J -. ';
XSLL
CLEARFIELD, 3PA., . WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, I.85&
by s. b. now.
VOL. 5. NO. 18.
-X- : v-- v. " . .. .. .-. . ....
For the '-Raftsman's Journal."
MARRIED, BUT 'OT MATEO.
Where Flymen's torch is lighted
'i 'By, mercenary art,
Where vows are duly plighted,
-While hearts are far apart,
Where prompted by ambition,
Or selfishness alone.
Where aiming at position,
- Convenience, or a home,
Where thiDgs that should be hated
Prepare the "silken cord,'
' Then, married, but not mated,
I j read in every word.
When hooiid by sad reflection,
" To view with grief and pain,
The noblest, best affection.
All lavished but in rain,
-When disappointment crushed
-The true and trusting aoul,
. And for revenge it rushes
l:pon tho '-fatal goal,"
. A thorny path they 'ro fated . '"
Forever to pursue,
j - . t . .
- Ana mwnea, out not matea9
Is writ on all they do.
LkClaibb.
DEN OF THE ROBBERS.
A THRILLING ITOBI.
Soon after the close of the last war between
Great Britain and the United States, Thomas
Stogdon, a tobacco planter living in the west
cm part of Virgiuia, started on a journey lor
the purpose of transacting some private busi
ness which required his attention in one of the
nurth-uastern counties of that State. His
route lay across one of the loftiest spurs of
the Blue Ridge, the longest and most pictur
esque mountain range in the South.
As the times were troubled, and the passage
across the mountains considered dangerous on
account of the robin; rs who infested them, Mr.
Stogdon, went nut only well mounted, but well
armed a brace of trusty horseman's pistols
being carried, according to the cn-tom of the
day, in front of the rider and attached to the
forepart of the saddle.
The third night after leaving home he stop
ped at a roadside inn, distant about five miles
lrom the base of the mountain. On dismount
ing, he observed that one ol the horse's shoes
had been lost, and directed another to Ihj put
on at the shop attached to the inn. He rose
early the next morning and resumed his jour
ney, with a view of obtaining a morning pros
pect of the mountain and the scenery of the
subjacent country, which he had heard was
Tery nae.
Hi horse soon began to limp, ond was quite
lame when he reached the base of the moun
tain. Supposing that the shoe had been un
skilfully put on at the inn. he stopped at the
blacksmith's shop, near the foot of the ridge,
and had tho horse' toot examined. After dil
igent scrutiny, the workman said that the lame
ness was not produced by the shoe, which was
.properly adjusted and fastened to the hoot.
By the request of Mr. Stogdon, tho smith
examined all the shoes, but could find no cause
for lameness in the fit or make of any of them.
Ilis quick eye, however, detected a ring of
ruffled or lifted hair running around one of the
li'uri legs of the horse, just above the fetlock,
liaising the hair, lie observed that the flesh
was bloody, and much swollen. On more care
ful examination, he discovered that a small
cord of silk had been tied so tightly around
the leg that it had cut into the flesh producing
inflammation of the part and, doubtless also the
lameness of the horse.
The discovery at ouce excited the suspicion
of the workman, who was both honest and
shrewd. Calling the attention of the traveler
to the cord, which he speedily detached from
the lrg of the horse, he expressed his appre
hension that foul play of some sort was medi
tated. A few years before, he related, a rider
le horse hail come down from the mountain
and was found to be lame from a similar cause
alight silken cord having cut in almost to the
bone of the animal's leg. The owner had
never been heard of, and it was believed that
he was murdered and his body concealed in the
.mountain. -'
The Smith suggested to Mr. Stogdon the
precaution of examening the priming and
loading of his pistols. On examining, tho
Hints and printing in the pans were found to be
in proper condition, but the loads had been
withdrawn from both barrels, and wads of
cloth substituted in their place.
The suspicions of Mr. Stogdon were fully
aroused by these proofs of a premeditated de
sign of some sort upon him. He was a bold,
brave man, however, and did not once think of
changing his route or of abandoning his jour
ney across the mountains. Carefully reload
ing, and testing the reliability of his pistols,
lie bado adieu to his honest counsellor after
suitably rewarding hiru for his labor and advice
and rode otF.
The morning was already far advanced when
be began to ascend the mountain. The road
for several miles wound aloug its southern sido
tuidway between the base and the summit.
The prospect was grand and beautiful beyond
his nioht sanguine expectations. To tho right
the mountain ran down by degrees, abrupt or
regular to the champaig 10 country, which,
stretched out as tar as the eye could reach,
was covered with tobacco f-rms, corn-fields,
dwellings, and all the diversified objects pe
culiar to a Virginia landscape. On the left
jthe Blue Ridge rose up like a mighty arch
springing to meet and support the aky, exhib
iting in rich profusion, all the grand and moat
of the beautiful features of mountain scenery.
' Delighted with the scene and absorbed with
the emotions which it inspired, Mr. Stogdon
rode slowly forward, recalling only occasion
ally, and for a moment, the suspicions excited
by the events of the morning. After running
for nearly five miles along the mountain, tho
road by an abrupt turn, struck towards the
summit through a deep gorge, whose jagged
side slanted upwards to great heights on eith
er hand.
Shut out from the prospect of the subjacent
country and hemmed in by steep acclivities,,
Mr. Stogdon, reveited more frequently to the
mysterious developments which bad come to
light at the blacksmith's shop, and becania
bpth aert and cautious in bis movements
Arranging his pistols so that they could easi
ly be withdrawn from the holsters, he urged his
horse to a quick pace as soon as he entered
the gloomy avenue of the narrow gorge.
He had gone about a mile, when bo saw,
some fifty yard ahead of him, a large boulder
or earthy ridge, shooting nearlv across the
ovenue, and leaving only a space broad enough
for tho road be4, between its edge and tho
steep ide of the gprge. It was a spot favor
able for an attack by surprise, and Mr. Stogdon
surmised, et once, if enj was meditated
upon him, it would be made from that point
Checking the pace of his horse, therefore he
rode slowly forward and entered the narrow
pss. He had scarcely reached the middle of
the defile, which was about twenty yards in
length, when two men rushed from behind the
farther side of the boulder into the road, and
stood, with levelled guns, only ft few yards
distant from Mogdon. His horse, frightened
at the sudden appearance of the men, whose
blackened faces and shaggy clothes made
them look hideous enough to startle both ri
der aid steed, shied and refused to go for
ward.
1 nc robbers advanced and demanded as
thev approached, the purse and the valuables
of the traveler, promising to spare his life, if
he would surrender them without noise or re
sistance. Without making any reply, Mr.
Stogdon quickly drew forth a pistol from the
holster. A derisive smilo passed over the
faces of Ins assailnnts at sight of the weapon.
It was levelled and fired at the nearest robber,
who fell dead upon the spot. The other star
tled at the report, and terrified by the fall of
his companion, instead of firing droppel it
and fled in the direction from which . he had
come.
Before Mr. Stogdon could draw and present
his other pistol, the robber had turned the
corner of the boulder and was out of sight.
Urging his horse forward with some difliculty,
for the dead body of the robber lay in the
road and the animal could scarcely be made
to pass it, he discovered a lateral gorge enter
ing from behind the boulder, to the one along
which the highway ran. Hoping to overtake
the escaped robber, ho entered the gorge and
rode some distance along its rocky bottom.
The sceno was wild and dreary, presenting
whatever is grand and impressive in a moun
tain solitude. The deep basin of the gorge,
covered with rock and tangled undergrow th,
and shaded almost to gloom by the dense,
overhanging forest, seemed a fit retreat for
marauding bands. It required no common
nerve to penetrate alone into its recesses in
pursuit of a robber. But the blood of the
travelor was up, and he little heeded the risk
he was running.
As he could neither sec nor hear anything
to direct him in tho pursuit, Mr. Stogdon
checked his horse ami remained motionless
for a short time, sheltered by the accidental
screen of a low bushy tree, from observation
in the direction the gorge receded from
the road. The song of tho mouutain birds.
and the low murmur of tiny waterfalls, were
the only sounds he heard. The robber had
vanished like a shadow, and neither eye nor
ear could tell the direction he had gone. .
Having mado up his mind to abandon the
pursuit, Mr. Stogdon was in the act ol turning
his horse's head towards the road, when he
caught through the branches of the tree in
front of him, the glimpse of a man running
rapidly np the sido of the gorge, some dis
tance further tip the dehle. As pursuit on
horseback np the steep acclivity was impossi
ble, he remained in his positson and watched,
as well as I c could, the movements ot the
retreating figure, which be had no doubt was
that of the fugitive robber.
Climbing from crag to crag, tho robber
stopped at length in lront of two ledges of
rock which projected from tho mountain, a
few feet apart, thus miking an entrance or
pass-way into the side of the defile. He look
ed earnestly for a moment in the direction he
had como and then, entering between the
rocks, disappeared from the sight of the trav
eller. Convinced th.it he had discovered the den
of the robbers, Mr. Stogdon at once decided
to return to the blacksmith shop at the base
of the mountain, and give information to
the neighborhood. Making a careful occular
exploration of the surrounding scenery, and
fixing in his mind as many objects us he could,
which might serve to identify the spot where
the robber had disappeared, he turned bis
horse's head arid soon reached the narrow pass
in the main road. The body of the dead robber
lay as be fell, with the blood puddled around it.
Forcinj his horse with d.fliculty to pass it, he
rode with a rapid pace, and soon reached the
shop, where ho found several of the neighbor
ing planters and the smith still busy with
speculation upon the mysterious developments
which the latter had witnessed in the morning.
Mr. Stogdon related to his eager and won
dering listeners his adventure in the moun
tain, the death of one robber and the probable
discovery of the place ol" retreat of perhaps
many more. In a few hours ttiu news spread
through the neighborhood, and brought to
gether a company of forty or fifty men at the
shop. It was decided, without a dissenting
voice, to ascend the mountain and storm the
den ot the robbers. Guns, axes, dogs, and
conveyances were soon provided, and tho line
of march speedily commenced.
Tho cavalcade moving with celerity ana in
silence, soon reached the spot where the dead
robber still lay. The black coating being
wiped from thu face, the body was recognized
it once as tho body of tlie landlord ot tho
hotel at which Mr. Stogdon had staid the
night before. The suspicions of the neigh
borhood, long entertained as to his character,
were now comrdetclv confirmed. He was the
confederate of a band of robbers, and his hotel
was an outpost where plans were conceited
and tho selected victims disarmed and sent
helpless to be robbed and murdered in tho
mountain.
The body was placed upon a baggage cart,
and sent, with proper explanations, in the
care of a servant, to the family at the hotel.
So secretly had his connection with the rob
bers been maintained, that the return 01 me
corpse and the developments which followed
were the first intimation which nis wire ana
children had of his criminal associations.
After the-brief delav occasioned by the ex
amination and removal of the body of the rob
ber the company proceeded tinder the direc
tion of Mr. Stogdon, along the lateral gorge,
towards the place where the confederate rob
ber had disappeared between the projecting
ledges of rock. At a point opposite the sup
posed cave they dismounted, and securing
their horses among tho bushes, began to climb
up tho steep declivity. In a lew moments, ar
riving at different routes, the men and dogs
were all assembled at the designated point.
The evidences of human inhabitancy were un
mistakable. The ground immediately in irons
of the rocks was trodden and hard. Worn
paths branched off in several directions from
the spot. The entrance, a narrow passage be
. n.oiectinz rocks, ran inwardly,
and the avenne, except a few feet at the ope
ning, was dark and entirely impenetrable to
the eye. It led CT'.aenuy xuw v. v -
terranean shelter of some sort, Which the com
pany prepared at once to explore'. - -.-.
Dry branches of trees and dead Undergrowth
were gathered, tied into bundles and llgfcted
with Ure kindled with flint and tinder, i With
these for torches, six of the most resolute flien
entered the opeuing between the rocks, vrfth 1
view of exploring tho interior to which it led
The passage was so narrow that only two could
walk abreast. Two men in front b.ro te-rCheS,
as did the two in the rear. I he middle cou
pie carried muskets heavily charged. -- '(
As they advanced the passage rapidly wi
dened, and the loot sprang up to a great night
overhead. They had gone about twenty paces
from the eatrauce when a blazo of light, c-
companiea uy me aimosi simultaneous report
of fire-arms, flashed forth from a distant inte
rior point of the" cave. The two men in front
fell to the earth. Discharging their muskets
in the direction of the flash, the others vtr ci
ted from the cave, dragging tbeiriallen conw
panions after them, one oKwbotn was serious
ly wounded, ami the other entirely dead. ' , '
Enraged at the spectacle of blood and death i
thu beseigers began more resolutely, tho work
of asstult upon the cave, lor such it was now.
ascertained to be, and of considerable dimen
sions, too. An effort was made to induce the
dogs to enter. The more resolute advanced a
few paces, and then ran back in apparent alarm.
The majority stood at the entrance and bark
ed, but could not be enticed by words or blows
to go further. ;.
Another expedient was triod. A targe tree
was cut down and riven into bolts of consider
able length and thickness. - A double row of
these timbers was placed upright across the
entrance passage, some tweuty feet from the
opening, and securely wedged and braced so
as to form a barricade or wall. The powder
in all thu horns and flasks, except a few rounds
reserved in each, was poured in a pile on the
ground near the upright timbers. Another
barricade, similar to the inner one was con
structed in front and close to the powder, a
train bting first laid from the pile through a
notch in the timbers, to the outer edge ot the
barricade. A line of dry leaves was formed,
extending from the powder several feet out
side the entrance.
Tho crowd having retired to a safe distance
or hid behind trees and rocks, the train of
leaves was fired by a man who quickly gained
tho shelter of a large tree close by the cave.
In a few moments a terrific explosion fairly
shook the mountain and filled the air with sul
phurous vapor. A stitl breezo blowing direct
ly into thu mouth of the cave soon dissipated
the smoke, when it was found that both barri
cades had been thrown down by the concus
sion, but the sides and roof of the cave re
mained nnharmed.
Night was coming on. A detachment of
men was sent back to the settlement for pro
visions and such materials as would be needed
in the execution ot the next plan of assault
which it was decided to pursue. Tiio rest re
mained as a guard over the now imprisoned
robbers. Building a large fire near the en
trance of the cave, they watched and slept by
turns until morning.
At daylight the recruiting party returned,
bringing more men, provisions for man and
horse, and materials for the further prosecu
tion of the assault upon the cave.
After eating a hasty meal and feeding their
horses, the assailants collected iarge quanti
ties of wood, green and dry, and then begin
ning as far inwardly in the entrance to the
cave as they could venture to go, they piled it
up in successive layers, interspersing dried to
bacco stalks and leaves and sulphur iu great
abundance, among the wood, until only a small
fpace was left between the top of the pile and
tho root ot the passage, lhe outer end ot
the heap was then set on flte. A strong wind
blowing directly into the mouth of tho cave,
spread the flames rapidly through the pile, and
drove the smoke in a dense column into the
cave, the narrow avenue between the wood
and the roof serving as a flue to conduct the
interior.
Xo voice or sound came from the cave, or,
if any was uttered, it was lost in the roar of
tho fire, which blazed and crackled, and flam
ed in the narrow passage until it glowed and
shot forth sparks and smoke like the crater of
a volcano during an eruption. For several
hours the fire raged with unabated violence,
fresh fuel being constantly supplied from the
adjacent wood. The smoke, having filled the
cave streamed out in dense masses aud tloated
off in the direction of the wind to tho upper
hights of the mountain.
At length the lire was permitted to burn
down. A stream of water issuing close by,
from the side of the mountain, furnished tho
ready means for cooling the rocks and extin
guishing the smouldering embers. But it was
uot until a late hour in the evening that tho
smoke had escaped from the cave sufliciently
to permit an entrance to be made.
With lighted torches, and armed with guns
and pistols, the crowd crept cautiously into
gloomy cavern, lhe passage which led to it,
widening rapidly as they advanced, spread out
into a spacious room. Into this ante-chamber
several small lateral fissures or apartments o
pened. The cave, thoagh- produced by some
convulsion of nature, possessed much regular
ity, and the sides and thu roof were all ot solid
rock. The lorch-Iight. redening in the smoke,
and reflected feebly from the rocky surface,
lit up the gloom with an obscure radiance
which increased the norror 01 tue place, inu
crowd, advancing and dispersing with appre
hensive look and cautious steps, looked, amid
the sullen light, like a phantom host returning
to their covert in the mountain from the glare
of the outer day.
In the large room casks, boxes and barrels
were found, tilled with meat, flour and eatables
of various kinds. In the lateral fissures beds,
guns, ammunition, cooking utensils, table fur
niture, and, in short, almost everything neces
sary to the rude comfort and convenience of a
subterranean dwelling, were arranged in some
thing like household order. The dead bodies
of five men, of an old woman, and of a boy,
apparently fifteen or sixteen j-ears old, lay
scattered through the several apartments, liv
id and discolored in the race, anu most muc
ous to look upon.
After making a full exploration of the cave,
and removing from it every aiticle of value,
the crowd withdrew, leaving the bodies of the
robbers as they lound them, unburied and un
remirnized. The cave which had been their
abode thus became their sepulchre, and to
this dav the traditions of the assault upon the
robbers' den lives in the memory of the pep,
pie in that section of the old Dominion.
Bread at pleasure, drink by measure,"
tODGIXGS FOR BOOTS.
A Georgia exchange tells the following?
; "boots" story : A -short time ago one of our
citizens, who loves his joke about as well as
folks usually do; had Occasion to visit one of
the small towns in the interior of the State,
and knowing he would have considerable walk
ing over muddy roads, betook with him a pair
of loug robber boots. "-He arrived at his des
tination; about 9 o'clock in tho evening, and,
upon inquiry, he found the only tavern in the
place was half a mile -from the station. Ho
conveyance waslo ve bad, and the road was
muddy'in the extrem Congratulating him
self on having his long -boots, he set off and
found jthe mud in soms spots so deep his boots
were barely long enough. He reached the ho
tel at last, looking rather soiled about the
Xet. Alter supper he : inquired the charge
for lodgings. .;. . . ".
We usually Jcharge," , answered the land
lord, who also ;Lad aome fun in bis composi
tion, "twenty -five cents ; but if a man goes to
bed with such boots as, them on' pointing to
his customer' fcret,'we-chargj -filty cents."
i "A very good idea, I should think," return
ed the traveler. . j .. .
After half an hour's conversation, the land
lord allowed him to his room, aud they parted
for- the night mutually pleased with each oth
er. The nexC" morning our friend arose late,
and, inquiring for the landlord, learned that
he had gone from home t attend to some
business. "After breakfastTie handed a dollar
to the landlord's wife, saying:
"There is fifty cents for my snppcr and
breakfast and fifty cents for my lodging."
"Twenty-five cents is all we charge for lodg
ing," said tho landlady.
"l'cs," returned the traveler, "under ordi
nary ciicumstances ; but In this case fifty
cents is not too much."
Tbe stranger departed, and the lady was in
deep conjecture as to Khat could bo the cir
cumstances which required a man to pay dou
ble price for lodgings, when her husband re
turned.
"Has that roan who slept in the front cham
ber come down yet 1" he asked.
"Yes," answered his wife, "and he has gone
away. He paid fifty cents for his lodgings,
and said under the circumstances it was right."
"The d-1 he did 7"' exclaimed the landlord.
rushing up stairs. His wife followed, to learn
the meaning of such strange proceedings, and
found her husband with the bed clothes turn
ed down, and her best bed looking more fit to
plant potatoes in than it did for any human be
ing to sleep in.
"l'on saw that man when he came here last
tight 1" said her husband.
" Yes."
"You saw his boots, didn't yon T"
"Yes."
"Well," said the landlord "the Infernal
enss slept in 'em."
A few days after, the traveler, on his return
home, put up again at the same tavern. .Nei
ther himself nor the landlord said anything a-
bout the boots, which were in about the same
condition as on tho previous occasion ; but
the landlady looked daggers at him, and eyed
his boots with much anxiety. About 10 o'
clock he said he would retire.
"And, by the way, landlord," said he, with
a merry twinkle in his eve, "what do you usu
ally charge for lodgings 1"
"Vte charge, answered the landlord, with
tremendous emphasis, "twenty-five cents !"
Something more about Salt.
In the very center of the State of Xew York
there are extensive beds of salt far below the
surface of the earth. Geologists assert that
the sea waves once flowed where these saline
deposits are now found ; be that as it may,
however, hundreds of miles of plain, hill and
mountain now intervene between them and the
ocean. They are valuable as a source of rev
enue and wealth to the State, employing a cap
iat ol about three millions of dollars. The
amount of salt sent from these springs to mar
ket this year is 6,800,000 bushels, of which
4,500,000 were shipped from Syracuse by way
01 Oswego for the Canadas and the Upper
Lake districts. Very little of this product
comes east to tidewater, it being mostly used
in the interior. The salt is obtained from
deep brine wells in the vicinity of Syracuse,
tho brine being partly evaporated by solar and
artificial heat. Largo sheds, covering hun
dreds ot acres of ground, contain the troughs
for exposing the brine to the sun in summer;
but in winter the brine is evaporated in pans,
and the salt obtained hv a forced concentra
tion. The skimmings of tho salt-pans are sold
to farmers in the neighborhood for fertilizing
purposes, and when mixed with woo1 ashes.
they mako an excellent top dressing for grass
lands.
Am as a Stimulant. The exciting and
stimulating properties of pure oxygen are well
known, and every one has felt the invigorating
influence of fresh air, yet no practical appli
cation has been made of these beneficial pro
perties of a substance so cheap and universal.
n lien the body is weak, the brain fatigued.
and tho whole system in a state of lassitude,
just go into the open air, take a few vigorous
inspirations and expirations, and the effect
will be instantly perceived. The individual
trying the experiment will feel invigorated
and stimulated, the blood will course with
freshness, the lungs will work with increased
activity, the whole frame will feel revivified,
and nature's stimulant will be found the best
Cheap Liviso. It doesn't cost much to live
in India. Rice, the chief food of the peoplo,
costs half a cent a pound ; the cost of the
huts in which the people live is not more than
$2, aud the cotton cloth necessary to clothe a
man, or woman either, may cost $1 per year.
Shirts, hats and shoes are voted entirely un
necessary. This is cheap living in every sense
of the word. Think of a teoman being clothed
for $1 per year ! We should not be surprised
shonld there be a large emigration of married
men in the spring to this land of promise, to
which crinoline has not yet penetrated, and
where bonnets are unknown, if these facts are
brought prominently before the public.
When the body of the illustrious hero of
Trafalgar was put into a cask of spirits to be
transported to old England, the bun accident
ally fell out, and one of his Lordship's finger
made its appearance at the opening. A sea
man, who had for some years served in tho
Admiral's ship, seized the hand, and gave it a
cordial gripe, at the same time wiping away a
tear that glistened on bis weather-beaten
cheek, exclaimed, "Hang me, old boy if 70a
are not in better spirits than any of us !"
1 : Thb CttiTKAt, Amebicas Imbroglio. The
N. Y. Conner and Enquirer gives the follow
ing abstract of the documents recently trans
mitted to Congress relative to the state of af
fairs as between this country and Central A-jnericas-
. ; . . v.: c
"It proves to be false that Sir William Gore
Ousery has concluded a treaty with an agent
.-of Nicaragua.' " '
It proves to be false that Sir William is en-
'deavoring to consummate any treaty with the.
Central American Republics to which objec
tion is made by our own government.
t It proves to be false that an Anglo-French
fleet has been ordered to the gulf, or that any
fnovement has been made by the allies towards
exercising a protectorate over Nicaragua, or
enforcing the Belly or any other contract for a
transit route across the Isthmus.
f It proves to be false that Spain is designing
to re-subjugate any portion of Mexico, iu satis
faction for what she considers her grievances,
j It proves to be false that the American stea
mer Catharine Maria was boarded by a British
officer, or in any wise improperly interfered
with. , ;
The statement respecting the boarding of
the Washington, it proves, were a gross exag
geration ; the act was not an assertion of the
police right ot search, but was intended simp
ly as a friendly visit of enquiry, and prompted
by, a wish to act in concert with our vessels a
gainst the filibusters.
It is true that there is a certain diflerence
between onr Government and thu English res
pecting the existence and validity of the Mos
quito Protectorate, but such a difference has
long existed; and instead of furnishing fresh
reasons for concern, this correspondence re
veals that one of the objects of Sir William
Gore Ouseley's mission to .Nicaragua is to
terminate that protectorate and enter into oth
er relations more satisfactory to our Govern
ment. In short, the documents, in letter and
spirit, from beginning to end, all go to estab
lish the almost perfect harmony of the policy
of England and of the United States towards
Central America, and mako the chances of
war more infinitessimal than ever. The
mare's-nest hunters havo made tbcmselve
ridiculous.
A Whale Stoet. According to Mr. Beale,
it is a perfectly well authenticated fact that
the good ship '-Essex," of America, was des
troyed in the 1 acme ocean by an enormous
sperm whale. As wo cannot improve upon
Mr. Beale's narrative, says the Dublin Univer
tity Magazine for Aor., that gentleman shall
speak lor himself : "While," says he, "the
greater part of the crew were away in a boat
killing whales, the few people remaining on
board saw an enormous whale coming up close
to the ship,- and when very near he nppenred
to sink down for the purpose ot avoiding the
vessel; and in doing so he struck his body
against some part of the keel, which was
broken off by force of the blow, and floated
to the surface. The whale was then observed
to rise a short distance from the ship, and to
come with apparently great fury towards it,
striking one ot the bows with bis head with
amazing force, and completely staving it in."
The ship filled and sank ; tho catastrophe be
ing viewed by the boat's crews only a short
distance removed. Their position was terri
ble ; hundreds of miles from the nearest land
their ship engulphcd by the waves what were
they to do ? The few sailors on board con
gregated in the remaining boat, taking with
them a short snpply of provisions; then, a
long with the other boats, they steered for the
coast of Peru. All perished in unheard ol suf
fering save three. Even these, wild and stu
pified, were allowing their frail boat to drift
where it listed, when lcing observed, they
wero rescued from the very jaw ot death.
The Niw Bell or Westminster. The
great bell only was tried yesterday, says the
London Times of the I9th ult., and not with
the hammer, but with the clapper. The first
few strokes were freely given, to see tht all
was clear about thu monster, and this fact be
ing satisfactorily ascertained, some men were
set to work to pull down the tarpaulings which
hung round the open arches of the bell-chamber
to protect the workmen from the keen
wind, but which, on this occasion, would have
kept in the sound sufSciently to half deafen
all in the tos-er. It was impossible, however,
to remove a wooden boarding on the north side
of the temporary wooden' roof over the bell,
so that the trial was made under certain dis
advantages. Tho rope of the clapper was
then passed down to the clock chamber, where
Mr. Denison, settiug to work with a will, made
tho bell speak in tones uot likely to be forgot
teu soon by those who heard them in the bel
fry. The first stroke was slight, but after
wards it came, peal after peal, in a tremendous
volume of sound, that was actually painful.
It seerced to swell and grow upon the air, with
a vibration that thrilled every bone in your
body with a painful jar, becoming louder with
each gigantic clang, till one shrunk from the aw
ful reverberations as from something tangible
and dangerous to meet. Many went upon the
balustrade outside the chamber to avoid the
waves of sound that seemed eddying around
the tower ; but the escape was only a partial
relief, the great din seeming almost to pene
trate the stonework of the battlements, and
jar the very place in which one stood.
The following is an extract from a letter of
an Irish American : "Bridget, darling, come
across to me then ; its myself is doing a nate
business here with a son of Father Malone's
sure it's with his brother I mane. lie keeps a
whiskey store here, and I does tho waitin.
Ha tould me the other morning that he had no
money, and I tould him that I would take part
of the htock ivery Saturday as wages; but
say be, sure, Pat, if I pay yon that way, I
will soon have no shtock at all left, and you
will have it all. Says I to him, says 1, sure
you can work for me then, alanna, and earn it
back agin, and so we can keep it up, and be
niashters month in and month out, and wages
w ill come aisv to both of us."
Xe Sctor Ultra Crefidam." This well
known saying, that a shoemaker shonld not go
bevond his last, originated with Apelles, the
famous painter, who set a-finished picture in
a public place, and hid behind it to bear the.
criticisms of passers by. A shoemaker ob
served a defect ia tke shoe, and the painter
corrected U. The cobbler came the next day,
and encouraged by the success of his first re
mark, entered his censure to tho leg of the
figure. The angry painter thrust forth his
tead, and told, the cobbler to keep to his trade.
down and riv
In the year 1319, a young man who was rich',
and engaged in a lucrative business ia Cincin
nati, became enamored of a beautiful and
amiable girl the daughter by the .way,- of
wealthy parents and after a brief courtship .
married her. Ho loved her dearly ; she loved
him dearly. A fortune of happiness seemed .
in store for them ; but evil days came, and af
ter a brief but violent struggle with fortune,
the young man became a bankrupt. He wa
left without a dollar, bnt not without a hope.
The gold mine1 f California were open to tho
adventurous and industrious. He would leave'
bis beautiful wife and seek Its - glittering
shores, where he would remain until his fallen
foituncs were revived. He came to California,
but the cloud still hang over him. He was
active, cntcrprising.and persevering; yet while"
others around him were gathering the golden
harvest in abundance, his every object failed.
For eight years be continued thus. He be
came sick, weary and disheartened, but bis
pride would uot allow him to write home for
assistance. He was. at last reduced to sell
newspapers upen the streets for a living.
A few weeks ago ho was at Folsotu street
wharf, upon the arrival of tho mail steamer
and amoug the passengers who came ashore,
he caught a glimpse of a richly dressed lady,
whom be thought he knew. Ho followed ber
to a hotel, got a fair view, and recognized her
as his wife, whom be had not seen for eight
years. He was poorly dressed, but his affec
tion conquered his pride, and he immediately
made himself known to her. ' The recognition'
was followed by a beautiful exhibition of una
bated and unfaltering love. The lady's pa, t
rents bad died, and left ber the heiress ot ,
great wealth. She bad not heard of her hus
band for eight years, and fearing for his safety,
she resolved to visit this State and make en-'
quiries for herself. The lady closed the con
versation with ber husband by putting ber anna
around bis neck, and saying,
"Now dear George, we can go home and be
happy as we used to be." They did go borne
on the Steamer which left last Monday. This
story js strictly true. California Spirit of tk
Timet. .
Tue Devil's Tka Kettle. There is, proba
bly, no portion of the continent which affords
a wider field for geological research, than the
Great Basin of Deserct, or Utah. In that sol
itary unexplained region are many curious
salt lakes, the vestiges of a lost ocean, the
waters of which are so' strongly impregnated
with saline matter that they are little less than,
immense reservoirs of salt in solution. - Vast
rivers meander for hundreds of leagues throcgk
sterile solitudes, and at length mysteriously
disappear in the thirsty deserts. Immense de
posits of soda cause the water, in certain loca
tions. to seethe and effervesce like boiling caui
drons. Springs of sulphur, and springs, of
boiling hot water, mountains of snow and burn- ,
ing plains, smiling valleys and vast deposits
of subterranean ice, these, and a thousand
other wonders are to be seen in the Great A
mrrican basin. Lieutenant Sawtelle, of the
16th Infantry, while on the recent march across .
the continent, at a point about forty mi lea
from where tho overland rout first strikes tho
Humboldt, saw a very singular natural curios
ity, which, per compliment, we will name the
"devil's tea kettle." On the very apex of a
conical shaped mound, about eighty feet in,
height, was an unfathomable miniature lake o-'
warm water, which had no apparent outlet or
inlet. The witer was quite tepid, and perfect
ly translueent, and its surface was nearly on a,
level with the top of the cone which contained
it. Various attempts were made to fathom
this curious basin," but no bottom could bo
found. At the distance of forty feet from the .
base of the mound, were a number of gushiag
fountains, the water of which was intensely
hot. Can any one explain the mystery of th
"devil's tea kettle V Placertille Democrat
A Japanese Juggle. A recent letter from
Japan, after describing several feats ot dex
terity by a native Juggler, mentions the fol
lowing : He took two paper butterflies, armed,
himself with the usual paper fan, threw thetu
into the air, and fanning gently, kept them'
flyiug about him as if they bad been alive.
He can make thorn light wherever vou wish :'
try him !" remarked the Kami (prince) thro
the interpreter. Mr. II. requested that one
might alight upon each ear of the juggler.
No sooner expressed than complied with. Gon-:
tie undulations of the fan waved them slowly,
to the required points, and there left them
comfortably seated. Novt whether this com-
mand over pieces of paer was obtained sim
ply by currents of air, or by the power of a
concealed magnet, Mr. II. could not tell or
ascertain. One thing, however, was certain ;
the potcer vcaw there. ,
"They Sat." There is a decision fa the
last volume of Gray's Reports, which ia at
once sound morals and good law. .A woman,;
sued lor slander, defended on the ground that,
she only repeated, and without malice, what
was currently reported. The Court held to
repeat a story, which is false and slanderous,
no matter how widely it may have been circu
lated, is at the peril of the tale bearer. Slan
der cannot always be traced to its origin. Its
power of mischief is derived from repetition,'
even if a disbelief of the story accompanies
its relation. Indeed this half doubtful way.
of imparting slander,is often the surest method
resorted to by the slanderer to give currency
to his tale. '
A gentleman of nervous temperament onco,
called on Dr. Dwight, President of Yale Col
lege. One of the doctor's boys was rather
boisterous, and pestered the nervous gentle-'
man somewhat, whereupon he said to him,
"My boy, if you will keep still while iai4
talking to your father, I will give you a dol
lar." Instantly the boy bushed down, gentle .
as a sleeping Iamb. At the close of the gen
tleman's remarks, he attempted to leave with-,
out giving the boy the dollar ; but Dr. Dwight
was too fast for him. He put a dollar into the
man's hands, saying, "You promised my boy!
a dollar for good behavior. Give him that
as you promised. If sir, we lie, our children
will be liars."
A sharp young Irishman succeeded in did-:
dling a number ot metcbants in Johnstown,
by altering the $2 scrip notes of the Iron.
Company to $12. When the alteration wa '
discovered, the sharper was not to be found.
A wag says ho doesn't care a Jig whether
they get any cvrrent through tho Atlantic ca-
ble.or not, but he would like a few fresh dates.