ATWERTISING RATES
31. • 1 tno: ' 3 mos. 6 moo. I yr.
1.30 1.75 3.50 0.00 10.01
5,m 8.56 5.50 10.01 10.00
t 5 • 6.00 8.00 15.00 20.01
6.03 12..03 .10.03 35.00
10.00 atm' 5.3.00 5003
15.03 ;1250 50.03 60.01
ILO) 50.00 WOO 150.110
Pne Square,
Irroe:§Z Barge,.
Six Squares, .
Quarter Column
Half Column
One Column
Professional Card• 111.00 per Sae per year.
Administrator'. and Auditor'. Notices, 11.05.
City Notices, It cent. per lino Ist Insertion, 15 sent. per
lino each subsequent Insertion.
Ten lino. apt. constitute a equate.
WILLS & IREDELL, PUBLISHERS.
ALLENTOWN, PA.
financial
trNIONIACIFICRAILROAD CO.
CENTRAL PACIFIC R. R. CO.
FIRST MORTGAGE BONDS
This great enterprise Is approaching wompletion with a
rapidity that aetoulehos the world. ()reef/Veen hundred
MUD) miles have been built by two (2) powerful oom
panic.: the Union Racine Railroad, beginning at Omaha,
building west, and the Central Pacific Railroad, beginning
at Saeramento, and building east, until the two roadn
shall meet. Less than two hundred and fifty miles remain
to be built. The greater part of the interval in now gentled,
and it is reasonably expected that the throngh eonnootion
between Inn Prapelsoo and Raw York will be completed
by July 1.
Aa the amount of Government old given to each le de
pendent upon tho length of road each alkali build, both
companies are prompted to great efforts to seenre the eon
etructlon and control of what, when completed, will be
'one and the only grand Railroad Line connecting the
atlantic and Pac(fic coast...
One [(undyed nod Ten Million Dollars (11110,011,0gi) in
money have already been expended by the two powerful
►ompaniea engaged in this great enterprise, and they will
speedily complete the portion yet to be built When the
United States Government found It ne ...... y to secure the
eonstrttetion of the Peelle Railroad, to develop Rod pro•
Wet Its own Interest, it gave the companies authorised to
build it ouch ample old se ehould render its speedy com
pletion beyond a doubt. The Government aid may ho
briefly summed up as follows: •
Viral. The right of way and all aeireaeary limber and,
alone from public domain. •
&mond, It mate. a donation of 12,W f land 1.
the milo, whith when the road it eumploted, will amonn
to twenty-three million (23,0011,(111)•eret, aml all of it with
in twenty"(2o) mile. of the rallroad.
7111n1. jt loans the aompaolos flfty million dollars farlfi,
(0,(R”, for which It takes a second lien.
The Ooveroment has already loaned the Union Pacific
Railroad twenty-four million and fifty-eight thousand
dollars (V4,058,0)0, t rind to the Central Pacific Railroad
seventeen million six hundred and forty-eight thousand
dollars (117,648,0U11), amounting 16 all to forty-one million
sevondiundred and six thousand dollars (41,703,000).
The Companion are permitted to Inane their own First
Mortgage Bonds to the name amount as they receive from
the United States, and no more. The companies hare
sold to permanent inventors about forty million dollars
(610,610,00) of their First Morten° Bonds. The companion
have already paid in (including net earnings not divided,
grants from State of California, and Sacramento city and
can Francisco), upwards of ({2,0110,00)) lwenty-gre mil
lion dollars of capital stock.
WHAT IS THERE YET TO BE DONE
la eon.idering this question It must be remembered tha
all the remaining Iron to finish the road I. contracted rot,
and the largest portion paid for and now delivered on th
line of the Union Meier Railroad and the Central Pasta
Railroad. and that the grading Is almogt ani.hod.
WHAT RESOURCES HAVE THE CO3
PANIES TO FINISH THE ROAD?
First. They will rawly° from the Ooverument se the
road progrewes about fk1.000,0:0 additional.
Second. They can Issue their own lint Mortgage Bonds
for about $9.000,003 additional.
Third. The eon:nudes now bold almat all the land they
Lave up to this time received from the Oovernment; upon
the sompletion of the road they will have received in all
19,000,000 acres, which at $lOO per awe would be Worth
CW.500,000.
In addition to the ahoy the net earnings of the roadn and
additional capital, If tow y .eould be allied In to fin
ish the road.
WAY BUSINESS-ACTUAL EARNINGS
No one has over expressed a doubt that as soon as the
road Is completed Its through busineas will be abundantly
profltabNL
Gross owning. of the Union Pacific hail• '-
road Company for sir months, ending . •
January lit, 16W, were upwards of 13,030,000
The earnings of Control Pacific Railroad,
for six months, ending January Ist, 1503,
• were
Expenses
Interest
get profit of Central raeilleßailroad. after
paying all Internet and expense* (or
❑x month. 8730,000 gold
The present groan earning* of the Union and Central l'a
•*fgc Railroad* are $1,333,000 monthly.
HOW LAROE A BUSINESS IS IT SAFE TO PREDICT
FOR THE GREAT PACIFIC RAILROAD
Ws would ere the following feels derived frOna 191,1 p
plug Llsti, Insurance Companies, Railroads and genera
information:— •
.lihipa going from the Atlantic around Cape
Hero, 109
alcaumblps connecting at Panama with Cali.
ferule and China, 55
•Overland Trains, Stages, Horses, etc., etc.
Itore we hero two hundred and thirty thaumend
.merli3ll westward, and !aperient° ha. shown lu tin
few year. the return pa“engera from California have bi
nearly as'trumerous as thee° going.
ROW MANY PASSENGERS ARE THERE?
We make the following estimate:-
110 Steameblp■ (both way.)
90:1 Vessel.
Overland
present wise Worsens half the cost of the steamship&
for both passengere and tonnage, give. tho following re
omit:— •
174,003 paasengera at $lOO
400,000 tolls, rated at $1 par ',able foot
• ra.OlAOOO
•
Ils.lng calculationeupou the itbovo figures, wittiout al-
lowing for the largo increase of bueluees, which can safely
be looked for, then estimate the running ennuis°. at one
half and we have a net Income of SINS:10,00D; which, after
spying the Interest on the First Mort gagelleed• end the ad
•ances made by the Government, would leave a net anne•
al Income of $0,0f0.003 over and above all expenses and
helmet.
The hoot Mortgage Donde of the Onion Peelle R
Company and the .Pirst Mortgage Bonds of the, Central
Pacific Railroad Company are both, principal and Inter
act, payable In gold colni they Pay isig per cent. Interest In
gold coin, and run fur thirty years. and they cannot be
paid before that time without the consent of the holder.
First Mortgage Gold Bonds of the Union Pacific Railroad
for sale at D►r and 'teemed Intaiest, and That Mort's'
Gold Bond. of tho Central Pselde Itallroad at 101 slid or
anted tolerant.
DE HAVEN & BRO.,
DiLLIIIII IN GOVIANILINT SICUDITIMI, GOLD, ITC
NO. 40 S. THERD ST
pen 27
VOL. XXIII
THE PHANTOM OF DEADMOOR
At six o'clock one fine autumn morning,
Seymoui and I stood on the deck of a London
steamer, which was easing, and stopping, and
turning:astern, and going on, in her endeavors
to lay herself alongside the quay of a foreign
town, without smashing any of the smaller
vessels which were in her way.
The passage had been very prosperous, the
weather fine and warm, the sea as smooth ns
glass, the passengers few and rather amusing.
And the old town looked chaniteg ; quite a
fairy city—all cathedral, palace, and Arand
square, without black-slums, dirt, vice\ or
crime, fit to be photographed as a model for
seaport toWns. Our luggage was examined,
landed, put on a truck, and wheeled off to the
hotel fixed upon, we following on foot at our
leisure.
"Let us turn into the Place, and have a
nearer look at the cathedral," proposed Sey
mour. " Every scrap of tracery looks as
sharp and clear, in this early morning air, as
if it were under a microscope. Holton 1 what's
"That" was a hum and tramping, distant
at first, then louder and nearer. When we
entered the Place, we found numerous gioups
scattered about; fresh-coniers were perpetu
ally arriving from all the streets which con
centrated upon that large open space, and pre
sently the head of the large crowd, whose
march we had heard in the distance; dobouched
upon the scene.
In the centre of the square, a scaffold bad
been erected, around which all these people
wire gathering. Seymour, a good German
sC•olsr, mad , inquiries: Yes, there was to be
an execution. A man, supposed to be an
Englishman, had committed a very horrible
murder, attended by circumstances of revolt
ing treachery and ingratitude, and his head
was to be cut off in half an hour at furthest.
Now, I certainly should never have gone
out of my way to see such a sight ; but being
there, a sort of fascination "bound me to the
spot. As for Seymour, he Was glad of the
opportunity of seeing any foreign customs ;
and since he had served in the cavalry during
a bloody Indian campaign, it was beyond the
poWer of a headsman to spoil his breakfast,
even if the fellow bungled. Some of those
languid, , fine gentlemen you meet in Pall Mall,
and think effeminate, have seen and done, and
suffered things which could not be read of by
many of their critics without a shudder.
There were immense numbers of people pre
sent, but no crowd in the English sense of the
word ; for the open space was very'extensive,
and the stage on which the tragedy was to be
performed visible from every part of it, so that
there was no reason why the spectators should
jam themselves together; and as they were
free from that propensity to push to the front
which animates all ranks and both sexes of
the British, there was plenty of elbow-room,
and a sensitive lady might even have fainted
without being trodden to death in consequence.
" You will have an opportunity of seeing
with what force the blood is always pumping
through our arteries," said Seymour. " Bar.
barons ? not a bit. Far more humane than
Imaging, 'I mho it.. Curious. though, th.t thay
have not introduced the guillotine into this
country.; perhaps, because it is French."
" I see no block."
"They do not use one. The culprit sits in
that chair, and the executioner snicks his head
off with his sword as you would a thistle with
your cane. But here they come."
It was with a sickening feeling that I
watched the executioner, the priest, and the
Murderer step on to the scaffold. The last
was a middle-aged man of light, agile form,
and delicate features, relieved by black hair
and moustache. Ile was in his shirt, which
was open at the neck and turned buck, and
his arms were bound. To the hardihood which
supports many a 'miscreant in his last hour,
and enables him to " diesnme," he could lay
no claim, for his face was blanched with terror,
he trembled in every lalb, and was evidently
nearly fainting.
The mental agony of-the poor wretch added
so much more to the horror of the scene, that
I could bear it no longer, and I was turning
to go, when an exclamation front my compan
ion stopped me. Seymour was habitually so
quiet, indifferent, and almost sleepy in his
tone, that anything like energetic speech from
his mouth was perfectly startling. I had
known him from a boy, and never remem
bered his being excited before, so that I had
come to look upon him as a well-dressed Red
Indian, or dttmly Stoic, and half doubted at
the moment whether tbe"ery of surprise could
possibly have come out of his mouth. One
glance at his face assured me of that, however,
he was leaning forward and gazing at the
scaffold with parted lips and straining eyes.
" Lend me your glass," he cried ; and after
looking through the binocular a minute "Yes
it is the man himself ; no doubt about that.
But there is one thing that I' want to make
out, and can't.- Ilere ; your eyes are better
than mine ; take the glass, and examine his
face, it is:turned this way now. Well, do you
see any mark upon it 1"
No. Yes, Ido ; there is a broad scar on
11.70(1,000 gold
$550,003 gold
450,000 ..
1,000,0(0
P , ,(100 l NI
135,000
50,000
his check
" Which check?" cried Seymour, grasping
my arm so hard that it hurt me.
"The left," I replied.
"Then, by heavens, I guessed right 1" ex
claimed Seymour, drawing a long breath.
At another time, curiosity would have dic
tated a question, but at that moment the heads.
man began to bind the eyes of his victim, and,
by a strange revulsion of feeling, I could not
now help watching him. The business was
neatly done ; one sweep of the largo sword,
and the plotting brain was separated from the
bad, cruel heart.
Wo walked to the hotel, which was close
by; and after a bath and a change, I fcund
that the scene I had witnessed had made less
impression upon me than. I anticipated, and
I was quite ready for a good breakfast.
When the meal was over, and we were loll
ing in chairs in the pleasant court-yard, I re
marked on the singularity of Seymour's land.
ing on that particular morning in time to as•
sist at the decapitation of an old acquaintance.
" Yes," he replied, In his ordinary tone
now, "most oxtraordivary thing that ever oc
curred ; the beggar had a try at my life once
and I gave him that scar."
" Was It in India ?"
"No ; in Yorkshire, or Lancashire ; I'm
not certain which. One August, some years
ago, when I was in the cavalry, I got two
months' leave of absence; and thought I should
like some shooting. Bo I looked over the ad
vertisements in Bell, and pitched upon ono in
serted by a Mr. Bantyen, who intimated that
he was ready to provide board, lodging, and
grouse-shooting, for a certain sum on the
Yorkshire moors.
" I wrote, agreeing to his terms, on the sole
condition that the game proved to be as plen
tiful as he represented ; and received diroc-
70,003 (actual for ISA
4,033 estimated "
100,000 • •
$17.{00,00n
15, 640,000
b.cl,fkbiobi
TOWER
ALLENTOWN, PA., WEDNESDAY MORNING, MATH 10, 1869
tions how to find Deadmoor Tower by return
of post.
"The nearest place of any importance was
Halifax, and that was thlity miles off: so I
slept there, and started off early on the follow
ing morning In n gig, driven by the only man
the people of the hotel could discover who had
the slightest idea whereabouts' Deadmoor
Tower lay. He got on very well while what
they called roads lasted, but when we were
well on the moors, and had only tracks, which
generally led to old quarries, or places where
turf had been dug, to follow, he was naturally
puzzled. In fact, we only got on at all by
asking our way nt every opportunity, and as
we rarely met any one to ask, our progress
was tortuous. Fortunately, the horse, though
very deficient in speed, was a wonderful stay
er, and we did reach the place we were look
ing for before sunset.
"The people who, first called that tract of
country Deadmoor had a very fair idea of
proper names, for a fitter place . for a national
cemetery I never saw. Of course, all moor
land is wild and desolate ; but it is generally
broken up into steep hills ; and a hill, some
how, is always company, promising some
thing new on the other side ; and though the
two sides sometimes prove to be much alike,
when you get to the top, there is generally a
good distant view from it ; and at any rate,
you have the satisfaction of having got there.
llul Deadmoor was mostly table-land, and the
undulations were too gradual to please the eye.
Deadmoor Tower just suited Deadmoor. "It
VMS a real tower, a regular, old-fashioned
roundabout place, with thick walls, windows
like loop-holes ; and a flat leaden roof, with
battlements round it.
" The proprietor of this raedinoval place was
a couple of centuries or so in advance of it,
certainly ; but still lie was very old-fashioned.
Ile met meet the gate in the most courtly
manner; indeed, I took him at first for a sort
of heraldic butler and very nearly addressed
him with : ' What, ho ! seneschal.' But, for
tunately, he introduced himself as Mr. Bantyen
before I had tune to say it.
" lie showed me up to my room himself,
was extremely anxious to make one comfort
able, and apologized for everything
" He was a portly old gentleman, with gray
hair prominent eyes, and rather, a weak, un
decided expression of countenance, and he
was dressed in a short-waisted coat—cut very
high in the collar—a table-cloth rolled round
his neck for a tie, pantaloons and pumps•
"When I was left alone, I inspected the
room, the furniture of which would have set
M242ll===l
oak ; and the heavy high-backed chairs, the
table, the tall wardrobe, were all of the same
dark material. There was a queer mirror,
composed of three pieces, set aslant the further
end of the room, so as to reflect everything in
it in a distorted fashion ; and a pair of duell
ing-swords were crossed over the high, carved
chimney-piece. But the bed tilled half the
room, andmuSt have been originally intended
for an entire family ; the hangings were thick
and heavy and the top like that of a hearse.
Just the bed to lie in state in.
"It was not altogether a cheerful apart
ment, but I could hear the grouse crowing
through the open window, and that sound was
lively enough to subdue any amount of uphol
stering gloom.
" I was sufficiently up in history to know
that my host was dressed for dinner, so I put
on evening things and went down-stairs.
"The table was laid in the hall, and as I
had to pass through It to reach the drawing
room, I saw that the party was to consist of
three. Agra. Bantycn lor a son ? or another
gun
" Neither. On opening the drawing 7 room
door, I was received by a charming girl of
twenty or thirty I •can never guess nt the
beardless dears' ages while they have figures
and smooth eye-corners—and Mr. Bantyen
intimated that lie was widower, and that
this young lady, his only child, kept house
for hint..
" And very well she kept it. too, and a nice
little dinner she gave us. A capital manager
she must have been, for everything had to be
fetched from a tremendous distance, and a
trilling' slip of memory might have left. the
household _without oil or Worcester sauce for
a week.
" She was a little bit shy at first, but quite
self-possessed, and evidently ruled the house
holk her fettle! included. She was well
educated ; read the papers and magazines,
played the harp, sang, and was rather glad, I
think, to have a civilized being to talk to.
I have shot over moors in Scotland where
the group was more plentiful, certainly ; but
still the spot was very fair, quite good enough
for my purpose. The old gentleman went out
with Inc every day, and shot very fairly, too,
with an antique Manton, which had flint
locks ; he could do nothing with a percussion
cap. In the evenings, I played at piquet with
him, or at chess with his daughter; and after
a pretty surfeit of balls and dinners, that little
bit of domestic quiet came in most acceptably.
We soon got very friendly together, and in a
fortnight I was quite like one of the family,
and Mr. Bautyen told me all his private affairs.
"The family property had once been very
good, but a succession of extravagant , posses
sore had mortgaged alhthat part upon. which
money could be raised, and the barren heath
with its tower was all that was left. How
ever; the old gentleman had not 'always been
quite so much straitened as he was at present,
but misfortunes had befallen Inns during the
last few yearn, the principal being a scampish
nephew of lds dead wife's who had got his
unfortunate uncle-in-law to be security for
him in some affair, and had then been guilty
of a dishonest trick, which that unoffending
relative had to pay.
" You may well understand that I did not
ask for any details upon so unpleasant a sub
ject; so, whether his black sheep had done
anything which was absolutely felonious, I
did not learn. At any rate, it had cost Mr.
Bantyen so dearly to get him out of the scrape,
and then start him of to America, where he
was supposed to be at present, that he bad de
termined to try and raise a little money by
letting his shooting.
"It was an evident relief to the old gentle
man to tell me all this, for ho was a hospitable
soul, Land felt uncomfortable to taking my
money. So, to relieve him, I told him anec
dotes of rich men who let their shootings, and
noblemen who sold their game.
" September cause, and the birds got wild,
but I liked my quarters so well that I stopped
on.
" Ono evening es we came towards the
tower, after a hard day's walking, we met
Ties Bantyen, who was in a state of great
agitation. 0 papa, Raymond is hero V she
cried. Raymond was the troublesome nephew
who ought to have been on the other side of
the Atlantic. •,, ,
" Poor Mr. Bantken was very much per
turbed by the news, and began apologizing
tome ; but I assured him, with perfect truth,
that /was fond of studying different samples
of my fellow-creatures, and counted several
scamps amongst my •intimate acquaintances.
In truth, I have enjoyed the society of many
a man who, from his youth up, has been a
source of anxiety to his friends ; but I never
met a cooler card than this Raymond Fletcher.
"I did not much like the look of him ; I
missed the rollicking, reckless look of the
genuine mattrala aujet. Ills expression was
crafty,. greedy, and malicious as well as impu
dent, and he impressed one as being bad rather
than mad.
" He spoke of his unexpected appearance
as a good joke, and compared himself to abad
shilling. He did the honors of the house, and
attempted to mitronizolts.He...tried likewise
to impose upon me in the matter Wille society
ho had mixed with, asking if I knew ibis - man --
of the Blues, and thatman of the Bills Brigade.
At last he mentioned one of my own regiment,.
and then I had to shut him up.
" ' Thefe must be some mistake,' said I.
I will not deny that you are the bosom friend
of every man of position in every corps in the
service, if you say so, thit none of the —th
know you, I am certain.'
."That cooled him a bit, and a mintitt or
two afterwards I intercepted a look which
told me that he honored me with his particu
lar hatied. 'Nevertheless, he rather courted
me, and tried his best to make himself agree
able.
" Have you seen the ghost ?' he asked me
in the course of the evening.
"I had thought something wanting in
Deadmoor Tower, and this question reminded
me what it was. It ought to be haunted ;it
was absurd that it should not be haunted ;
and I at once demanded the. ghost of Miss
Bantyen. She told me that there certainly
was the usual spiritual legend connected with
the old place. A Jesuit conspirator, priest
and soldier, had been taken and killed, after
a desperate resistance, in my bedroom ; and
witnesses, credible upon other matters, had
declared that they had seen his qectre, en
veloped in a cloak, pistol in hand, in the fatal
chamber, and had been duly frightened into
temporary insanity.
" I suggested that the witnesses has taken
too much liquor when they saw the ghost,
and that the after-illness imight be deliriuni
tremens. Mr. Bantyen stniled politely, and
said it was possible; but though he considered
that the Jesuit had been paid several years,
probably by getting out of purgatory he
evidently had a latent suspicion that he really
had haunted the place at 0110 time.
"My host had procured me some partridge
shooting at a few miles distance, so I stopped
on, though the tower was no very agreeable
residence now. Fletcher was an odious snob,
and Mr. Bantyen, instead of kicking him out
of the house, was so weak as to let him bully
hint.
" I soon saw that the fellow was smitten
with his pretty cousin, and hated me worse
than ever for flirting with her, which of course
one was hound to do a little; and as she evi
dently disliked and feared him, and was glad
to talk to one in order to avoid him, I dare say
there was a little apparent cause for his jeal
ousy. Besides which, the presence of a
-.^ doubt interfere() with his desho"
on Mr. Bantyen's purse.
"My leave was drawing to a close, how
ever, and as I intended to spend the last
week of it in London, the time came for me
to leave Deadmoor ; and on the last night an
extraordinary thing happened—l saw the
phantom.
"It was a wet and chilly night, and with
that anxiety to make me comfortable which
had actuated the Bantycns during my stay, a
fire had been lighted in my bedroom. The
first tire of the season is always pleasant, and
I sat up later than usual Lb enjoy it,. I wrote
several letters, and then, wheeling my chair
round to the hearth, I stirred up the coals, left
the poker between the bars, lit a cigar, took
up a book, and made myself happy.
" I was sitting with my back to that part of
the room where the bed was, and consequently
facing the queer old mirror - I told you of,
which was set aslant at the other end. At
about one o'clock one of my candles begim to
splatter in its socket, and looking up in con
sequence from my book, I saw reflected in the
mirror the figure of the Jesuit. I have no
more 'tint in spirits than a Sadducec, yet I was
horribly frightened ; so much so that I was
very near starting up. Fortunately, however,
I kept my presence of mind, and neither did
that, nor stared at the glass, but put out: the
flickering candle, brought the other nearer to
me, leaned back in my chair, and had another
surreptitous look at my mirror over the top of
my book. It was no fancy. There close to
the foot of the bed; not three yards behind me
stood the figure, in a Slouching cavalier hat,
and wrapped in a ridlng 7 cloak with butiboots
and spurs, a mask on his face, and a pistol in
his hand. -
" Why the mask? I was reassured in a
moment : it was a burglar acting the ghost, to
frighten the household into non-resistance—
not the spiritual rather himself. The poker,
which had been left between the bars of the
grate, was now red-hot ; I grasped the handle,
and began stirring the fire, at the same time
whistling a tune. Then' I drew a common
chair towards me with my foot, as if meditat
ing putting my legs upon it, until I could get
hold of the back with my left hand.
" These little preparations completed I sud
denly jumped up, and turned around, with
the chair held before me as a shield, and the
red hot poker in my right hand.
• " Now, my ghostly friend,' said:4 'just
drop that pistol.'
"Instead of complying with this reasona
ble request, lie cocked and levelled it at my
head.
"1 lnstinctly raised the chair, and thrust
the hot iron at him, touching him km the left
check at the moment the pistol exploded.
" I supposed he escaped through a sliding,
panel or a trap-door ; I know that I went over
backwards, chair and all. The bullet had
gone through the seat, and then grazed' my
temple, not doing any serious damage, but
stunning me for a minute or so ; so that when
the household, alarmed by the report of the
pistol, arrived, they found me and the chair
lying all of a heap, and the poker burning a
a quiet hole in thcloor.
Mr. Bantyen and his daughter were exces-
sively distressed ; and the house was searched
and a deal of fuss made—the most energetic
member of the household being Raymond
Fletcher, who did 'not indeed put in an ap
pearance, but whose voice was heard at
'front door, intimating that ho was going
the police: As he would have a good fifteen
mile ride through the rain and over a dark
moor before there was a chance of hismeeting
with any member of the' force, this readiness
inspired me with a suspicion, Which is now
turned into a certainty. Raymond Fletcher
lost his head this morning, and I burned the
left cheek of it that night with a poker."
110 W THE FLORIDA KEYS
WERE FORMED.
BY MB& E. C. AGASSIZ
Just outside the lower extremity of Florida
are a number of islands,—the easternmost
almost touching the main land, while the west-
ern lie a little further off.
In consequence of this peculiarity in their
disposition, the space left between these islands
and the Florida coast, marked on the map as
mud flats, is broad and open at the western
outlet, but almost closed towards the cast. It
is important to remember the form of this
broad intervening space, .stretching between
the keys and pie main-land 4 because the nar..
1.303'er and nfore shallow aid ° may easily be
filled up nd,_nittd, &c. If you will
look Mille map, you will re, by the flats at
the eastern end of this(s"ncl open channel; that
such a process is actually going on. In fact, a
current sets towards the channel, drifting into
it sand, mud, and debris (sail sorts.
I hope to show you that these flats, being
gradually consolidated into dry land, will at
last make a bridge between the islands and
the lower extremity of Florida, uniting them
solidly together, so that the former will cease
to be Islands and will become part of the main
land
Indeed we shall find that Florida herself, so
far as her structure is known, is only a succes
sion of such rows of islands as now lie outside
her southern shore, united together, by flats
exactly like those accumulating at this mo
ment between the present islands and the
coast. These islands are all called the Keys
of Florida, and are distinguished from one
another by a variety of appellations, such as
Sand Key, Key West, Indian Key, Long
Key, and the like. They arc of various sizes ;
some—like Key West, for instance—are large
inhabited islands, planted with fruit and flow
er gardens, where cocoa-nuts and other palms,
orange-trees, and banannas, grow in great
luxuriance, while others are mere barren
rocks scarcely rising above the surface of the
ocean, washed over by the waves, and wholly
destitute of verdure.
Suppose now that in fancy we sail out from
the keys on their seaward side, choosing a
bright, calm day, wlidn the surface of the
ocean is still. The, waters pf that region f , are
always remarkably clear; and under such
influences of sky and atmosphere they are so
transparent that the bottom may be seen at a
considerable depth, distinct min picture Wider
glass.
Sailing southward to a distance of some four
or five miles from the keys, we find ourselves
in the neighborhood of a rocky wall rising
from the ocean bottom. As we approach it,
If we look over the side of the boat, we shall
see that we are passing over a floating shrub
bery, a branching growth spreading in every
direction, its lighter portions swaying gently
with the.. movement of the sea. It is not
green, like land shrubbery, but has a variety
of soft bright hues,—purple, rosy, amethyst,
yellow, brown, and orange. If circumstan
ces are favorable, and the water crystal clear,
as it sometimes is, we shall have glimpses of
bright-colored fishes swimming in and out
4m3,3 ttdo tnnnled thicket, or here—and there
we maf - dikern
their soft feathery fringes fully expanded.
This wonderful growth over which we have
imagined ourselves to be sailing is the top of
a coral wall. Reaching the surface of the wn-
ter at intervals, it forms little rocky islands
here and there, divided from each other by
open channels, through some of which vessels
of considerable size may pass. This wall is
• in fact a repetition of the same process as that
which has formed the inner row of keys,
though in a more incomplete stage ; it is built
up•by the coral animals from the sea bottom.
Wherever circumstances are most favorable
to their development, there they grow most
rapidly. In such spots they bring the wall to
the sea level sooner than in others.
This done, however, the work of the coral
animals ceases, because they cannot live out of
the water: But in consequence of a process
of delay and decomposition, which I shall de
scribe when we examine the structure and life
of the animals themselves, such a wall—or
coral reef, as it is called—is surrounded by
coral sand and fragments worn away from it
by the action of the sea.
Materials of this sort, mixed with sea-weed,
broken shells, &c., soon gather upon the top
of the reef wherever the coral gMwth has
brought it to the sea level. By degrees a soil
Is collected upon such spots, raising them more
and more above the surface of the water. In
this way the islands have been formed which
we call the Keys of Florida ; and in the same
way the little patches now rising highest on
the summit of the Reef will enlarge gradually
Into more and more extensive islands, though
at present many of them are scarce'
ible
above the water lev el.—Our Young for
March.
THE FOOLISHNESS - Or
.PERANCE.
That scoundrel, Brick Pomeroy, is evidently
being pricked in conscience for his crimes/
His first attempt at atonement is an ass tilt
upon the bulwark of the Democratic party.
Hear the half-penitent wretch :
The habit of liquor drinking is, to our mind,
the most foolish, inexcusable 'piece of destruct
ive nonsense in the world. The money poured
down the throats of men each year is greater
than the amount expended for improvements.
If a than is tired; he drinks. If he is at work,
lie must drink. If doing nothing, he must
have a nip each hour. If too warm, lie takes
a mint julep. If too cold, a hot whiskey. If
he is by himself, out comes a flask or bottle.
If in company, he stands treat Gill his money
is gone: then, like a dead beat, sits around till
some one calls him up. A man on a moderate
salary steps Into a saloon, invites a half dozen
friends to drink, pays half a dollar or more
and walks out. Three or four times a day he
repeats this, and always drinks when asked.
It is social. Mey. mean nothing by it. But
during the week half of a man's salary lies
been poured down his throat, destroying his
stomach, weakening his nerves, over-exciting
his brain, robbing himself and family of his
money needed for other purposes. But it is
social I Drink in the morning—at noon—at
night, and then a few times between drinks.
The brain whirls—the hand grows unsteady—
the pocket grows empty—the home ones suffer
—the eye looks red and tremulous, as if asham
ed'—funbition is drowned or poisoned. Pretty
soon the poor fellow is unfit for business. Ho
makes mistakes. He is sick, unable to work.
He is not the man to be relied on: He leaves
his place, and In time finds a poorer one. Then
he feels blue—drinks still more—suffers—he
leaves his place again, and at last dies a wretch.
to
But it is social I
A FnExcusital, , having heard the word
"press" made use of—to imply persuade,
press that gentleman to take some refresh
ments, press 'him to stay, etc.,—thouglit he
would show 'his talents by using (what he
imagined) a synonymous form ; and he, there
fore, Made no scruple to cry out in company,
" Pray, squeeze that lady to sing I"
AGRICULTURAL.
THOROUGH DRAINING AND DEEP CULTURE
TILE BASIS OF IMPROVEMENT IN AORI-
CM=
The fact is patent to the most superficial
observation, that the total sum of the vast pro
duction of our agriculture is the yield of an
average depth of cultivation of the soil not
exceeding six inches—comparatively a mere
film of the earth's surface. All the inorganic
matter needed by plants, and all other elements
of their nutrition and full developmeht that
come from the earth, must be supplied within
this limit, while all the soil below this depth is
unemployed and inert. The roots of the grain
and grasses do not ordinarily extend much
below the depth cultivated ; and the average
of this in our country is insufficient either for
protection against drought, for adequate re-
turns for the labor of cultivation, or for full
supplies of farm products for national con:
sumption. 'We may not be able to calculate
the precise amount of increase in the produc-
tion due to an additiontd inch in depth of cul
tivation, but experiments have shown that in
many soils it bears, relatively, a near propor
tion to the increase in depth of culture ; so
that where the soil is now worked to sis inches,
an inch greater depth of cultivation would give
nearly one-sixth more production. The agri
cultural produce of 1807, of, those articles
which would be influenced by depth of culti
vation, has a total value of at least $1,500,-
000,000. Now, an increase of even one-tenth
of this nmountby an additional inch of culture,
would add $150,000,000 to the value of the
annual production of the country.
An erroneous impression exists relative to
the depth to which the roots of the cereals and
clover; as well es many other plants, will de
scend in an aerated nod healthy soil. In
ravines that have been filled with surface soil,
or wherever the mould is of suitable texture
and condition, carrots and parsnips are often
found of a length of three feet or more ; clover
roots from three to four feet, and instances
have been given of still greater length of the
the roots of wheat and oats. With the preva
lent mode of culture, In very compact soils,
wheat-roots are so very near the surface as to
be thrown out by the mechanical displacement
of freezing and thawing, and, if not utterly de
stroyed, they struggle fruitlessly to pierce the
unbroken subsoil, packed, perhaps, by the
tread of cattle for a century, and finally yield
to the blasting power of an early drought,
blighted, shrivelled, light, worthless for seed,
and of little value for bread. The drill, plant
ing
the seed firmly in the earth instead of scat
tering
it on the surface, already saves half of '
the winter-killing In the fields where it is used ;
and deep culture, with proper drainings, would
procure exemption from most of the remaining
liabilities, and, ordinarily, from all danger of
loss by drought: The advantage of additional
depth of pulverization therefore,would be often
far greater than the proportionate increase
of depth,' and the profit of the improvement
would he increased in a corresponding ratio.
In this country the average yield per acre of
one of thailwincipal staples, wheat, under our
system of shallow cultivation, has been grad
ually rssened, until at the piesent time it does
not exeed twelve bushels , per acre. while
~.;,n,.1 1,,
.i \
, rs.-.., , --• . ~.o l,er tillago an rotation- ,
system,lks raised her average to 28 bushels.
ngplr wheat area at elghteen millions
of acres, and allowing an increase of 10 bushels
per acre under a system of thorough and judi
cious cultivation, the increased production
would amount to 200;000,000 bushels; and
whent i ds but one of the staples to be benefitted
by such improvement. .•
Deep cultivation is a prime necessity of root
culture, which forms the basis of English ag
riculture, and enables the English farmer to
pay annual rents equivalent to the fee-simple
value of our farms. The growing of these
" greerrtrops" results in a more thorough ad
mixture of the food-producing elements of the
soil and its prompt permeation by water and
the gases, which 'are so necessary to plant
growth. France, following in our footsteps,
or we in hers, in at least one particular—the
want of a proper rotative system—has reduced
the average yield of wheat to 15 bushels. The
single fact that, while England has two acres
in " green crops" for every acre In wheat,
France has three acres in wheat for every acre
in green crops, and that with us roots are
scarcely raised as a farm crop, explains the
cause of the great discrepancy in the yield of
that valuable cereal in those countris.—Ayri
cultural Report.
.POTASH AS A FERTILIZEI
Potash forms one of the most essential con.
stituents of a fertile soil, and one of the most
important of all 'Lite fertilizing agents within
reach of the agriculturist. In many plants it
constitutes more than one-half of their ash, and
in most at least one-third. In neutralizing
acids in the soil and in the liberation of am
monia, it acts in the same manner as lime, but
then It is desired simply to effect these last
mentioned objects, the latter should be used,
as being cheaper, and potash, generally avail,
\ape in the form of ashes, should be applied as
a manure, using the word in its stridessense,
to indicate a substance that contributesirectly
to building up the structure of the plants. ''But
considerable care should be exercised in the
use of ashes, and they should never, as Is the
practice with some in manuring corn in the
1 hill, be mixed with guano or the refuse of the
' hen roost, inasmuch as the first rain that dis
solves them will cause the potash to displace
the ammonia in the same manner that limo
displaces it from barnyard manure and similar
manures, as we have just mentioned; and,
although the potash of the ashes and the phos
phoric acid of the guano, or the like, would be
left to benefit the plant, the animonia would
be dissipated and lost, and the value of the
fertilizer depredated. Analogous to potash in
its action is soda, which, however, with a few
exceptions to the rule, enters but slightly into
the composition of plants, and may generally_
he replace - Rto atereat extent, with potash.
Turnips and Mangold Wurtzel, howeVer, re
quire a comparatively large amount of soda,
the ash of the former containing upward of 28
per cent., and the latter a nearly equal amount.
This may he most conveniently applied to the
soil when required in the form of common salt.
—J. A. Whitney, at N. Y Amer? Club.
A GENTLEMAN once began his letter to his
bride thus: "My dearest Maria." Thelady
replied : " My dear John, I beg that you will
mend either your morals or your grammar.
You call me your 'dearest Maria.' 'Am I- to
understand that you have other Marine ?"
Wno 13ovEnNs . BEsx ? The Duchess of
Burgundy said ono day to Madame do Main
tenon : " Do you know why the Queens of
England govern better than the Kings? It
is because the Queens govern by the advice of
men, and Kings by the advice of women.'
WILLS & rREDELL,
Vain nnb Sancp glob thintero,
No. 47 EAST HAMILTON STREET,
ELEGANT PRINTING,
NEW DEEIGNB
LATEST STY L'EB'
•
Stamped Checks Cards, Circular., Paper Books, Conall
tutlons and 131 :-Laws School Catalogues, Bill Beads
Envelopes,Letterßeads, MIN of Lading, Way
Mlle, Tatra and Shipping Cards, Poators of any
also, etc., etc., Printed at Short Notice.
NO. 10
BOY'S GARDENING
Mr. Edmond Morris, in a recent number of
The Journal of Horticulture, gives an inter
esting account of a boy of his acquainti. - 4ce cs
a gardener. He says : "A gentleman within
two miles of me, by way of interesting his
son (a young lad) in agriculture, gave him the
free use of an acre to cultivate as he pleased.
This shrewd boy located a half acre on one
side of his father's barnyard, and the other on
the opposite side. lle could thus trundle out
a dozen barrow loads of manure upon his
ground whenever so disposed. lie planted
his acre in Lawton blackberries; •cultivated .
them himself ; and last year his gross sale of
fruit amounted to six hundred dollars. The
year precceding, his clear profit from the same
acre was four hundred and fifty dollars. I
have walked through this mag,nificent creation
of juvenile care and shrewdness, and must
confess that no engineering of my own In the
same line has been equal to it. The contents
of the convenient barnyard told powerful!
the canes, but more powerfully on the qyintity
and the quality of the fruit. The fee of
. the
land, though in the best location, was mud
less - valuable than the annual crop. 'Wind
gun-shot of this field are ten acres of this same
berry, which last year yielded a net profit of
four thousand two hundred dollars—more
than the land would sell for.
"The father of the lad referred to was en
gaged in mercantile business in Philadelphia ;
but he bad never realized such profits as he
thus saw his enterprising son to be annually
securing. The example set before him by the
lad Induced him to drop "some one or two
branches of agriculture and take to raising
berries also. lie began his plantings several
years ago—for the son has long been harvest
ing very paying crops—and has been planting
annually from the increase of his own fields,
until he has now thirty acres of Lawtons.
Last winter he cut down an apple orchard of
large bearing trees to make room for more
berries. The profit from - the latter far out
stripped the orchard in the country."
The influence of gardening upon the young
is one which parents may be truly glad to take
advantage of ; not alone for the money which
they make by it, but for the good health it
will give. All young boys and girls may pro
fitably learn how to plant and cultivate all
kinds of fruit and vegetables very early in life.
Even though they may follow a professional
career, their education in out-door labor will
tell favorably on their future lives. Physically
they will be stronger, and in disposition more
virtuous, and when old age conies on they will
be more inclined to seek the retirements of a
peaceful rural life, surrounded by the trees of
their own planting. That the "Coming Edu
eational System" will include gardening, we
have not the slightest doubt.
—MENDING Roans.-011 this important sub
jeet the Springfield Republican says: ouglift
to be made a staftmtory offence to put:a shovel
full of dirt upon the highway'after the Ist of
June, except where' the ground has been view
ed by the County Commissioners, and the
work•ordered for the public safety. In gene
fat, all the repairing that is done should be fin
lekedtthree oV e fkla -t e rldr e gg - t iD a 1 1 , “ft; The
~
earth should be added in the spring, while the
frost is coming'out of the ground, so that time
new and old shall settle down together for the
summer. When this is done, the addition is
incorporated bodily, and never heard from
afterwards. It is the only way in which hard
firm roads can be obtained. On the other
hand, when, as generally at present, the re
pairing is pot off till after harvesting, we have
bad roads all the fall, execrable roads all win
ter, except where the ground is deeply covered
with snow t nod, come spring, the passage to
and from even the nearest localitlea, becomes
a matter of serious consideration, well prepared -
for if inevitable, or altogether' avoided, if this
can be done."
A. Ilom:vut. CONVERT. Recently the
Methodists held a great "revival" in Wiscon
sin. Among the converts was one whose pre
vious profession was "three card monte.^'
Times being somewhat liard, he found little
profit In his legitimate "practice," and became
converted, as the Elders say. One night, nt
the suggestion of an Elder, he rose to edify
the congregation with his experience, and
thus delivered himself :
" Ladies and gentlemen—l mean, brothers
and sisters ; the Lord bath blessed me very
.much—l never felt so happy before in all my
life—(embarrassed)—l say, I never felt so
happy before in all n life—(very much em
barmssed)—if any one thinks I ever did, they
can get a lively bet out of me!"
NEIOIII3OR T— had a social party at his
house a few evenings since, and the " dear
boy," Charles, a five-year-old dolt, was fav
ored with permission to be seen in the parlor.
"Pa" is somewhat proud of his boys and
Charles was, of course, elaborately gotten up
for so great an occasion. among other extras,
the little fellow's hair was treated to a liberal
supply of Eau de Coigne, to his huge gratifi
cation. As he entered the parlor; and made
- -
his bow to the ladies and gentlemen—
" Lookee here," eMd he, proudly; "If any
of you smells a smell, theta me I"
The effect was decided, and Charles having
thus Inoue brief sentence delivered an illustra
tive essay on human vanity, was the hero of
the evening.
QUIPS, QUIRPS AND QUODLIBETS.
The following is Aunt Betsy's description of
her milk man : " lie is the meanest man in the
world," sho exclaimed. "lie skims his milk
on the top, then turns it over end skims it on
the bottom."
Creditors are like corns : they are always
reminding one where the shoe pinches. The
only way to get rid of them Is to cut them—
and that won't prevent them coming again.
When Is the book of naturestudiedi When
autumn turns the leaves and they are red.
Why-is a flatterer like a microscope ? . Be-
Cause he magnifies small things..
" Birds in their nests agree," because they
would fall out if they didn't.
A. Scott:limit's definition of " reel" music—
the bagpipes.
A. wag call Grecian architecture the "stoops"
that ladies use at present.
'Not a proper place for a, naval engagement
—tho Pacific Ocean.
A little tumbler will often throw down a big
man.
The cranium in four parts —The head
quarters.
A desirable doinestit oird—A. duck ofa wife
The bent of understanding—The instep.
A pious perfume—The odor of sanctity.
UPSTAIRS.
ALLENTOWN, PA
IQ