u u
-
BY S. B. EOW.
CLEARFIELD, PA , "WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1859.
VOL. 6.TvT0. 7. .
BEAUTIFUL STANZAS.
Leaf by leaf the rosea fall,
Drop by drop the springs run dry ;
One by one, beyond recall.
Summer beauties fade and die ;
But the roses will bloom again,
And the spring will gush anew,
In the pleasant April rain
And the Summer sun and dew.
So in the hour3 of deepest gloom.
When the springs of gladness fall.
And the roses in the bloom,
Droop like maidens wan and pale,
We shall find some hope that lies
Like a silent gem apart,
. Hidden far from careless eyes,
In the garden of the heart.
Some sweet hopo to gladness wed,
. That will spring afresh and new,
When griefs winter shall have fled,
Giving place to rain and dew
Home sweet hope that breathes of sp'ring,
Through the weary, weary time
Budding for its blossoming.
In the spirit's glorious clime.
ICOPVRIGITT SECURED.
I'LEARl'IELD COIT.NTY:
OR, REMINISCENCES OF THE PAST.
The timber and spar business has brought
our merchants in contact with dealers extend
cd over a large part of our common country.
.Should we estimate the annual product of our
forests, in such lumber, at two thousand rafts
valued nt over a million of dollars we should
fall short of the actual amount. Mills on the
Delaware, Karitan, Hudson, Schuylkill, Con
necticut derive from our pineries, their prin
cipal supply of white pine and oak timber for
sawing and such is the caso with the numer
ous mills erected on the Susquehanna from
Muncy d im to Baltimore. The numerous ship
nd boat yards along the coast and at Balti
more, Philadelphia and XewYork deiive their
spirs ani decking trout ns. Oar forests sup
ply the wharf and piling timber and much of
the large lumber used in building bridges and
other large structures in this aiul adjoining
States. Although more or less lumber has,
from the origin of the business until now, been
annually exported, the trade in square timber
and spars was not until 1S12 considered remu
nerative. Prior to then it was carried on
through necessity. V It was importaut to clear
the land that bread might be raised and our
population supported and whilst the growing
trcs were considered of little or no value, our
citizens were satisfied if the pittance they then
received for their timber would pay them for
the labor of manufacturing and exporting.
But a change of policy having given an impe
tus to commerce, which called for additional
tonnage and also induced an increase in buil
ding, a higher store was set on our products
and attention was directed towards our forests.
The trade which was carried on because it was
the best thing which could be done with our
trees then became one of the first importance,
and men engaged in it as a primary instead of
accidental business, and the white pines which
were by some considered a nuisance now form
ho principal object in estimating the value of
nr land. Before leaving this subject let as
relate an incident connected with the early
history of this trade. It occurred before ma
ny rafts had descended. On a small raft des
tined for the lower marliet was John Bell, John
Bloom and several others. They had reached
a point where they considered the danger pas
sed and that it was unnecessary to keep so
many hands on the raft. Bell, Bloom, and an
other left, having provided themselves with a
small allowance of bread, sufficient for dinner.
The former was the only one who had been
down the river and thought himself familiar
with the different localities. He acted as guide
for the party and assured his companions, on
landing about noon, that he knew the route
and they would reach Clearfield before night.
They struck up on the hill and pursued their
course through the woods without a path, fol
lowing "the windings of the river until dark,
when they encamped for the night. supperless.
The next day they continued their tramp and
on their way came across a deer which had
been slain bra beast of prey. Bell partook
of a part of tho meat, but the others being
younger than he and better able to stand fa
tigue and hunger refused to eat of the raw
flesh. The party came to the river several
times during the day without finding any trace
tf the town they expected to reach the night
before, and at sunset after travelling all day
without food were compelled to lie out. Tho
bird day about noon they again descended the
bill to the river when Bell seeing something
white in the distance exclaimed that they had
passed Clearfield and were near home. He
told his companions to sit still and be would
go and catch his grey horse and return. On
joining them, Bell's companions were disap
pointed on learning that be was deceived by a
lrgc stone on the bill and that he was not cer
tain where they were. When they next came
to the river Jney met with a human being
Carson, of whom we have spoken was at his
future home,a few miles below Clearfield, pros
pecting. The first inquiry of the almost fam
ished men was as to the amount of his Btock
f provisions. It was scanty barely enough
o see him through. Bell prevailed on him to
furnish him with a small loaf and agreed to
send him in return two bushels ot wheat, and
as a Bell had agreed to do so, Carson received
his pay. That night the party reached Clear
field town.
In 1818, before oar people were aware of it,
a company was incorporated and authorized to
ronstmct beotn at Williamspont. The avow
ed object of this was to catch such timber,
spars, &c, as might be staved in the moun
tains, or swept from the moorings during high
water; but the real object was to introduce a
new system of lumbering known as log-floating,"
and carry the manufacture of the sawed
lumber from the mountain regions to the mam
moth mills which hare since been constructed
lower down the stream. By some the delay,
which it was thought would be caused by the
erection ofthe boom, was supposed would be
compensated by securing such lumber as might
otherwise be lost ; but many have constantly
and warmly opposed what they considered an
infringement on the rights of the lumbermen.
As soon as practicable after the act of incor
poration was passed, contracts were made for
the manufacture and delivery of sawed logs on
many of our smaller streams, and in 1850 the
first log-drive was witnessed by our citizens.
The floaters and raftsmen came into collision;
the latter declaring that the two systems of
lumbering were incompatible, that the vast
body of logs floating loosely out the stream
rendered rafting so risky that it must be aban
doned in case log-floating continued. Consid
ering that they had the older and better right
to the nse of the stream, in some places valu
able logs were backed or cut in two and ren
dered worthless, and many logs had spikes, old
files and other pieces of metal driven into
them, which seriously damaged the saws in
the gang mills. So determined was the oppo
sition on Chest Creek and the main stream
that no logs have been floated from above the
mouth of Clearfield creek since then. But the
floaters had purchased lands and obtained a
footing on several of the streams. Those who
at first engaged in the business, were irrespon
sible men, and for the damages occasioned no
redress cculd be obtained. Prosecutions were
commenced meetings held, and the Legisla
ture memorialized, but without effect. Other
boom companies were incorporated and the
business increased. In the spring of 1837,
the lumbermen on Clearfield creek determined
to drive the floaters from tho stream, and a
large party, armed with fire-arms, attacked the
log men, drove them off, and destroyed their
boats and provisions. The attacking party
were arrested, convicted of a riot, and pun
ished by a nominal fine. SMnce then hostili
ties have ceased without any armistice having
been agreed upon. As to who were in the
right, or what strength there is in the reasons
nrged by the advocates of the rival systems of
lumberiug, it would not be proper for ns to
say in this sketch. Log-floating continues,
and is a business of some magnitude the
contracts for logs last year amounting in the
aggregate to eighty millions of feet, for which
were paid to those who delivered them on the
bank, about three dollars per thousand feet.
The amount of logs contracted for this year
will exceed last year's contracts.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
"NOT ONE 07 THEI1 AE SOET."
The New Orleans Delia tells the following
good one: At a session of the Circuit Court
of Mississippi, in some country town, the law
yers who were in attendance were in the habit
of putting up at a house of entertainment kept
by a buxom widow lady, of 'a very high sense
of propriety, and great dignity ot deportment.
This lady always presided at the bead of the
table during meals, and the place of honor on
her right was regarded as due to the most
staid, proper and elderly member of the Bar.
By unanimous consent of the lawyers, Col. B.,
a very modest, discreet, and pious counsellor,
was selected for this distinction. Now, tho'
possessing many sterling virtues, Col. B. pos
sessed one weakness ; but it was not of the
head or heart it was of the eyelid. He had
the habit of winking incessantly and involun
tarily, which, with persons who did not know
the cause of it, left an unfavorable impression
of the Colonel's seriousness and sincerity,
lie was eternally being suspected of what he
was the last man to conceive of, to wit a de
sign of joking orquizzing everybody, all on ac
count of the perpetual motion of bis eyelids.
When, on the first occasion, the Colonel
took possession of the seat nearest to "mine
hostess," his bland and amiable expression
and dignified address created quite a favorable
impression upon her ladyship. The soup was
over, and the hostess began to ply the Colonel
with various tempting dishes, all of which he
accepted or declined, with a pleasant smile,
and with his invariable wink. At last it was
perceptible, to the company, that the hostess
was eyeing her distinguished guest rather in
quiringly and significantly. These glances
were always met by the Colonel with his usu
al smile and wink. But these amiable dem
onstrations were far from producing the ef
fect designed upon Madam, who began to frown
and look very threateningly at the innocent
Colonel, who only smiled and winked the
more fascinatingly. Finally, however, to the
very great horror of the Bar, and the utter an
nihilation of tho worthy Colonel, tho hostess
slapped the table indignantly with her right'
hand, and fixing her eyes very pointedly and
fiercely upon the object of her wrath,cried ont
at the top of her voice : "You sanctified,
weazen-faced old villain; I'll let you know
I'm not one of them ar tort ! '
What might have followed this explosion of
wrath, it would be impossible to conjecture,
but the unfortunate possessor of the weak eye
lids decamped in haste from the post of honor,
and never after could be persuaded to act the
agreeable to a buxom widow.
Sirs. Partington asks, very indignantly, if
the bills before Parliament are not counter
feit, why should there be such a difficulty in
passing them 1 .
Thd most economical time to buy cider is,
when it is not very clear, for then it will sett's
for itself. ' j
Dobbs calls Noah Webster an ensbanter be
causo of his awful spells.
A BRAZILIAN PIC-NIC.
BT nON.O. F. BERKELEY.
Having attended several of these social out
door dinner parties within a few weeks and be
ing now pretty well informed as to the "modus
operandi" in getting up these anti-aristocratic
sylvan re-unions, I must' certainly decide in
favor of having tbe.ru r tori fin ued' forever, and
will vote, the fifst -opportnaity ' lor Congress,
or the city'C0nttcit,. or the clerk of the weath
er, to pass aa act to the effect that summer
shall be continued for five years without inter
mission ; mid at the expiration of that time,
if the plan works well, wo can pass a law to
have suminet-and pic-nic's reign perpetual.
And nowy-as every body in this country
knows exactlyrhow the&e,affairs are conduc
ted in "Yankeedom,?' and '.as the spirit of im
provement is the' spirit "of'the" age,' I have
thought : that a description of tho manner of
doing the same thing in South America might
not be altogether void of interest.
I shall select, as my model, a pic-nic at
which I had the honor to act as one of the
stewards ; and if any one should discover any
improvements in the principles upon which it
was got up and carried out, they have the ful
lest liberty, so far as I am concerned, to adopt
them whenever they think proper.
It was some time in the month of December,
1813, that ten of us, citizens of Pelotas, a
beautiful town situated on the right bank of
the Rio Gonzales, in the province of Rio
Grande, put our heads together, and our wits
to work, ono afternoon,in order to conjure up,
contrive, and adopt some plan whereby we
should be enabled to kill time, or get killed
ourselves for it was terrible tedious times
with us, living there with nothing to do, and
no disposition to do it we, who for the last
six years had been constantly on the wing in
the revolutionary service against our legitimate
sovereign, DonPedroSegundo,to be thus penn
ed up without any kind of excitement, we'd
die unless we got up something that would put
our blood in circulation.
I have said that there were ten of us, and I
will now add, that we represented about as
many different nations as we did individual
specimens of humanity and that we were all
either colonels, captains, or doctors, (officers
irere plenty in that revolution,) and each of us
had a wife, and not much of anything else.
Yes we bad each a couple of first rate horses,
worth perhaps six dollars a piece, a half do
zen dogs, as many "niggers," a prinic rifle,
and a pair of choice revolvers.
The afternoon session was alout to adjourn
without having hit upon anything definite,
when Doctor Tom Veinon, whose pretty Span
ish wife had relations living somewhere on the
Paraguay river, only about a hundred leagues
distant,proposes that we should club together,
and get vp a regular pic-nic excursion, and
have a cruise in the country on horseback.
"That's it! Hurrah for Uncle Tom!" we
all shouted. "Just the thing. Wouldn't we
have a time ?"
And away we all scattered to get ready for
the cruise.
About noon on the following day,wc all met
on the Ice side of the old cathedral, men, wo
men, "niggers," horses, dogs, and provisions,
and proceeded to call a court of inquiry for
the purpose of ascertaining if we were all in
good sailing order. The result was perfectly
satisfactory. There we were ten colonels,
captains, and doctors, ten decidedly pretty
women,twenty of the blackest kind of blacks,
just forty-four horses, and dogs there were
more dogs than ever you saw in one flock, I
know.
We had lots of provisions stowed away in
in the huge raw-bide baskets, slung one on
each side of our four pack horses ; and then
among our other sea-stores we had stowed
away a lew dozen bottles of old . You sons
of temperance and teetotalers, you can't think
how warm 'tis out there. " Why, bless you, we
never hear of such a thing as cold water in
Brazil.
Well, we made sail, and got under way for
the cruise of thtee hundred miles, through a
country almost a native wilderness, swarming
with every variety of reptiles, serpents, and
wild beasts, from lb? infernal little niggers to
the monstrous puma, and infested with roving
bands of runaway blacks, native tribes of fe
rocious savages, and hordes of fierce banditti,
who robbed for amusement, and murdered for
pleasure. - . '
Pleasant, wasn't it ?
But then it was nothing to us,wbo had spent
nearly six years of our lives on horseback, In
those same woods not to ourwiveseither,who
were a brace of revolvers in their belts, twelve
inches of cold steel under their garters, and
used two stirrups to their saddles.
Well,we went through in about a week with
out accident, except losing a dog, which a
young anaconda swallowed for his breakfast
one morning, and a "nigger," that a big puma
trolled off with for bis supper one evening.
However, that was no consequence, as we had
dogs and niggers enough.
After visiting among all of our friends
and some of our enemies along the river, for
about six weeks, we set out in high spirits,
and with a fresh stock of provisions and
bottles, on our homeward bound passage.
Tor the first two days the time passed off
very agreeably, and we had lino sport running
down an ostrich, or shooting an Indian, now
and then for the fun of tho thing that is, the
ostriches the Indians we only shot to prevent
them from shooting us.
On the morning of the third day, when we
had finished our breakfast, we concluded to
have a chase after some forty or more ostriches,
which we discovered about half a mile off, and
so dispatched six of our blacks with the four
pack horses on ahead, with orders to halt on
the banks of a small river, which ran along
the edge of a broad sandy plain, where we di
rected them to have dinner prepared against
our arrival. -
The distance to the river was about eighteen
miles, and we guessed we could chase tho
long-legged birds a couple of hours, and then
have plenty of time to get through by two o'
clock, P. M., which was our usual dinner hour.
We chased the ostriches till we caught about
a dozen of them, which we. robbed of their
tails and let tticm go again.
At length we got tired of the sport, and
started off at a round gallop after our dinner,
and perbrps a taste of something olso, which
we remembered was in our leathern lockors
aboard the pack horses.
At two, precisely, we arrived at the river,
but not horse or nigger was there insight.
And worse than all, there was no d timer In
sight either not a drop of murder I we
couldn'tdrink tbatwarm,tislpld wafer.no how.
Alter ranging up and down tho ihr for Ave
miles each way, and firing guns, shouting like
a whole tribe of full-llood Monawks,and ma
king all the other noises that we could think
of, we turned our horses adrift to get their
dinners, while we lay down in the shade for
an afternoon's uap, some hungry and rery dry.
After about two hours we woke up, and had
another hunt for the "darkies," but they
wasn't there. Then we concluded that they
must have got lost, or run away ; and we knew
well enough they hand't got lost. ,
That night we camped there on the bank of
the river, in hopes that the confounded "nig
gers" might possibly repent and come back.
Not a bit of it. Day-light came, but no "nig
gers;" and so we played Indian, drawing our
belts a little tighter, and got under way for
home. .
At a ford, a few miles lower down,we cross
ed the river, and here we filled several flasks
with water, well knowing that there was none
fit to drink for more than forty miles ahead.
Our way now . lay across a barren, sandy
waste, and we knew that we should be obliged
to fast until we reached the eastern limits of
this ocean of sand, when we might expect to
meet plenty of wild cattle, and stand tolerable
good chance of getting a supper of fresh beef.
. It was within half an hour of sunset when
we reached the edge of a belt of natural mead
ow, which lay between the desert and a dense
forest beyond.
- On this beautiful meadow were hundreds of
fine, fat cattle grazing, and we selected a nice
heifer, which a rifle bullet soon brought down,
when four of us fell afoul of her, and cutting
the body in four quarters without removing
the hide, each took a quarter before him on
his horse, and we all set lor wards for the
woods, where we guessed we should make up
for our two days' fast.
By sunset we reached the forest, and in less
than fifteen minutes we had a roaring fire
kindled, for we were all hungry, and a lew of
us were awful dry.
It was funny, though that beef supper,
therein tho woods. There we sat round the
huge blaze, colonels and women, captains and
niggers, dogs and doctors, each with a piece
of beef about as big as a North River shad,
stuck on a sharp stick, or the points of our
long knives, toasting and frying, broiling and
eating, with the blood and gravy running
down each corner of our mouths like tho red
juice from a leaky wine press. Hold on a bit,
though I forgot one thing. The dogs didn't
hare any knives nor sharp sticks. They took
theirs without cooking. -
"This is what I call a regular pic-nic,'.'
sputtered Doctor Tom, with his mouth full of
beef steaks, all but raw. - . .
"Ess, by gar! zentlemans and ladee;. it
shall be one grand suppare. By gar, we shall
cat plentee for four tree day." -
"A-r-r-r-o-a-a-o-o-a-r-r !" roared a mon
strous tiger, not five rods from us, as if his
opinion tallied with that of the last speaker ,
a little French captain, exactly ; and he'd
like to come in.
Heavens and earth ! That hideous roar of
the hungry tiger set 'cm all agoing ; and all
the infernal noises that ever was heard in a
Brazilian forest,was at once let loose. Wolves
and wild cats, pumas and panthers, together
with every other brute that growled, grunted,
whined, or whistled, all gave tongue, each
strived to emulate the other in his melodious
notes. It was a glorious pic-nic serenade, but
we wouldn't stop eating. No not if we had
been caged with all the tigers and leopards in
Brazil. Once in a while we would cast our
eyes behind us, and there, just beyond the
range of our firelight, sparkled hundreds of
bright, flashing eyes, as the savage brutes
crowded about us, and snuffed our savory feast.
For ten minutes did the horrid screams and
discordant howls continue, when all at once
an immense puma bounced in among us,
and pounced upon a quarter of the heifer
which yet remained untouched.
"Hold on, old fellow! till I get another
slice," said Doctor Tom, at the same time
driving his long Spanish knife in between the
ribs of the huge brute.
'A haa!" 3-ou dem tief, you sail steal my
bif a a," screamed the excited Frenchman ;
and down come his fourteen inches of steel,
driven home to the very hilt in the monster's
throat.
In less than ten seconds tho puma had re
ceived a hundred stabs from our reeking
knives, and to complete-the tragedy, a little
Spanish beauty set her revolver going, utterly
regardless of the danger we ran of becoming
a target for her bullets.
The report of that pistol acted like magic
on our four-legged friends outside the family
circle, for in an instant every brute tongue
was hushed as death.
We didn't sleep any that night; but vjo
made a great supper, for all that remained of
our heifer in the morning was a few bones.
That day we found our runawey "niggers"
and all of us went home very well satisfied
with our pic-nic. .
Ravages of the Bears ix Wisconsin. Our
Wisconsin exchanges continue to be filled
with startling accounts of the ravages of the
bears. The whole State appears to be swarm
ing with these ferocious wild animals, and the
inhabitants arc becoming alarmed for their
safely. The bears no longer confine their
visits to farmer's pig pens, but boldly approach
their dwellings and apply for admittance at
kitchen doors and bed room windows. Public
bear hunts are got up in various parts of the
State, for the purpose of driving away the
varmints and protecting the inhabitants. The
Manitouwoc Tribune thinks the theory that
tbey have been driven from the north, by
scarcity of food, into tho settlements, is a
plausible ono. "Long coat in ued drought and
extensive fires have prevented the usual sup
ply of mast.und bruin does not object to a dish
of corn, a nip of veal, a rasher of bacon, or
even a fat baby, when acorns are scarce."
A Hideous Reptile. Mr. Samuel nwkins,
living in Alt. Crawford, Rockingham county,
Virginia, sbot an enormous bull snake recent
ly, about a mile from that place, in what is
known as Cedar Ridge. The snake was elev
en feet in length, and over a foot in circumfe
rence. It was in pursuit of a younger brother
of Mr. Hawkins, making a kind of bellowing
nolso, peculiar to this serpent, when it was
shot. Its teeth were an inch in length.
A negro being asked if bis master was ft
Christian, replied, "No, sir, he's only a raem
bcr of Congress!"
If ptople "know theniewlve- IVslks
Would inak, vry bad Mm-.
A "FAST" WOMAN AND HEE VICTIMS.
The public has heard of late numerous chap
ters no less startling than interesting, in the
history of "fast" young men, who, yielding to
temptation in an evil and unguarded hour.have
rushed headlong to ruin ; but here is a history
which eclipses them all an account of an ex
traordinarily clever and brilliant;fast"woman,
whose power of fascinating and beggaring men
has been wonderful. We copy from the Paris
correspondence of the Courier des Etats Unisi
"Among the young spendthrifts noticed in
the journals of the day, is the name of a Prus
sian prince, count or baron Enchel, who has
eaten up, in less than four years, a fortune of
more than six million francs, all for the sweet
eyes of a woman well known in Paris as the
Marchioness of Paiva. The history of this wo
man is curious. She was observed in Russia,
where she was born of Jewish parents, by a
great pianist who conceived for her a passion
justified by her beauty, and above all by her
knowledge and intelligence. She spoke seven
languages perfectly. The pianist brought her
with him to Paris, "where he had the weakness
to present her as a legitimate wife in society,
and even at a conrt ball. At this ball she made
such an impression on one of the princes of the
Orleans family, that she attracted him to the
home of the man whose name she bore. Borne
down by his excessive expenses,the artist quit
ted France for a time to mend his fortunes a
broad. His companion, left at home during
his absence, quitted it one fine morning to fol
low Lord Ward, known m London by his con
quests of this kind. This nobleman did not
retain her long be economized too much the
wealth of which she was greedy. Returned to
Paris in quest of a new position, which was
the hight of her ambition, she encountered the
young Marquis of Paiva, brother of the Por
tuguese embassador, whom she so fascinated
that he espoused her legally and religiously,
promising her a million francs in case they
should seperate on incompatibility of temper.
This event was not long in coming. The new
Marchioness could not consent to live in the
heart of Portugal.w hither her husband had ta
ken her, he counted out the million and let
her go. At the end of a year the million had
vanished, so that the Marchioness was obliged
to sell furniture, horses and carriages, and to
take refuge in furnished lodgings, where she
spent ber last cent. She had not the where
withal to pay lor a dinner, when she met a
friend to whom she told her condition, and
who offered her a meal at the Restaurant Le
doyen, in the Champs Elysees. In the con
versation at dinner she told him that here she
would soon be a millionaire or drowned ; that
this was her unchangeable resolution, and the
vision of her slumber. While saying this she
held in her hand a journal, and her eyes rested
on an extract from a Prussian gazette, rela
tive to the decease of a Prussian personage,
who left ten or twelve millions to his two
young unmarried nephews. She read this sev
eral times, became thoughtful, and four days
afterward she left for Prussia with a thousand
francs borrowed fiom her acquaintances. She
was presented afterwards, I know not how, to
the eldest of the heirs ; but he was a species
of Nimrod huntsman who had no passiou but
the chase. She addressed herself to the cadet
of the family. He, just coming from school,
was of a nature sweet and sensitive as that of
his brother was rude, ne was am easy prey,
and hardly had the adroit huntress caught him
in her toils, than the death of his brother dou
bled his fortune. He followed his tempter to
Paris, and surrendered himself to her with
such abandonment, that I have beard that
young man, endowed nobly in body and mind,
who knew all the antecedents of her who had
seduced him, express his regret that she was
not a widow, so that he could bestow upon her
his name, as be had his fortune. He was hard
ly twenty-eight years old, while she. was over
forty ! He covered her with the rarest dia
monds and pearls that could be found. He
bought for fcer a country seat near Paris,which
is a princely chateau. She gave every week
splendid dinners, but she had tfor guests only
men, and this tormented her. Her ambition,
when all else was satisfied, was to attract to
her, by her splendid style of life, women who
were not of the demi-monde. This impossi
ble thing caused ber to blush amid her opu
lence. Hoping to triumph over this obstacle,
by softening the conscience of the public, she
commenced to build in the great avenue of
Champs Elysees a mansion which would be a
wonder. The . staircase is entirely of onyx,
and the dining of malachite. But the work
has been suspended, alter an expense of two
or three million of francs. The poor rich
man has come to the end of his millions after
reaching that of his illusions !
A monster Oyster placer, which has recent
ly beeu discovered on Long Island, N. Y., has
created great excitement among the oyster
men along the Sound. The Norwalk Gazette
says its estimated value is five millions of dol
lars. The bed is in six or eight fathoms wa
ter, and the yield is immense. One man has
averaged four hundred bushels a day, with on
ly one sloop. On one particular day he took
no fewer than six hundred bushels. Small
brats, with only one dredge, readily haul up
23 bushels per day, and often more. It has
been estimated that oysters to the amount of
$750,000 have been already taken, white mil
lions more remain on hand. The oysters aro
very large.
The great problem of the source of the Nile,
which has occupied the attention ot the world
during so many ages, may now be considered
as definitively solved. Capt. Speke, who has
just returned to England from an extended
tour in Central Africa, in company with Capt.
Burton, discovered a lake, called by the na
tives Nyanza, but by the Arabs Ukerewe,
which appears to be the great reservoir of the
Nile. It extends from 2 deg. SO min. south
to 3 deg. 30 min. north latitude, lying across
tho equator in east longitude S3 deg. Its wa
ters are the drainage of numerous hills which
surround it on almost every side. The new
lake washes ont the Mountains Ot thd Moon as
as at present existing in our tla?t
An Irish clergyntn, havjnjr ta vteit
the portraits of the ScoUinh Kings i llUv
rood Hons, observed one of the nwnarehs of
a very youthUt! ppeW-Wee, wftile fe't
deplete! with A long iro-e the trH
of cWrew old SaU MarU!" e-x
.b.i gtfetfentftft was eM tuaft wta kit
lih-e. fceUber teasel Mi! r
THE PHILOSOPHY OF MEDICIKE
The following article, over tho signature of
"An Old Doctor," we find in the October No.
of the Great Republic Monthly. It contains
some hints which it might be well enough lor
those interested to reflect upon : -
"The great error of most practitioners is to
regard medicine as having a curative power ;
hence tbey persist in administering it in vari
ous modes and forms, while their patients
have lifo and ability to swallow it, until death
closes the scene. .
"All medicines arc, in various degrees, es
sentially poisonous, and most of them are very
concentrated poisons ; wherefore, to avoid im
mediate death from theituse, they are admin
istered in very small quantities; but, never
theless, their continued and protracted use is
inevitably fatal, or destroys the patient's con
stitution in the end, it nature, fortunately
holds out until its exhibition is discontinued
by some lucky circumstance.
"The beneficial effect of any medicine in tho
fit st stages of its exhibition arises from tho
prompt action of its poisonous qualities, in
small doses, to rid the system of congestions
that would be fatal if not displaced by the vio
lent efforts of the organ to get rid of the poi
son, whereby nature is at once enabled to re
sume its wonted healthy action ; consequently
a curative power or healthy quality is impu
ted to the medicine. This is a delusion;
though the good effect, so far, serves as well as
it the qualities of the medicine were sanative.
But if such prompt relief does not occur, or if
it does occur in a sufficient degree for the re
action ot nature, but is not sufficiently heeded
by the practitioner to teach him to abstain
from the further exhibition of his medical poi
sons, his patient, under their continued use,
passes into a state of chronic debility produced
by the medicine, not by the original disease.
Nevertheless, the practitioner, mistaking this
new crisis or change in the type of disorder
for an alleged obstinacy in the original disease,
instead ot desisting, continues more diligently
to exhibit his poisonous medicines in every
form, while his patient is becoming emaciated
with prostration for want of nourishment and
other appliances of good nursing.
"No medicine or varieties of medicine that
debilitate the organs of digestion the stom
ach and bowels and their auxiliaries should
be continued more than 21, 30. or 48 hours, ac
cording to the strength of the patient to re
sist their prostrating tendency. A nutritive
diet should never be neglected longer than
this, or the patient will lall into a state of de
bility and prostration of vital power worso
than the original disease. Indeed, to guard
against this tendency to prostration, regard
should be had to nutritive, but light diet, in
the earliest stages of treatment of the original
disease, to prevent its degenerating into ty-'
phoid fever or other chronic stages of debility
and prostration, so of ten attended with a weak
and fluttering hectic pulse, frequently mista
ken for fever, requiring further debilitating
remedies instead of liberal nourishment, a
tepid bath, and a respite from the further ex
hibition of medicine.
"In cases of great prostration, where medi
cine has been too long persisted m, attended
with heat and thirst, mucilaginous drinks
should be resorted to, slightly acidulated, and
sweetened to the taste of the patient ; such as
flaxseed tea, with lemon juice and sugar, may
be drank freely, hot or cold, first straining it
from the flaxseed. Boiled milk, thickened,
with grated nutmeg; also, well-boiled f rice,
with milk sweetened and grated nutmeg; and,
at intervals, wine panada would be very grate
ful". Also, chicken thoroughly boiled, and al
ternated with the above, would make as great
a change for the better as the pertinacious use
of medicines would make tor the worse until
death should close the scene.
"I am sure that the above hints will strike
home to the common sense of every intelli
gent person, and should be heeded by the
friends of the sick everywhere."
P. S. A tepid bath, and sponging the tem
ples and the crown of the head with cold wa
ter, would give great relief in delirium. .
ThbIrisu Root Doctor. It appeared best
to the excise commissioners of a town in New
York to refuse license for the sale of intoxica
ting liquors to all persons save a doctor of
known integrity and strong temperance prin
ciples, who promised not to 6ell except for me
dicinal or mechanical purposes, (fne WheeU ?
er, an eccentric Irish cobbler, longed lor a "
quiet drink, and with a sober air and smooth
tongue, petitioned tho doctor for a quart of gin.
'For wlyit purpose do you wish it ?" asked
the doctor. .....
' Sure, doctor, I've been very bad for nearly
ten days back, with a great goneness in my
stomach, and not a haper of good can I get
from anything in these turns but gin to soak
some roots in." . . r
"And do you tell me, upon your honor,,.
Wheeler, that you wish the gin to 6oak somo
roots in, and to be taken as medicine for a
weak stomach ?" f
"Faith, as I live, doctor, I only want the
gin to soak some roots." . .. .
The doctor, confident from his sallow apV..
pearance that the man was sick, and that a lit-.-,
tie tonic bitters would not hurt him, filled hi '
bottle. On reaching the street, Wheeler faced.
the doctor, who stood in the doorpSaeed !U
thumb upon his nose and made' sundry gy Tac
tions with his fingers, then put. the bottle to.
bis mouth, and took a long guzzle at the gin.. ,
"Stop !" cried the doctor; "you gave me;
your word of honor that you only wanted fii
to soak some roots, and here you are drinking:
yourself dead drunk."
"Faith, doctor, and I'm afthet telling yoo,;'
no lies. I wanted the gin to soak the. roots '
of me tongue, which was so dhry I could niv- -er
swallow a mouthful of mate to strengthea
my stomach, at all.1 !
The young lady who was suQcriag from th
ear-ache, waa completely cured, bv a young
taott wMsporSns only a few words In it aorae
Ifcifcg About the Jqoire. Very afarular
cre, that, - -
Almost any sun, except the st3-i of eoa
fwieaee, v.y bs cunsl by jNutlg p;rit
of lrienc jki& the fr tt rua
a s il is poi. , .
A yk Va fea cMaTsererA tfc "
rted r Italian wa&n to kssw Nr It is, if ?"
tcy have fr V ia s Jasglkat "them
$hX $X& Ag J
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