A little boy, aged four years, by the
name of Isaiah Roy, whose parents are
living aown in mo uiyourn neighbor
hood, near the south line of Scott
Township, aud some five or six miles
southeast of the city, was burned to
death, under the most distressing cir
cumstances. The little boy, in com.
pany with his eider brother, was stand
ing by a prairie fire, which had been
set out by Mr. Bryant to back-fire
around some fencing, when suddenly
the wind veered around with a perfect
whirl, niid drove the flames iuto his
face, setting almost his entire clothing.
which was of cotton, on firo. At tho
same time the flames and smoke so
strangled him that he reeled and fell
directly into tho blazing grass. The
older boy, with great coolness and pres
ence of mind, dragged him out of the
fire as soon as he possibly could, and
took him to a ravine only a few yards
off, and endeavored to extinguish the
firo in his clothing by rolling him in
tne water. The clothing was of cotton.
and so thoroughly and completely
ablaze by the time he got him there,
that ho did not succeed in doing so un
til his entire apparel was consumed and
his 6kin burned to one complete blister.
The poor little'fellow suffered tho most
intense : pain for some two or three
hours before death relieved him of his
agony. Fort Scott Monitor.
Tho Indian Famine.
A correspondent, writing from one of
the iamine-stricken districts of India,
says : It is no easy thing to write co
herently with the moan of miserable
starvelings constantly in one's ears.
Whenever I looked np from tho paper
tnero stood or squatted before mo out
side the open door of tho tent, some
half dozen forlorn, hollow-eyed, emaci
ated women begging for food to keep
them from starving. If I called for tho
chuprassie to "move them on," for
io work within sight of them was im
po&siDie mey went patiently away
wiiu me uuu resignation oi latalists.
But no sooner were they gone than
otheis came. Lean mothers cam a an d
laid down littlo children, that lay prone
on tho grass, as if they were dead, for
mey were too lar gone in starvation to
stand on their wasted little legs, and
prayed for a morsel of food to save
their little ones. Wretched old women,
shriveled and starved almost out of
human semblance, tottered over tho
grass, to fall prostrate outside the
tent, and pray for relief, while their
gray hairs trailed among the dust. The
air was full of tho dull, monotonous
howl in which relief is craved, as a
marsh at eventide echoes with the
croaking of frogs.
Discharged.
A Whitehall groceryman marks the
rices of provisions on tho covers of his
arrets and casks. He had a new clerk
the other day who mixed things. He
got the cover of the sugar barrel, which
was labeled " 9 cents a pound," upon
the lard barrel and straightway bean
to sell lard at nine cents. The sudden
decline in the price attracted all the
people in town, and tho clerk thonoht
he was doing a big thing until tho pro-
Erietor returned, paid him off and told
im to emigrate to Troy, where smart
people were in demand. Troy Press. I
Game f Scotch Billiards.
game of shuffle-board is littlo
known in this country, and bnt few
Americans play it. It is a Scotch
amusement, and in principle is identi
cal with tho popular out-door game
known as ' curling." It is very simple,
and therefore easily understood ; but to
play it well requires fully as much skill
as is called for in tho game of billiards.
The only paraphernalia of the game are
a long, narrow board, and eight iron
disks like quoits. iThe board is usually
irom mirty to mirty-nya feet in length,
but may bo longer or shorter, as cir
cumstances require ; is about two feet
in width, and as smooth as glass.
prerequisite to its efficiency, however,
is mailt must po perfectly level, and
is therefore made strong and solid, and
seldom less than from four to eight
incnes iuick.
The iron disks are about three-quar
ters of-an inch thick, three inches it
diameter, and weigh from a pound and
a half to a pound and three-quarters.
Four of these are cast with tho letter N
on the upper side, and four with the
letter O.
Tho board is laid on a solid table, at
an elevation of thirty-six or forty inches
from tho floor, and is surrounded on all
sides by a narrow gutter to receive the
pieces or disks when they fall. Si
inches from each end a straight lino is
aescripea across tne board, which
serves to mark certain distinctions
the players' shots.
The gamo is played by two or four
persons, but as tho number of nlovers
. .
makes no difference in the nature of the
game, tho explanation will be most
readily understood by confining the
play to two.
Tho contestants take their stand
at
one end of the board, which has been
sprinkled with fino white sand, one
with the O disks, the other with" those
stamped JN. Tho tirst player sends
piece with n glissade down the board
striving to propel 'it beyond the lower
line. and if possible to makoitovfirhnnc
the lower edge of tho board. If his
piece remain anywhere on tha lmnrd
outside the line, and there be no piece
of his antagonist's before it, he soores
one. Should his piece lie between the
lino and the edge, the same conditions
governing, his count is two. Tf his
piece hang over the edge, in which case
the shot is called a " ship," ho scores
three for that pieco ; and so on. Thus
it will be seen that tho first object of
yiujd in iu unru ms opponent 8
pieces from the board : the second, so to
guuru uiu own as to prevent his oppo
nent from driving them off. It will
readily be understood from this exnla.
nation that the highest count that can
be made in one inning is twelve ; but it
is doubtful whether any suoh soore has
ever peen maao in a game between two
players of even tho most ordinary
A Bohemian of Old.
The business of running after nnwa
is not of recent creation, it is as ancient
as the invention of journalism : the old
Bohemian was a Fienchman called
ltenandot.
m i a
j.no mosi emiennt runner after news
was named Mathieu Donzelot. other
wise called the " Pavement Sinker." In
the morning, before leavme his room.
the wide-awake Donzelot consulted the
sk ies, and a barometer which adorned
his Mansard ; then he took his cane and
writing-case, saying: "Rami Some
will slip to-day under carriage wheels.
anu oe crusuea to death. ur else
"Stormy weather 1 We shall have to
record some cases of mental alienation
or of hydrophobia." Or finally
uni .i i . y
uiuomy i ciouay I jj ine weather lor
spleen. Let us make war on suicides 1"
Ihere was a not one day on Pan
theon place. Donzelot sat down amid
a hail of stones, pen in hand, to note
aown tne events. One of his frienda
happening to bo present, said : " What
are you doing here, sir? Run 1 fly!"
Donzelot. without listeninc to liim
drew his watch, and continued to writ.A
down minute for minute tho phases and
evolutions oi tne riot.
Are you not going to run?" cried
anew his friend.
God forbid : but since yon are go.
ing yourself, oblige me by handing this
to my j'ournal ; you will tell them that
j. remain on the spot to send tho con
tinualion."
An hour after, tho disorder was nt. it
height ; the authorities and insurgents
had come to blows. The National
Guard fired, and our Bohemian was
struck by a ball. A surgeon hastened
to him.
" You are wounded ?" said ho.
" Yes." replied Donzelot. " and se
verely, too, for I cannot write."
" Write," abruptly said tho surgeon ;
" Don't be in a hurry." replied Don
zelot. " Each one to his business ;
mine is io relate events. xou will re.
place me. Here, write at the bottom
this postscript : '
Twenty minutes past 3 p. m. In
consequence of tho discharge of mus
ketry Dy mo troops, three men were
wounded and one killed.
Who is tho dead man ?" asked the
surgeon.
"Myself," replied Donzelot. and he
xpirea.
What They Wore,
Queen Victoria, at her last " draw
ing-room," resumed some of her former
stateliness in demeanor and appareL
She wore a black watered silk dress
with a train trimmed with crape, em
broidered in black silk and jet ; also a
ruby and diamond diadem over a long
white tulle veil, and a diamond and
ruby necklaoe and brooch, besides a
variety of orders. The Princess of
Wales wore a dress of white satin with
pleatings of satin and ostrich feather
trimming ; the train of white satin also,
with pleating of satin and ostrich feath
er trimming. Her head-dress consisted
of a tiara of diamonds, with feathers
and a veil. The Duchess of Edinburgh
wore a petticoat of white tulle over
white silk spangled with silver and
striped with wreaths of roses, and a
train of the same material trimmed with
wreath of roses and pleat of silver
striped with bands of silver and roses.
Her head-dress waa a coronet of dia
monds and rubies, with white feathers
and a veiL .
Tbe
Tho
THE ARMY ANTS.
How They Travel and How They Snb.
Ut on Their Travel! An Interesting
Sketch.
As a general thing, ants are found in
settled communities, which change their
habitations rarely, and then for .causes
not under their control. A remarkable
exception to this rule is found in the
ecitons, or army ants of Central Amer
ica. These, while existing in thor
oughly organized communities, num.
bering myriads if not millions, never
make permanent settlements, but are
constantly roaming about the forests in
vast multitudes, scourging tho insect
world as the migrating armies of Attila
soourgod the less warlike nations of
Europe.
The traveler's attention is usually
called to one of these predatory swarms
by the twittering of birds which follow
their course to feast on the flying in
sects which they scare up. Ap'proach.
ing, he will discover a dense body of
ants, in a column three or four yards
wide and of enormous length, moving
rapidly and examining every nook and
corner where their game may hido,
The captured inseots are speedily torn
to pieces and carried to the rear, or to
their temporary camp, by relays, of
workers. On the flanks ard in advnnce
of the main army, smaller columns of
skirmishers are thrown out to flush tho
insects they are in pursuit of, many of
which, in their terror, bound right into
the midst of the mam column, to be
torn to pieces instantly. The greatest
catcues occur in masses of brushwood,
Here tho cockroaches, grasshoppers,
spiders and other insects take refuge
among the branches, while the ants are
occupying the ground below. But their
security is brief. -In a littlo while ex
piorers are Bern up, ionowing every
branch and driving the refugees to the
ends of the twigs, to fly into tho air
and be snapped up by the birds, or
drop among the throng of ants below.
In this dilemma the spiders alone have
any means of escape ; they can sus
pend themselves in mid-air and remain
in safety until their enemies have re.
tired from the bushes and passed on to
other conquests.
The individuals of this species of
ants aro of various sizes, the largest
being about a quarter of an inch
long, tho smallest less than an eighth
of an inch; A much larger variety
pursue their prey in a similar
manner, bnt vary their tactics some
what as occasion demands. When on a
general hunt, they spread their columns
over a considerable breauth and sweep
everything Deiore mem, crickets, grass,
hoppers, scorpions, centioedes. wood.
lice, cockroaches, and spiders falling
utmost certain prey, jiixpioring parties
aro also sent up trees to look for nests
of bees, wasps, and probablv birds.
Tho moment a prize is found the fact
is reported to the army below, and a col
umn is sent up to take possession. Mr.
Belt, to whom we are indebted for these
observations, and whose "Naturalist in
Nicargua " gives more numerous and
valuable additions to tho science of
natural history than any book of travel
since Wallace published tho "Malay
Archipelago," describes these ants as
pulling out tho larvas and pupre from
tho cells of a large wasp's nest, while
the owners were hovering about, pow
erless, from tho multitude of their in
vaders, to render any protection to
their young.
When hunting in solid columns, these
ecitons were found to be generally, if
not always, in search of tho young of
another species of ants which make
their nests in fallen timber. When
log is found, tho column spreads out
over it, searching all the holes and
cracks, the smallest individuals pursu
ing tho unfortunate hypoclineas to tho
furthest ramifications of their nests.
The invaded ants rush out bearing their
young in their jaws, and aro despoiled
oi mem so quickly that it is quite im
possible to see how it is done. The
ecitons do not harm the mature hypo
clineas, caring only for the larva) and
pupa?, which are hastily borne to tho
war of their column. What ..they do
with their plunder finally does not ap
pear. It would seem that they cannot
rear tho young hypoclineas for slaves,
as certain northern ants do with their
prey, since no mention is made of any
such addition to the membership of
their communities.
hen marching, these eciton armies
appear to bo directed by numbers of
individuals, of a larger size and a
lighter color than tho regular, workers,
scattered at intervals of two or threa
yards. They stop often, and occasion
ally run back a littlo and touch some of
tho other ants with their antennas, as
though giving orders. At the head
quarters thero aro individuals of still
greater size and more ferocious aspect,
whioh soon make any one molesting tho
nest acquainted with tho efficacy of
their enormous jaws. The temporary
resting places of these ants are usually
in hollow trees or nnderneath large
fallen trunks that offer suitable hollows.
One which Mr. Belt found in a hol
low log, open at the side, must havn
contained a cubio yard of ants clustered
in a dense mass, like a swarm of bees.
And these were but a part of the whole
community, as many columns were out
side, some bringing in tho pupee of
other ants, others tho legs and dissected
bodiea of insects captured on their
foray. These incomers proceeded di
rectly into the. interior of tho living
mass through tubular passages, which
were kept open just as though it were
formed of inorganio materials. Like
the bunting races of mankind, these
predatory swarms are compelled to make
frequent removals to new hunting
grounds. The migratory columns are
easily known by all the common work
era moving in one direction, tho larvaa
and pupa) of the community being
carefully carried in their jaws.
many observations and experiments
were made by Mr. Belt, testing the in
dividual intelligence of these wonderful
creatures. Though inferior in some
respects to ants which hunt singly, he
does not hesitate to place them at the
head of their order for intellectual and
Bocial development.
The most extensive Limburger eh pen
faotory in the country ia said to be in
Scott county, Minnesota, It uses the,
milk of one hundred and twenty cows.
Items of Interest.
Twenty-six chairs in the United
States Senate are to be vacated within
a year.
Mental pleasures, unlike those of the
body, never coy, and are increased by
repetition.
A man may bo great by ohance, but
never wise and good without taking
pains for it.
It ia now quite tho fashion for rich
women in Boston to remember their
pastors in their wills.
Arthur Orton has become very de
vout. He is an assiduous worker, and
still asserts that he is Sir Roger.
Throw life into a method, that every
hour may bring its employment and
every employment have its hour.
Tho liberty to go higher than wo are
is given only when we have fulfilled the
duties of our present sphere.
Tho wish of most people is for a for
tune and Dothing to do. How fully
men are punished when it is realized.
Faith which works by fear only leads
to a selfish, dishonest repentance, if to
any, and leaves the soul at the gates of
death.
In weighing the characters of men
wo must penetrate the envelope of affec
tion and assumption which many ha
bitually wear.
Scoff net nt tho natural defects of any
which are not in their power to prevent.
Oh I 'tis cruelty to beat a cripple with
his own crutches.
A woman in Indiana claims a divorce
on the ground that hrr husband a
mother beats her, and her husband is
afraid to interfere.
Nature is a frugal mother, and never
gives without measure. When she has
work to do, she qualifies men for that
and sends them equipped.
This country sent to England between
Jan. 1 and March 31, cheese to the value
of $2,610,230 a gain over tho same
time last year of 8100,000.
A man at Weston. Mo., fired in tho
dark at a man who was stealing his
corn, and next day the county sheriff
waa around with his arm in a sling.
The third class ef naval cadets at
Annapolis are to be deprived of their
vacation this year in punishment for
in the dismissal of the ring leader.
The worst feature about this crema
tion business is that some winter morn
ing, in a fit ot philanthrophy, your
widow's second husband may empty
your ashes on the icy pavement for the
beneht of pedestrians.
"An ox does not taste as good as an
oyster, but it can run twice as fast,"
was the result of a boy's effort to write
a composition on oxen. Another defined
panegyric as "something good for a
baby when it had the stomach-ache.
Tho San Francisco liquor dealers
having organized are to raise a large
sum to fight against the interference of
the crusaders with their customers
in the interior and against "local op
tion." Both questions are to be combat
ed in the courts.
As two children were playing to
gether, little Jane got angry and pout
ed. Johnny said to her, "Look out,
J ane, or I'll take a seat up there on
your lips." "Then," replied Jane,
quite cured of her pouts, "I'll laugh,
and you'll fall off."
An Alabama nancr reports a curious
death of a child. She had been sent
out to cut some meat on blocks of wood
used for the purpose, and falling asleep
was soon covered with red ants which
bit and stung her so severely that
fever and death ensued.
The new style of oath is out. Mrs.
Marrowfat ordered her husband to peel
the onions for dinner before he left the
house, and Mr. Marrowfat, bringing
down his fist upon the tablo with much
emphasis, observed : " May I bo cre
mated, madam, if I do 1"
Svlvanua thinks it would be a good
thing to say, when the Governor blows
np and calls you as obstinate as a mule,
' Tiike enough, when you have an ass
for your father." Sylvanus does not
mean to try this himself. Ho has no
occasion. Any boy who wants it may
have it.
A Detroit gentleman prides himself
on his fine fowls, and his neighbor is
nually vain of a fine coach dog. The
dog worries tho life out of the chick
ens. A few days ago the owner of tho
dog received the following note :
Friend Yon keep dogs. I keep
chickens. If my chickens worry your
dogs, shoot 'em."
A Mormon Wedding.
The latest marriage ceremony, par
taking of a wholesale character, at
Brigham Young's " Endownment
House," in Salt Lake City, is thus de
scribed by the Tribune, of that city :
The bridegroom came from the rural
deersticks,' a youthful saint, filled to
overflowing with the nurture and ad
monitionof the Prophet Brigham. His
prophetio soul informed him that it was
not good to be alone, that Ithe dilapi
dated kingdom sadly needed building
np, that legions of fugitive spirits were
hovering about his steps, seeking, with
tears in their eyes, earthly tabernacles
in which to repose. So he did the best
he could do under the circumstances.
He selected three tender fair ones, and
won them for his bridos. Last Monday
the quartet got married. Tho thrice
happy groom conducted his bevy of
brides to the 'Endowment House,'
and the party got sealed on the whole
sale plan. Brother Wells was present
at the interesting ceremony, and the
cockles of his heart warmed toward tho
well-doing saint. The President tap
ped the Benediot upon tbe shoulder,
invoked increase upon his union, and
assured him of God's blessing on so de
voted an act. The awkwardness of the
situation waa apparent when the much
married saint attempted to seal the
nuptial ceremonies with a kiss all
around. Each blushing bride persist
ed in receiving the first salutation, and
the bobbing of heads was quite lively
for a while. The young man gave it up
at last, and issued ont into the wicked
world with an expression npon his
countenance whioh indicated that he -had
now got business enough on hand
to occupy all Lis leasore momenta," '
t . . .