HENRY A. PARSONS, Jr., Editor and Publisher. NIL DESPEIl AEfDTJM. Two Dollars per Annum.
VOL. IX. IlIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY, PA., THURSDAY, JANUAHY 8, 1880. NO. 46.
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V
W i .
Along the Way.
Though tangled hard lifo's knot may be,
Ajid wearily we rue it,
The silont touoh ot lnthor time
i Some day will sure undue it.
Then, darling, wait;
Nothing is late
In the light that shines forever.
Wo laint at heart, a Iriend is gone;
We chafe at the world's harsh drilling!
We tremble at sorrows on every sido,
At the myriad wnys of killing.
Yet, say we all,
a sparrow lall,
The Lord kecpoth count forever,
t
ltiVkcepcth count. We oomo, we go,
TfVe speculate, toil and taller;
Ertit the measure to each of weal or woe,
' God only can give or alter,
lie sendeth light
He sendeth night.
And chango goes on forever.
Why not take lile with cheariul trust
With laith in the strength oi weakness T
The slcndorest daisy rears its head
With courage, yet with meekness.
A sunny face
Hath holy grace,
To woo the sun iorevor.
Foiever and ever, my darling, yes
Goodness and love are undying;
Only the troubles and cares oi earth
Are winged lrom the livst for flying.
Our way wo plow
In the furrow " now;"
llut utter the tilling and gi owing, the sheaf
Soil tor the root, but the sun for tho leal
And God kcopeth watch forevor.
Mary Mapct Dodge.
JUST IN TIME.
Dinner w:is over at List, and Mr.
Walter Currie, Knglit-li commissioner
at the up-country station of Ilulta-Bagh,
in Northern India, hud gone out upon
the veranda with his wile and his two
guests the colonel and major of the
th light infantry to enjoy the cool of
the evening.
On three sides the house was sur
rounded iy its compound, a large in
closed space, serving the purpose of a
courtyard; hut the fourth was only
separated hy a small patch of garden
from tiiu public, road, along wliieli a
number of native women wen; passing
witli their lilt lo pitchers on their heads.
Ttie sijjht of them naturally turned
the eon versa! ion u; on a favorite subject
with till Anglo-linliin. viz., tlic char
acter of the natives, and the best method
of dealing Willi tin m
"There's only one way," said the
colonel, emi liatieally. " Tell 'cm what
they're to do, make "em do it. and thrash
'em well if they don't. That's my way."
" Well. 1 venture to differ from you
there, colonel,'' said Mr. Currie, quietly.
' I've had to do some thrashing (nee or
twice, I own, but most of my native
servants teem to get along very well
without it, and they serve me excel
lently, f assure you.1'
"I wish you'd hern in my place,
then," retorted the colonel; "you'll
have changed your opinion, I war
rant. Why, the year before last, when
Iliad charge of two battalions of the
rascals down at Sutteepoor, because
there wasn't another queen's officer
within reach just like my confounded
luuk! There was no getting anything
done unless I did it myself. Hy Jove!
sir! I had to be everything at once
my own quartermnster.ir.y own sergeant-
major, my own caterer, ann
" And "your own trumpeter, Colonel
Annesley?" asked Mrs. Currie, with an
arch smile.
The colonel's broad face reddened
ominously, and an explosion seemed
imminent when a sudden clamor of
angry voices from the road below drew
them all to the front of the veranda.
The cause of the disturbance was
visible at a glance. Two half-drunken
English soldier-, swaggering along the
road, had come into violent contact
with a native boy who was running
past; and one of them, enraged at the
collision, had felled the poor lad to the
ground, and was unclasping hi own
belt with tho evident intention of beat
ing him unmercifully.
"Serve the young whelp right."
shouted the colonel rubbing his hands;
" that's just what they all want."
The other officer, Major Armstrong
popularly called Major Strongarni - was
a huge, brawny, silent man, whose forle
Jay in acting rather than in talking.
Durinif the whole discussion lie had
sat like a great bronze s'.atue, never ut
tering a word ; but at the sight of this
man ill-using this child, he woke up
rather startlingly.
To leap to the ground twelve feet be
low, to dart across the garden, to vault
over the high stockade beyond, was the
work of a moment for the athletic ma
jor; and in another instant he had
raised the fallen boy tenderly from the
ground, while saying to the formost sol
dier, in the low, compressed tone of a
man who means what he says:
"Be oil with you!"
, "And who the deuce are you, bhovin'
yernose in where you ain't wanted?"
roared the infuiiated ruffian, to whose
eyes the major's plain evening dress
bore no token of his being an officer;
"jistyou "
The sentence was never finished.
At the sound of that insolent defiance,
Armstrong's sorely-tried patience gave
way altogether, and tho powerful right
hand which had hewed its way through
a whole squadron of Sikh cavalry, fell
like a sledge-hammer upon his oppo
nent's face, dashing him to the ground
as if lie had been blown from the mouth
of a gun.
"Well done, Major Armstrong!"
shouted Mr. Currier lrom above.
"You deserve your name, and no mis
take." At that formidable name, tho soldier
took to his heels at once ; and Armstrong,
without even looking at his prostrate
antagonist, proceeded to examine the
hurts of the boy.
The latter was sorely bruised in many
places, and the blood was trickling
freely over his swarthy lace; but the
little hero still did his hest in ciaml
erect, and to keep down every sign of
mo ih a vmii-ii lie was enduring.
" You're a brave lid, and you'll make
a soldier some day," said the major to
him in Hindoostance. "Come with
me, and I'll see tL.it no one molests yeu
again."
Tim lad seized the huge brown hand
which Lad defended hira so bravely,
and kissed it with the deepest reverence ;
and the two walked away together.
Six months have come and gone, and
Mr. Currie's hospitable house presents
a very different spectacle. The pretty
garden is trampled into dust and mire,
and the bodies of men and horses are
lying thick among the fragments of the
half destroyed stockade.
All the windows of the house are
blocked up, and through the loopholed
wans peer the muzzles ot ready rities,
showing how steady tho besieged gar
rison Btands at bay against the countless
enemies, whose dark, fierce faces and
? littering weapons are visible amid the
mlf-ruined building and matted thickets
all around.
The Sepoy mutiny of 1857 is blazing
sky-high over Northern India, and
Colonel Annesley is blockaded in Hut-tee-Bagli,
with a certainty of a hiefcous
death for himself and every man of the
few who are still true to him, unless
help come speedily.
Day was just breaking, when two
men held whispered counsel in one of
tlie upper rooms.
" No fear of tho water running short,"
said Major Armstrong; " but even upon
half-rations the food will be out in four
davsmorc."
" And then we'll just go right nt
them, and cut our way through or die
ior it!" growled the old colonel, with a
grim smile on ins ironmce, lor, witli all
his harshness and injustice, Colonel
Annesley was "grit " to the backbone.
" We niuptn't say anything to them
about it, tnousrii. added he, with a
side glance nt Mr. Currie, who, standing
in the further corner, was anxiousiy
watching the thin, worn face of his
sleeping wife.
At that momenta loud cheer from be-
low startled them both, and the next
moment Ismail (the " major's boy," as
every one now called him; burst into
the room, with a glow of unwonted ex
citement on his dark lace.
" Sahib." cried he, "there is hope for
us vet! A detachment of Ineleez (Eng
lish) are coming up the other bank of
the river; if we can send word to them
as they pass, we are saved!"
"How do you knew?" asked the
maior. easrerlv.
"I heard the Sepoys sav so, while I
was lying hid among the bushes yon
der," ans wered the lad.
" Among the bushes yonder?" roared
the colonel, facing around. " Have you
really been in the midst ot those cut
throat villains, listening to what they
a., A 9 XV li n t ptrni ft l (t vrtii fir, flint, fnr-1 '
"I did it for Sahib Armstrong's sake,"
replied the boy, proudly, " because he
was good to me.
The colonel turned hastily away to
hide the flush of not unmanly shame
that overspread Ins liard Juce; ami
Armstrong smiled slightly as lie heard
him mutter:
" Hy Jove! these chaps aren't so black
as they're painted alter all. '
" Hut if the troops are beyond the
river, how can we communicate witli
them ?" asked Mrs. Currie. who. Awak
enrd by the shouting, had risen and
joined the group. "They may not pass
near enough to hear the firing, and we
have no means of fending them word."
"Fear nothing for that, mom-sahib"
(madam) said the Hindoo t.oy, quietly ;
" I will carry them word myself!"
"Bit how can you possibly doit?"
cried Mr. Currie, thunderstruck by the
confident tone in which this mere child
spoke of atask from which the hardiest
veteran might wen have shrunk.
" Listen, sahib.'" answered Ismail
"I will slip out of the house, and make
a dash into the enemy's lines, as n 1
were deserting from vou to them: and
you can tell your people to fire a shot or
two niter me with blank cartridge, as I
go. Then the bepoys will receive me
kindly, and I'll tell them that you re
ail dying ol thirst, and that they need
only wait one day more to bo sure of
you, so that they won t care to make
another attack. Then, when they have
no suspicion, and think I'm quite one
ot themselves, I'll steal away, ana slip
across tho river.
"Hut are you quite sure the Sepoys
will believe you:" " asked Major Arm
strong, doubtlully.
"I hey ii believe this, anyhow," re
plied the bov, deliberately making
deep gash in his bare shoulder, and
staining ins white frock with the blood
as lie glided from the room, followed by
Armstrong.
The plan was soon explained to tho
men below, and a moment later Ismail's
tlark figure was seen darting like an
arrow across the open space in front o
the building, followed hy a quick dis
charge of blank cartridges lrom the
marksmen at the loopholes. The sound
ot firing drew the attention of the
Sepoys, several of whom ran forward to
meet him.
In another instant he was in" the
midst of them.
" I can scarcely see for those bushes,"
said Colonel Annesley ; "but he seem
to be showing them the wound on his
shoulder, and telling them it was our
doing "
At that moment an exulting yell from
the enemy came pealing through th
still air.
"That's the story of our being shot
of water, for a guinea!" said th major;
" it was a very good thought of his. If
it only delays their attack two days
longer, there may be time for help to
arrive yet.
Slowly and wearily the long hours of
that fearful day wore on. The heat was
so terrific that even the native soldiers
of the garrison could barely hold their
own against it, and the handful of Eng
lishmen were almost helpless. Had the
Sepoys attacked then, all would have
been over at one blow ; but hour passed
after hour, and there was no sign of an
assault.
At length, as afternoon gave place to
evening, a movement began to shov it
self in the enemy's lines. Their cur Is of
smoke, rising above tLe trees, showed
that the evening meal was in prepara
tion ; and several figures, with pitchers
in their hands, were seen going toward
the river, among whom the colonel's
keen eye soon detected Ismail.
"By George!" cried the old soldier,
slapping his knee exultingly, " that lad's
worth his weight in gold! There's his
way down to the river right open to him
without the least chance of suspicion!
Why, he's a born general nothing
less!"
Every eye within the walls was now
turned anxionsly upon thedistant group,
fearing to see at any moment some
movement which would show that the
trick was detected. How did Ismail
mean to accomplish his purpose? Would
he plunge boldly into the river, without
any disguise, or had he some further
stratagem in preparation? No one could
I Suddenly, m Ismail stooped to plunge
anv.
his light wooden dipper into the water,
it slipped lrom his hands, and went
floating away down the stream. A cry
of dismay, a loud laugh from tho Se
poys, and then the boy was seen running
frantically along the bank, and trying
in vain to clutch the vessel as it floated
past.
" What on earth's lie up to?" grunted
the colonel, completely mystified.
"I-see!" cried Major Armstrong, tri
umphantly, "there's a boat yonder
among the reeds, and he's making right
lor it. w en done, my Drave noy i
Hut at that moment a yell of rage
from the Sepoys told that the trick was
discovered.
Luckilv those on the bank had left
their pieces behind, or poor Ismail
would soon have been disposed of; but
tho alarm instantly brought up a crowd
of tbeir armed comrades, whose bullets
fell like hail around the boat and its
gallant little pilot.
i-iet us nre a volley and make a show
of sallying out," said the colonel ; " it'll
take their attention lrom him."
Hut in this he was mistaken.
The first rattle of musketry from the
besieged house did indeed recall most of
Ismail's assailants, but at least a dozen
were left who kept up an unceasing fire,
s.riKing me ooat again ana again.
All at once the coionel dashed his
gliis" to the floor with a frightful oath.
Between two gusts of smoke he had
seen the boat turn suddenly over, and
:o whirling away down the dark river,
:eel upward.
"There's an end of tho poor lad."
muttered the veteran, brokenly. "God
bless him for a brave little fellow.
And now, old friend, we must iust die
hard, for there's no hope left.-'
m m v m
The first few hours of the night passed
quietly, and the exhausted defenders,
utterly worn out, slept ns if drugged
with opium. But a little after mid
night the quick ears of the two veteran
officers the only watchers in the whole
garrison, except the sentries themselves
caught a faint stirring in tiie surround
ing thickets, which seemed to argue
some movement on the part of the
enemy.
Listening intently lor a lew moments
they felt certain that they were right,
and lost no time in arousing their men.
The scant y stores of food were opened
once more, and, crouching together in
the darkness, the doomed men took
what they fully believed to bo their last
meal on earth.
They're coming!" said Major Arm
strong, straining his eyes into tho gloom
through a loophole. " I hear them
creeping lorward, though 1 can t see
tliem.
What the deuce was that?" ex
claimed the colonel, suddenly. "It
looked like a fiery arrow flying past."
its worse than that," said the
major, in a low voice. " lhe rascals are
shooting lighted chips of bamboo on to
th? roof to set it on lire. Send the
women up with buckets to flood the
thatch there's not a moment to lose."
" 1 11 go and sec to it myself!" cried
Mrs. Uurrie, hastening out ot the room.
But the power of this new weapon had
already heroine fatally manifest. The
house was an old one, and dry as tinder
'roiu the prolonged heat, and as fast as
the flames were quenched in one place
they broke out in another.
When day dawned, tho fire had al
ready got a firm hold of one corner of
the building, and a crushing discharge
was poured upon all who altempted to
extinguish it, while the triumphant
yens oi the numan tigers below told
that they felt sure of their prey.
"It's all over with us, old fellow,"
said the colonel, grasping his old com
rade's hand; "but, at least, we shall
have done our duty."
" (Jive me one of your pistols,'' whis
pered Mrs. Currie to her husband, in a
voice that was not her own. "I must
not fall into their hands alive."
At that moment Major Armstrong
was seen to start and bend forward, as
if listening intently; for lie thought
although lie could scarcely believe his
ears- -that he had suddenly caught a
faint sound of distant tiring.
In another instant lie heard it again,
and this time there could be no more
doubt, for several of the others had
caught it likewise, and a gleam of hope
once' more lighted up their haggard faces
and bloodshot f yes.
Louder and nearer came the welcome
sound, while the sudden terror and
confusion visible among the enemy
showed that they, too, were at no loss
to guess its meaning.
Then high above all the dine rose the
well-known " Hurrah!" and through the
smoke-clouds broke a charging line of
glittering bayonets and ruddy English
faces, sweeping away the cowardly
murderers as the sun chases the morn
ing mist.
"That boy's worth his weight in
gold," said Colonel Annesley, as, a lew
hours later, he listened to Ismail's ac
count of how he had dived under the
boat and kept it between himself and
the Sepoys, that they might think him
drowned. "He's the pluckiest little
fellow I've ever seen, and, although lie
belongs to tlie major, I'm going to take
my share of helping him on, by Jove!"
A Precoclons Boy.
Robert Harris, a little five-year old
hoy.whose parents lived nearSenatobia,
Mississippi, has given evidence of re
markable intellectual powers. He can
read and converse fluently, using choice
words and in a pat way. liclore lie
had reached his third year he had read
the second and third renders, and had
mad') some progress in arithmetic,
showing a remarkable aptitude during
the time in spelling and other branches
of knowledge. While in his fourth
year he read the fourth and fifth
readers, learned a good part of tlie mul
tiplieation table and spelled from Web
ster's common school dictionary almost
any word eiven him. He reads news
papers, and has considerable knowledge
in general information und current
events.
"Do animals havo fun?" asks some
utiobserving individual. Of course they
do. When a row switches her tail
across the face of a man who is milking
her, steps along just two yards and
turns to see him pick up his stool and
follow, she has the most amused expres
sion on her face possible, and if she can
kick over tho milkpail she grows posi
tively hilarious. New Haven Register.
The gentlemen who essayed to serenade
Miss L. a lew evenings since should have had
" clear" throats, and their eflorls would have
b en better appreciated. Dr. Bull's Cough
Syrup is the best remedy eitant for a " thick "
or congealed conditiun of the throat and bron
chial lubtt, giving instant relist.
The Dumb L'rentnres.
The 65,000 dogs ol St. Petersburg
bring to the city treasury $130,000 per
year, $2 being the tax upon each dog.
A dog washed from a passing schooner
recently swam ashore, a distance o
nearly four miles, near Watch Hill
11. 1.
A setter dog in Lee county. Ala., at
tacked a large hawk in a barnyard and
whipped it in a fair fight.
A Bath (Me.,) cat after several un
successful attempts to catch a pigeon,
put corn kennels on the sidewalk before
a post, behind which she hid, and soon
had material enough for supper.
An aged dog committed suicide at
Manchester, N. II., by walking into the
water and laying down till the tide
came in and drowned him, notwith
standing all his master's efforts to get
him out.
Mr. Tupper, a farmer who lives above
Columbus, Ga., has given us the follow
ing rat story : He was going out to his
corn crib the other morning, he says.
when lie saw a large rat, with head
erect, carrying a full-sized car of corn in
his mouth, while at the same time his
tail was wrapped around another large
ear which he was dragging behind hiin.
Friday, a gentleman living in Leeton.
Ga., had his eye-glasses yanked from his
nose and devoured by a mule. A wit
ness of this remarkable spectacle says
tho mule seemed to know of the defect
ive vision of the gentleman, nnd waited
deliberately for his approach, taking off
the glasses and gulping them down as if
they had been a delicious morsel ot hay.
At New Philadelphia, Ohio, a huge
dog in attempting to scale a high fence
into a yard, missed his calculations and
landed at the bottom of the well, sixty
feet deep. The family thought the
water rather " riley" next morning, but
could not account for it. About noon
the hired girl upon looking into the
well discovered apairof gleaming eyes
staring at her from the bottom. Help
was obtained nnd the dog drawn up. He
was in the well about fifteen hours, and
kept alive by swimming all the time.
A cockatoo who has seen half a cen
tury of shine and shade was presented
by his master three years ago to the zoo
logical gardens, Philadelphia. Upon his
return from Europe recently the gentle
man went to the gardens, and standing
where the bird could see him, called
him by name. The cockatoo nt once
recognized his voice, and flew about the
cage in a state of intense excitement.
When the former master went up to.the
cage the bird became almost frantic
with joy. The door of the cage was
opened and the bird at once perched
upon the visitor's shoulder and per
formed many tricks which he had
learned in the old days.
A Xew Tork Fireman's Brave Deed.
In September, 1808, the residence of
.lames (jordon liennett, lounder ol the
New York Herald, was on lire. Tlie ac
tion of the New York lire department on
that occasion pronrpted Mr Bennett to
place in the hands of three trustees, on
April 13.1WJ.81.500, the income of which
they were directed to use in procuring
annually a gold medal, to be struck from
a die, and conferred on the fireman who
may bo best entitled to that reward. Al
though but ten years have elapsed since
Mr. Bennett placed this trust in the
keeping of the trustees they have had
made and presented fourteen medals.
Daniel J. Meagher, foreman of a hook
and ladder company, was the last re
cipient of tho medal; the Ftory of the
brave act for which v. was awarded to
him being told as follows:
At midnight on the second day ot
May, 1878, fire was discovered on the
upper floors of 28 East Fourteenth strni t.
The alarm was sounded for station 33'J.
Foreman Meagher, of Hook and Ladder
uompany J. with ms (oinuian.il, was in
front of the burning building in less than
two minutes from the time the alarm
was sounded, and on Ins arrival he saw
a woman partly hanging out of the
lourih fctory window, tie ordered a
forty-two feet ladder placed against the
building, ihis was done, but it proved
to be about ten feet short. lie ordered
that it bo placed on the highest step of
the front stoop. Fireman Flood ascended
the ladder, which was still too short to
reach the woman. At this point Fire
man i lood unfortunately seriously nv
jureu his loot, severe pain tor a mo
ment paralyzed his efforts. Foreman
Meagher, takina in the situation at
glance, oidered that the ladder be held
erect and away from the buiidinir. so as
to get all the length possible. He then
ascended until he stood on next to tlie
top round of the ladder, fifty-two feet
from the sidewalk. His head was just
even with the feet of the woman. lie
uttered some words of encouragement,
ana in a calm but decided manner di
rected her to hoid her limbs and body
as rigid as possible. Then, all being
ready, he told her to drop. She did so.
lie caught her in one arm. steadying
himself by the power of his legs and one
hand on the top of the ladder. He
passed her to his comrade, Fireman
Flood, who, notwithstanding the intense
pain he wns suffering, carried the fright
ened woman to the sidewalk in safety.
For this act of cool, well-planned and
determined bravery the trustees decided
that the Bennett medal for 1878 should
be awarded to Foreman Daniel ,T.
Meagher.
A Fatal Rhlrt-Bntton.
Dr. Sander, a physician, of Elberfield,
Germany, died recently from the effects
of a singular accident, which conveys its
own lesson : One morning in 1874, while
dressing, he contrived in some way to
get a bhirt-butfon between his teeth.
Unconsciously, while laughing, the but
ton slipped into the back of his mouth,
and thence into the larynx. All the ex
ertions of his surgical fiiends to remove
it were vain. It was ascertained that it
sank into the right lung, which soon
became irritated. Spitting blood en
sued, and he was himself looking for
ward to his death as not very remote.
He removed to a villa he had near
Frank fort-on-the-Main to pass his last
days in quiet. Hero he was surprised by
a fit f coughing, accompanied by spit
ting of blood, in a paroxysm of which
the button was ejected His health
rapidly improved, and in a few months,
regarding himself as ciuite cured, he re
sumed his professional work, and
endeavored to gather up the threads of
his former practice. But last year un
mistakable symptoms manifested them
selves that the lung had not fully re-c-jvered
from the presence in its sub
stance of a foreifn body for several
months. He Bpent the winter in the
south of Europe, but returned almost
wcrse than he went. He gradually
wnsted away, and sank a few any ago.
London Timu,
TIMELY TOPICS.
An American physician who has
given attention to the study of alcohol
ism, said in the course of nn address re
cently delivered before a learned so
ciety: "There are constantly crowd
ing into our insane asylums persons
fifty to eighty years of age, who in early
life were addicted to the use of alcoholic
liquors, but who had reformed, and for
ten, twenty or thirty years have never
touched a drop. The injury which tho
liquor did to their bodies seemed to have
all disappeared, being triumphed over
by the full vigor of their manhood, but
when their natural force began to de
crease, then the concealer mischief
showed itself in insanity, clca.,y demon
strating that Hie injury to their bodies
was of a permanent character."
Gen. Tom Harrison's Texas brigade,
composed of two Texas, one Tennessee
and one Arkansas regiment, was proba
bly the last brigade under fire during the
wnr, as it was engaged witn ivortuern
troops between ltaleigh nnd Salisbury,
N. C. just above Chapel Hill, on April
M, 1865. the day that the armistice was
leclared. The Hag cerrled on that nay
by one of the Texan regiments (the
Eleventh Texas volunteers) is now in
the possession of John Halford.of Doni
son, Texas, who was a member of that
regiment at the time, and who concealed
it and brought it home with him in the
back of his jacket. This is probably the
last Southern flag fired at by United
States troops. It, is a small, silk Con
federate flag, and still in good condition,
there beins only one small tear in it, and
that was done tho last day it was under
fire.
When Mr. Gladstone was making his
ercat speeches in the British parlia
ment on the loicign policy of the gov
ernment, he used to turnisli much inno
cent merriment to the members about
him by the production of what looked
like a pomatum-pot, tho contents of
which ho from time to time absorbed.
Nicht after niErht he brought this
crojkery with hira, formally produced
it from his coat-tail pocket, ana piacea
it within reach on the table. Then
everyone knew that he was going to
make a great speech. After much dis
cussion nnd an agony of curiosity, one
of his parliamentry brothers ventured
to ask what the mysterious mixture
might be. Mr. Gladstone very frankly
told him that it was simply an egg
beaten up in a glas of sherry, though
why it should havo been carried about
in a pomatum-pot remains unexplained
to this day.
The vital statistics of New York city
for 187'J present some instructive results.
Thu mortality of the city keeps pace
with, it it does not advance taster than,
the city's growth in population. More
than one-half the entire number of
deaths are recorded from tenement
houses. While more than half the
people of the city are of American birth,
the marriage records of lhe year show
only 3,872 native grooms out of a total
ol 8,4tia, though the native-born brides
turn the scale on the other side with the
number of 4,722. According to the
State census of 1875. tho German em
pire furnished sixteen per cent, of the
inhabitants of the cit'-; according to
tho bureau of vital statistics, men of
German birth represent twenty-live per
cent, of those married during the past
year. The Irish, though representing
nineteen per cent, of the city population,
furnished only nine nnd one-lialf per
cent, of the men and ten per cent, of the
wonirn who got married. An analysis
ol the birth record would, a local paper
thinks, tend to emphasize the lads
which point to the gradual Tcutonizing
of New York.
There has come up a discussion in the
press the world over, on the system of
bridging large spaces of water in a simi
lar manner to tlie Frith of Tay, in Scot
hind, the s.'cneoftho dreadful railroad
disaster, and no doubt most learned
opinions will be expressed on the sub
ject. The bridge where the awful ac
cident happened is built on a precisely
analogous plan to tlie Victoria bridge
across the St. Lawrence and tho bridge
across the Menai straits, running be
tween Wales and the Isle of Man.
lhese bridges havo Btood many years,
whereas the Tay bridge is only two
years old. But, tavs a New York paper.
we must not forget that the Sixtli Ave
nue elevated road is merely an elongated
Tay bridge, built on the same plan and
made of iron as that was. If any part
of that structure gave way wo should
have another justsuch an accident. The
only difference is that in place of falling
into the water the unfortunate victims
would fall on land. We cannot contem
plate without a shudder the possibility
of such an accident at such a spot as
liutu street and Eighth avenue, where
the road curves at the lieiirht of 100 feet
from the ground, that is to say twenty
feet higher than the bridge over tho
Tay We trust a calamity of this sort
may not happen, but the learlul experi
ence in Scotland should prove a lesson
to the directors ot the Metropolitan
road. Not a day should bo allowed to
pass without testing tho entire track
from one end to the other.
Words of Wisdom.
Common sense makes no parade.
No wise man ever wished to be
younger.
Self reliance is quite distinct from self-
assertion.
What maintains ono vice would bring
up two children.
It is a good thing to learn caution by
the mistortuneol others.
Nothing is more dangerous than
Iriend without discretion
We hand folks over to God's mercy.
but show none ourselves.
There are calumnies against which
even innocence loses courage.
Better be upright and want, than
wicked and have superabundance.
It is the nature of the humaa disposi
tion to hate him whom you have in
jured. The key to every man is his thought.
Casual thoughts are sometimes of great
value.
Those days are lost in which we
no good ; those worse than lost in whido
wo do tvil. ch
People teldom impfove when they
have uo other model but themselves to
cony after.
The mind of youth cannot remain
empty; if you do not put into it that
which Is good, it will gather elsewhere
that which is tvll.
Horrors of a Chinese Prison
Shanghai, says a cor espondent, looks
very pretty from the water, but the
vision is dispelled on landing. The
streets arc in some places not more than
six or seven feet, wide, and the houses
overhang, so that they nearly touch over
head, utterly shutting out the sunlight;
and. in addition to being narrow, nre
roeking with filth. The sedan chairs
are the only means of conveyance used
here. They arc carried by two men,
who. whenever they have a customer,
start off on a run, chanting in a sort of
sing-song tone: " Heavy lugerl Heavy
luger! Oh. ga! heavy luger!1' In some
of the principal thoroughfares T saw a
constant stream of sedan churs, the
bearers chanting all in time and kteping
military step and a picturesque pro
cession it was.
Shanghai old town is completely
walled "in, and the gates are just as I
have seen them in pictures. Over one
gate were the heads of six criminals,
with the pigtails swinging to and fro
with the breeze. After passing through
this gate I made up rr.y mind to avoid
the disgusting sight and enter the city
by another road, but tho gato through
which I passed this time had four heads
over it, ana 1 am told that all tho gates
are decorated in the same manner.
I went to see six Chinese pirates be
headed yesterday. Tho open square
where all the executions take place was
filled with Chinese of all ages and con
ditions, nnd a few Europeans among
them. The prisoners were the most
forlorn starvelings I ever saw, and be
trayed no more fear at their approaching
fate than if they were to be spectators of
an execution. A huge Tartar officiated
as executioner. Ho was armed with a
native sword, ar.d stood on a small plat
form in the centre of the square. A fter
the criminals, with their hands tied be
hind, had been taken upon the stage
the executioner took one of tho pirates
by the arm, brought him to the edge of
the platform, hit him a sharp rap with
his hand on the head, which caused the
poor fellow to bow his head, and then
the executioner's sword went up, was
poised in the air a full half minute, nnd
with a 3weep the glittering blade de
scended, and the poor criminal's head
went flying off in one direction, nnd the
body in another. One by one the others
met their fate in the same way, the 1 al
tar making a very short, business-like
ob of it. merely turning to receive the
plaudits of the crowd alter each Ik ad
rolled oft, and responding by a grin
which showed every one ot his teeth.
But the stolidity of the poor wretches
was beyond description. Not a muscle
quivered, and even when waiting for the
blade ot the executioner to lau l couia
not detect a sign of emotion. The crowd
seemed to eniov tho sight immensely.
and set up a yell of delight at each cut
ol the Tartar s sword. 1 am tola that
executions are common heri:
Sickened with the sight, I went down
one of the roads, and coming to a prison
went in. Of all places in this world, 1
believe there is not one where so much
abiect wretchedness can be seen as in
Chinese prison. Trie criminals serving
out sentences get- nut one men a week
from the authorities; the rest of the
ime they are fed by their friends, if they
have any, or by the contributions of
visitors, or they starve. I had not viiuch
money with me on going in, but came
out penniless, the poor creatures so
work d on my feelings, borne ol the
prisoners had lost a hand, others were
leavilv ironed, and all wore the same
pinched, starved look. 1 saw three
women in process of execution for niur
tering a man. they were hanged by
the neck in a kind of wooden stocks, so
arranged that their feet could just toucl
the ground, and were lett in this condition
till dead. Sometimes death ensues very
soon, but oftener a nay or two will pas-;
before the poor wretch dies, as there i
no pressure on the neck. I was glad to
get away from this place, too. Hut t
piteous tones of the poor prisoners beg.
ging lor cumshaw (a prcsunt) ring m
my ears yet.
Immensity of the Stars.
It is known that the stars are true
suns, that some of them are hirg'-r than
our own sun, and tnat around these
enormous centers of heat and liuht re
volve planets on which life certainly
exists, our sun is distant lrom us 38
000,000 leagues, but these stars are dis
lant at least 500,000 times as far a dis
t..nce that, in fact, is incommensurabl
and U!. imaginable for us. Viewed witli
the unaided eye, the stars and the planet
look aiike; that is, appear to have tlie
same diameter, liut. viewed through
telescope, while tho planets are seen to
possess clearly appreciable diameters
the stars are still only mere luminous
points lhe most powcilulof existm
tcieseepes, that ot .Melbourne, whir
magnifies 8 000 times, gives us nn image
ol one ot our planets possessing nn ap
parent eiiametcr oi several degrees
Jupiter, for instance, which seen witl
th 3 naked eye. appears as a star of the
nrst i. agmtude, with a diameter ol
forty-live degrees at the Iinost. will i
the telescope have its diameter multi
plied 8,0QO times, and will be seen as if
it, occupied in the heavens an nngle
100 degrees. Meanwhile a star along
side of Jupiter, and which 1o the eye
is us bright as that planet, will still be a
simple dimension less point. Neverthe
less, that star is thousands of times more
voluminous than the planet. Divide
the distance between us and that planet
by 8,000, and you havo for result a dis
tance relatively very small; but divide
by 8,000 the enormous number of leagues
which represents the distance of a star,
nnd there remain a number of leagues
too great to permit of tho stars being
seen by us in a perceptible form. In
considering Jupiter or any of Hie planets,
we are filled with wonder at the thought
that this little luminous point might
hide not only all the visible stars, but a
number 5,000 fold greater for of stars
visible to our eyes there are only about
o.uuu. .All the stars oi these many con
stellations, as the Great Bear, Cassi
opeia, Orion, Andromeda, all the stars
of tho zodiac, even all the stars which
are visible only from the earth's south
ern hemisphere, might bn set in one
plane, sido by side, with no ono over
hipping another, even without the
slightest contact between star and star,
and yt they would occupy so small a
cpace that, were it to be multiplied by
5,000 fold, that space would be entirely
covered by the disk of Jupiter, albeit
mat disk to us seems to Deaninappre
ciablo point. Prof. J. Vinot.
m
" If you marry Grace." exclaimed an
irate lather to his son. " I will cut vou
off without a cent, and you won't have
so much as a piece of meat to boil in
the pot." "well, replied tho young
man, " Grace before meat," and he ira
roediite'y went in search of minister.
Saturday Nijhti
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
Courtship is a draw game marriage
ii a tie. Ciiicwo Journal.
The United Slates produced during
1879 $38,()0,000 in gold and $40,812,000
in silver
When a thief snatches a watch and
transfers it to a confederate, he does so
merely to pass away time. New 1 ork
News.
The exports from the United States to
Great Britain for the last year exceed
those of the previous year by over $55
000,000. '
During tho past year 121 persons com
mitted suicide in New York city. Forty
three were drowned and 1,015 met their
death by violence.
I think the turkey has the advan
tage of you," said tho landlady to the
inexpert boarder who was carving.
Guess it has, mum in age."
At Gateshead, England, a case has
come to light of a female Fagin, wife of
a clerk, who compelled her children, by
readlui threats, to pick pockets.
Cheap eating houses, where one can
get a substantial meal, including coffee,
forfiftn cents, may be looked upon as
one ot the best economic lcalures of
Cincinnati .
Augustus and Nelly were walking
1 hronsih the meadow, one bright summer
day:
And merrily laughing and talking,
tVlien some toadstools thoy saw hy the way.
Do the toads really use these to sit on ?"
Said Nelly " now don t make a pun, Gus,
ll you do, like the subject we've hit on,
1 II deem it (lio meanest ot lun-Uus."
Boston Journal of Commerce.
A page of the Czar's diary, if we mav
believe the San Francisco News Letter,
runs as follows: "tfot up at 7 a. m.,
and ordered my bath. Found four gal-
ons ol vitrol in it. and did not take it.
Went to breakfast. The Nihilists had
placed two torpedoes on the stairs, but
I did not step on them, lhe coilee
smelt so strongly ol prussic acid that I
was alnudto drink it. round a scorpion
in my left slipper, but luckily shook it
out before putting it on. Just before
stepping into the carriage to go for my
morning drive, it was blown into the
air, killing the coachman and the horses
nstantlv. I did not drive. look a light
lunch off hermetically sealed American
canned goods. They can't fool me
here. Found a poisoned dagger in my
favorite chair, with the point sticking
out. Did not sit down on it. Had din
ner at 0 I", m., and made Baron Laischou
nowonski taste every dish. He died he
fore tlie soup was cleared away. C n-
sunied some Baltimore oysters and some
London stout that 1 have had locked up
for fivo years. Went to the theater, ar.d
was shot at three times in the first act.
Had the entire audience hanged. Went
home to bed, and slept all night on the
roof of the palace."
A Woman's Impressions of Salt Lake.
A letter from Utah, written by a lady.
says: mere are hordes ot women in
shaker or slat sun-bonnets and calico
drosses scant in length, breadth and
thickness; whole tribes of half-grown
boys and girls, hoodlums with hardly
an exception; young men sullen and
vicious-looking; young women, care
worn and degraded ; every woman with
a baby at the breast and two or three
hanging on her skirts; more halt, blind
and lame than I ever saw in all my life.
But the grave ot isrighnm is dilapidated
to the last degree. " Not a wife has
planted a shrub or seemingly shed a
tear. A commonp'.ace, flat little granite
slab marks the spot where the great
prophet rests. His grave is distinguished
lrom tlie others by being adorned with
the decaying and odorous remains of a
very dead cat and some broken pieces of
old dishes. Those may strike you as
rather unique cemetery orm nicnts, but
I guess, on tlie whole, they are good
enough for old Biighain. One ot the
numerous Mrs. Young lives near us.
She is a relict of the departed prophet.
It seems very strange to hear that this
Mr. So-and-Sohe has three wives and
this is the home of So-and-So; his last
wile lives here. 1 notice, too, that tho
last and best-looking and youngest wife
generally lives in the best house nnd the
best stle. Tho first wife lias to go to
the Endowm' nt house and give her hus
band away every time he. is married.
But for all that, the poor creatures al
ways let you know with nn air of some
importance when they do happen to be
the first wives. Imagine a state of
societ y where it is no cause of comment
to having a married man paying atten
tion to a young j;irl. Think of the bit
terness and heartache of il . There were
about 7.000 people in the congregation
the day we were there. 1 had a very
strong impression that the whole 7,000
needed a bath of good strong soap suds,
but doubtless that was the idea of a very
carnal mind.
Origin of Plants.
Madder came from the East. Celery
originated in Germany. The chestnu
Mine from Italy. The onion originated
in Egypt. Tobacco is a native of Vir
ginia. The nettle is a native of Europe.
The citron is a native of Greece. The
pine is a native of Atuerica. The poppy
originated in the East. Oats originated
in North Airica. Kye came originally
from Siberia. Barley was found in the
mountains ol Himalaya. Wheat is sup
posed to have come und to havo grown
simuitaneous'y in Tartary, north ot the
Himalaya mountains. Parsley was nrst
known in Sardinia. Sunflower was
brought from Pciu. The parsnip is a
native of Arabia. The potato is a native
of Peru. Cabbage grows wild in Si-
be-ria. Buckwheat came from Siberia.
Millet was first known in India. Tlie
apple and pear are from Europe. Spin
ach was nrst cultivated in Arabia.
The muiberry tree originated in Persia.
Tho horio-e-hestnut is a native of Thibet.
The cucumber came from tlie East In
dies. Tlie quince came from the island
of Crete. The radish is a native of
China and Japan. Peas are supposed
to be of Egyptian origin. The garden.
cress is from Lgypt and tho Last.
Horse radish came from the south of
Europe. The Zealand flax shows its
origin by its name. The eioriander
grows wild near the Mediterranean.
The Jerusalem artichoke is a Brazilian
production. Hemp is a native of Persia
and the East Indies. The tomato origi
nated in South America, but was known
in England as early as 1587. Dodoens,
a Hollaed agriculturist, mentions tLe
tomato in 1583 as " a vegetable to be
eaten with pepper, salt and oil." The
bean is a nativo of Persia. The let
originated in Africa and Asia. The
cabbage came from England Cayenne
pepper came from the tropics; tttf owir
varieties from the West Ineiiis. -lhe
sweet potato csme from tvopifilAmtnca
and wu early iotredd'ed JnW Euro-