V
VOL. 5.-N0. m
CLEAItriELD, PA. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1858.
BY S. B. EOW.
THE GOLDEN SUNSET.
BT LOSOrKLLOW.
Tbe golden soa its mirror spraads,
Beneath the golden skies,
And but a narrow strip between
Of lane and shadow lira. .
Tbe cloud-like rocks, the rock-like oloud,
IiHolTd in glory float,
And midway of the radiant flood,
llangs silently the boat.
The aea is but another sky,
The sky is a sea as well.
And which is earth and which the hearens,
The eye can scarcely tell.
0 when for us Life's evening hour
Soft fading shall descend,
May glory born of Earth and Ileaven,
The earth and heavens blend.
Flooded with peace the spirit floats,
With silent rapture glow,
Till where earth ends and Heaven begins
The soul shall scarcely know.
ADVENTURE WITH A BUFFALO.
BT CAPTAIN MAYNE KEID.
We wore near the Arkansas river on a hunt.
For several days we bail been unsuccessful.
One evening, after wo had camped as usual,
and my brave horse hail eaten his "bite" of
corn, 1 leaped Into the saddle, and rode offift
hi,j-s of finding something fresh for supper.
The prairie where we halted was a rolling one,
and as the camp had been fixed "on a small
tream, between two great swells, it was not
visible at any great distance. As soon there-
fore as I had crossed one of the ridges, I was
out of sight of my companions. Trusting to
the sky for my direction, I continued on.
After riding about a mile, I should think, I
came upon a buflalo "sign," consisting of sev
eral circular holes in the ground, five or six
feet in diameter, known as buffalo "wallows."
1 saw at a glance that the sign was fresh.
There were several wallows ; and I could tell
by the tracks in tho dust, there had been buf
falos in that quarter. So I continued on in
hopes of getting a sight of tho animals that
Lad boon wallowing.
I had ridden full five miles from camp, when
my attention was attracted by an odd noise a
. head of me. There was a ridge in frout that
prevented lue from seeing what produced tho
noise ; but I knew what it was it wan the bel
. lowing of a buffalo.
At intervals thorc wcro quick shocks, as of
two hard substances coming in violent contact
with etch other.
I mounted the ridge with caution, and looked
over its crest. There was a valley beyond ; a
eland of dust was rising out of its bottom, and
ij the midst of this 1 could distinguish two
huge forms, dark and hirsute.
. I saw at once they were a couple of buflalos,
engaged in a fierce fight. They were alone,;
no others were in sight, either in the valley or
on the prairie beyond.
I did not bait longer than to seo that tho cap
was on ruy rifle and to cock the piece. Oc
cupied as the animals were, I did not imagine
they would beed me ; or, if they should attempt
flight, I knew I could easily overtake one or
the other, so without farther hesitation or pre
caution, I rode toward them.
Contrary to my expectation, they both "win
ded" me, and started o!f. The wind was blow
ing freshly toward them, and the sun had
thrown my shadow between thorn so as to draw
their attention.
They did not run, however, as if badly
scared ; on the contrary, they went off appa
rently indignapt at being disturbed in their
flght; and every now end then both came
roumi will: ihcrt iursis!. snorted, and struck,
the prairie with their hoofs in a violent and
angry manner. , -
Once or twice, I fancied they were going to
charge npon me ; aud had I been otherwise
than well mounted, I should have been chary
of risking such an encounter. A more formi
dable pair of antagonists, as far as appearance
went, could not well have been conceived.
Their huge size, their shaggy fronts, and fierce
. glaring eye-balla gave them a wild and mali
cious seeming, which was Lightened by their
bellowing, and the threatening attitudes In
which they continually placed themselves.
Feeling quite safe in my saddle, I galloped
up to the nearest, and sent my bullet into his
ribs. It did the work, lie fell to bis knees
rose again spread out his legs as if to prevent
second fall rocked from side to side like a
cradle again he came to his knees, and after
remaining in this position for some minutes,
with tho blood running from his nostrils, rolled
over on his shoulder and lay dead.
I had watched these maneuvers with inter
est, and permitted the second one to make his
escape; a single glance had shown me tho lat
ter disappearing over the crest of the swell.
I did not care to follow him, as my horse
was jaded, and I knew it would cost me a sharp
gallop to come op with him again ; so I thought
no more of him at the time, but alighted, and
prepared to deal with the one already alain.
While cutting him tip, my horse broke his
tether and scoured away. At the same mo
ment, the other buflalo came back full drive
at rne.
Now, for the first time, it occurred to me
that 1 was in something of a scrape. The buf
falo was coming furiously on. I had fortun
ately reloaded my rifle. Should my shot miss,
or even should it only wound him, how was I
to escape t I knew that he could overtake
me in three minutes' stretch I knew that
well.
I had not much time for reflection not a
moment, in fact; tho infuriated animal was
within ten paces of me, I raised my rifle,
aimed at his foreshoulder and fired.
I aw that I had hit him, but to my dismay,
he neither fell nor stumbled, but continued to
charge forward more furiously than ever.
To reload was impossible. My pistols had
gone ott with my horse and holsters. Even to
reach the tree was impossible ; tho buflalo was
between it and me.
To makA ff in thn opposite direction was
the only thing that held out the prospect of
uve minntes' safety ; I turned ana ran. mo
buffalo came after me.
At this moment an object appeared "before
me, that promised, one way or another, to in
terrupt the chase ; it was a ditch or gulley,
that intersected my path at right angles It
was several feet in depth, dry at the bottom,
and with perpendicular sides.
I was almost upon its edge before I noticed
it, but the moment it came under my eye, I
aw that it ofiercd the means of a temporary
safety at least. If I could only leap this gul
ley I was satisfied, for I knew that the buflalo
eonld not.
It was a sharp leap at least seventeen feet
from cheek to cheeK but I had done more
than that in my time, and without halting (in
my gait, I ran forward to the edge and sprang
over. I alighted cleverly npon the opposite
bank, and stopped and turned round to watch
my pursuer. I now ascertained how near my
end I had been ; the buffalo was already up to
the verge of the gulley. Had I not made my
leap at the instant, I should have been by that
time dancing npon his horns. He himself
bad balked in the leap ; the deep and chasm
like cleft had cowed him. He saw that he
could not clear it, and now stood up on the op
posite bank with head lowered, and spread
nostrils, his tail lashing his brown flanks, while
his glaring black eyes expressed the full meas
ure of his baffled rage.
I remarked that my shot had taken effect
upon his shoulder, as the blood trickled from
his long hair. -
I bad almost begun to congratnlate myself
on having escaped, when a hurried glance to
tbe right, and another to the left cut short ray
happiness. I saw on both sides, at a distance
of less than fifty paces, the gulley shallowed
out into the plain where it ended, and cither
end of it was, of course, passable. The buf
falo observed this almost at tho same time as
myself, and, suddenly turning away from the
brink, he ran along the edge of the chasm, evi
dently with the intention of turning it.
In less than a minute s time we were once
more on the same side, and my situation ap
peared as terrible as ever; but, stepping back
f or a short run, I rcleaped the chasm ; aud a
gain wu stood 011 opposite sides of the gully.
During all this time I had held on to my
rifle; and seeing now that I might have time
to load it, I commenced feeling for my powder
horn. To my astonishment 1 could not lay
my hands upon it. I looked down to my breast
for the sling it was not there ; belt and bullet
pouch, too all was gone ! I remembered lilt
ing them over my bead, when I set about cut
ting up the dead buffalo. They were lying by
the carcass.
This discovery was a new source of chagrin;
but for my negligence, I could now have mas
tered my antagonist.
To reach the ammunition would be impossi
ble ; I should be overtaken liefore getting half
way to it. I was not allowed much time to in
dulge in my regrets; tho buflalo bad again
turned the ditch, and was once more upon the
same side with me.
I took a tree, however, and sprang up it like
a mountebank ; but the hot breath of tho buf
falo steamed after me as I ascended, and the
concussion of his heavy skull against the
trunk of the tree almost shook me back upon
his horns.
Alter a severe effort of climbing, I succeed
ed, in lodging myself among the branches. I
was now safe fiom all immediate danger, but
how was the affair to end ?
I knew, from the experience of others, that
my enemy might stay lor hours by the tree-
perhaps for days :
Hours would be enough. I could not stand
it long. I had already hungered, but a worse
appetite began to torture me thirst. The
hot sun, the dust, the violent exercise of the
past hour, all contributed to make me thirsty.
Even then would I have risked life for a drink
of water. What would it come too, should re
lief not come 7
I remained for a long time busied with these
gloomy thoughts and fore-bodings. Night
was approaching, but the fierce and obstinate
bruto exhibited no disposition to raise the
siege. He remained watchful as ever, walk
ing round and round at intervals ; lashing his
tail and bellowinjr.
Good luck ! Thero was a rope left by some
hunter, attached to the trunk of the tree. The
first step was to get possession of it. This
was not such an easy matter. The rope was
fastened to the tree, but the knot had slipped
down tbe trunk and lay upon the ground. I
dared not defend for it. Necessity soon sug
gested a plan.
My "picker" a piece of straight wire with
a ring end hung from one of my breast but
tons. This I took hold of, and bent into the
shape of a grappling hook. I had no cord,
but my knifo was still iu its sheath ; and draw
ing this, cut several thongs from the skirt of
my buckskin shirt, and knotted them together
till they formed a string long enough to reach
the ground. To one end I attached the picker
and then letting it down, caught the looso end
of the rope.
I could depend upon it ; it was a raw hido,
and better never was twisted; but I knew that if
anything' should chance to slip at a critical
moment, it might cost me my life. With this
knowledge, therefore, I spliced it for a lasso
with all the pains-taking that a man, whose life
was actually "on the cast,'- might be supposed
to bestow on his last resource, tho efficiency
of which could be increased or lessened by
his own act.
Everything being ready, my next difficulty
was to fix myself in such a position that I
could whirl my lasso clear of tho tree, with
some hopes of casting it over the buffalo's
neck, and still at tiie same time not so far com
promise my own safety as, in case of an unsuc
cessful cast, to be in reach of the eniaged ani
mal, who would now most surely defeat me in
any contest involving a trial of speed ; for niy
long continued and cramped position astride
the cotton-wood limb I was perfectly aware,
prevented any hope of success by that modo
of escape.
Soon I made a clear place from which to
whirl my lasso, and clambered out on the pro
jecting limb as far as it was prudent to do so,
considering that my stand point must be firm
and secure, and having attained a position I
deemed most favorable, under the circum
stances, I in turn bcoanie the watcher, and
never did grimalkin fix her keen eyes more
warily upon the doomed mouso than did I keep
a sharp watch upon every niovo and turn of
the eniaged beast who was bellowing below inc.
At length, wearying of my position, night
coming on apace, and being both hungry and
parched with thirst, I determined to make the
attempt, which, if successful, would free mo
frnm mv enemv. or if it failed would entail a
fate no worse than death from starvation, from
cold, or thirst, from all united1?
Gathering the rope carefully in my lap as I
sat astride the limb, I coiled it up in rings,
held loosely in my leftJrand; and pulling hard
upon the other end, was cheered by tho con
viction that it wasecure around tbe trunk,
and could I but succeed in throwing it as I had
often done before, I need hare no fears of tho
rll1t.
t rxt mr lasso, the coils of which, after des
cribing enlarged circles in the air, descended
upon the baok. of the buffalo, while the inner
and smaller one, which contained the fatal
noose, providentally encircled his neck. -
Quick as thought I lowered myself to the
gronnd, taking care to reach it on the side of
the tree opposite to where the buffalo was, in
order to gain a moment's time, and also that
by his making a circle he must naturally wind
a portion of the rope around the turn and thus
strengthen the bold on the end of the lasso.
No sooner had I reached the ground than the
buffalo, uttering a most terrific snort, his eye
glaring like balls of fiie, bounded at me, and
I felt his hot breath close to my cheek, and the
very earth shaking beneath my feet with the
maddened tread. I had given myself np for
lost. And after running a few yards, I realized
the maddening conviction that my limbs were
paralized with cold and badly cramped for
want of exertion, and I sunk helpless to the
earth, expecting the brute to crush me out ot
existence with his huge paws, when I was as
tonished to find myself alone and unharmed.
Curiosity, however, or rather a desire to be
assured ot my safety, prompted me to look a
round, when to my joy I beheld the huge mon
ster stretched on the plain. 1 could see the
rope as tight as a bowstring ; and the tongue,
protruding from the animal's jaws, showed me
that he was strangling himself as fast as I
could desire.
At the sight, the thought of buffalo tongue
for supper returned with all its vigor ; and it
now occured to me that I should eat that very
tongue and no other.
I immediately turned in my tracks, ran to
ward my powder and balls which in my eager
ness to escape, I had forgotten all about
seized my horn and pouch, poured in a charge,
rammed down a bullet, and then stealing nim
bly up behind the still struggling buff.ilo, I
placed the muzzle within three feet of his
brisket, and fired. Ho gave a death kick or
two and then lay quiet ; it was all over with
hiin. And so it was with my adventure.
THE HISTORY OF A CHAIR.
A Berlin journal has the following strange
tale, of which it guarantees the truth : "An
old woman, who lately died in the hospital,
left among other things a very old arm-chair
of Gothic style, and richly decorated. In the
sale of her eifects by auction, a foreigner gave
as much as 500 francs for the chair, and sur
prise having been expressed at his giving so
laige a sum, he made this explanation : The
chair, with other things, was offered by the
States of Moehreu to the Empress Maria The
resa, and for many years figured in her bou
doir. After her death it, by her express de
sire, was sent to Queen Marie Antoinette, in
France, and afterwards was one of the princi
pal pieces of furniture allowed to Louis AV I
in the Temple. The King's valet de chambre.
Fleury, afterwards became possessed of the
chair and took it to J-.ngland, where it became
the property of the Prince Regent, and after
wards the Duko of Cumberland. The latter
took it to Berlin, and there it was given to an
upholsterer to repair. The workman charged
with the job found secreted in it a diamond
pin, a portrait in pencil of a boy, and a num
ber of small sheets of paper filled with very
small writing. The things lie appropriated ;
the piu he sold, and the portrait and papers he
gave to a watchmaker, a friend of his. Al
though the writing was in foreign lauguage,
the watchmaker succeeded in making out that
it consisted of a series of secret and very im
portant instructions drawn up by Louis XVI,
for the Dauphin, his son the portrait being
that of the latter. The watchmaker, whoso
name was Naundorff, some years after gave
himself out as Louis XVII, and produced the
pipers and portrait in question to prove his
allegation. After making some noise in f rancc
and Belgium, in which latter country he pass
ed by the name of Morel de Saint Didier, this
man died in 1819. His son, who called him
self Duke of Normandy, went to Java in 1853.
The Berlin workmm who discovered the doc
uments naturally did not state how Naundorff
became possessed of Ibera, but just before his
death, which took place lately, he made a full
disclosure to his family. They found out that
the famous arm chair had remained in Berlin,
and bad come into possession of tbe old wo
man, and they caused it to be bought in order
to Bell it again in Austria."
Rolling in the Dirt roa Nomura. There
is an excellent story extant, of a negro who
was desirous of being converted, but who
could not resign tho power which Satan had
over him into ordinary hands. Like St. Chris
topher he resolved that he would not accept
religion from any inferior authority, and de
termined that the celebrated n hitcfield alone
should show him the error of his ways. lie
attended scores of religions meetings, always
inquiring " Who's dat?" whenever an unusu
ally vigorous preacher took the stand. At
length he was told that a man holding forth to
a crowd was Whilefield. The negro at once
fell upon the ground and rolled about appa
rently in an agony of emotion, and rose with
the mighty idea that he was a converted man.
Not long after, he was told that he had never
heard H bitefield ; that the celebrated preach
cr was far distant from the place at the time.
"Oh ?" said the disappointed fellow, "Den I
rolled in do dirt for nothing !"
A Famous London Coffee House. The
celebrated Rainbow Coffee Honse in Fleet
Street, London was recently offered for sale
by auction. This place has been well known
for more than 250 years. Aubrey in his
'Lives" speaks of it as a coffee house when
coffee first came in. , It is recorded that in
the year 1657, James Farre, was presented in
court as tho keeper of the "Rainbow" for
making and selling a sort of liquor called
coffee, as a great nuisance and prejudice of the
neighborhood, &c. The Spectator (No 16)
says : "I have received a letter desiring me
to be very satirical upon the little mnfi now
in fashion, another informs me of a pair 01
silver garter buckles below the knee that have
lately been seen at the Kawbow Cojjee House
in lleet Street. (March, 19, 1710-11.
The Independence Belg says that M. de
Rothschild has sent, through tne represent
tive of his house in the Fontiffical States, the
sum of 10.000 francs to M. Mortara to enable
him to continue his efforts for the restitution
of his child, without sacrificing the interests
of bis family.. : "
An artesian well lately opened at Bonrn,
England, sends tbe water 25 feet above tbe
surface, and discharges dou gallons per minute
It feeds three mills and is regarded as tbe
greatest well of the kind in tbe world, except
tbe celebrated one in trans.
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE.
There are many poor young men and poor
young women, and there are a few rich young
men and rich young women. If the rich and
the poor would intermarry, there would be
somo progress made towards balancing the
accoupt. But there is a point at which the
class with means would give out, and leave a
very large residuum ol indigent persons of
both sexes. What are they to do ? Are they
to remain single ? If so, the world would
bo gradually depopulated. Yet marriage,
with all its conseqnent cares and responsibil
ities, is a very serious business, ana aepop
nlation might be even a less evil than the do
mestic difficulties and social mischiefs which
would grow out of those mesalliances in which
the wife on the one hand cannot support a
a family upon the slim wages of her industry,
and the husband either cannot or will not earn
a subsistence lor the household. When we
speak of the absolutely poor in this connec
tion, we do not, ot course, refer to mat large
devision ot mankind intermediate between
the extremes on either side between those
who are hopelessly and utterly destitute by
virtue not only of inherited poverty, but the
incapability of improving their condition,
whether by force of personal defects, or the
want of opportunity. Tbe man who has noth
ing but health, talents, and a brave spirit 01
independence a stout, doughty resolution
to make bis way in life in spite of fate is, of
all men, the man who ought to bo married, ana
who would be assisted and strengthened by
the relation. He is a sound, wholesome, nor
mally developed specimen of humanity, in
the main, and, speaking generally, he makes
the best husband and father and citizen, and is
morally and economically, a pillar jn tbe State.
We would recommend all such strong and
heroic fellows to marry as speedily as possi
ble, and to choose poor, clever girls, rather
lhan unclever. ill-to-do ones who have come
into the world with a silver spoon in their
mouths. We would advise this choice, not
only on the principle of natural fitness,
psychological and otherwise, but because a
woman Mho needs that kind of help and pro
tection, ought to be allied to a bold, honest,
hard-working, persevering man, who can save
her from unwomanly labor, either in kind or
quantity, and give tho best qualities and affec
tions of her nature a decent chance of growth
and development.
But what shall we say of the matches wnicu
are called "love matches," by the way of de
rision, and which, too frequently, are farmed
in a thoughtless.nnreasoning way, without any
reference whatever to what is to follow, be
tween parties who are precisely alike, or sui
ted in no other particular than their outright
and complete inability to provide for them
selves or each other 1 Is not every such co
partnership a multiplication of positive roori-
for-nolhingness and sheer destitution, by two?
And is not the probable result or that matri
monial arithmetic, in the next remove, four
times the original misery and wortlilcssnegs
that are multiplied f But what young man
and young woman, who get their beads turned
with amatory sentiment, ana fancy tnai mey
were made for each other and must die, ine
vitably, if they are separated, ever disturb
their fond brains w;th that vulgar, yet very
important question "How will we manage
to live after marriage?"
They are apt to fancy that any such calcu
lations aro quite inconsistent with a spiritual
attachment, and that a connection into which
any such sober, and, as they suppose, mean
and mercenary speculations enter, never can
be happy. This is a mistake. Yet it is very
common. It has been repented of, too, by a
countless multitude of people, in sackcloth
and ashes. The stern cares and duties and
necessities of connubial life, soon bring a
couple of such lunatics to their senses, and
teach them that honse rent is not to be paid
with lovers' sighs, nor butcher's meat pur
chased with tbe tender caresses ot Corydon
and his Phillis. Tbe truth is, that getting
married, as it is called, is a mighty grave and
matter-of-fact affair. It has been charged,
and with some justice, perhaps, that the ex
travagance of modern social ideas of respec
tability, and the costliness of decent subsis
tence in our large cities, have made it hard
for most young men to afford a wife and chil
dren, and thus reduced them to celibacy, or
the necessity of joining with a poor girl in
starving. But those who have not will and
faculty enough to win a comfortable mainte
nance and genuine pride enough to despise
tho miserable folly which would sneer at their
humble, yet honest competence, had better
conclude to avoid the scorn of the world's
snobs, find starve singly.
But what we wish particularly in this ar
ticle to enunciate is, that no poor and pros
pectless young fellow, who hasn't the sense to
take a practical view of marriage, and to re
alize its obligations and responsibilities in
all their stubborn actuality, ought ever to
think of the thing. He has no right to think
of it. If be cannot support himself by his
labor and his talents, ho has no business to
undertake to support a woman into the bar
gain. There is no true love in that sort ot en
terprise. A man who is not able to come
honestly himself by plain clothes and frugal
diet, is most cruel in attempting to involve a
poor girl in his short fare and hopeless rsg
gedness. It is wrong even to engage her af
fections, and worse still to bind them againit
better fortune, by express or by tacit betrothal.
There are many such courtships and engage
ments in every community like ours. They
ought to be frowned on and forbidden by pa
rents and guardians, as baleful conspiracies
by two fools against their own peace and the
welfare of society. We have a great and sin
cere respect, however, (or any young roan
who cultivates the esteem and love ot a young
girl with a btave and sensible purpose to make
her happy by giving her a protector and a
home by lifting . her to her rightful and na
tural position ot wife and mother We care
not it he be poor, either in so far as heredita
ry fortune or present possession of worldly
goods may be concerned. But he must have
the necessary ability to insure a decent liveli
hood for bis family, and an earnest, manly
resolution to put his capacities to practical
and efficient use in that direction, before , he
can fairly and honorably require a young girl
to pledge ber band.' to him, or even engage
ber heart in such manner as to render an al
liance with him essential to her peace and
happiness. . ., . - ..:..
Tou can always distinguish an - Englishman
hv twn thinvc hia trnnicnrtt and hi trait. The
first never fit bim, and he always walks as if
ce was an hour bemad time.
DO SOMETHING FOR TRUTH.
ntifnl ia truth f No time can be in
appropriate for learning it; no season unfit
ting for its reception, me aay cnu.
its bold, free songs, ana tne nigut i iuiu.uwu
with its broad light. It started as a spring at
the creation, and has been widening as rirer
with the centuries that have elapsed. All man
kind enjoy it; and the more truth, wnewer
natural or revealed, there is in a nation, the
more truly happy are that people.
True happiness consists, not in immeaiaie
personal pleasure, but in the poaseasion of
knowledge ; which simply means me accumu
lation of facts the amassing of troth.
Feculiarly besutiful and essentially sublime
are the truths of science, for they admit of
individual verification on the one hand, ana
bring us into a closer acquaintance with the
Deity, by demonstrating to us the grandeur of
his works, on tbe other.
Few can study unmoved tne wonaers 01 in
sect existence : and observe,witn microscopic
aid, tbe seeming infinity of life, and note bow
perfect and complete are creatures wnose size
is measured by thousandths oj inches, eacu in
its sphere fulfilling all the necessities of its bc
ing,with equal, if not often superior, complete
ness to man ; and to whom a drop of water is
a world, a teacupful a universe. Nor can any
one peer into the vast and seeming illimitabil
ity of space,and view the twinkling stars,whose
distance we compute by billions of miles, or the
planets obeying, in their orbits, the same law
which governs a pebble's fall, without feeling
awe and devotion for the Creative Intelligence,
and wishing to investigate these wondrous ob
jects in the pleasant fields of nature.
But, happily lor us, all tne irutnsoi science
do not require such grand or minute subjects
for our contemplation, in order that we may
learn them, for around every household fire,
in every family circle, at every meal, and dur
ing all our daily avocations, plenty of myste
ries occur which require as careful examina
tion and patient thought for their complete
elucidation, before they are placed among the
facts that are proved, as did tho steam engine
or tbe atomic theory.
The age has gone by when the ordinary cir
cumstances by which we are surrounaea re
quire to be catalogued, but the age has come,
in which causes must be assigned for every ef
fect i and to discover "the reason why" of
some phenomena should now be the aim of ev
ery intelligent individual.
The men who lead the van of knowledge
have plenty of work on hand ; and it is for the
people in their winter's leisure to learn and
spread what may be truly called 'home truths.'
In chemistry, in physiology, in geology, and
household economy, in fact, in all tbe scien
ces, there is much to be done ; and we should
like to see the people prove the value of tbe
knowledge they hare already received, by pay
ing an interest, by adding inlormation truth
of every kind into tbe common fund. 15y
so doing, each person would not only be con
tributing to their own and others' happiness,
but would also be, in the truest sense, further
ing the glory of the Divine Bciug.
TKIAL TSIP OF THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
Major II oratio Allen, the engineer of the
New York aud Erie Railroad, in a speech
made during the recent festival occasion, gave
the following account of the first trip made
by a locomotive on this continent: "When
was it 7 Who was it 1 And who awakened
its movement I It was in tbe year 1828, on
tbe banks of the Lackawaxen, at the com
mencement of the railroad connecting the
canal of the Delaware and Hudson Canal
Company with their coal mines and he who
addresses you was the only person on that
locomotive. The circumstances which led to
my being alone on the engine were these :
Tbe road bad been built in the summer ; tbe
structure was of hemlock timber, and the
rails of large dimensions notched on caps
placed far apart. The timber bad cracked and
warped from exposure to tbe sun. After a-
bout three hundred feet of straight line, tbe
road crossed the Lackawaxen Creek on trestle
work about thirty feet high, with a curve of
three hundred and fifty-five to four hundred
feet radius. The impression was very gener
al that this iron monster would either break
down the road or it would leave the track at
the curve and plunge into the creek. My re
ply to such apprehensions was, that it was too
late to consider the probability of such oc
currences ; there was no other course but to
have a trial made of the strange animal, which
had been brought here at a great expense ;
tut that it was not necessary that more than
one shoud be involTJd in its tate ;JthtI would
take the first ride atone, and the time wonld
come when I should look back to tbe incident
with great interest. As I placed my hand on
the throttle-vale handle, I was undecided.
whether I would move slowly or with a fair
degree of speed ; but believing that the road
would prove safe, and preferring, if we did
go down, to go handsomely, and without any
evidence of timidity, I started with consider
able velocity, passed the curve over the creek
safely, and was soon out of bearing of tbe
vast assemblage. At the end of two or threo
miles I reversed the valve and returned with
out accident to the place of starting, having
thns made the first railroad trip by locomotive
on the Western hemisphere."
: France and thk Ujiited States. The Pat
rie a French paper, protests against the doc
trine that Europe ia not to interfere with po
litical affairs on tbe continent, and scouts the
"Monroe doctrine," ; It concludes a long ar
ticle npon tbe subject as follows : Tbe United
States will not affect in the world what power
ful Kossia, w ith her army of a million of men,
with ber fleets, with the genious of ber Czars,
and with the dicipline and the tenacity of
her inhabitants has not been able to do in
Europe. They will not succeed in contesting
her legitmate share of influence wherever she
may : usefully exercise it. We do not at all
intend to oppress them, but they must know
that Europe will not allow herself either to be
excluded or bnmilliated. It is necessary that
they should know that we will not abandon
either in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean or
the Black sea the cause of right and of civil
ization. :-
Col. Sutter, tbe man who first discovered
gold in California, is poor. .He owned 145.00Q
acres of tbe richest land in the State, There
Sacramento and Marysyille stand, but ow
reduced to a small farm with a shaky title.
Nevertheless he makes tbe most of his farm,
and has now in his garden, : it is said, 12,000
grape vines, besides fig, nectarine, peach x a
prlcot, and almond trees ia abundasce.
PASS THE PEPPER.'
Of all the aromatic which are partaken of .
by man as fiavorers to his food, there is none"
more common than penDcr. and when unadul
terated, its tendency, in small quantities, is
rather to aid digestion than otherwise. The
three important peppers commonly found on
th dinner table are white, black and cayenne.
all natives of tho tropics. They are much
used (to slimulato digestion) by their human
brethren those bot and choleric old nabobs
who confer a benefit on the world oy living in
hot climates far removed from the haunts of
civilized life. Thus the chow-chows, curries,
and other hot dishes so relished by your yellow-faced
East and West Indians, owe their
flavor and pungency to the amount of peppef
that they contain. : -
There is one vsriety of the genus Piper t
which the white and black peppers belong
(cavenne being a member of the genus capsi
cum, called so, by the bye, from a Greek word
which signifies to bite) this variety is a great
favorite with housekeepers and cooks, and has
received from them the flattering name of "alt
spice," as it combines in itself the flavor of
cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon ; it glows plen
tifully in Jamaica and other American isianus,
where it was hrst dtscoverea uy me apamaras,
who gave it the name of Pimenta de Jamaica
The French call it the "round clove." :
Black pepper is cultivated in large qnanu-'
ties in Malacca, Java, and especially at Sumat
ra, the trade of these places being almost ex
clusively in these spices. A peppef garoea
during the ripening ot the pod is a lovely sight,
being a large plot marked out into regular
squares of six feet, in each of which are plant
ed young trees called chinkareens, that serve aa
props to the pepper vines. When the prop has
reached twelve leel nign, ii ia cm, uu uu u
vines planted, two to each prop, a Tine ia
threo years in coming to maturity, and the
fruit, which grows in long spikes, 12 tbree or
four months in ripening. The berries are pluck
ed as soon as ripe, and spread on mats Upon
the ground to dry, by which process they be
come black and shriveled, and are. imported
here as black pepper. In New York city, and
distributed throughout the States, are many
mills where pepper is gronnd, and, we are sor
ry to say, it olten sophisticated with burnt
crust of bread and other adulterations. ,
The Sumatrans once did a gennine Yankee
trick in connection with pepper.wbich is worth
recording. Tbey steeped the pepper corns in
water until their shells or onter coat burst and
then drying them without it,, sold for throe
times tbe price of the black, as a different Spe-.
cies, to the East India Company, who then-monopolized'
the pepper trade. The company,
having" swallowed tbe story, made the buyers
swallow it'too, and ever since we have badtb
two peppers, whTfe and black, both coming
from the same plant, but one possessing its
coat, and the other being deprived of that use
ful appendage, and so weakened in its pungen-;
cy. The enect oi pepper is stimniauve. ua
carmiDitive, and as a condiment itaecms not
only to add a peculiar flavoi; ol its own to dish-.
es into whose composition, it may enter, but
also to develop the flavor of the other ingre-
dieuts. ' Taken in small quantities. it warms
the whole systems but if a large dse placeU
on tbe palate, it seems to burn the tongaend
throw the whole mouth into a perfect glow.
As a medicine it has been proved beneficial in
cases of vertigo, paralysis, and intermittent. .,
Tho pungency depends on the presence ot au
aromatic resin, w hich can be extracted by
lw. nnl ls.r.tml ami nr;llv VlV 'wrtr. .
Cayenne was first noticed on the coast ot
Guinea, and has been generally, used by the
natives of those climes in which it grows as a
Strengthener for the stomach. It is .an extra
ordinary fact, but still true, that although sar
ages may be unacquainted with the polite arts,
they are generally well informed on the subject
rr ristronomv. and to suit their sometimes pe--
culiar tastes, they generally discover,aU the !
edible good things which their native soil af
fords. It cannot be denied that hunger and.
tli. n.lifa r. irrt pn HmllTPM- and thn atom-..
ach. much as we abhor elnttony. does much?
for civilization ; in fact, his stomach and iu .
wants distinguish man from the brutes, for, aa "
Dr. Kitchener correctly observed, "Man is tbe
only cooking animal." . "x?: . . ..
The cayenne of commerce is the grain of
seed of the capsicum ground and mixed with
flour and then baked into little cakes in an o
ven ; these are again broken np and mixed
with more flour and placed in jars for sale.
The tree or plant is very beautiful, and forms
a great ornament to a garden, but it is Terr
tender and requires much care. It is more
pungent than either white or black peppers,
and is often adulterated with logwood and ma
hogany sawdust and red lead ; this latter can,
however, be easily detected by placing a spoon
ful carefully in a" glass of water, when, should
it contain any red lead, it will form its specif! o
gravity quickly drop to tbe bottom, while the
cayenne will ink but slowly. A very pleas
ant drink may be made for these cold winter
nights, and one that is bealtby too, frern pep
per. Here is tbe recipe : Place three er four
lumps of sugar with half ateaspoonrol ef pep
per in a tumbler and fill np with hot water;,
when the sugar is dissolved, drink. It is not
only pleasant to the palate, but warms the
whole body more effectually and quicker than
any spirits. Those ot onr readers who try the
recipe once will often, during tbe coming wia
ter.when the fire bnrns low, and they feel chil
ly generally, exclaim in the langnsge of . oar
caption, "Pass the Pepper.", , ', ( , .
A Mr. Gerard, in a speech at NewTork, a
few days since, told too folks that 60,000 chil
dren attended the public shools. Ho then
asks : "Have not these 60,000 children 120,
000 parents? Appeal to tbenj and, yon will
raise a powerful voice which will "sweep away
anvtbing that opposes yon, like tbe chad be
fore the wind." ' This is a specimen of the
style in which statistics are manufactured
The orator overlooked tbe fact that a few of
the sixty thousand children were brothers and
sisters. Cin.- Com. '. .J ,.... ,T
Askisq the Qrssnos. A Vermont editor
advises the young ladies of that section to a
bandon the "good old way", of doing np mat
ters in the courting line, and recommends tbe
following summary method : ' When yon bare
got, a man to the sticking point that is when
he proposes donV torn away yoor bead, or
affect to blush all these tricks are understood
now but jnst look him rigbt fn tbe face, fcix
him a bearty smsck, and tell bim t0,Ti-r,
Ont delay and 'order the fornfttrra . " ""
'.i'tt woqli bo grew.
If folly jrerJ"'
ing la er-