V.
I
BY S. B. ROW.
CLEARFIELD, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1850.
VOL. 3.-KO.. 13.
Jtiiftsmmt's ffliintal.
CLEARFIELD, NOVEMBER 12, 1S5G.
ANXUAL REPORT
' Of Common Schools of Clearfield Cjunty Penn
sylvania ending Jane lit, 1856.
Clearfield county has 25 school districts
two of which are boroughs, 23 are townships.
There are 125 school houses. 115 schools in
session last winter. The school houses with
out exception, are built near the road side or
cross roads have no play grounds, except the
woods or open fields no small trees planted,
ho out-buildings, wood sheds, coal houscs,&c,
only in three or four places. Water is ob
tained from five to sixty rods from the houses.
Dimensions of houses from 10 to 20 by 24 a
26 feet. Height of ceiling, from 7 to 9 feet.
3Iaterials plank, frame or logs. Those re
cently built, are some of them from 8 to 11
feet in height to the ceiling weatherboarded
out side lined inside with boards. Plank
houses have strips on the out side and lined
inside. There arc only four or five that are
plastered. Wixdows from six to eight, 12
lights; one has four six light and others four
nine light windows, with ceilings 7 feet high :
cracks daubed with mud out and inside, which
is constantly falling off; slab seats, and no
black boards ; heated invariably with wood or
coal stoves placed in the centre of the house
no means of ventilating except by open
doors cr raised windows. Furniture none
worth t!ie name. Small clocks were in three
schools. Xo globes, maps or other apparatus
to demonstrate anything. Xo arrangement for
hats, bennets, books, &c. Old houses all in
bad repair. Houses recently built, arc good
Ifiit low desks for two seats well arranged
teachers desk elevated and fronting the en
trance door.
In all large schools there are from three to
six reading classes well classified. Books u
liiform in some only. All the branches named
in the State certificate are taught in almost
every district no uniform series of books has i 5
been adopted throughout tho county. A se
lection has been made in many places and gen
erally adopted, which is not only a great con
. venience to the teacher but a benefit to the
scholar. The pupils are generally attentive
and studious and with good teachers make
rapid progress.
Teachers. There are but few permanent
teachers residing in our county, and the time
of leachit 1-ing only four months few are in
duced to from a distance for jo hort a
period. A majority of tho teachers have read
no periodical or educational books on the art
of teaching. I can say however, to the credit
of the resident teachers, that they will com
pare favorably with most teachers from other
counties and States. They have seen and felt
the necessity of being qualified for the posi
tion they arc to occupy and by their own ex
ertions have advanced on an average of twenty-five
per cent, and will progress. They take
more interest in the schools ; are anxious to
give satisfaction and be successful, and the
scholars receive a greater benefit. Intermis
sions are given of five or fifteen minutes each
half day. Some temporary certificates have
been granted to applicants very deficient, be
cause better could not be had. There are not
half enough teachers to supply the schools in
the county, consequently some are employed
who are deficient but anxious to learn and ac
quire knowledge for the purpose of teaching.
Directors. Directors and parents, though
often solicited, seldom think it their duty to
visit tho schools or show that they really feel
interested in the education of their children.
The public sentiment with regard to education
and the school system is favorable. But lit
tle opposition is made except by some who
have high taxes and no responsibilities to ed
ucate. Education is progressive. In many
districts the people are disposed to have good
teachers and good schools,cost what they may.
Superixtexdexts Visits. In my visitations
I gavo such advice and directions to the teach
ers as I thought most beneficial to the school.
It is true that a superintendent cannot do
much teaching in the short time he has to re
main in each school, (though some are so pre
posterous as to expect it,) but his visits are
useful in many ways. 1st. He can obtain val-
uablo information for his own use and that of
the school department concerning the schools,
'school houses, teachers, &c, that will be of
practical beneSt for improvement. 2nd. He
can introduce tho best modes of teaching;
learn the condition and wants of the school, as
well as the ability of tho teachers for govern
ment; and award merit where it is due. 3d.
His Tisits stimulate to action both teachers
and pupils, because they see that their labors
are appreciated and made known to the pub
lic and the schools are supplied with teachers
of a better grade than heretofore. It induces
young men and women to attend Normal
(schools, Seminaries, &c, to. acquire more
light and knowledge and strive to improve by
reading and private study.
Schools Thcte are more schools this year
than last, yet the number of pupils in attend
ance fall short about COO. This I can account
for in no other way than that the inclemency
of the season preveuted many from attending
school at all.
ExASfiSAiiosi..
-I have appointed times and
places to examine teachers in public and in
presence of the Directors as much as possible,
for the reason that this method of examination
has advantages over that conducted in private
1st. It gives better satisfaction to the Direc
tors who employ them. 2d. Parents have an
opportunity of being present, (if they will) to
ascertain the character and qualifications of
those who are to take charge of, and educate
their children. 3d. It affords an opportunity
to explain the school law to directors and
teachers, and proves the fairness of examina
tions by the presence of persons not interest
ed. 4th. It exposes the ignorance of unqual
ified teachers and elevates the standard of pro
fessional ones. I do not expect to please ev
ery bod-, or that every body will please me
&ome think I am too thorough and particular;
others that I am too lenient and should reject
an who Uo not como up to tho full require
ments of the law. There is a medium way,
ana 1 shall try to be as near the nr.rk as I can,
and do justice as far as my abilii;-- ? ;u permit.
bcuooi. Hocses axd FrnxrrrRE. Clearfield
county has 125 school houses, which at an av
erage ot $oO,wiIl amount to $31,250. Forty of
those houses are good and adapted to the pur
pose of instruction. Foity-five may be so al
tered and improved as to become very good
are under eight feet in the ceiling, and have
no means of ventillation except by open doors
or windows. The remaining forty might, with
some repair, do for pig pens or chicken coops ;
but are totally unfit for the purpose they were
intended. The best houses are 24 by 2G feet,
and 9 to 11 feet in the ceiling medium, 22
by 24, and 8 feet or less in the ceiling 3d, 10
by 18, and 20 by 20, and less than seven feet
ceiling. The best and medium houses have
from six to eight 12-light windows. The oth
erssome four 6-light windows and four 9
lights. The best houses are plank or frame,
with stationary seats or desks for two to sit at.
All are heated by wood or coal stoves, placed
in the centre of the house. The medium hou
ses ore hewn logs desks too high moveable
slab scats ; and every way inconvenient, and
injurious to the health and physical powers, as
well as the mental. There is but one brick
school-house in the county, viz : the Town
Hall ii the borough of Clearfield two stories
high rooms below for school purposes desks
for two, and can accommodate 100 pupils.
The black boards in many places are too di
minutive for practical purposes. Xo globes,
maps or other apparatus, belong to any district
in the countv.
Locatiox. But little attention has been
paid to the construction of school houses, and
less to the location, which in most cases is de
termined by central position, regardless of all
other consideration. The forest or open fields
are the only play grounds no shade trees ex
cept those planted by nature, and seldom anj
thing about the school-house to make it an at
tractive place of resort for the young children,
who have a great taste for variety and some
thing to interest and please.
Teacuers and Xo. or Pupils. There are
4250 pupils 2135 males, 1815 females 110
school teachers, 90 males, 20 females. Five
of each sex have State certificates, tho other
100 temporary ones. A number have im
proved so much in the past year that they may
cbtain first class certificates on the next exam
ination. Sixty of the teachers gavo general
satisfaction ; thirty-five aro medium and em
ployed ft- the want of better ; fifteen are unfit
for the occupation of teaching. There are no
graduates from normal schools or any college,
employed ; can't get them ; no, sir ! that
would not do, for I heard one Director remark
several years since, "College larnt men could
n't lam his children; he wanted somebody
plain so they could understand 'cm that's it!"
70 teachers have been teaching less than one
year, 20 less than tnree years, 10 from 3 to 6
years, five from 6 to 10, and five from 15 to 20
.years. Birth place Pennsylvania 82, New
York 11, Virginia 2, Ohio 1, Maryland 2, Ver
mont 5, Ireland 3, England 2, Scotland 1.
Age six are over fifty years, 13 under 40, 24
under 30, 40 between 20 and 25, 10 between
17 and 21, and 5 under 17 years. The num
ber who intend to make teaching a profession
are not over 25.
Visitatioxs by directors and parents, like
angels, are few and far between, being neither
regular nor frequent, but have resulted with
great benefit where attended to regular and in
a proper manner.
With these preliminary remarks, I will pro
ceed to give in alphabetical order each dis
trict, Xo. of pupils, attendance, order, &c.
Bcexsipe has 8 schools in operation, 192
males, 14G females ; average attendance, 200 ;
Xo. reading, 210 ; writing 175 ; arithmetic 81 ;
geography 43 ; grammar 15 ; history 9 ; two
or three only thro' Davies' Arithmetic, 20 to
fractions aDd interest, rest beginners. Only
one or two visits by directors, and none by pa
rents. Teachers good one went to the ex
pense of $10 to get outline maps for the bene
fit of his pupils, when their parents opposed
the study of geography. This infused new
life Into the juveniles and made them anxious
to attend school and make progress. Burn
side pays a high tax and has good houses.
Books throughout the county Readers,
Cobb's, Sander's, English Reader, McGuffey's
and Testament ; Cobb's and Sander's Spellers;
Smith's and Kirkbam's Grammar ; Arithme
tics, Davies, Rose, Ray, Grcenleaf, Pike, Ad
ams, btockton, and others.
Bell has 4 schools ; 82 males, 52 females ;
reading 80, writing 51, arithmetic 29, geogra
phy 5 grammar 10, algebra one ; several thro'
Ray's arithmetic, eight or ten good in gram
mar, reading and writing, middling ; deport
ment and order good, as well as the progress
of the pupils. Teachers good.
Beccaria has seven schools ; 107 males, 104
females ; attendance irregular and I may say
the same, to avoid repetition, of every school
except three or four in the county, on account
of distance and deep suows. As a general
thing, two-thirds tho number in attendance
will be a full average, but in some one-half is
an average number. Xo. reading 160, writing
123, arithmetic 80, geography 17, grammar 10
fivo good ; in arithmetic, part advanced to
rule of three, fractions and interest. Some
schools, one visit, others none, by directors
scholars studious and attentive. Books
Cobb's Speller and Readers, with Sander's,
ana lestamcnt ; Mitchell's and Smith's Geog
raphy in all schools in the county.
Boggs has three schools ; 70 males, 49 fc
males; reading 62, writing 55, arithmetic 25,
grammar 1 ; best in arithmetic, to interest and
discount. Houses bad and badlv
One visit by Director.
Bradford has 8 schools ; 183 males, 75 fe
males ; reading 11G, writing 93, arithmetic 52,
geography 7; best in arithmetic, to discount.
Deportment good, except by one or two in one
school. One director, an old man of 70, visi
ted all the schools with me, and speaks by his
actions that he feels interested in them, and is
willing to spend his time and mnnir fnr th
benefit of those who follow after. 1 could sel
dom obtain the company of directors in visit
ing the schools as they live from 6 to 8 miles
apart, I could not go to hunt them, or send
word in advance of my visits.
Bradv lies on each side of the Erie pike,
next Jefferson county; is settled mostly with
Pennsylvania Germans; has an agricultural
community. Some good school houses, and
some poor ones not been very fortunate in
having good teachers heretofore is willing
and able to pay well for good ones, and will
have no others if they can help it. Has 8
schools ; 227 males, 179 females ; reading 168,
writing' 140, arithmetic 62, geography 15,
grammar 10 ; not more than ten in arithmetic
are thro' the rule of three and fractions, the
rest mostly beginners ; some good in grammar
and geography. Xearly all the best scholars
are in one or two schools. Deportment good,
scholars attentive, and all they need is more
school and cood teachers. Books Cobb's
Spelling, Sander's Readers, and class in His
tory. Directors seldom visit the schools.
Clisarfield Borough has two schools; gra
ded ; 38 males, 47 females ; average atten
dance 48 ; are very irregular in attendance ;
can't say whose fault It is, for I think scholars
should in all cases attend more regular in
towns than in tho rural districts. Classifica
tion good. It cannot be expected children
will learn when absent from school one-half
the time. Xo. reading, 74 ; writing, 5G ; a
rithmctic, 20; geography, 12; grammar, 4;
some good in reading and wiiting ; only 4 ad
vanced to fractions, in arithmetic ; poor in ge
ography and grammar ; teachers good ; direc
tors visit frequently. Books, Cobb's spellers,
Town's definer, Sanders' reader, Davies' arith
metic, Mitchell's geography. Progress and
deportment middling.
Curwexsville Borocgii has two schools ;
45 males, 40 females ; reading 67, writing 50,
arithmetic 32, geography 22, grammar 15, al
gebra 1, history 19, Park's philosophy 15, phy
siology 7 ; good black board and light to expel
darkness from the mind, notwithstanding, they
have a miserable old school house, heated with
coal stoves ; seats and desks poor ; teachers
competent ; books uniform and an exhibition
at the close of the school, that gavo general
satisfaction and reflected much credit on tea
chers and pupils.
A large brick school house is under way by
individual enterprise. This looks like light
from the right source.
Covixgton has 4 schools ; 107 males, 89 fe
males; reading 46, writing 41, arithmetic 15,
geography 10, grammar 1 ; pupils all French
and just beginning, but learn well ; rather poor
readers but good writers ; two teachers for the
four schools. Directors visit monthly.
Chest has 4 schools ; 60 males, 49 females ;
reading 51, writing 34, arithmetic 25, geogra
phy 2, grammar 3, all rather backward ; have
had poor chance of schools, like many other
sparsely settled districts ; one good teacher
for 2 schools ; progress and deportment good.
Decatur has 6 schools ; 102 males, 69 fe
males ; in one school several colored children ;
average attendance 100 ; houses bad and bad
seats, desks, &c. ; some good teachers and a
good exhibition at the close of tho school that
was very creditable to teachers and pupils ;
number reading 84, writing 90, arithmatic 38,
geography 10, grammar 13 ; nearly all the ad
vanced pupils were in one school ; wages $25
per month.
Ferguson has three schools ; males 56, fe
males 32 ; reading 53, writing 53, arithmetic
30, seven to rule of three and three to inter
est and square root ; reading and writing good ;
no black board ; visit by directors once.
Goshex has two schools ; 25 males, 29 fe
males ; average 26 ; reading 12, writing 10, a-
rithmetic 4, geography 1, all backward ; books,
Cobb's and Sanders' scries.
Girard has four schools ; males 67, females
30 ; reading 49, writing 38, arithmetic 8, geo
graphy 3, grammar 1, mostly beginners ; de
portment and progress, average ; books,Cobb's
series.
Hostox has three schools ; males 56, females
59 ; reading 50, writing 36, arithmetic 16, ge
ography 7, grammar 4 ; progress and deport
ment good and good teachers ; Sanders' spel
lers and readers, Mitchell's geography, Kirk
ham's grammar, Davies' arithmetic. .
Jordan has three schools; 73 males, 51 fe
males ; reading 75, writing 51, arithmetic 29,
geography 17, grammar 17, mostly beginners ;
no uniformity of books ; deportment and pro
gress good.
Kxox has four schools; 107 males, 63 fe
males ; reading 75, writing 50, arithmatic 29,
geography 17, grammar 17 ; some very good
in arithmatic and geography; eight or ten
nearly through Davies' arithmetic; deport
ment and progress good ; Directors visit somo
schools, not all.
Kartuaus has three schools ; 60 males, 46
females ; reading 70, writing 58, arithmetic 27,
geography 10, all rather backward but studi
ous and attentive ; deportment good ; no black
boards ; books uniform ; visited once by di
rectors. Lawrexce has ten schools; 247 males, 184
females ; reading 360, writing 298, arithmetic
184, geography 45, grammar 53, algebra 2.
Books not uniform, but mostly Cobb's and
Sanders' ; arithmetic Ross, Divies', Grcenleaf.
A few good houses. Progress and advance
ment will compare well with the best in other
places. Some schools not visited, others fre
quently by parents and directors ; wages good ;
taxes high; school but 4 months in the year.
Difficult to obtain good teachers for all the
schools. More schools and more light needed.
Morris has seven schools ; 131 males, 80 fe
males; reading 100, writing 93, arithmetic 47,
geography 8, grammar 6, mostly beginners ;
none advanced in any branch; need better
houses and more light ; have set the ball in
motion ; built one of the best frame school
houses in tho county, well finished, painted
and pleasantly located near Kylertown ; one
German school in the district ; progress and
deportment good; attendance irregular; no
uniform books; no visits by directors or pa
rents ; wages $25 per mouth , schools small.
riKE has 8 schools ; 189 males, 172 females ;
reading 2C6, writing 175, arithmetic 82, geo-
graphy 4o, grammar 25 ; progress and advance
ment good; directors visit all the schools;
deportment and attendance good ; books uni
form and parents visit some schools, occasion
ally ; salary $25 to $30 per month ; schools
mostly large ; teachers very good. All in fa
vor of schools and want good teachers, for
which they will pay well.
Pexx has 3 schools ; about SO males, 70 fe
males ; reading 94, writing 90, arithmetic 45,
geography 19. The people, mostly Friends
and prefer the useful to the ornamental ; are
intelligent, temperate and frugal. In arithme
tic several have been through Davies and the
majority through fractions,interest and propor
tion, and have been taught to think and rea
son for themselves and uuderstrand what they
do. Teachers competent and persevering.
In one school the parents objected to geo
graphy being taught,and refused to get books.
The teacher procured a largeAtlas and cut the
maps out, put them up against the walls, took
a portion of time each day to instruct a class
of 15, and the whole school, even those who
could not read, learned by hearing others.
Directors and parents visit the schools ; sev
eral colored children in one school and no ob
jections made ; deportment good ; pupils at
tentive and stndious ; salary, $25 per month.
Uxiox has three schools ; 50 males, 35 fe
males ; reading 47, writing 26, arithmetic 14,
geography 4 ; only two or three advanced in
arithmetic ; deportment and progress of the
pupils good. German population and very
anxious to have good schools and good teach
ers. Have a summer school. Tax 13 mills on
the dollar.
"Woodward has 6 schools : 71 males, 70 fe
males; reading 64, writing 49, arithmetic 15,
geography 2 ; schools small ; attendcuce very
irregular, houses bad aid bad scats; schools
not visited by parents and directors as often
as they should be. In some schools only three
to six in attendance, the days I visited. Pro
gress poor; deportment middling.
Statistics. According to the assessment,
1856, Clearfield county has 3971 taxables.
Seated property $782,616, unseated $490,433,
money at interest $25,228, total value $1,508,-
476. 17 innkeepers ; about 65 licensed mer
chants ; 8 or 10 steam saw and grist mills ; 4
wool-carding machines and several foundries ;
18 Or 20 grist mills, 50 saw mills and 6 tan
neries. Agriculture. All the cereal grains are cul
tivated, but not in sufficient quantity for home
consumption. Large quantities of flour and
wheat are annually brought from Blair, Hun
tingdon, Centre and Indiana counties. The
land in all parts of Cloarfield county (except
the mountainous and barren parts,) produces
good crops when properly tilled. Lime is
found along the Susquehanna river and many
other places, but lies too deep to be obtained
in quantity sufficient for building and fertiliz
ing purposes and is brought frm Huntingdon i
and Centre counties, at a cost here of 50 or GO
cents per bushel.
Lumber. The townships of Burnside, Bell,
Chost, Jordan, Beccaria and Knox, lie along
the waters of tho Susquehanna, Chest and
Clearfield creeks. Vast quantities of lumber
in the shape of boards, staves, shingles, hoop
poles, spars, square timber, &c, are manufac
tured and taken to the eastern markets by wa
ter on the spring floods, either in rafts or
arks. Then conies the harvest for toys to
gather up tho dimes and shew what stuff they
are made of. as it requires stout hearts, willing
hands and an iron constitution, to go through
all the rough and tumble of a raiting excur
sion. Mixerals. Stone coal is abundant in every
hill and along almost every stream in the
county. Iron ore is found in many places,
but lor want of rail rords, these valuable ma
terials arc of little use at present. Gold and
silver is found in the pine and oak regions,but
not quite so plenty as in California.
Face of tub Country-. The land is hilly
and broken, but not mountainous or much bar
ren, and most of the land is susceptible of cul
tivation, and there are many good farms. De
catur and Morris, Boggs and Bradford, lie be
tween Clearfield and Moshannon creeks ; not
very hilly ; laud mostly arable and has a farm
ing and lumbering community. I may say
the whole county is a lumber county, for every
township is so situated as to do more or iess
at the business. The timber of most value in
the county is pine, oak, hemlock, chestnut,
poplar, linn, cherry, locust and sugar. Penn,
Pike and Lawrence lie along the Susquehanna,
in the heart of the county, and are among the
best and most populous townships. Soil,
good ; land hilly ; plenty of stone coal. A
farming and lumbering community. Brady
and Union lie on the west, next to Jefferson
county, and export a large amcunt of shingles
and boards ; face of the country, broken and
hilly ; land mostly arable. Clover is used as
a fertilizing agent in the connty generally.
Huston, on the waters of Sinnamahoning, has
a lumbering community ; land, hilly and bro
ken ; great need for a railroad to get there.
Covington, Goshen, Girard and Karthaus are
hilly and mouutainous ; lie along the Susque
hanna; bills come in very steep, and little or
no bottom land along the river. Soil poor;
some barrens, not many good farms ; but any
quantity of stoue coal, lumber and iron ore,
which will be of great value in a few years.
Fire-brick clay is found, of a good quality,
from which brick has been made for the east
ern market, in times past.
The northern townships are sparsely settled,
and the schools not so progressiva as in the
more densely settled districts. People are no
ted for general intelligence, industry and en
terprise.
Improvemexts. The Erie Turnpike runs
thro' Decatur, Morris, Boggs, Pike, Lawrence,
and Brady townships East and West. A
turnpike is in progress from Luthcrsburg to
Punxsutawuey in Jefferson county. A plank
road from the Central Railroad at Tipton,
Blair county, intersects the Bald-eagle & Glen
Hope Turnpike, at Muddy run, near Mount
Pleasant, Beccaria township, and will eventu
ally be continued to intersect the Erie pike
five miles east of Luthersburg. The contem
plated railroad, from Tyrone to Clearfield, by
way of Phillipsburg, will no doubt be made in
a few years.
Wealth The wealth of Clearfield will nev
er be fully developed until the iron horse finds
fair footing through the forests and hills, to
convey away the long-hidden treasures, which
are of little use to the inhabitants, in a state
of nature, but invaluable when brought to
light, and the ruears of transportation ever at
hand, ready to carry away the surplus minerals
and lumber.
We need more light, more knowledge, more
good teachers, and eight months schooling an
nually in place of three or four months. To
bring about these desirable results, we need a
uniform school tax on every citizen in the
State, rich and poor, according to valuatiou,
and a State normal school, or county high
school in each county, to train teachers in the
profession of teaching, so that they may have
a love for the calling ; be qualified to guide the
mental powers in gaining knowledge ; be im
pressed with the dignity and importance of
the calling, and possessed of the right kind oH
knowledge in the branches to be taught. The
teachers business is, to make every part of
knowledge interesting to the learner, to
strengthen and develop the powers of the
mind to adorn and.elcvate the character.
A. T.SCHRYVER,
Co. Supt. Clearfield.
One of the certificates of death, written by
a "physician of large practice," received at
the X. Y. city inspector's office, reads as fol
lows : "Mrs. Karolyne Johnsons daughter aged
five months and ate davs dies with defiscensy
of life to day under my attendance."
It is stated that the number of English and
Scotch settled in Ireland is now more than
double what it was only ten years ago. A Gal
way paper says : "The West of Ireland seems
destined to be silently revolutionized to the
Scott and Saxon.'
A man who cheats in a small measure, is a
measureless rogue. k
THE THRONE OF SOiO.MOX.'
The following account (says an exchange)
of a remarkable piece of mechanism is taken
from a Persian manuscript called "The Histo
ry of Jerusalem." It purportsto bo' a des
cription of the Throne of King Solomon, and
if the details are correctly given, it undoubt
edly surpasses any piece of mechanism pro
duced in modern times. The sides of it were
pure gold, the feet of emerald aad rubies, in
termixed with pparls, each of which was as
large as an ostrich's egg. The throne had sev
en steps on each side were delineated orch
ards full of trees, the branches of which Mere
of precioiif stones, representing fruit ripe, and
unripe ; on the tops of trees were to be seen
figures of plumage birds, narticularlv the tv--
cock, the staub, and the kurges." All these
birds were hollowed w ithin artificially, so as
to occasionally utter a thousand melodious
sounds, such as the cars of mortals never heard.'
On the first was delineated vine branches hav
ing bunches of grapes, composed of various
sorts of precious stones, fashioned in such a '-
manner as to represent the various colors of
purple, violet, green and red, so as to render
the appearance of real fruit. On the second -
step on each side of the throne were two lions'
of terrible aspect, large as life, and formed
of cast gold. The nature of this remarkable
throne was such that when Solomon placcoV
his foot on the first step, tho birds spread forthr-
their wings and made a fluttering noise in the-"
air. On his touching the second step, the -lions
expanded their claws. On his reaching
the third step the whole assemblage of demons
and f jiries and men repeated the praise of tho
Deity. When he arrived at tho fourth step.
voices were heard addressing him in the fol
lowing maimer : "Son cf David, be thankful
for the blessings which the Almighty has be--stowed
upon you." The same was repeated
on reaching tho filth step. On his touching
the sixth, all the children of Israel joined
them ; and on his arrival at the seventh, all
the birds and animals became in motion, and
ceased not until he had placed himself in the
royal seat, when the birds, lions, and other an
imals, by secret springs, discharged a shower
of the most precious perfumes on Solomon,
after which two of the kurges descended and '
placed a golden crown upon his head. Before
the throne was a column of burnished gold, on
the top of which was a golden dove, which,
held in its beak a volume bound in silver. In
this book were written the Psalm's of David,
ami the dove having presented the book to tho
King, he read aloud a portion of it to the
children of Israel. It is further related that
on the approach of a wicked person to the .
throne, the lions were wont to set np a terri
ble roarirg, and to lash their tails with vio
lence. The birds also began to bristle np
their feathers, and the assembly also, of do - .
mons and genii, to utter horrid cries ; for fear .
of them no one dared be guilty of falsehood,. .
but all confessed their crimes. Such was
the throne of Solomon, the Son of David. ;
Widows. They are the very mischief.
There is nothing like 'em. If they make up
their minds to marry it's done. I knew one
that was terribly afraid cf thunder and light
ning, and every time a storm come on sho .
would run into Mr. Smith's house (he was a
widower,) and clasp her little hands, and fly
around till the man was half distracted for fear
she would be killed ; and the consequence,
was, she was Mrs. John Smith before threa.
thunder-storms rattled over her head.
A noop Catastrophe. Sam : "Bob, what
makes you limp so ?"
Bob: "Limp," I guess you'd limp if you
had walked between two rows of barrel hoops
as long as I have. Why, the outside of my
legs are as raw as a piece of beef; but I have
got an inventioun to cure that difficulty. I'm.
going to take them military pants of mine,
and run a piece of bar steel right down through.
the stripes, and then if any hooped female, or
walking cooper's shop, invites me out, I shan't
have my leg saw'd off.
Ax Ixtelligext Jurt. In a case, of and
den death recently, in Warren county, (Miss.)
a coroner's inquest was held, and thoirerdict
was that "the deceased died by will tf God,
or some othar disease, unknown to the jury."
How to Know a Fool. A fool, says the
Arab proverb, may be known by six things
ange-r without cause, speech without profit,
change without motive, inquiry without object
putting trust in a stranger, and not knowing
his friends from his foes.
The Catholic Vote. Gen. Gadwalladcr,
of Phila., in a speech made to the Bogns De
mocracy of Cecil county, Maryland, a few
days ago frankly acknowledged to his hearers
that the Catholic tote was the only thing that
gave tho Democratic party any strength.
"IIoxesty is tho best policy," said one
Scotchman to another who had narrowly ev
caped hanging lor robbery. "I know It," said
the other, "for I hae tried baith sides of Ibat
question." ; ; . . .
A Schenectaday editor, describing the effect
of a squall upon a canal boat, says? When the
gale was at its highest, the unfortunate, craft
keeled to larboard, and the captain and anotb-.
r cask of whiskey rolled OTrboar4," i
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