sir ill ftnii ' iife.
HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher.' NIL DESPERANDUM. Two Dollars per Annum.
.VOL. IX. RIPGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA,, THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 1879. NO. 17
- i .
Let Bygones be Bygones.
Let bygones bo bygones; if bygones were
clouded
By might that occasioned ll pnng ol regret,
Oh, lot thorn in darkest oblivion be shrouded;
'Tis wise and 'tis kind to forgive end forget.
liot bygones bo bygonos, and good bo - ex
tracted From ill over which it is a folly to frot;
Tho vi908t of mortals have foolishly acted
The kindest are those who forgive and
forget.
Let bygones be bygones; oh, cherish no longer
,; The thought that tho sun of aflbction has
set;
Eclipsed for a moment, its rays will be stronger
If yon, like a Christian, forgive and forget.
Lot bygones bo bygones ; your heart will bo
lighter
When kindness of yours with reception has
met;
The flame of your lovo will be purer and
brighter
If, God-like, you strive to forgive and forget.
Let bygonos be bygones; oh, purge out the
loavcn
Of malice, and try an cxamplo to set
To others, who, craving tho mercy of hoavon,
Are sadly too slow to forgive and forgot.
Let bygones bo bygones; remember how
deeply
To Heaven's forbournnce wo all are in debt ;
They value God's infinite goodness too cheaply
To heed not the procept, " Forgive and for
get." Chambers' Journal.
My Strange Fellow-Passenger.
"Yes," said the old doctor, assenting
to a remark I had just made. " I've
had a good many strange experiences in
my time, and 1 think I may call mine
rather nn eventful life.
' Forty years ago hist June," lie re
sumed, after a moment of thoughtful
silence, " 1 graduated with high honor.',
and received a. hospital appointment,
which would furnish me witli employ
ment lor the next-live years, and enable
me to obtain a practical knowledge of
medicine before setting tip for myself.
" My duties did not begin, however,
before the first ot August, and as 1 was
a little worn out by the heat and by
hard study. I was glad to be able to
spend the intervening' six weeks with
my mother in the country.
"I Iff t Philadelphia one day nt noon,
by the st;ig that v:is to convey me to
the town wheic she lived. We were to
travel until late in the evening, when we
were fi stop for the niuhtnt a little pub
lic) house on the road, resuming our
journey by the mail-coach at six the
next morning.
" There were two oilier passengers be
sides myself, a young man who had
sf cured the'jiox-seat which I had ex
peeted.to get; and a lady who sat inside
with me.
" We drove nlong merrily enough, in
good humor witli ourselves and each
other, and had f laced about a mile be
tween us and tho town, when, as I
looked out of the window, I saw, stand
ing by the roadside, a man with a car
pet bag in one hand, who was beckoning
to the driver with the other. We pres
ently came up with him.
"'Inside or outside, sir?' asked the
' driver, as lie dismounted.
'"Inside: inside, of course,1 was the
reply, a little irascibly, I thought, as the
new-comer placed his feet upon the step.
" ' Yer pay in ndvance. sir, beggin' ver
- -. , , " .i..j i. ... ,i. ...;
oj5" jmriioii, leimiuu-u iur uuvi-i, uciauuiig
. him and touching his hat.
" The old gentleman he was elderly,
and to all appearance a gentleman
seemed further irritated by tho delay,
lie asked the amount, however, paid it
at once, and took his seat beside mo, be
stowing his carpet-bag under his feet,
and evincing great satisfaction as we
started again.
"I had feared we were to have a dis
agreeable addition to our party, judging
from first impressions; but when, after a
while, the man joined in conversation
with us, we found him remarkably in
telligent and nffable.
" Before ho had talked a great while
I discovered he had led rather a noma
dic life. Europe, Soutli America, East
India, seemed equally familiar to him.
Without being garrulous, ho had so
many charming incidents to relate of
life in many lands, that lie contrived to
entertain us most delightfully.
" I judged he was traveling on import
ant business, he seemed so jealous of
any attention. When we stopped to al
low the " box-seat " passenger to alight,
and again at three o'clock, when we
halted for dinner, I noticed he became
restless and anxious.
" At dinner, his manner was eon
strained. He ate little, and talked less,
consulted his ' watch frequently, and
finally excused himself before we had
half finished the meal, and left the room.
" When we resumed our scats in the
stage, we found him there before us.
He was seated in his old plate, with his
head drawn back in an uncomfortable
corner, effectually shielding him from
observation. Indeed, I had handed the
lady in before she discovered him, and
she gave a little cry of surprise.
"'I hope I haven't startled you,
madam,' he said. 'I had no appetite
for dinner, so I thought I might as well
wait here as in the house.'
"These delays are rather annoying
when one is anxiotos to get on,' I re
marked. "'Yes, sir: yes,' he replied with a
light sigh. 'It is highly important, too,
that I should lose no time on the way.'
"He then changed the subject, with
the case of a man of the world, and our
conversation became general. He was
certainly very pleasant. After five
o'elotk, when the lady inside ' as the
driver called her, left us to ourselves,
our tete-a-tete was especially agreeable.
" Just at dark, we drew up in front of
the little inn which was to furnish us
with our .night's lodging
" The proprietor came out to meet us,
and with many apologies regretted that
he had but one spare room to oiler us.
"There was a wedding in the neigh
borhood that evening, and a party from
town had driven down early in the after
noon and engaged all his apartments ex
cept this one chamber.
But if you two gentlemen don't ob
eet sharing the same room for a couple
of hours you'll have to rise early to
take the mail coach I think I can make
you very comfortable. There are two
clean beds in the room, and'
" I'm sure I'll not object,' I inter
rupted, turning to my fellow-traveler.
He hesjtate4 an. Instant, p4 gen.
said, Well, sir, I'm agreed if you arc ;'
then, with an almost solemn tone, 'Re
member, sir, tho proposal came lrom
you, and if fate should '
"The astonishment expressed, no
doubt, upon my face at this peculiar ad
dress, caused Iiim to stop. Then he
laughed pleasantly, and resuming his
usual manner, said, ' Excuse mo, but
my mind, just now, is so occupied witli
affairs very important to me that I'm
afraid my attention sometimes wanders.
You are very kind to offer me half of
your room. I accept with many thanks.'
And we passed into the tavern, where a
good supper was awaiting us.
"There were no other guests at the
table. ' All gone to the wedding,' the
landlord said.
" We did not regret in the least having
the house to ourselves, and supper being
concluded, we went to the wide front
porch, where we spent the evening in
pleasant talk.
" I gave my companion a sketch of my
life for the past three or tour years. He
reciprocated by telling mo about his
family his wife, and his lovely daugh
ter, who was very dear to him.
" ' She is a good girl, and a very pretty
f;irl, too ; everybody says so. Stay I've
icr miniature 'in my carpet-bag, and my
wife's too. I'll show them to you.'
" He rose from his seat, when a sud
den thought seemed to strike him, and
ho resumed his chair, saying, 'I'd for
gotten. They have taken my carpet-bag
up stairs to the room. You can see them
at bedtime.'
" About eleven, we rose to go to our
room. My companion preceded me. I
sought, the landlord to ask that I should
be called at half-past four, so that I
mieht dress and breakfiist at my leisure,
before taking the coach again.
" I lingered, chatting, for ten minutes
or so witli 'mine host. When at lost I
entered the bed-chnmbei. I found my
room-mate had made good use of his
time, and was already in bed, with the
coverlet drawn up to his very ears, ns if
it. had been December instead of June.
Making no comment, however, I was
soon occupying tho second couch, which
stood in , recess in the inner extremity
of the room, on one side of the great fire
place. " I did not sleep well. I had a teasing
dream, which recurred again and again.
It seemed to me that some one was mov
ing about the room with eyes fixed on
me. Once I thought this figure ap
proached my bed, and a hard touched
me.
" I roused with a start. When my eyes
became accustomed to the darkness, I
:iwthe old gentleman looking out of
the window by his bedside.
" He said he had been disturbed, and
he supposed the wedding guests were
just returning. Gay voices outside, pres
ently followed by footsteps ascending the
stairs, and mutual good-nights ex
changed, corroborated this conjecture.
"Soon all became quiet, and I again
fell asleep, and was again disturbed.
This time I was sure that there were
stealthy feet creeping around the room,
and that a hoarse voice was muttering.
I listened, and distinctly heard the
words, ' The will of Fate.' I called out:
" Who is there?"
"Xo answer followed. The mutter
ing ceased. I heard the feet creeping
away toward the other bed. I could
not stand the suspense, and sprang up
and lighted tho candle in nn instant.
" There was no person in the room but
the old gentleman, who was sitting up
in bod, looking startled.
" ' Did you hear that noise? Were you
walking about?" I asked.
" ' Walking about?" he replied. ' I
am only just this moment awake. I
heard you call out, and I roused to see
what was the matter.'
" ' I'm sure I heard footsteps and
voices, too, in this room !'
" ' Voices in the room ! You're surely
mistaken.'
" Tm ml mistaken!' I repeated, testi
ly. ' Why, I could even distinguish
words. Something was said nbout the
" will of Fate.'"
" He laughed confusedly a he replied,
' I'm afraid I've been talking in my
sleep again. My friends say I'm ad
dicted to that bad habit, and I suppose I
say all sorts of things. I think it is
very likely you heard me ; and as to the
footsfps, perhaps our friends next door
have been restless.'
" I listened, but could hear no sound.
" "This explanation did not satisfy me.
I looked at my watch. It was just two
o'clock.
" ' It is very strange, but those steps
were in this room,' I said. I will let
the candle burn for the rest of the night.
It will be daylight, now, in nn hour and
a half, and I, for one, shall be glad to
see it. If I believed in ghosts, I should
think this room was haunted.' I lay
down ngain, determined, if possible,
not to go to sleep.
"The noises were not repeated. Si
lence pervaded the Jiouse, unbroken,
except by the breathing of the old gen
tleman, who, it was evident, was now
sleeping soundly. Ho was not fright
ened ; that was certain.
"I mused on these things for some
time. Those strange words, 'the will
of fate,' what did they mean? Just then
it occurred tome that my fellow-passenger
had used sucn nn expression the
evening before, when I first offered to
share my room with him. ' He must havo
been talking in his sleep, after all. I'm
a fool to think so much about it.'
" I tossed and tumbled, and again
consulted my watch.
" ' Only twenty minutes of three! Oh,
that morning would come!'
" I glanced across the room, and fan
cied for an instant that I saw my com
panion's eyes wide open, watching me;
but when I sat up in bed to satisfy my
self about it, lie seemed to be souud
asleep.
"By this time, I began to be ashamed
of myself. The house was so quiet it
seemed absurd to be keeping vigil.
Nature began to assert her claims, too,
and settling back on my pillow again, I
presently lost consciousness.
" When I awoke again, it was broad
daylight. My fellow-traveler was al
ready dressed, and stood with his back
to me by the open window near the
dressing-table. I was about to say,
'Good morning," when I heard him
mutter to himself
" ' It's the will of fate. There's no re
sisting it. I call on you all to witness'
extending one hand, as if appealing to
an assembled company ' I am only an
unthinking agent in this matter. His
blood be on fate's head, not mine. I've
enlisted in her serviee, and I'm bound to
obey orders.'
" Filled witli a vague alarm, I started
into a sitting nosture, the better to catch
the import of his words. At that mo
ment he turned., gazed at me an instant,
then advanced townrd me. There was a
pistol in his hand.
" lie approached with the pistol lev
eled at me, his ejeg burning like coals
of fire. Otherwise his manner was quiet,
and his voice low and muffled.
"'Come, sir,' lie said, shortly, 'pre
pare for death 1 Fate, whom t serve,
commands me to slay you at the rising
of the sun. You have just five minutes
in whitl. to make your peace with
Heaven : then you must die!'
" The i istol was what was then called
a ' pepper-box,' the prototype of the
whole modern arsenal of revolving
wenpons. As ho held it toward me, I
could distinctly see the balls at the end
of the chambers ; and I realized that the
man who held the weapon of death was
a maniac. If I made the least movement
toward the door, my young life would
be the forfeit.
" What should I doP"
" Like a flash of light came the
thought: 'The landlord will be coming
presently to rouse you Try to keep
your wits about you, and gain a little
time.'
"'Are. you praying?" said the mad
man. " 'I'm thinking,' I replied, as quietly
as I could, fixing my eyes upon his livid
countenance, ' that is very harsh treat
ment to offer a man who has done
nothing worse to you than to give you a
share of his room.'
"Cnn't help it, sir: must obey orders.'
"'Do you know, I said, trying to
control my voice, 'that you've deceived
me? You didn't tell me, yesterday,
about your being an agent of Fate, or I
should have been better prepared ; but
you allowed me to believe you to bo a
gentleman, traveling on ordinary busi
ness or for pleasure ; so I offered you a
bed in my room; and in return, you take
my life! To say the least, you have not
behaved like a gentleman.
" He looked a little troubled. ' De
ceived is a strong word, sir,' he began.
"'I can call it nothing else,' I re
turned, still speaking as quietly as I
could ; and what is more, sir, when a
man deceives me about one thing, I'm
very apt to distrust nny other statement
he may make to me. I doubt, now,
whether you were ever in the" East at
all : I doubt whether you were ever mar
ried ; I doubt if you have a daughter.
Why, I remember how you said, last
evening, you'd show me her miniature;
but you didn't produce it. I don't be
lieve now you've such a tiling in your
possession.'
" ' I have ! I swear I have it here in
my carpet-bag !' he said, letting his hand
which held the revolver fall to his side
in his earnestness.
" ' Well,' said I, nonchalantly. ' I'll
"believe you when I see the picture, not
petore.
"lie laid the pistol down on tho foot
of my bed, and strode across the room.
You may believe I lost no time in se
curing the weapon.
"Just then footsteps sounded in the
passage outside. Ihe landlord was
coming at last. I sprang to the door,
and pointed the pistol at my late would
be executioner, who had turned, and
was looking nt his empty hands in con
sternation. " ' You stir another step,' I cried, ' it
will be your last step!"
" I then opened tho door nnd admitted
tho astonished host, who looked per
fect lj aghast as I tried to explain to liim
what had occurred. I was excited al
most to frenzy, while my companion,
well-dressed, bland and self-possessed,
expressed the greatest amazement at my
story, which ho denied in every particu
lar. " ' Just look nt his appearance,' he
said. ' Contrast his manner with mine,
and tell me which of us looks like the
madman. You heard him outside, just
now, landlord, threaten to shoot me.
He has the pistol in his hand now. Is
if Sikoly that, if it belonged to me, I
would give it into his possession? The
man is perfectly insane has been act
ing like a lunatic ever since lie awakened
this morning.'
" 'At this unexpected turn of nfl'airs,
I was so nonplussed that, in nn excited
manner, I endeavored to show the de
ceit of the fellow, moving the pistol in
my excited gesticulations.
"'Help, help! Murder, murder!'
screamed the man, in apparent terror.
"'Help, help! Murder, murder!'
echoed the wretched landlord, who
clutched at the other's arm, and dragged
him toward tho door, vociferating,
'Help!' There's a crazy man up stairs!'
" I don't know how I should havecon
vinced the landlord of my sanity if un
expected help had not arrived soon after,
in the shape of two stout, burly keepers
from an insane nsylum in Philadelphia,
who pounced at once upon the old gen
tleman ns their legitimate property, and
handcuffed him iu the twinkling of an
eye.
"They had most opportunely arrived
by the mail-coach during the altercation
up stairs.
" It seemed that the old gentleman had
formerly been an actor (I could well be
lieve it), but was possessed with a homi
cidal mania, and had been pronounced
incurable. As soon as his escape from
the asylum was discovered, it at once
occurred to the keepers to inquire for him
at the different coach offices in the city.
" Xo. such person being booked as a
passenger, they were thrown off the
track, and were searching the city and
its environs, when they were put upon
the right track by a countryman who
had seen him waiting on the roadside to
take the stage.
" They had just time to send off two
men by the mail-coach, which left Phil
adelphia at ten, and whicji arrived at
the inn just in time to rescue me from a
distressing dilemma.
" How the maniac obtained possession
of a loaded revolver they could not con
jecture, nnd he obstinately refused to
tell.
" However, as you may imagine, I did
not concern myself a great deal with that
question. I hurried on with my clothes,
ale what breakfast I could, and left the
house by that blessed mail-coach at six
o'clock, thankful enough that I was able
to pursue my journey uninjured.
Youth's Companion.
Probably the oldest timber in the
world winch has been subjected to the
use of man is that which is found in the
ancient temples of Egypt. It is found
as dowel-pins in connection with stone
work which is known to be at least 4,000
years old. These dowels apptar to be
of tamarisk, or chittim-wood, of which
the ark is said to have been constructed,
a sacred tree in Egypt, and now very
rarely found in the vaaey of the Nile.
A San Francisco genius named How
land has invented a machine that will
tell to within a small amount the quan
tity of gold a person has about him.
Ho spent $8,000 in experimenting, and is
bow so poor that the machine will uot
act within a mile of his own pocket.
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
Carrot Onltnre.
The carrot prefers a light, sandy loam
of medium fertility. A good coat of
manure, applied to the soil the previous
year, will prove of advantage; but if it
is manured the same season it should be
with guano after the crop is up.
As a Gakden Chop. For garden cul
ture the earliest crop should be sown as
soon as the ground is fit to work. Late
crops for winter use can bo sown any
time before the middle of June. The
seed should be soaked a couple of days
in water; and immediately afterward
mixed with a small quantity of ashes or
plaster. This will prevent the seed from
adhering together and it can then be
sown more evenly. Sow in rows fifteen
inches apart and cover the seed with
about half nn inch of soil. Later, the
young plants should be thinned to three
inches apart in the row. Cultivate
diligently, nnd remove all weeds from
tho rows. The carrot eron is one of
those crops that are irrevocably dam
aged if the weeds are allowed to get tho
start. The Early Horn and Atringham
are among the best varieties for cooking
purposes. For winter use, carrots are
most conveniently kept in a cellar,
packed in dry sand, ;
As a Field Chop. But the carrot is
more extensively cultivated as a field
crop for food for cattle nnd horses. For
this purpose the Long Orange and Large
White Belgian are the best. In good
soil these may attain a size of twelve
inches long and three inches thick, and
give a yield of horn 1,200 to 1,400 bush
els to the acre. The land, which though
light must not suffer from lack of mois
ture, should be thoroughly pulverized
by deep plowing and repeated harrow-
iner. Souk the seed nnd mix it with
ashes or plaster as before, and sow it
from the middle of May to the first of
June, in rows two feet apart with a
seed-drill, taking care that it docs not
clog in the hopper. Hoe the crop as soon
as the rows can be seen, and when a
couple of inches high, the plants should
be thinned to six or seven inches apart.
After this, the ' horse-cultivator should
go through the plat at least once a fort
night, as long as the crop is growing.
In the fall, when the roots are taken up,
they should be allowed to dry in the sun
for a couple of days after the tops are cut
oil", before they are put up for winter
use. Jliey may no stored in a cellar,
out-of-doors, or in pits, like potatoes and
turnips, but having a greater tendency
to decay than these, when put together
in large quantities, they should be placed
n small neaps only.
A wrop of carrots is somewhat more
expensive to raise than acropof turnips,
but for winter nnd spring feed, both for
horses and cattle, they are said to be
better than any other root crop. Fed in
moderate quantities, they strengthen the
digestive organs of the animals and help
to assimilate other food eaten in connec
tion with them. Experienced dairymen
have maintained that carrots, fed to
milch cows, not onlv increase the flow
of milk, but that they impart n flavor to
tlie milk similar to tliat lrom green pas
turage, and thpt the butter from cows
fed on the Orange varieties acquires a
color like summer butter. The follow
ing analysis gives the composition of
carrots :
Water 87.5
Albumen nnd casein 0.6
Su-;ir 5.4
lilt 1.2
(iiun 1.0
YVooilv llbor 3.3
Ash 1.0
100.00
Sural New Yorker.
House-top (ardeniiijr.
A .really serious effort is being made
to establish house-top gardening in our
city, says a Xew York letter. All the
sanitary objections which have been
niaile to-it at one time or another have
been easily waved aside by our skilllul
inventors'in styles of rooting. Having
seen these blossoming uuuer surfaces
arranged in Europe with many pleasant
...... -... . i I !ll. l l
i-iinsriiui'iicro, l IS Hlipossioie HOI lO lOOK
forward to the possibility of their
general uses witli eagerness. It is pro
posed to have one part of the roof
glassed over, and the other part covered
with a wire netting to keep the mischiev
ous sparrow from despoiling the- tender
vegetation, nnd nlso to prevent a heedless
foot from trending upon nothing at all
over the eaves. A summer evening,
with easy garden chairs, tea-trays, with
glasses and unmcntioni bio delicacies of
cooling liquids standing in readiness
upon them, are said to be ns certain a
luxury awaiting the future Xew Yorker
as is a new moon once a month or a
Black Friday once in a dozen years.
Of course, the garden summit to a
home will protect scuttles down which
the burglar lately finds an easy nnd un
disturbed opportunity to enter a house.
Incredible ns it may appear, in our own
block nine huge trunks were lifted up
through this necessary aperture to a
neighboring roof, where every article of
value in a whole tamuy wardrobe for
summer uses was removed unnoticed
and carried away, nobody lmo yet I
i j i i .i. . i i
luarueu wucre, aim me uunKS U.lix' -
selves were lelt to be returned' to the
attic, to be again refilled with costly
marketable fineries for future roof
burglars.
A HelUUfor Farm Stock.
The importance of an occasional relish
of salt and wood ashes for all kinds of
stock, says the New York JForM, cannot
be too highly appreciated. The most
convenient form in which these materials
are offered, according to feeders of wide
experience, is in a solid mass, which ad
mits of diligent licking on the part of
the animal without gaining more of the
mixture than is desirable. In order to
mix these ingredients so that a solid mass
may be formed, take salt and pure wood
ashes in tho proportion of pound for
pound, with water sufficient to hold the
mixture together. To preserve the mix
ture in a solid state place it in troughs
or boxes sheltered sufficiently to keep
rain ind snow from reaching it and con
verting it into an alkaline pickle. These
troughs witli their tempting contents
prove efficient as baits for alluring ani
mals, turned out on long runs during
the day, home at night.
When cattle chew leather, wood and
old bones, remember that it indicates a
lack of phosphate of lime in their food,
which is required to supply bone ma
terial. A teaspoonful ol bone meal
given daily with their grain will correct
the habit and supply the deficiency
which induces it. II the disposition to
eat bones is indulged in when cows are
on grass, the deficiency evidently exists
in the soil, and the pasture will be
greatly benefited by a top dressing of
none oust. iwo or three Hundred
pounds to the acre, sown broadcast, will
repay attending expenses in a better
yield and quality of milk and butter.
lyT. In Cookery,
An English writer, speaking of the
culinary uses for leaves, says that one of
the most useful and harmless of all
leaves for flavoring is that of the com
mon syringa. When cucumbers are
scarce these are a perfect substitute in
salads, where that flavor Is desired.
Again ths young leaves of the cucumber
itself have a wonderful similarity in
taste to that fruit. Carrot tops may be
used, and a prodigious waste is suffered
in not using the external leaves nnd
blanched footstalks of the celery plant,
The young leaves of the gooseberry
ndded to bottled fruit give a fresher
flavor nnd a greener color to pies and
tarts. The leaves of the flowering cur
rant give a sort of intermediate flavor
between black currants and red. Orange,
citron and lemon leaves impart a flavor
ing equal to that of tho fruit, and rind
combined, nnd somewhat different from
both. A few leaves added to pies, or
boiled in the milk, used to bake with
rice, or formed into crusts oi paste, im
part an admirable "bouquet." An infu
sion can be made of either the green or
dry leaves, and a tea or tablespoonful
used. Peach leaves give the flavor of
bitter almonds.
itlulchlnR Tree.
During warm weather the mulching
of young trees is a decided advantage to
their growth, particularly the first sea
son after planting. Many young trees
have, after planting, started out well,
and as soon ns the warm dry season
came, withered up and died, whereas if
they had been mulched they would have
prospered finely. Mulching is done by
placing a layer of coarse manure from
three to six inches deep, extending one
or two feet further in each direction than
the roots. This protects the earth about
the roots against drying or baking with
wind and sun, retains to it the requisite
moisture and obviates all occasion for a
practice generally of injurious effects
t he watering of newly-planted trees. In
case it is not convenient to get manure,
cut down grass, weeds, etc., and put
nbout the trees, placing flat stones or
boards on top to keep it from blowing,
away. Exclmnte.
Exciting (Scenes nt a Hotel Fire.
Some of tho exciting scenes which
took place during the fatal fire at
Hagerstown, Md., are described in tho
columns of the Xew York Herald: The
lire broke out in the front part of the
Washington Hotel under the stairway on
the seeond floor, nnd when discovered it
had gained considerable headway. A
commercial traveler was first awakened
by the smoke nnd ho gave the alarm.
Mrs. Middlekauft'and a servant girl were
soon aroused from their beds nnd they
ran through the house kicking nt the
doors of the sleeping-rooms and crying
" Fire!" As the news of the conflagra
tion spread there was the greatest excite
ment among the inmates, who rushed
about in all directions to make their
escape from the rapidly burning build
ing. The front way of egress for those
on the third and fourth floors had been
cut off by the fire, and those on the
second floor found it dangerous to escape
in that direction. Mrs. Middlekauff did
invaluable service in saving the lives of
the inmates. Three times she visited
the upper floors, nnd was prevented nt a
dangerous moment from going on the
fourth mission. She also conducted the
guests to the rear building of the hotel,
when many made their escape down the
stairway. Many others were not so
fortunate. Some jumped from the win
dows, sustaining injuries, and others
were seriously burned in their efforts to
get to the outside. Thomas Troxell
was specially warned ot tho tire, but he
appeared to be indifferent, showing no
disposition to hurry when ho received
the news. A few hours after the lire his
body was found in a mangled condition
and burned beyond recognition. The
body lay among the rubbish of the stair
way of tho ladies' entrance. Troxell,
who was in Hagerstown attending court,
had evidently tried to make his escape
by the front way.
S. II. Dorscy, a young man, rescued
Mrs. Patterson and child from the third
floor at the peril of his life. The stair
way was enveloped in flames, and he
(lushed forward, receiving a number of
burns about the head during his ascent.
Tho woman and child were uninjured,
their rescuer removing them from tho
building by the back way. While the
fire was in progress a bundle of bed
clothing was found in an alley adjoining
the burning hotel. Investigation dis
closed a man who had wrapped the
clothing about him and jumped from
one of the upper stories. He was not
seriously hurt.
Did he Get a " Raise."
Xo barber knoweth whom he may
shave, and the man who rushes into a
shop and drops into a barber-chair,
without seeing who occupies the next
eluiir to the right or left may get badly
left, as a case proved yesterday. A solid
old citizen in the wholesale trade was
taking it easy, his face covered with
lather, when in came a young man who
flung off liis coat, bounced into-a chair,
and called out:
"Hurry up, now, for I must get back
to the store before old Blank docs or ho
will raise Xed! Hang him, ho won't
even give a man time to die!"
The solid citizen turned his face to
glance at the other, and the barber
noticed a reddening of his face.
"Going on a vacation this summer?"
asked the barber who was preparing to
shave the young man.
"Vacation! How the deuce can I
get away from old Blank? And if I
could he pays such :i stingy, contempti
ble snlary that I couldn't afford even a
ride on tlie ferryboat!"
" Why don't you ask him for a raise?"
Queried tlie barber.
" Why don't I ask for the hand of
his freckle-nosed daughter. He'd dis
charge me in a minute, though he's mak
ing monev and can afford it. If the
old hyena would have a stroke of apo
plexy the junior partner might do some
thing, but such chaps always live to be
a hundred years old."
Conversation ceased heie, the solid
man got out of his chair, took a brush.
ing and sat down, and when the clerk
arose from his chair and turned around
snow-balls would have looked black
beside his face. He tried to bow and
speak, but something wouldn't let him.
and when he started to put on his coat
he held it tails up and collar down. He
was still struggling with it when the
solid man rose up, looked around and
walked out. saving never a word. The
barbers wet tlie young man's head and
lieiu coiognu 10 ins none, uui uo wni&cu
sideways when he went out and there
was an uncertain wobble to his knees.
In applying for the vacant position to
day state wlmt shop you shave at. pc
troit Free Press.
TIMELY TOPICS.
In many parts of Germany the roads
are lined along the entire distaneo with
rows of poplars, or of apple trees, the
branches or which latter nend beneath
tho weight of fruit. A fine of three
shillings is the penalty for plucking the
fruit, consequently it is permitted to
ripen, and the owners of the community
reap the benefit of the foresight in plant
ing fhade trees at once beautiful and
profitable.
Horse races were introduced into the
Grecian games 648 years B. 0., and 152
years later, or B. C. 40(1, a race called
tho "Calpe," for mares only, was also
introduced into their sports. The date
of the introduction of racing in England
is unknown. In this country the first
racing is believed to have taken place
almost simultaneously in both Virginia
and Maryland, about the year 1750; but
the first race for a public stake was on
Long Island, in 1818, against time, by a
horse called "Boston Blue," for $1,000.
The value of California's products is
fiven in these figures from the Snn
'rancisco Journal qf Commerce : " We
have a wheat crop which will reach at
least twenty millions of centals. We
will have a wool crop of forty-five to
fifty million pounds. Our vintage will
yield not less than eight million
f allons of wine and brandy. Ten mil
ion centals of barley will lie raised, and
two million centals of corn. Tho south
will yield four million pounds of honey.
Our gold nnd silver yield will not fall
short of twenty million doKars. Our
fruit and raisin crop will sell for at least
three millions of dollars. Quicksilver,
coal and copper will yield moderately,
if not in their wonted abundance."
Peculiar and infrequent crimes are
brought to light occasionally in the Xew
York police courts. A woman was re
cently sentenced to twenty days' im
prisonment for unmercifully flogging her
twelve-year-old niece, and the child was
given over to the Society for the Preven
tion of Cruelty to Children. On the
same day, in another court, a woman
received four months in the penitentiary
for t hrow ing kerosene over her husband's
body, lighting a match nnd then trying
to set fire to the oil. Husband and wife
had not lived happily together for years.
One evening he enmo home, found her
slightly intoxicated and the two had
some words. Just as the man was retiring
his wife threw the oil over him, but was
frustrated in her diabolical attempt and
arrested.
The reported exploits of Mile. Sophie
von Ilerzfcld nnd several other ladies
during tho recent Nihilist emcute at
Kicff, add one more instance to the long
nst or icmaie revolutionists in nussia.
Muring the tumult which dethroned
Peter III., in 1703, in favor of Catharine
II.. Countess Dashkoft' rode at the head
of the Preobrajenski regiment in male
attire, with pistols at her saddle-bow.
Several ladies of rank took part in the
conspiracy formed against Alexander I.
in lwyi-5. Among the political prisoners
banished to Siberia by Nicholas in 1831,
was the celebrated Princess lrubotskoi.
One of the principal leaders of tlie Po
lish insurroetionof 1863 was accompanied
everywhere by his young wife, who
made herself conspicuous in every skir
mish by her reckless bravery. The at
tempt made by Vera Sassulitch upon the
life of the ex-Minister of Police, Gen.
Treuoff. is still fresh in everyone's mem
ory, and two young Indies of good family
were lound among the workers ot the
Miniist printing press recently seized in
St. Petersburg.
In the New York postofliee a force of
six men is employed solely in correcting
blunders of the people who write letters,
ami the skill which these men display in
prising. The postmaster gives tlie follow
ing list, of a lew of the many postolllces
in the United States bearing the same
name: there are eighteen Brooklyns,
twenty Williamsburgs, five Baltimorcs,
ten Bangors, twelve Bostons, sixteen
Buffalos. seventeen Burlingtons. seven
teen Charlestons, four Chicngos, eight
Cincinnati, ten Clevelnnds, twenty-five
Daytons, fifteen Louisvilles, fifteen
Jewells, three Milwaukees, fourteen
Nashvilles, seven Philadelphia, fifteen
(iuinceys, twenty-two lticlimonds,
twelve St. Pauls, seven Toledos, thirty
ir..r.i.: , .... ti o !.. .-ri -i .1..
ii 2uiiigiun, iwcniy-iivo opnugiieuis,
thirteen Wilmingtons. five Omiihns.
This list might be extended to more
than 350 different nnd familiar names.
One Saturday afternoon recently after
the heavy mails had been dispatched, no
less than 4,000 misdirected letters were
found in the office in tlie scattering and
supplementary mail matter.
Evading the Customs Duty.
An amusing anecdote on this subject
was lately told at a public dinner by M.
Ferdinand Duval, Prefect of the Seine,
lie said that the octroi men of Paris,
who levy the municipal barrier dues,
are a most vigilant set of fellows, but
that, having boasted of th-.ir merits, ho
(the prefect) had been caught. A friend
of his, living at St. Cloud, had made a
small bet that he would introduce a pig
into Paris, in his brougham, without the
octroi men detecting it. M. Duval took
the bet, and strict orders were given at
all the gates of Paris to look out for the
brougham of the friend in question.
Within less than a week, however, the
prefect received eighty centimes, amount
of duty leviable on a pig, and a request
U come and assure himself that the
quadruped had been successfully smug
gled in. It turned out that the pig,
killed and scalded, had been dressed up in
women's clothes, nnd had been driven
into Paris seated triumphantly on the
box beside the coachman.
The Bludgeon and Dagger Fans.
Some " fans " are not fans at all. The
" steel fan " is simply a bar ot metal,
shaped and painted to resemble an or
dinary closed fan, and carried sometimes
as a life preserver, sometimes by the
swell mobsmen and rowdies of China, to
be used at close quarters, with murder
ous effect. Of the same species is the
well-known " dagger fan," which con
sists of tih elegant imitation in lacquer
of a common folding fan, but is really a
sheath maintaining within its fair ex
terior a deadly blade, short and sharp.
like a Malay kris. This daggt r fan was
invented by the Japanese, and its im
portation into China has always been
strictly forbidden. Great numbers have,
however, been successfully introduced
into Canton, Foocliow and other large
maritime cities, and they are now even
manufactured by the enterprising natives
of the- first-mentioned, port. fYqseft
ITEMS OF INTEREST
An upstart Beginning to prosper.
Always best when rare Family broils.
Philadelphia is to have a school for
silk culture.
Minnesota millers are now shipping
direct to Europe
The increase of the population of the
United States is 1,000,000 a year,
It is 3,322 miles across the continent
from Philadelphia to San Francisco.
Tlie total amount of lumber cut lost
year is set down at 4,334,216,000 feet.
A three cent stamp becomes a sent
stamp after you hare mailed your letter.
Good buy, as the overjoyed sales
man said when the liberal customer
turned to go.
The flaming circus advertisement is
apparent once more throughout the
length nnd breadth of the land.
Scientific men generally believo that
the bed of the Pacific Ocean was once
above water, and inhabited by men.
In the Arctic regions, when the ther
mometer is below zero, say thirty de
grees, people can converse a mile apart.
An ambitious voung writer having
asked, "What magazine will give me
the highest position quickest P" was told :
" A powder magazine, if you contribute
a fiery article."
A correspondent in a Baltimore paper
says that in a case of terrible burning,
followed by lockjaw, which came under
his observation, tlie patient was cured
by the application of dog fat.
Mine. Cataeazv. wife of the Russian
Minister at Washington, during Grant's
administration, is dead. She had the
reputation of being tlie handsomest
women at the national capital.
" Father," said a cobbler's lad, as he
wns pegging away at an old shoe, "they
say that trout bite good now." " Well,
well," replied tlie old gentleman, "you
stick to your work and they won't bite
you!"
Any one who wants a printing-press
hn.s now the chance of purchasing-the
one which Napoleon earned with him
to Moscow, and which leu into the
hands of the Russians during his retreat.
It is now at St. Petersburg, and the
owner offers to sell it for 1,000 roubles
about $730.
Delaware and Rhode Island are the
sleeve buttons of the Western Hemi
sphere. Kcw York Herald. And Ken
tucky furnishes the studs. Boston Post.
And New York furnishes the rings.
Alhnny Aryus. And Missouri the Vest.
Chicago Newspaper Union. And Wash
ington the Schurz.
Oxschaxonlilo Irodalomtortcnelmi Lapok
is the title of a little fortnightly journal
published in Kolozsvar, Hungary, whose
columns contain original articles in
French, German, English, Italian, Span
ish, Portuguese, Norse.Swedish and Mag
yar. Often tlie poems are followed by
translations into several languages.
A father said to an old acquaintance
who came to condole with him on the
unmanageableness of his two sons, who
bad committed a burglary in the next
town nnd had been sentenced to prison :
" It is pretty rough on me to have them
both go to once, but there is one thing
to it when it comes night now, you
know where them boys.be"."
The daily circulation ot the most
popular newspaper in the City of
Mexico, with a population of 200,000,
does not exceed 2,000 copies. All the
newspapers in the republic aggregate a
consumption of only nbout 800 reams a
month; a quantity that many single
mills in the United States could supply,
and yet not run a fourth of the time.
A Prince's Mistake.
Prince Peter of Oldenburg has just
had a somewhat exciting experience.
He is at the head of the imperial Russian
colleges for girls and is very diligent in
performing his duties. lie lately de
cided to see for himself whether there
were any grounds for the numerous
complaints of the poor food furnished nt
the Smoling Convent, where 800 ' girls
are educated. Proceeding to the insti
tution just before tlie usual dinner hour,
he avoided the main entrance, and
walked straight toward tho kitchen.
At its door ho met two soldiers carrying
a huge steaming caldron. "Halt! he
called out, " put that kettle down." The
soldiers, of course, obeyed. " Bring me
a spoon," added tho prince. Tlie spoon
was at once produced, but one of the
soldiers ventured to begin a stammering
remonstrance. "Hold your tongue,"
cried tlie prince; "take off the lid. I
insist on tasting it." .o lurtuer objec
tion was raised, and his highness took a
large spoonful. "You call this soup!"
he exclaimed ; " why, it is dirty water!"
" It is, your highness," replied the
soldier; "we have just been cleaning
out the laundry."
A "Cluck" and Six Kittens.
Mr. Parvin, of West Icesport, has a
cluck" which tenderly cares for six
kittens about three weeks old. The
cluck had been deprived of a brood of
young chickens, r.nd feeling the loss very
keenly she no doubt consie""l the tak
ing charge of the kittei :i ju -f compen
sation. Tee kittens sein; V iwien to her
call, and will nestle umiui ner wings and
feathers like little chickens. No one is
allowed to approach, not even tho cat
herself, while tho hen has charge, but
she seems satisfied when the kittens oc
casionally creep out and go over to the
mother cat in the next comer. This is
indeed a great curiosity. Quite a num
ber of persons have watched with great
interest the old hen caring for tlie kittens.
She "chicks " and calls them, plays with
them anil scratches and endeavors to lmd
for them. The kittens jump about tho
old hen nnd make a big fuss with their
two-footed, feather-tailed mammy.
Reading (l a.) Logle.
Delicacy of the Mint Scales.
The fine gold-weighing scales made in
Philadelphia for the New Orleans mint
are marvels of mechanical invention
and accurate workmanship. The
larger of the two has a capacity of ten
thousand ounces troy, or about six
hundred and eighty-six pounds avoirdu
pois, and, when loaded to its full weight,
will show a variation of one-thousandth
part of an ounce, or the millionth part
of it weighing capacity. Another pair
of scales is the one intended lor weigh
ing gold only. It has bearings com
posed of the finest agates, which have .
been ground with wonderful precision
So delicate is this machine that it wil. '
give the precise weight of a human hair,
and is susceptible to the slightest ntmos
phcric changes. Millions of dollars'
worth of precious metals will be
weighed annually upon these scales.
1 New Orleans Times.
f