HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.
Nit. DESPERANDUM.
J5L
Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. V.
MDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THUHSDAY, JUNE 24, 1875.
NO. 18.
ft -
The Saddest Thought.
Once 'twas my Boldest thought-,
Ere I begin to doubt you,
That sometime t must learn,
Perhaps, to do withjut yon.
For death parts dearest friends (
Fr iro liira there's no escaping j
And p.irtiua's worse thau death
Our fers are ever bhapiog.
Now with rew dawns of hope
No. thought of yon in blended ;
l)ay deepens evermore,
Though morning dreams are endod.
And now the saddest thought
That haunts my heart about you
Is this that I have learned,
At last, fo do without you.
HOW AN AUTHOR WON HIS BRIDE
la tlio study of Don Eusebio Mendez,
one of Madrid's most noted savants,
thera sut, early in February, 1G47, two
youthful figures at a heavy oaken table,
nnd busied themselves, ostensibly, 'with
the gods of the ancient Greeks.
On the t ible lny a chaos of heavily
bound folios, neatly-written manuscripts,
delicately-cut copper-plates, pens, grav
ers, nnd pencils; but, Btrongly ns the
scene encouraged serious study, Manuel's
and Alma's thoughts were far from being
occupied with tho mysteries of Hellenic
mythology.
The youth held the little white hand
of tho girl, who was scarcely sixteen,
tenderly in his, and Alma leaned her
head so trustingly on the shoulder of
her companion that one need to have but
a slight knowledge of human nature to
divine what was uppermost in the minds
of the youthful pair. And now Manuel
bends forward and imprints a kiss on the
rosy lips of the dark-eyed Castilian that
must dispel the last doubt, if any re
mains. " By heaven !" cried Manuel, " I wish
we were alone on some solitary island,
where, observed and disturbed by no
one, wo could do as we would tho live
long day. Do you know, love, it costs
mc a terrible eft'ort to always treat you
as a senora when your father is pres
ent ?"
" You must be patient we shall not
nl ways be under this restraint, " replied
Airurt.
" I am now twenty years old, but Don
Eusebio Mendez seems to think that his
ward is still a child. Tho mere fact
of his leaving us alone the whole after
noon, day after day, proves that he
looks upon us as being, at most, but
children.
"And are you displeased because he
leaves us alone ?
" Yes and no. I thank Hoaven that
I have n daily opportunity to talk to you
iinaisturoea; Dut, on tne other liana, it
annoys me to know that my uncle think a
me so blind that I cannot see that his
daughter is the most lovable girl in all
Madrid."
Alma blushed, and passed her hand
over his temple nnd cheek, as though
she would temper his indignation.
. " I believe'," Manuel continued, "he
would laugh in my face if I were to
nsk his consent to our marriage. He
would, I have no doubt, think I had lost
my wits."
"You must not be so severe on papa
for forgetting, in the midst of his daily
affairs, that the years have wings. Let
ns wait patiently ; time finds a solution
for all things.
" How very philosophically your little
ladyship can talk ! I wait and wait, and
in the meantime the sleek Senor Perez
will get nuch a foothold here that I can
not oust him."
" Manuel !" cried Alma, reproach
fully. " Oh, I've read enough of woman's
constancy ! One thing is certain the
fellow is iu high favor with your father.
Senor Mendez swotirs by ' The Enchant
ed Nightingale, ' and he ia continually
quoting passages from 'The Fallen
Pomegranate.' Perez has a good social
Eosition, a handsome fortune, and knows
ow to flatter. What more is necessary
to win over any father who has a niar
riageble daughter V
" Hut, if Senor Perez will marry
me, he must begin by obtaining my
consent."
"Bah! You will resist for a while,
but finally, fatigued by your father's
continual remonstrances, you will yield,
una mo goou, uuimu (laughter mat you
are. I shall wait and see if my little
comedy, which iu a few days will be
played at the Royal Theater, is success
) ful. If it is, then I shall go to your
father and say: Uncle, I have now a
position iu tho world. My "Gormaz"
has received the indorsement of the
elite of the theater-going publio of the
capital, which opens to me an honorable
career. Untie, I love your daughter,
nnd am loved by her iu return. Con
sent to her becoming my wife, and
make us happy.' "
"And if he refuses ?"
" He will not, he cannot refuse. He
might turn a deaf ear to an obscure, un
known suitor, but he must receive the
iiiurel-crowned poet with open arms, or
be untrue to his whole past life. What
would Madrid say if he should refuse to
accept the author of 'Gormaz' as his
sou-in-law ?"
"But suppose your comedy should
fail ?"
" It will not fail. I am neither vain
nor conceited ; but, when I finished the
piece, I felt that I hod achieved the first
step to fame.
And the eyes of the youth shone with
a noble enthusiasm as he spoke of the
first-fruit of his dramatic talent.
At that moment well-known steps were
heard in the hall.
"There is father I" whispered Alma,
and the lovers turned hastily to their
books and papers.
The door opeued, and a stout, elder
ly, apparently good-natured gentleman
entered the room. His big, brightly
polished shoe-buckles glistened as cheer
fully as did his little, mobile eyes. He
carried a thrte-cornered dress-hat under
, , his arm, and at his side hung the' small,
elegant dress-sword worn in those days
by the Custilians.
"Ah, this is what I like to soe !" he
cried. " Always at your books, always
adding to your little stock of knowleeget
What have you here I 'Treatise on My
thology,' by Guillermo de Mors. Ex
cellent I S Jupiter and Hera they seem
to interest you especially the book has
ba open at that chapter for fully a
week. But now put the gods of Olym
pus aside for a while. I have something
of importance to say to you both. Uonie
here nnd sit on the ottoman."
" What I have to say more especially
concerns you, Alma. In April yon will
be sixteen. At thnt ago your sainted
mother was already my wife."
Alum "began to lose color, but she suc
ceeded in appearing composed.
"You know the author of 'The Fallen
Pomegranate,' " continued the old gen
tleman, "my friend Senor Perez. No
man in all Castile imitates Virgil as he
does 1 The Fallen Pomegranate ' com
pares favorably with any pastoral poems
that have ever been written."
"Certainly, papa," stammered the
girl, glancing toward Manuel, who knit
his brow, and stared at space.
' My daughter, what do you think of
Senor Perez i"
"Think of him, father?"
" I mean, how does he please you f A
handsome man he certainly is. True,
ho is no longer young, but what ho has
lost in youthfuluess he has gained in dig
nity." "But what is that to me "
" Well, know, my daughter, thnt your
happiness is secured. Senor Perez is
not only a highly-gifted and very amia
ble, but also a wealthy mnn. He sees in
you tho companion of his choice he is,
and long has been, he tells me, greatly
enamored of you, and, as I knew that
yon had no aversion for him, I have
promised him that ho shall be my son-in-law."
"Father 1" cried Alma, in a tremulous
tone, "you cannot be serious !"
"And why not ? You are now of a
marriageable age, and you know that my
word has always been as good as my
bond; that I always kept my promises.
Is it, perhaps, possible that you can
think of refusing so brilliant an offer ?
answer me r cnea uon i,useoio, in a
commanding voice. "Why do you think
I am not serious i"
"Father," said she, after a pause, " I
know that you consider only my good;
but this is so sudden, so unexpected,
that I that I am at a loss to know what
to reply. Give me three days for re
flection. Next Sunday I will tell you if
if "
"Very well," interrupted Senor Men
dez, with a frown. " True, it's very
improper for a daughter to make condi
tions with her father; but no matter, so
be it. Within ten days we shall cele
brate your betrothal."
Alma dropped her chin on hor breast
ana remamea silent.
"And now as to what I have to say to
yon, Manuel," continued Senor Mendez,
in a more friendly tone, and he winked
to Manuel, and led him, with a mysteri
ous air, to one of the windows.
"You have kept the secret t" he ask
ed, in an undertone. " Alma has no sus
picion that I am the author of 'The
Midnight Elope.-uent V "
" Not the slightest, so far as I know,"
replied Manuel. .
" I would not have the child know for
the world, until after my triumph, that
her father has mounted Pegasus. Apro
pos, what I wanted to tell you: the two
comedies will be played this evening
your ' Gormaz ' between eight and nine,
my ' Midnight Elopement ' between nine
and ten o'clock. I am very anxious to
see how tho public will receive the off
spring of our muses."
This conference en led, Don Eusebio
added a final recommendation to his
daughter, and left the room.
No sooner were the young people
again alono than Manuel seized his
cousin's hand, and cried:
"Never fear, Alma. He shall nothsve
you, never I the old pugnosed dogger
el writer as sure as my name is Manuel
Alonzo de Castres !
Two hours had passed since tliis excit
ing scene occured.
"Everything goes lust as I would have
it," murmured Don Eusebio. " I shall
be the father-in-law of the most distin
guished poet of the metropolis, and, be
fore the eveniuing is over, this head, God
willing, will also be Jaurel-crowned
What can delay them so lone ?" he sud
denly murmured. "I asked them to
come at four o'clock, nnd now it is near
ly a quarter after. Hark I I hear them
yes, that is his Olympian step 1 And
the others are with him. Approach, my
friends, approach !"
As lie finished tliis monologue, he
threw the door open and welcomed his
visitors, oua after the other, as they
entered, with great cordiality.
First came Don Anastasio Terez, the
author of "Tho Enchanted Nightin
gale," a long, flu.shless figure, with flow
ing red locks and on indescribable nose,
and a chin that always seemed strug
gling to form a semicircle.
Behind Don Anastasio Perez stood a
little, supple figure of a most unsympa
thetic exterior, Don Enrico Pungo.
. The third and last arrival, a man of
the class that have nothing to distin
guish them from the common herd,
was Don Rodrigo Prullo, a professor of
Greek.
"It is all arranged, my dear Perez,"
said Don Eusebio, half aloud, to the
author of " The Fallen Pomegranate," as
they took their seats. " She has con
sented; in a week we will celebrate vour
betrothal."
"I thank you, my noble friend I
thank you," replied Don Anastasio.
" Allow me, in recognition of the honor
you do me, to dedicate my next poem to
you."
"Willingly," answered Don Eusebio;
'I shall be proud to have my name osso-
oatea witn products 01 your commu
nions with Calliope. Yon do me great
honor, Don Anastasio. Thanks, a thou
sand thanks !"
" Caballeros," said he, " can you di
vine why I asked you to come to see me
to-day ? You all look at me astonished.
I see that you do not divine. This even
ing, at the Royal Theater, they will pro
duce the comedy that the Muses, iu my
silent hours of meditation, have been
pleased to inspire me with."
"Bravo! bravo!" shouted Perez,
Pungo, and Prullo.
"At the same time that Madrid assists
at my debut as a disciple of Thalia," con
tinued Don Eusebio, "we shall also
witness the first representation of an
attempt at comedy-writing by my nephew
Manuel."
"I am astonished," cried Perez, in
the most emphatio tone his squeaking
tenor furnished. And what arc thew
productions that are thus sprung upon
us cnllod ?"
" They are called ' Garuiaz ' and
The Midnight Elopement.' "
" And which of tho two pieces is
yours, cnballerof"
" Thnt, gontlemen, by your leave,
shall for the present be a secret," re
plied Senor Mendez, smiling radiantly.
" Yon will do me the honor, I trust, to
witness the representation. Then yon can
guess. I am very curious to see whether
you will then be able to tell which is the
work of the uncle, and which that of the
nephew."
"I protost in the name of all the
Muses against this insinuation!" cried
Don Anastasio. " With nil duo respect
for the talent of your nephew, I pro
test ! The idea of mistaking his com
position for yours is simply ridiculous !
A nineteen-year-old boy and a man like
you senor, how can you do yourself
or us such injustice?"
"After the performance, the cabal
leros will honor me again with their
company," said the worthy savant. "We
will then discuss the events of the even
ing over a glass of Xerez, and the secret,
if not out, shall be disclosed.
Again Manuel Alonzo de Castres sat
with Alma Mendez in the study of the
learned Don Eusebio.
Iu the salon across the hall the clock
struck three -quarters to ten. Iu the
diuiug-room adjoining, Jose, the facto
tum of tho establishment, was busy set
ting the table in his best style
Manuel clasped Alma round tho waist.
He was thoughtful, but by no means
sad. Alma's Unshed cheeks and red
dened eyes made it evident that she had
been crying.
"The fate of your comedy is now
decided," said she, after a while. "I am
surprised, Manuel, that you content
yourself ut home to-night."
"Alma," replied Manuel, iu solemn
tone, "since I have been confronted
with the possibility of losing you, who
are more to me than all the world be
sides since thon I am indifferent to
everything else. Whether I am applaud
ed or not, I care little. Can I not at any
time write anotner ana a better comeay I
But, should you bo torn from me, where
should I find another to replace you ?"
He had hardly finished when the
voice of Don Eusebio was heard in the
corridor.
" Where is my nephew ?" cried Don
Eusebio, in breathless haste. "Call
him, somebody ! Send him immediate
ly to me here in the salon! Quick,
Jose, I must speak with him !"
Herewith he burst into the talon,
slung his gold-bordered hat into one
corner, and threw himself full length on
an ottoman, with the air of one in the
deepest despair, only to spring to his
feet again the next minute.
Unheard of ! unheard of ! he ex
claimed, as he strode to and fro iu the,
wildest excitement. " What will Don'
Anastasio say ? I am a ruined man !
Ruined! mined! ruined!" In his
frenzy, he struck his forehead with his
clinched fist again and again.
" Ah, hero you are at last," said he to
Manuel, as he entered the salon. "I
began to think you were never coming.
Look at -me, boy but, for Heaven's
sake, not in thnt stupid way ! You are
a genius, boy you are a genius !" .
" How so, uncle?" asked Manuel, who
could not help smiling at Don Eusebio's
comical mien.
" How so?" repeated the uncle, in an
impatient tone. " How so ? Go into
the street and you will hear the sparrows
cry out from the roofs that the nephew
is ft renins mill tlm uncle nn nun "'
is a genius and the uncle an ass !
"But, my dear uncle "
"Silence! silence, I tell you! Do
you want to drive me mad ? Oh, that I
should live to see this day ! My reputa
tion is ruined forever ! Listen, my boy,
ana you suan Know the came ot my
despair. I was in my box betimes, and
waited witn a beating lieart for tho
performance to begin. Finally it
seemeu an ngo to me tne curtain rose,
and your characters made their appear
ance. In the very first scene between
Gormaz and his servant it was evident
that the audience was very much pleased.
Elvira came on, the plot began to bo
more involved, and the interest and ap
plause increased at every moment. I
wept tears of joy. Already iu imagina
tion I saw a double triumph; for I said
to myself: If Manuel's " Gormaz " is
such a brilliant success, my " Midnight
Elopement" must also be well received.'
And yet to think what its fate has been !
Well, they went ou with yiur Gormaz,'
and when the curtain fell on the last
scene there was round after round of ap
plause. I thought tho bracos would
never end: but they did end after a
while, and the curtain rose again."
Here Don Eusebio approached Manuel
and laid both hands on his shoulders,
" Look at me well, my nephew," said
he, after a pause. "In me you see a
disgraced, a ruined man ! Great
Heavens ! why did I ever undertake to
write a comedy ?"
" Why, uncle, what are you saying
disgraced? ruined?"
" Don't interrupt me I know what I
am saying! Well, finally, the curtain
rose again. My Prince Caracambaroc
cadi came on and sought to win over to
his interest the major-domo of the
Princess Yiribilina. On my soul, Man
uel, the scene is not a bad one ! But
whether our auditors had become
fatigued, or whether I was the victim of
some disgraceful uitngno, I know not,
but certain it is that the dialogue be
tween the prince and the major-domo
made not tho least impression, it never
got a ripple, and when the princess ap-
C eared on the balcony and began the
eautiful romanza, the house resounded
with a whistling and hissing that beg
gars description. It seemed to mo as
though the eyes of the whole audience
were upon me. I felt as thougii I could
sink a fathom deep into the earth.
From scene to scene the perfidious
racket and confusion increased, until
finally the pit cried out with such un
feeliug, such brutal persistency: End
it ! end it !' that they were compelled to
drop the curtain before the piece was
finished."
He let his chin fall ou his breast in
silent despair.
" Oh, unfortunate man that I am!"
he began again, after a few moments.
"In half an hour they will be here, and
I shall have to acknowledge my die-
grace ! Oh, that my tongue had been
paraiyiea &iore i tola t
them that on of
the comedies was mine ! Why was I
ever so foolish as to thirst after dramatic
laurels? Instead of a triumph, behold
mo with i fool a can and a crown of
thorns ! Ami, to add to my chagrin, I
told my friends that one of the pieces
was mine, and asked them to witness
the representation of both in order to
seo if they could decide which was the
nnole's and which the nephew's. Thev
win ie norc am-cuy. ua, now x dread
to Bee them ! To morrow, the children
id the streets wul point their fingers at
me ! Prullo is Buch a newscarrior I And
Don Anastasio ! what will he think of
me ? He will despise me ! My reputa
tion the reputation it has taken mo c
lifetime to acquire is destroyed in an
hour! In fntnre I shall be looked upon
ns being nothing more or less than a
conceited old fool !
And he sank utterly crushed into the
nearest armclinir.
Manuel had listened to this outburst
in silent nmazement. But now he nn
proached the moaning savant, nnd. lav-
1 I I 1 1 - 1 , T . , J
iu ma uuiiu on nut Huuuiuer. said :
" Calm yourself, uncle. Your reputa
tion shall not suffer from to-night's mis
hap. The greatest geniuses, under un
favorable circumstances, have met with
failures.
" But not so disgracefully, so iguo
miniously," replied Don Euesbio, with
an inconsolable shake of the head.
" Listen, uncle, I will make von n
proposition. No one knows as yet that
you are me nutnor oi xiie Midnight
Elopement,' I of Gormaz.' What say
you to our changing roles t An unfor
tunate debut cannot hurt me much, nnd
you will escnpe the ridicule of those who
are envious of you, and will bo sure, if
you remain the author of the unfortu
nate comedy, to handle yon roughly."
Dou Eusebio looked up like one who.
on the scoffold, hears his pardon an
nounced. "Manuel, my boy, is it possible!
You will ? Bnt no, no, I cannot ac
cept such a sacrifice ! Herein I recognize
the son of my dear, never-to-be-forgotten
sister."
His emotion overcame him, and two
big tears rolled slowly down his cheeks.
"You are right, Manuel," said he,
niter a pause ; " tney readily excuse in
the nephew what would disgrace the
uncle forever. I accept your generous
offer, and you can reckon on my eternal
gratitude."
" I do this the more readily, uncle,
because there is something I would ask
in return," stammered the youth, blush
ing deeply.
" Speak, nephew. You can ask me
nothing that I will deny you.
"Uncle, I love Alma. Consent to
her becomiug my wife."
Senor Mendez looked at the youth
mazed;Jthis was evidently a request he
was not prepared Jqr. ,
"Are you mad, boy?" he cried after a
pause. "Alma is betrothed to Don An
astasio." "Not yet," replied Manuel, in a firm
tone. "You gave her three days to
consider. Alma loves me, and you may
be sure she will never willingly give her
hand to another."
Don Eusebio shook his head incredu
lously. "Banish that idea from your head !"
paid he, iu a peevish tone. "I have
given my word. Ahna marries Don An
astasio, nnd no other !"
" Nothing can change you"
" No, nothing. It pains me to refuse
yon, but I never break my word."
" Very well," replied Manuel, proud
ly, " then I shall remain the author of
' Gormaz.' Love would have consoled
me for the lost of fame. As you destroy
my nappiness, leave me at least my
laurels."
"Manuel!" cried Dou Eusebio, in
terror, as he wiped tho perspiration
from his forehead. "You will not
abandon mo in mv extremity, mv dear
Manuel ? If it should be known that I
am the author of 'The Midnight Elope
ment ' " he made a terrible gesture.
" You know my conditions, uncle. If
Alma remains the bride of Senor Perez,
then you must shoulder the fiasco."
"The good old caballero, for n few
moments, was a prey to conflicting emo
tions. It was not long doubtful, how
ever, which would come out victorious.
The clock struck ten. His friends
might arrive at any moment.
"Call Alma!" said he, after striding
up and down tho room for a few mo
ments. Manuel hastened to do his nude's bid
ding. " Is it true thnt you love this good-for-nothing
here?" Don Eusebio asked
his daughter as she entered the room.
Alma looked down blushingly and
nodded an affirmative.
"Hump! you do, eh? Then take
her," he thundered, turning to Manuel,
" marry her, only leave me alone I My
head whirls as though it would flyinto a
thousand pieces. Begone, begone !
I hear steps. You have my blessing ! "
Manuel pressed his lady-love to his
heart, and they both left the room, with
a grateful glance at Don Eusebio.
The following year Manuel led his
pretty cousin to the altar, nnd no one at
the weddiug wore a more joyous mien
than the worthy father of the bride.
And often, in after years, when he
dandled his charming grandchildren on
his knee and looked on the face of his
blooming nnd happy daughter, whose
beauty seemed to increase from year to
year often then he silently glorified
the fiasco that opened to him and bia
tne door of domestic felicity.
As for Manuel Alonzo de Castres. he
became one of the most distinguished
dramatists of Spaiu, nnd if among his
works there is one of doubtful merit.
entitled "The Midnight Elopement,"
the reader of this narrative knows how
it chances to be there.
There is nothing which will inspire a
not well dressed up woman with such
terror as the appearance of a dressed up
sister. However devoted she may be to
the front yard flowers, 6he will leave
them in a flash on the approach of
a well dressed female, and taking her
stand behind the front blind, will, in a
brief space of time, Bee everything she
has got on and figure out the cost to
within a few cents. It is marvelous.
Fearful outrage A young English
lady residing in Paris has received over
fifty lashes. She was born with them-
oa W eyelid).
Timber in Foreign Countries.
During tho spring of 1874 tho British
government nddressed a circular to the
representatives of Great Britain in the
principal timber producing countries of
Europe, iu the United States nnd Brazil,
in Cuba aud Honduras, asking for in
formation as to tho production nnd con
sumption of timber ; information de
sired more particularly by the commis
sioners of our woods and forests.
Fifteen questions were asked. These
related to the sorts of trees grown iu
each country, the uses made of each
kind, the ownership of forest lands, the
causes of increase or decrease in the
acreage of forests, the quantity of wood
cnt annually, nnd the nmonnts exported
nnd consumed nt homo. Inquiries were
also mado as to the ascertained influence
of forests on local climate, rainfall,
floods, etc., and, particularly iu Switzer
land, whether any steps have been taken
to replant the sides of tho mountains, so
as to stay the action of rain in denuding
the soil. Various reports on all the fore
going topics have now been received,
from which we may here cull a few brief
extracts, commending the work itself to
tho careful attention of all who take an
interest in forest preservation, a subject
full of importance, not only because
timber is indispensable to human exist
ence, bnt because wo may point to
Palestine, to Spntn, nnd probably to
many regions in North Africa, to show
how the gradual destruction of forests
will chango the choracter of a country
and its iuhnbitants forever. In Bohe
mia, during tho past ten years, a species
of worm, which seems to net like nn epi
demic, has been causing great devasta
tion in the forests. The entire side of a
range of hills may be seen sometimes
laid bare of timber by the inroads of this
woi-m disease. The diminution of
forests iu pnrts of Anstrin, nnd more
especially in Hungary, has been followed
ny baneful consequences, such ns long
droughts nnd tremendous winds, which
fill the nir with unceasing clouds of
dust and considerably increase pul
monary disease in towns which have bo-
come totally unsheltered. Pesth, Pres-
burg, and Vienna are now perfectly in
tolerable during three parts of the year
irora tuis cause. At mo do Janeiro.
thunder storms, formerly of daily occur
rence, are now rare ; and tho ennse is
supposed to be the destruction of the
forests which surrounded the town, ns
new roads have been made. Hence, in
1852, yellow fever visited the place, nnd
hns never left it since, though trees are
being busily plnnted in every street.
In Hesse and Baden greater m-ndpnm
has been displayed, four-fifths of the
former Duchy nnd one-third of tho latter
are wooded, and the law requires that
every thirty years land which has once
belonged to the cultivation of trees
must return to its original employment.
In Sweden tho timber resources are im
mense; Lapland has never been survey
ed, but is reckoned, with the northern
Provinces, to contain some 30,000,000
acres of forest. Unfortunately, the un
ceasing nnd enoimous demands for
wood, especially for charcoal, house
building, and Inciter matches, is telling
rapidly ou the productive power of the
forests; this fact is of world-wide im
portance, for there is hardly a maritime
country, except China and Japan, to
which Swedish wood iu some form does
not fand its way. At lost, in 1874. a law
was passed forbiding tho felling of nny
trees less thau seven inches in diameter,
at sixteen feet from the ground. This
statute applies only to the Bothninn for
ests. If extended to nil Sweden, ns it
probably will be, it may greatly affect
the mining interests of' Great Britain.
for it will cut off tho supply of small
timber known as "pit props." In
Switzerland thero is now a sylvan so
ciety, and great pains ore being taken to
induce people to replant cleared ond de
nuded mountain slopes, so as to prevent
the damage which floods, landslips, and
avalanches have of late years so fre
quently inflicted. Switzerland also has
nn industry that of wood-carving
which she had made peculiarly her own,
although it was not introduced into the
Bernese Oberland before 1815. This
wood-carving annually uses up nn enor
mous quantity of wood of all sorts. In
Cuba there are abundant forests, which
must have increased since 18C8, when
the insurrection broko out, for there has
been very little cutting of late years;
but, as we might expect where the Span
ish are concerned, no more care is taken,
no less recklessness is shown by the
farmers who cut wood for their use in
Cuba than in nuy other timber-clad part
of the glob. f.and and Water.
How They Fight Grasshoppers.
What farmers there are in Colorado
says a letter writer, are fighting grass
hoppers with water, and fire, and smoke,
and death-dealing ambuscades, nnd en
gines of destruction. Of all these the
" grasshopper hell " is the most popular
and perhaps the most efficacious. Its
name gives a very good conception of
its practical workings. A long sheet
iron box, open at the top, is swuug close
to the ground between two wheels by
which it is moved over the field. Rising
two or three feet above the top of the
box, and bending forward from the rear,
is a broad sheet of tin or sheet-iron.
When in use a fire is built in the bottom
of the furnace, which is then pushed
against the wind, the overhanging wing
or sail taking the hoppers as they rise
and feeding them to the flames in a
hurry. Sometimes a miniature windmill
ia odded to the outfit, and sucks in all tho
locusts for yards aud yards around, de
stroying them by millions. Millions
more have been drowned in irrigating
ditches by cunningly devised trips
which prevent their escapa from the
water. While they were young and j
green, ana ueiore tneir wings were
grown, several tons of them were de
stroyed by a confidence game which de
serves description. Between the young
hoppers and the young wheat long rows
of dry straw were strewn, which soon
became literally black and alive with the
wriggling little insects. When no more
hoppers could be accommodated, the
straw was tired. Another device was to
drag over the hopper-infested regions a
tarpaulin plentifully coated on the under
side with coal tar, which is instant death
to the pests. Still, with all these disad
vantages against them, grasshoppers are
apparently numerous a ever.
Mrs. Gavetl's Box.
There is not a kinder-hearted, more
benevolent woman in Detroit, nccording
to the Free- Press, than Mrs. Uavett,
Lat year she was on the committee to
canvass for aid for the grasshopper sut
ferers, and this year she intends to send
them a largo box of her own getting np.
She had Giivett bring up a box the other
dny, and when it had been pine- d in the
shauty she put on a calico dress, tied on
a check apron nnd rambled nrouud the
house to pick np enough articles to fill
the box and have it sent off next day.
Her greatest nnxiety was tho fear that
the box was too small for ono-half the
things she wanted to send.
Opening a closet door she took down
an old cont, one that her husband threw
away two years ago.
"I'll send thnt for one thing," she
mused, as she heldit up. "I don't know,
though that's a pretty good coat. Put
a patch on that elbow and Thomas can
wear it half the summer."
She placed it on a chair and took down
one of her old dresses.
"I'll make some farmer's wife glad
with this," she said, as she shook mil the
folds and held it up. " Let's see ! Why,
there isu't a hole in either sleeve skirt
all right waist nlmost ns good as new.
I believe I can sell that dress second
hand for enough to buy mo a bracelet. "
The dress was laid beside tho coat, and
she hauled over Gavett's boots. The heel
of one was run over, and there was a
hole iu the toe of tho other.
" Thry'll do for Rome one to plow in,"
she soliloquized, ns she took them over
to the light. "Some farmer ah! Why,
these are good boots ! I believe I could
get them fixed up for fifty cents so that
Thomas could wear them half the win
ter. I don't believe in throwing any
thing away even if we are well off."
The boots were set nside, nnd she took
down a bundle of children's clothing.
"Ah! I can send theso nnd make lit
tle hearts glad!" sho whispered ns she
untied the bundle. "The children
hnvo outgrown them, nnd they will be n
prize to some Kansas Sakes alive I
but these garments are almost ns good as
the dny they were made up ! I believe I
can sell them to the washerwoman for at
least t wo dollars, and as soon as I get t wo
dollars more I can buy me a new braid."
She tied the bundio up and stuck her
head into the closet nnd brought out an
other dress.
"A holo in each elbow skirt torn half
off," she mused as she turned it over.
"I'll send this anyhow. Home mother
can take it and get enough cloth out of
the skirt to make her little girl a bran
new Here, what was I thinking
of ? Why, this is exactly the stuff I
want for the blue stripe in that new rag
carpet. If I'd known this dress was iu
the house I'd have cnt it up last week."
She unlocked another closet, peered
in, and hauled out Gavett's old overcoat
one worn out and htniued nnd kicked
around for a year.
"That will do splendidly!" she said,
ns she held it np. "It isn't very nice,
but some farmer can wear it to chop in.
Ah ! hold on I I want that lining to
make a cushion for my rocking chair,
and Jennie will want these buttons for
her string, aud tho rest of tho coat'll
make a beautiful rug to lay in front of
the lounge. I'd like to send it, but
probably it wouldn't be appreciated, or
probably some one else will send a better
one."
Sho rummaged around for n full hour,
nnd when she got through the chamber
her floors were piled high with old
"duds." Those she meant to keep were
placed on the right those she meant to
send away ou the left. On the left was
a wall-basket made of hoop-skirt wire.
She hasn't sent the box yet, but she
means to. Sho knows that all should
contribute to the relief of the suffering
and distressed.
Casting off Its Dress.
Speaking of the piuo snake of New
Jersey, a writer tell ua how it casts its
skin as follows : Ou looking in the box
near tho close of September the Bkin
was found to be started from the head,
and the process of denudation was
steadily going on. What surprised me
was that there was not tho least friction
in the act ; that is, there was no rub
bing against nny exterior object. As
the old skin at this time was very soft
and moist, any swelling of the body
stretches and loosens it. So soon as the
exuviation hns reached the part of the
body containing tho large ribs this
doffing of tho old suit proceeds more
rapidly, and with a singular system. It
is done just in this way. Exactly at tho
place where the skin seems to be mov
ing backward a pair of ribs expand.
This action enlarges the body, and
loosens the skin at that place. ln this
movement both ribs in the pair oct nt
the same time, just as the two blades of
the scissors open together. Now comes
in a second movement of this pair of
ribs. One of them soy the one on the
right side is pushed forward, and made
to slip out of the constriction, when it
is immediatnly drawn backward ; that
is, against the neck of the old skiu.
Now the left rib makes an advance, and
in a like manner presses backward.
Thua the final action of the ribs is not
synchronous, but alternate. This rib
action produced a singular automatic
movement of the serpent on the floor
of its box, and even across the folds of
its companion, which kept as still as if
it were dead. The movement of the
snake's body, as the skin did not follow
it, gave the creature the appearance of
crawling out of a tubular case. The
skin was turned inside out iu rolling
back, and the whole operation took
thirty-five minutes.
A Gentleman.
ShoT us the man who ia ever ready to
pity and help tho deformed; show us a
man who covers tho faults of others with
a mantle of charity ; show us a man who
bows as politely end gives the street as
free to the poor sewing girl as to the
millionaire; who values virtue, not
clothes; who shuns the company of ench
as gather at public places to gaze at the
fair sex, or muke unkind remarks of the
passing girl; show ua a man who abhors
a libertine; who scorns the ridicule of
his mother's sex, and the exposure of
womanly reputation; show us a man who
never forgets for an instant the delicacy
due woman, as a woman, in any condi
tion or class and you enow us gentleman.
Items of Interest.
Why is a pig the most provident of
animals ? Because he always carries tt
spare rib or two about hiin,
Kansas teacher " Where does nil of
our grain product go to?" Boy " It
goes into the hopper." "Hopper!
Whnt hopper?" " Grasshopper," tri
umphantly shouts the lnd.
In Rome a law has been passed con
demning persons guilty of blaspheming
God, Christ or the Virgin and saints in
the streets to a month's imprisonment
.for the first offense and six months for
the second.
At Abilene, Kansas, is a wheat field
containing one thousand three hundred
acres covered with wheat iu excellent
condition. The crop hns been contract
ed for at $1.25 per bushel, and will prob
ably bring $20,000.
"Now where't my summer pants?"
yells the impaHent husband, nfter a
fruitless hunt from cellar to nttic; nnd
his wifo timidly points to a pair of
china Samuels on the mantelpiece and
meekly murmurs, "they were so
cheap."
The report of the secretary of the)
Americnn iron nnd steel association
shows thnt the falling off in the con
sumption of iron in this country for the
year 1874, as compared with that of
1873, was nbout 500,000 tons, while the
production was much greater than was
onticipated.
During a sanitary survey recently in
Lincolnshire a man was found, aged
ninety-five years, who had been in tho
habit of drinking a gallon of beer be
fore breakfast, another during tho day,
and a few extra pints at night to top off
with, and who had never been ill a day
in his life.
This year the southern counties of
California sent to San Francisco 5,380,
000 oranges, 020.000 lemons, nnd 80,000
limes. Tho consumption of California
is nbout 10,000,000 oranges a year, and
5,000,000 are brought from Mexico and
the Pacific isles.
Deaf and dumb men don't stand much
show in Texas, anyhow. Recently,
while one of them was feeling in his
pocket for a slate pencil wherewith to
communicate his wants, a native shot
him in the hand, on the supposition that
he was getting out a weapon.
A lady who loved Bulwer entered a
bookstore just as one of the clerks had
killed a large rat. "1 wish to see
'What will Le done with it ?' " she raid
to a boy behind the counter. " Well,"
said the boy, "if you'll step to the
window, you will probably see him sling
it into the back lot."
The man who drops a poker because
the handle i warm, and then carelessly
picks it up again by the end that is red
hot, generally gets oliout as much sym
pathy as the man who rushes to tho
newspaper office to have an explanation
published, and finds when the correction
comes out that it's ten times ns bad as
the original.
A Paris paper tells of a lady who is in
troducing a new era into furniture fash
ion. She is having nil her chairs, sofas,
and carriages stuffed with aromalio
herbs, which emit an agreeablo perfume,
and not too powerful, around tho air.
This fashion, it appears, is of Eastern
extraction, aud is prevalent throughout
the greater part of Asia.
A shopkeeper purchased of an Irish
woman a quantity of butter, tho lumps
of which, intended ns pounds, ho
weighed in the balance and found want
ing. "Shure is's your own fault if
they are light," said Biddy, in reply to
the complaints of the buyer, " it's your
own fault, sir, for wasn't it with n pound
of your own soap I bonght here myself
that I weighed them with?" Tho tshop
ke: per had nothing more to sny on that
subject.
A consus enumerator iu Albany asked
an old maid her age: "Thirty-one,"
she replied. " Oho !" ejacnlated the
questioner, iucreduously, " are you
married?" "No, sir," she said.
"Aha!" was the second exclamation,
accompanied by a knowing leer. Tho
aged maiden glanced over his shoulder
into the book, saw that ho had put her
down ns fifty-one, and an instant later
ho had more scratches and less hnir thau
when he entered.
Xew Use for the Telegraph.
The Buffalo Courier tells of a clerk in
one of the telegraph offices in that city
who, being the last to leave for his din
ner, found the door locked as is usual,
but, as is not usual, discovered he had
left his key in another coat pocket two
or three blocks avay at his hotel. Tho
windows were two stories np, and he did
not exactly see the point of an exit that
way. And every minute his dinner was
growing cold and his temper corre
spondingly hot. He rattled the door,
tried to pick the lock with a shingle nail,
and repeated softly to himself choico
extracts from profane history, but thero
he staid, and relief seemed appallingly
remote. Did he wait th ;re till hi
brother clerks returned from their seven
courses, from soup to doughuuts, to let
him out ? Not he. An idea struck him
and the impression left bore its fruits.
He telegraphed to St. Thomas, Canada,
had it repeated to Detroit, Mich.,
whence it was returned, according to ac
companying instructions, to an opposi
tion company at Buffalo, the result of ,
which was to send a boy up to his room
after the key nnd down to his office to
release him. He was in time for dinuer.
The Armies of Europe.
Col. de Valliere, the head of the Swisa
school of artillery, has published an in
teresting essay on the number of men
maintained in the various great conti
nental armies and the expenses involved.
Adding such reserves as may actually be
summoned into the field, he makes the
numerical establishments not very far
from 6,500,000, of which 1,700,000 are
allotted to Germany, 1,500,000 to
Franoe, 1,500,000 to Russia (excluding
her Asiatio land forces as not to be
counted on for a contest in Europe),
900,000 to Austria, and 750.000 to Italy.
Of this number, however, he admits that
it would b difficult in practice to call
ont the whole, even in the German em
pire. As to the cost per man of thosfe
actually in the ranks, he computes it at
JE48 in Russia, 47 in France, 40 in
Germany, 37 in Italy, and only 29 ia
Austria,