RATES OF ADVERTISING. crest llffnblirca M rOTUSTIFD IVF.Rr WEPIIBTOAT, Jit J. K. WENK. Office in Sincarbangh A Co.'b Hailditi g, ELM GTREET, - TI0NE3TA, A, 'XJGUMH, 91.no rKIt YIEAwTt. No sulmnrlptions rocoivod for a shorter psriod 'thnn tlirro months. Cirn-pon(lone folicitod from all parts of ths country. Nouotirer i 1 be tak-n of anonymous '.onmmiiioatioMs. 1 One Bqwe, one Inch, one Inswlon.... 1 00 One ftjoaro, one inch, one month. 8 00 One Rnrn, ono inch, three months.... 6 00 Ono Sqnare, one inch, one year.,.. 10 00 Two Squares, one year ......... 15 00 Quarter Column, one year. ...... SO 00 Half Column, one year 50 CO One Column, one year , 100 CO k1 noticci at established rate. Marriages ami death notices gratis. All bills for yearly advorUmrnent8 collected quarterly. Temporary advertisements mnst bo p.. id for in advance. Job work, cash on delivery. Vol. XIV. No. 45. TIONESTA, PA,, WEDNESDAY, FEB, l' 1882. $1.50 Per Annum. The Best That I Can. " I cannot do mnoh," said a littlo star "To make the dark world "bright I My silvery beams cannot struggle far, Through the folding gloom of night I Hut I'm only a part of God's great plan, And I'll choorfully do the best I can I" " What is the nse," said a fleecy cloud,' "Of those few drops that I hold ? Tby will hardly bend tho lily proud, Though caught in her cap of gold I Tct I am part of Ood's groat plan, Ro my treasures I'll give as well as I can ?" .A child went merrily forth to play, Hut a thought, like a silver thread, Eept winding in and nut all day, Through tho linppy goldnu had ; Mothor said : "Darling, do all you can, For yon are,. a part of Ood's great plan 1" Kho knew no mors than tho gloaming star, Nrr the elbud with its chalico full, IJvm, why, an I for what, all strange-things were ; SIio was only a child at school 1 "but the thought, " It is part of Qod's great plan, 'That even I should do all that I can I" So ahe holped a younger child along, When tho rovl was rough to the feet, And she sang from tho heart a littlo song That we all thought patming sweet ; Ami linr fnllinr ft wnarv. toll-worn man. Said I, " I, too, will do tho best I can." Our best 1 Ah 1 children, tho best of us Must hide our faces away, When the Lord of the vineyard comes to look At our task at tho close of tho day I But for strength from above, 'tis the Master's plan, We'll pray, and we'll do the best that we can A CONFESSION. Moftt men would hesitate at telling vjc1i a story of themselves. Bat I am - i i . it : 1 1 nr 1 f'OUViutfU Hi ni. ik win uum oujk"- tion of mercy toward such as do fall, and noma may be turned away from temp a' ion by ita recital. I had baen an under clerk in a large : establishment for many years. Natur ally economical, mJ savings had at tained to such a respectable sum that 1 ventured upon, married life, quite as mnoh an a refuge,'from the monotony of mv inexpensive ;htjle of living as in obedience to thofee yearnings of nature which a man is either very foolish o . very bad not to heed in due season Jjiie most, mon, nowever, wnose adven tures of this kind are not followed by the comfort and ease which depend upon money for their possession, in the course of time I came to repent the un dertaking; for I was in debt, and my family had increased, while my income had not kept pace with my expenses. Txf wit tanuaA frliA rnnraoa t.A Yiran.i.tn.a the proper self-denial which would be consequent upon a retrenchment of our expenses. I wan daily annoyed by duns, I had borrowed money in every avail 'able quarter, and a walk in the public streets was literally denied to me by the fear of encountering some ono to whom I was in debt for house expenses. Returning home late one night, jaded by a listless stroll through the town, I ' fennd the junior member of the firm awaiting me. The house had received intelligence, after business hours, of transaction entered '.into on their ac count, which secured the immediate transmission to an isolated inland town of several thousand dollars, together sensibly startled by this incident. My concern was not diminished by observ ing that he had removed his boots from his feet, and was then standing as he had come up, in his stockings. My first im Eulse and act was to take tho water out of is hand. Not being quite ready to use it I put the envelope of money on the top of it as the most convenient thing to keep it hot. I did not turn the su perscription downward.because I feaied it would betray the suspicion which I now positively entertained of evil in tentions on the part of my entertainer, who had quitted tho room as noiselessly as he had entered. I imagined a great many ways in which he could have become acquainted with the cause of my journey, and came rapidly to tho conclusion that my employers' funds were in danger. That they were actually so became evident before the night hod passed. I recalled the man's counte nance vividly to my recollection, and examined from memory his features, so as to make some estimate of the char acter with which I had to deal. Phv sically he was more than my equal. When I fljst alighted at the house it struck me I had seen him before, and after some momenta of further and pro found reflection I distinctly recalled hfm to my mind as a merchant who had dealt with our firm during my early connection with it, and who had failed through the dishonesty of friends whom he had assisted. I remembered him as having been spoken of as disgusted with trade, and as having sought a home in the wilderness with his family, and earning a living literally by the sweat of his brow. There were but two bedrooms in the house, both on the same floor, a passage which commenced at trie Head or tne stairs dividing them. While the thoughts which I have related were passing through my mind I heard voices in the other bedroom and quietly opened my door, which my host had closed behind him. (standing out in the passage I could distinguish a man s and woman's voioe. At first their lan guage was unintelligible, but gradually my ear became accustomed to tne duty I endeavored to put it to, and l could distinguish that the burden of their talk was tneir domestic expenses, and the general current of their thoughts was the difficulty of getting through with certain undertakings they bad in contemplaion or had commenced. It was evident that tne man was more hopeful than the woman. My excited imagination at once framed the theory that the treasure in my possession was designed bv them to solve this diffi culty, and that the reluctant man was being urged on by the less scrupulous it braver woman. A sudden movement of one of them toward the door caused me to retreat into my room. I heard the bolt of their door moved, and supposing it was to unfasten it, hurried back into my own aptrrtment and caught at the envelope, intending to hasten it out of sight. In my eagerness to grasp it, it foil off the tumbler with the watered sido upper most and opened i The wafers had been so far dissolved by the heat and xpriptvr pp sUt in two, leaving one half of each (there were three) on the flap, wnd the other half of each on the body of the envelope. Meanwhile, there was no sign or sound of an inroad into mv room, which I had seen it was impossible to fasten the door save by mo vine some of the furniture against it. I became convinced that as yet everything was safe, and yielding to a feeling of curiosity I drew the money from the inclosure and counted it over for myself and finally pay back the sum. I concluded to leave the envelope unfastened until the morning, so as to give myself that much more time be fore finally deoiding upon an aot which all my arguments with myself had not made entirely reconoiluble. Arrived at this conclusion, my attention again turned to my host and his wife. I could hear his voice alone now. It had been sounding alone in an elevated tone for some moments. I crept quiet ly to the partition dividing their apart ment from the passage. The bright autumn moon, which was on their side of the house, shone through their win dow, and through the spaces between the shrunken planks of tho partition and out into the passage, and upon its floor in brilliant bars of light. It was easy for me to see what was passing withm the room. Man and wife were kneeling at their bedside in prayer. The man with uplifted head and closed eyes, uttering an earnest supplication, his wife beside him and one arm passed affectionately through one of his, and her head resting against his breast. They were kneeling at the side of their bed opposite me, and his face was plainly visible. Its calm and pious expression at the moment was a sufficient rebuke to my unjust suspicions. I began to listen in time to hear him say: "Par don, Oh, merciful father, not only the sins of Thy humble servant and his household, but turn the hearts of those who have done evil unto him, who have wished him injury, and who harbored unjust suspicions of him. Bless such, Oh, Lord, and preserve them in order that they may turn from their ways and seek the pain of righteousness." His serious, earnest and manly voice struck a chord in myj heart, not only in was. highly commended, and the possi bility of his misappropriating the undue amount, as very little personal knowledge of him was possessed by the firm, was duly discussed. What was said on this point brought blushes to my own cheeks. In course of time my senior aooonnt- ant was taken into the firm. I was put in his position, and with his salary I saved money, finally got into business on my own account, and am now, as you know, rich. I never forgot my former host and his grandchild; but at the death of the former I took charge of the boy. He is now my partner and the husband of my daughter. New York's Hirer Thieves. New York haa a large number of pro fessional thieveB, many of whom ap parently lead an honest life and are not known as dishonest members of society except to a amall circle of friends. Chief among the clais referred to, says a metropolitan paper, are river thieves or pirates, all of whom at some period of their lives learned the art of hand ling an oar either as an accomplishment or in the line of duty. If one of these should be found basking in the sun- his light and mentally mapping out duties for the night, he could eaily i and 1,000 boars, to be plead that he was an honest man out of populace, who were to employment. Groups of these fellows can be aeen lounging around the Erie basin in the daytime, playing cards or gazing at the vessels at anchor, as a rule these men are rough-looking fel lows, although many appear honest enough. Some of them live in tene ment houses in New York or Brooklyn, and have good reputations not only among their neighbors but also in their own families. Many are young men, Pictures ot Ancient Extravagance. Craasus, whon a candidate for the consulship, gave a feast of 10.000 tables, to which all the citizens of Rome were indiscriminately invited. Cce?ar, to celebrate the funeral of a daughter, gave one of 22,000 tables, with acoommoda tion for three guests at each ThU en tertainment was repeated and exceeded for his triumph. He brought together more gladiators and wild beasts than wero ever produced on any former oc casion in an amphitheater, but his ex hibitions of this kind were so com pletely outshone that it were a waste of time to dwell upon them. In a document annexed to his testament, Augustus states as a title to publio gratitude that ho had exhibited 8.000 gladiators and brought more than 3,500 wild beasts to be killed in the circus. In the course o the festivities institu ted by Titus to celebrate the opening of the colosseum, 5,000 wild beasts were let loose and killed by the gladiators. The Emperor Probus collected for a single show 100 lions, 100 lionesses, 1C0 Libyan and 100 Syrian leopards, 800 bears and GOO gladiators. Having caused the cirous to be planted with trees to resemble a forest, ho let loose 1,000 ostriches, 1,000 stags, 1,000 does hunted by the keep whatever sympathy with the honest and tender the Bons 0f honest parents with whom with certain papers and statements necessary to conclude the affair. It was j There were ton one thousand dollars too important a matter to be intrusted bills I I was astounded, and for the time to the insecurity and uncertainty of the mail. Upon a consnltatnn of the mem bers of the Arm I had been selected to pf rform the necessary two days' jour ney. I accepted the mission with alac rity, for tho reuson, among ethers, that it would be such a recreation as would divert my thoughts for a time from the perplexities of my miserable condition. . With the usual foresight of the firm everything necessary to my prompt de parture had been prearranged. The needful papers and accounts, and the indispensable mopey required to finish tho transactions, were plaoed in my hands in an envelope addressed to the gentleman who had acted as agent of the concern in the matter. A letter of instructions wero also inclosed. I remember well the bright Septem ber morning on whioh I started on horseback and alone on my journey, of which I accomplished half the first day, arriving at a farmhouse, whose occu pants unhesitatingly granted my peti tion for a share for the night in its humble hospitality. The weather had grown colder as the evening came on, and by the time I had reached the house I experienced a sen sible chill. I had with me a flask of liquor, and was furnished, at my re quest at bedtime, with a small quantity of hot water with which to compound a sort of punch, as an antidote to the cold I apprehended having taken. I had removed the package of money from my pocket and laid it on the table, with a view of putting it under my pil low before going to bed. As it lay on the table the addreBS was uppermost; on the left-hand upper corner was a memorandum, ' 85,000 inolosed." I was standing with my back to the door. Succeeding a few moments of entire silence I heard a step behind me, and I almost thought a breath upon my face. Turning suddenly round I beheld my - host with the hot water I had called for in a tumbler in his hand. He was ouite beside me, and his eyes rested, or 1 fancied they rested, on the package upon tha table. I must confess I was forcrot the fear that bo recently har assed me. I looked at the memorandum on the back of the envelope, It was "$5,000.' The letter was opened before me. I read it over. It named $5,000 as the sum inclosed. There was evidently an error. I counted it over again. Ten thousand dollars was the sum before mel Again and again I counted it. I had been used to handling large sums and counting large sums of money daily ; but I actu ally found more difficulty in arriving at the actual count of ten bank bills before me than I ever before or since encountered in counting any sum, how ever largo or however numerous the notes. Finally, putting a chair against the door, I spread the notes out singly on the little table, in a row, and counted them with mv finerer. Then I made two rows of five notes each and again counted them : then five rows of two each and counted them. I finally, thouch slowly, became satisfied that I had in my possession double the amount of money I was expected to deliver to my employers' agent. Temptation enteied my soul. Five thousand dollars would relieve me of all my debts. Here it was within my grasp. I had ;but to seal up the en velope bv rewettinc the wafers, inclosing but half the money, and deliver it sealed to the agent, and my trust would De, to Jii.ii 1 all aDDearanoes. launiuuv uiscumkou. Once the thought occurred to me that possibly it was a trap set for me by my employers. But their confidence in me was unbounded, and tho suspicion was formed only to be dismissed. I do not attempt to glaze over the dishon esty of what I contemplated, but I had been so unoeasingiy worried Dy domes tie troubles arising from limited re sources, and so persecuted by cred itors. that I almost argued myself into the conviction that appropriating the monev was simply authorized Belf- defensie. I would pay all my debts cet clear with the world once more, insist upon my wife's adopting my views of living, save money, gei into Dusioebs supplication that was passing his lips, but contrition ftr the wrong I had done him by my suspicions. I involuntarily compared hiin, whotever were his good or bad deeds, at leaBt an humble peui tent before his Ood, with the wretch that I had decidod but a few moments ago to make of myself by the niisappro priation of my employers' money, and still, however, by the relief it could ob tain for me would not quite give way to the feeling of lepentanoe which was knocking for admission at my breast. I bad half decided to turn away and drive these better thoughts from my mind, when I observed something move in a small crib that was placed at the side and toward the foot of the bed. Its ocenrjant. a crandchild. whose parent they had informed me were dead, awakened probably by its grandfather's voice, rose up, looked around, and set tied down upon its knees, and clasping its little hands as its grandfather s were clasped, and looking upward, out through the window at the moon whose bright light fell full upon its darling face, began moving its lips as if trying to repeat the words. Nothing so like an angel ever met my sight. The grandfather began the Lord s prayer. The little fellow seemed to have this by heart. He repeated it word for word, his tiny, silvery voice sounding in sweet accord. I could not turn away nor any longer resist the better emotions which 1 had hitherto kept down. A rush of repentant feel ing passed through me with an effect that shook every fiber. I fell upon my knees, and with tears streaming from my eyes joined in the concluding words of the prayer. I need not say I changed my mind with regard to the money. I passed a auiet night and rose early, hastening away toward my journey's end. so as to give myself the least possible time or opportunity for changing my new- formed resolution. xn nanamg me package to the agent I said to him that, as there was money in it, it might as well be opened in my presence to Bee that it was all correct, etc. He, of course, discovered the error and handed me back the amount that was over, with which I returned home and delivered it up to its proper owners in due time. It was lortunate lor me in every . m . tt T 1 way that 1 pursued me coarse i naa adopted. It appeared that the money had been obtained from the bank after bank hours, in the absence of the teller, from one of the officers. There were no loose notes on hand of the larger denominations, ' but there were sheets of thousands and five hundreds signed by the president and cashier. Either two sheets were picked up in mistake for one, or the wrong batch of sheets seleoted from that is, thou sands were taken Instead of five hun dreds. The notes were hurriedly clipped, strapped and indorsed S5.000," without recounting, and so enveloped and handed over to me. The bank had discovered the error, and no doubt was entertained but that the missing money was with me. Whether I should have had the face to withstand the imputation, even with the appar ently undisturbed condition of the en velope in my lavor, is more man i can say, but I doubt it. But tho notes, in pursuanoe of a pre caution still in use in some banks, were payable to the order of one of the clerks and had not been indorsed by him. I could not, therefore, have used them, or ifo they could have been traced back to me. I found also that the numbers had been carefully ascer tained of all I had taken with me, and thus another chanco of detection ex isted. What an escape I Upon returning and entering the counting-room I handed the surplus back to my senior, with a feeling some what of pride, but mixed up with other feelings not easily described. My precaution of having the money opened by the agent in my presence they live. Each one knows how to dis pose of the articles which find their way into bis possession. I here are a num ber of persons who make money by buy- i . . . ; i mg stolen gooas irom river pirates. The junkmen, at best, are regarded with suspicion. Some of them, beside purchasing junk from the masters of vessels, will steal whatever they can lay their hands on. If a boy or an ap prentice should be found alone on a vessel the junkman will offer him a trifling sum for some of the gear or stores. Watchmen on vessels at anchor in the stream are sometimes in collu sion with the junkmen, by whom they are well paid. According to the genu ine boatmen, such as those at the Bat tery, the junk business, although it is licensed by the authorities, is oisnonest, and the men who follow it should be classed as pirates. On dark nights the watchmen oi tne vessels at anchor in the bay are told to keep a sharp lookout. Every approach ing small boat is viewed witn suspicion. If the latter should be bailed and should fail to answer, but row hastily away the watchman can feel himself free to fire at the retreating boat without being called to account for bis conduct. There are usually two or three pistols in the cabin of a vessel, and a crew, when warned, is able to repel a boatlona of river pirates, or at least to af'iact the attention of the vessels in the neighborhood. Consequent the pirates have to proceed with great caution. They usually nelect a dark night for making an a'tack on a vessel at anchor. If it is summer they gen erally pass themselves as honest work men enioving a quiot row, but if it is winter they g on their dishonest mis sion with the expectation oi meeting with danger. If the captain of a schooner anchored in the bay is known to have money in his possession the pirates are apt to select that vessel. When trade is brisk and quantities of rum, molasses or other liquids are left on the piers, the river pirates row in under the docks and bore holes through the planks in the flooring and into the hogsheads above. The liquid Eonrs through the holes and is caught y the men in the boat below. One night in the spring of 1880 a boat con taining four river pirates approached a fleet of coasting schooners anchored in Flushing bay. But the alarm was given in time and the crews were prepared to defend themselves. One of the pirutes in endeavoring to escape fell overboard and was drowned. Several of the crews in the neighborhood were aroused and the three remaining pirates were caught and were arraigned before the authori ties next morning. In a day or two the trio were "railroaded to Sing Sing." This proved a wholesome lessoL, and for some time afterward no attack was made on a vessel at anchor. There have been a number of cases of collu sion between dishonest dock watchmen and river pirates. The former wait until the ooast is clear and then give their confederates the signal to ap proach and begin operations, while they mount guard and stand in readiness to give them warning of the approach of any one. liut lor tne watcnmeH on mo vessels the river pirates would come on board and cut all the ropes below the belaying pins and carry them off. they could catch or kill. The fiercer animals were encountered by the gladi ators. It does not appear how long the show lasted. Tiberius, whose life at Capri was a disgrace to human nature, was fonder of saving money than of spending it, and he left an immense sum in the treasury, whioh his successor, Caligula, managed to dissipate in two years by extravagance of the most senseless kind. As if in rivalry of Cleopatra, he swal lowed precious stones dissolved in vinegar, and caused nis guests to vo helped to g"ld (which they earned away) instead of bread and meat. - One of his favorite amusements was shower ing money among the populaco from the Basilica of Julius Caesar. He built galleys of cedar, covered with jjwelry, and large enough to contain vines and fruit trees, and had canals cut for them along the coast. The stable of his favonte horse, which ne talked oi naming Consul, was of marble, tho trough of ivory, the harness oi purpie, and the collar of pearls. The set of c meralds and pearls worn by one of his wives. Liollia .fatuina. was valued at 400,000 sterling. The principal extravagance of Clau dius was in publio games. Ono of the shows organized for him was a naval combat on a lake, in which the galleys were manned by 19,000 men. tie was fond of good cheer, and was in the habit cf inviting himself to the tables of the rich, ne came on one occasion with 60J persons in his tram. It was to Nero that Tacitus applied the f xrjression. incrcdibihum cupitor What he not only desired but achieved the way of cruelty and vice would declared incredible if Roman How to Make a Man Mad. There never have been more than three men who have carod a snp what the papers said abont them. We recall to mind a New HampMhire man who srtid he hadn't the least interest in any thing of the sort And when ho heard that a certain weekly had spoken of him as a prominent citizen, he drove seven teen miles in a pouring rain and over a muddy road to get a copy of that paper, Wcause he wanted t-- seethe market reports in it. We have had thst little transaction in mind for sometime, and it suggested to us a racket whioh we have worked.with great success. We select as a victim some man, ambitions of famo but who never has had the priv ilege of gazing upon his name in print more than two or three times in his life. We go to him and say: "Did you seo that item about you in the paper the other day. Great skid, wasn't it ?" Im mediately his face lights up. He is all interest. There is an eager look in his eye. "No," he says, "I didn't see it Didn't know of it! When was it? What paper was it in ? w nat did it say t And we reply : " Oh l hold on i une question at a time. " Well, what paper was it in? he asks, tie is breathlessly eager for an answer, ine reply, . deliberately : "What paper? Well, we don't exactly remembor. Think it was one of the city papers, but wouldn't be certain. It may have been suburban paper. Possibly it was a Western exohange." He looks gloomy, but hope Bprings eternal in the human breast. You think it was city paper?" he aske. "Yes," How long ago did it appear ?" " Don't know exactly. Saw it only two or three dayB ago, but it might have been an old paper." "Well, what did it nay?" he asks, in desperation. " Oh, it was a very plea-ant little item " "Yes, but what id it say 7 ' " Oh, we don i rememoer wnat it said. J ust rememoer seeing iu Why didn't you save it for me?" Why, thought of course youd see it." "Well, I'll go and look over the files of the city papers and see if I can find it." "Dear boy," we say, "you'll find it much easier to find a needle in bundle of hay. Think of the inter minable task of examining the files of seven or eight daily papars for a month back." The utter hopeless ness of his ever seeing that paragraph dawns upon him. His face assumes a look oi aDjeci misery, ue- Bpair and baffled curiosity. When we mi 1 . A. L meet him three days later neis just get ting over the feeling of gloom and set tling down to solid hatred of us for not saving the item ior mm. nancon I'ost. ever George M. Pullman, the palace car man, got his start financially in mining in Chicago. He was worth less than 8100,000 when he began the tleeping car business, and now has a $400,010 home at Chicago, besides elegant sum mer places on the St. Lawrence and at Long Branch. The Pullman palace csr eonmanv now has over 1.ZU0 cars run ning in this country which cost ovtr 815,000,000. Th nuracranher who wants to get off some dry humor during the day tsbould eat salt codfish for breakfatt. in u niatorv had not already shown what "revolting atrocities may be conceived by a diseased imagl nation and executed by irresponsible rjowcr. After the burning of thicity he gratified his taste, in entire disre gard of the proprietors, in rebuilding it. He at once appropriated a number of the Bites and a large portion of the' publio grounds for his new palace. The portioos, with their ranks of columns, were a mile long. The vestibule was large enough to contain the colossal statue of him. in silver and gold, lau ieet mgu from which the colosseum got its name. The interior was gilded through out, and adorned with ivory and mother of-nearl. The ceilings of the dining - . t 1 . A-l 1 -A., rooms were formed oi movauie lauiem of ivorv. which Bhed flowers and per fumes on tho company ; the principal saloon had a deme which, turning day and night, imitated the movements of. the terrestrial bodies. When this palace was finished ho exclaimed : ' At last am lodged like a man." His diadem was valued at half a million. His which he never wore twice, wpra stiff with embroidery and gold He fished with purple lines and hooks of gold. He never traveled with less than thousand carriages. The mules were shod with silver, the muleteers clothed with the finest wool, and the attendants wore bracelels and necklaces of gold. Five hundred sbeasses followed his wife Poppwa in her progresses, to sup ply milk for her bath. He was fond of figuring in the circus as a charioteer and in the theater a a singer and actor. He prided himself on being an artist, and when bis possible deposition was hinted to him he said that artists could never be in want. There was not a vice to which be was not given, nor a crime which he did not commit. Yet the world, exclaims Suetonioas, en dured this monster for fourteen years, and he was popular with the multitude, who were dazzlea by his magninceuco and mistook his senseless profusion for liberality. On the anniversary of his death, during many years, they crowd ed to cover his tomb with flowers. The utmost excess in gluttony was rABched bv Vitellus. who gave feasts at which 2.000 fishes and 7,000 birds were served up. lie prided hiasen on nu culinary genius, and laid every quarter of the empire under contribution to supply materials for a dish, which con tained livers of mullet, brains of pheas ants and peacocks, tongues of flamin goes, roe of lampreys, etc. Tacitus states that ho spent what would be tan tamount to several millions " ' u less than t ight months in t ing to eat. London Quar Vinegar's Yotarles. ' Do you know or have you heard why it is that negro women drink vinegar?" asked a gentleman of a Times reporter one day last weeK. The scribe professed the profoundest ignorance in regard to tne maiier, but he immediately set to wont u nna an answer to the question. In the first place be inquired or several negro women if they ever drank vinegar. Yes," said one, "Idrirk it all the time, especially when I am ironing, and the women in our yard drink it, too." "Does it do you any good?" " Yes; it is cheaper than whisky, atd it keeps up a person wonderfully. I don't know why I began it because the others did, I reckon. It hurt me at first, made me feel sick at the stomach, but when I got over this leei ing I felt a good deal better. It'i tako at a especially good after smoking a pipe, and leaves a kind of cooling feeling be hind." " How much of it do yoi About two tablespoonfuls. The first dose I took was about a teaspoonfal, but I know eonie ladies who take as much as a quarter of a teacupful. If I took that much it would make isick." ' How did the habit first b a ?" 'Some of the ladies used-. ;ake it, when feeling badly, and it didahein so much good that others followed the example. The men folks can't drink vinegar, and don't like the women folka to take it, but they doit though." The reporter subsequently saw an uptown lady who is at the head of a large boarding'house. In answer to questions propounded to her, she said: "Oh, yes, I have had a number of col ored women in my employ who were great vinegar drinkers. The way I found it all out was in this way; I had i 1 U a nt llHlA a wiHnor ana uouer wuu v. I always kept a bottle of vinegar in my I could get it easily. One day I went to take it from the shelf and found that the bottle was nearly empty. I was not annoyed at mis, al though a little bit surprised, but con cluded to keep the vinegar under lock and key. The next day the servant came to me and asked for a little vinegar. I asked her what she wanted it for and Bhe answered, "todrink." She then told me that she always drank it, and that it did her a power of good. 1 have no ticed that those women who are the , reatest whisky drinkers, are also the greatest vinegar drinkers." JVt tc Or leans Democrat. It appears that bromide of potassium, which is so extensively used as an anti dote for sleeplessness, is largely com posed of lead, and those who employ it ire exposing themselves to ead posion ing. This statement is made by a Uer man chemist. ""shtlv
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers