I.:.
;
sen
B. F. SCIIWEIER,
THE COFSTITUTIOS THE U5I0I-A5D THE aTFOECIMETT OF THE LAVS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XXXII.
MIPFLIN1WN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA., WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1878.
NO. 9.
THE ANOINTING OF ihk sword.
So carefully she wrapped the blade;
So carefully, so tenderly;
With price'eea ointment on it laid.
And posse down the surface nude.
From bilt to polut, so tenderly.
Aud ever as she spread the balm.
The wound that hurt so bituriy.
The throbbing wound grew cool and calm,
And wide outspread that bleeding palm.
Wherein the nails cleuched fearfully.
And ever a she sang her song.
So gently and so wistfully,
II is anguish died that beat so strong.
His eyelids fell that waked so kic
And altunbt r wrapped h m graciously.
Cut who will play that wood one part,
Ah! who anoint the swotd tor me f
The sword that wounded soul and heart.
Who b d the irnawing pain depart.
And bring this healing nuto me ?
Where is there any skilful leech.
With precious gums for m nistry.
This spell ef balm and land to teach ?
Alas! how could he crap or nidi
The sword thst wrought my a0onj ?
Tbon only. Lord of life and love.
From the divine humanity
Caat sp ead the balm that blade above,
Itt sharpness and my woe rem re.
And thine almighty h al.ng prove.
IVa Lord, anoint the sword for me !
Come speed ly. come tpeedily !
The Head of the Class.
'How do you spell threshold, Aunt
Kat y ?" asked Hal as he came to uiy
room jtist from school.
.T-h-r-e-s-h--l-d," I auswered.
"Good enough," he replied; "but I
w as sure as anything there was two h's
in it it sounds so, anyway. Poor Joe
failed iu it to-day, and he got down one.
lie feels awful bad about it you know
lie's been at the bead of the class for
two weeks."
"Oh, pshaw ! I answered, "1
wouldn't feel bad over that I don't
think it's quite fair to keep at the head
all the time, and not give any oue else
a chance. Go down and ask Jo and the
rest to co'.iic up here and I will tell you
a story of something that happened iu
my school life that I remember as
well as if it were but yesterday."
Willie Fiske was one of the very
brightest boys in town, and although
he loved fun as well as any of the rest
of hi mates, yet he w as very fond ot
study, and was never quite contented
until he reached the head of the class
in which he was.
When he was eleven years old he en
tered the grammar school, and his
father said at that time, "Willie, if you
ever got to be the first one of the first
class in the first division that is, to be
al the head of this great school I will
give you a gold watch."
It looked like a big job; but Willie
was quite ready to undertake it, and
answered :
"All right, papa; you can just make
up your mind to hand over the watch
by the time I'm fourteen years old."
He went to work very much in earn
est, and as he passed from time to time
throi'gh the dill'eient classes, and suc
ceeded in keeping at the head of them
often for weeks together he began to
see that the watch was a pretty sure
thing, and would imagine how grand
he should feci to take it out and "tell
the fellers the time of day."
Willie was a very generous boy, and
was never so happy as w hen sharing
some good thing with others. He
always defended the smaller boys, and
if any one was in trouble lie was on
hand at once to help them out of it. Of
course he was a great faTOrite with
both the boys and girls, and no one
ever seemed to envy him because he
had a rich father, or because he was so
good a scholar.
Just as he reached his fourteenth
biitbday he entered the highest class in
the school. It was now that the watch
was to be won or lost!
He had not been in the class a week
before he found that he had a rival a
weet little girl, named Flossie Lee.
she had just come into the school, as
h. r parents had only recently moved to
our village from a distant city, and
Flossie, after an examination, had been
placed in the same class with Willie.
Her parents did not have much money,
but as their little girl was a fine scholar,
they felt that they must send her to
school as long as they could ; and Flos
sie had often told them that she "meant
to lie a teacher and earn lots of money
for them."
So you see that, although she did not
have a gold watch to work for, she had
something worth a great deal more.
And that Flossie Lee was the rival
Willie had found; for she very soon
skipped over all the others and took
her place at the head of the class; and
it look-d as though it was going to be a
pretty hard task to get her out of it.
Quite in desjair, one day, Willie said
to his mamma :
"It's no use trying, I tell you, I shall
never get higher than number two
never! Flossie Lee can't fail. But
there's one thing about it; if any one
has got to keep me from getting to the
jead this year, I'd rather it would be
Flossie than anybody else in school, for
I like her first rate." And I guess he
did, for many a fine iear or bunch of
grapes, or luscious orange did Willie
Like from his own home table, and
watc h his chance to put them into Flos
sie's modest little lunch basket that
hung under her sscque in the hall of
the school, "for," as he told his mamma,
oue day, "Flossie never seems to have
anrthing but crackers or bread and
butter fr luncheon, and she almost
always goes off by herself to eat it,
when all the rest of us are having lot's
of goodies; and I tell you It's fun,
mamma, to hide, and w atch her eyes
shine when she finds the good things
I've put in! I guess she thinks it's
some good fairy that put mem mere,
don't you ?"
One dav, at recess, as a group of boys
and girls" were chatting together about
a very hard lesson they had just been
reciting, in which every one of the
class had failed at least once, save Flos
sie, one of the boys, who was rather
rough iu his way called out:
"Say, Will Fiske, you can bet on one
thing pretty sure, and that is: you'll
never get that gold watch as long as
Flossie Lee's In the class. Number one
she is and number one she will stay !"
"I know that," said Fanny Huntley,
who never had a perfect lesson in her
life, "I should think you'd be as mad
as fire at her, Willie, instead of doing
what I saw you do to-day. Who was it
put that orange into her basket, I should
like to know, eh"
"Fore I'd be such a tell-tale, Fan
Huntley," said a bright little girl in
the group; "if you weren'talways peek
ing round you wouldu't see so much."
"I don't care," answered Willie, "I
am not ashamed of it. Yes, I did put
an orange into her basket, and I wish I
had the chance oftener, for she's good
and kind, and I like her the best ot any
girl iu school so there, now !" and
turning on his heel, he called out;
"Come ou, fellers, let's have a game
ot hookey before the bell rings," and
in two minutes he had forgotten all
about it.
Not so Flossie, who had heard every
word. The children had stood directly
underneath an open window, where be
hind the blinds Flossie had been seated
eating the orange she had found in her
basket. The tear were in her eyes as
Willie turned away, but they were
more happy tears than sad ones. "My
goodness!" she exclaimed to herself,
"then it's he that's been putting all
these good things into my basket ; and
he can't get a gold watch because 1
always know my lessons. Oh, I wish
I could fail!"
She puzzled over it for a long time
how she could manage to fail honestly,
for she said to hersell : "I cau never
say I don't know if I do, when the
questions are asked me."
At last she thought of a way. "I
know how I can do it," she said, "day
after to-morrow comes our geography
review of the whole United States, and
I won't even look at it, and then I will
never remcmlier everything, and I'll
surely fail. Then Willie will have my
place, and get his watch. "Oh, goody,
goody ! and I'll tell mamma and papa
all about it, so they will know I ncedu't
have failed, and I'm sure they will
want him to get the w atch when I tell
them how good he has been to me."
And so for the first time in mouths
Flossie went to school the morning of
the review lesson, hugging up the geog
raphy she had not opened. The class
was called, and Flossie stepped quickly
to her place.
"Oh. dear," thought Willie, "she
looks so happy, I'm sure she knows
every answer in the lesson ; I almost
wish she wasn't quite so smart."
For a time all went well. Flossie
couldn't miss on giving the principal
rivers, when asked; she knew them by
heart. Questions on the great lakes,
capes, bays, mountains, had to be an
swered w hen put to her because her
mind weuld remember them in spite of
her. At last came the capitals of the
States.
"Well, Miss Flossie," aked the
teacher, "will you give us the capital
of New Mexico?"
For an instant she hesitated, then
with a look of delight that noboby but
herself understood, she auswered, "I
can't think, truly I can't."
Flossie Lee had failed, and although
every one was astonished, no one looked
so distressed about it as the one who
had been so anxious for so long a time
to get above her, and as the teacher
turned to him with, "Well, Master
Fiske, can you heip Miss Flossie out?"
be answered :
"Please, Miss narding, if you would
only let Flossie think just a minute,
I'm sure she would remember.
"It's too late now," she replied, "I
have passed it to you. What is the capi
tal of New Mexico?"
There was no look of pride in Willie's
face, and no remembrance of any watch,
as he answered in a low tone, "Santa
Fe."
Quick as a flash, and with the bright
est of smiles, Flossie stepjied down and
out of her place, and gently pushing
Willie into it, took the one he had left.
The scholars and teachers were much
surprised to see her look so happy over
what they thought would have made
her so miserable, but Flossie kept what
she had heard all to herself, and when
after a few days Willie went to her and
showed her a beautiful little gold watch
that his father had given him for get
ting to the head of the school, she was
happier than ever.
Years after, Flossie told Willie what
she overheard from the wiudow that
day, and how it was then that she
found out who had been putting the
good things into her basket, and then,
too, for the first time, how it was she
came to forget the capital of New
Mexico. And the funniest part of the
whole story is, that Willie has been
giving her the good things ever since,
and he still "likes her the best of any
girl in school" or out.
"Ho! you can't fool me. Aunt Katy,"
cried Jo, as I finished. "Flossie Lee is
Aunt Florence, and Willie Fiske is our
own Uncle Will and all I have to say
is good for Aunt Flore uce." CWea
Bull.
Tenacity of Metals.
The tenacity of metals is estimated
by the resistance which wires of the
same diameter experience when passed
at equal temperature through the same
hole of a draw-bench. The following
table gives the relative tenacity of
various metals and alloys : Steel, aireauy
drawn 100; iron, already drawn, 88;
brass, already drawn, 77; gold, 0,875,
annealed, 73; steel, annealed, 65; cop
per, already drawn, C8; silver at 0,750,
.nnexled. 58: silver at 0,875, 51; brass,
annealed, 49; iron annealed, 42; plati
num, annealed, 38; copper, anneaieu,
38; fine gold, annealed, 37; fine silver,
annealed, 37; zinc, 34 ; tin, 11 ; lead, 4.
Hang-ed tor Debt.
In San Francisco recently, a China
man made his way in great baste the
police station, and lodged Information
to the effect that a Chinese Court was
in progress, and that its possible out
come would be the hanging of the ar
raigned party. A couple of officials start
ed w ith the Chinaman to look into the
matter, but they had not proceeded very
far before they were met by some Chi
namen, who held a brief conversation
with the informant, w hich resulted in
his stating to the police that it was all
right. About an hour later the China
man returned and said that bis uncle
had been hanged. On proceeding to
the spot where the crime was said to
have been committed, the body of a
Chinaman named Ah Tek, or Ah Young
was found suspended from the ceiling.
The position of the corpse was such as
to preclude the belief that the Chinaman
had committed suicide, as was charged
by several Celestials who made theirap
pearance upon the advent of the offi
cers upou the scene. Upon information
of a nephew of the due-eased, Ah Fong,
the proprietor or boss of the house
where Ah Tek had been hanged, was
taken into custody. The nephew stated
that a quarrel had arisen between Ah
Fong and Ah Tek concerning some
money whica the latter owed Ah Fong
and that he believed Ah Fong had kill
ed Ah Tek first, and then hung him up
to convey the impression that he had
committed suicide. This is at variance,
hower, with his original statement, in
which he charged that a Chinese
Court was being held, and that it was
the intention of the Court to bang his
uncle. This is believed to be the truth,
and it is inferred that the fear of the
vengeance of his countrymen deterred
him from sticking to his original asser
tion. At the inquest all sorts of contra
dictory stories were told by the Chi
nese witnesses. A ost-niorteiu exami
nation revealed the fact that the de
ceased was buug up anterior to his
death. This, coupled with the further
fact that the ceiling was too low to per
mit the deceased to hang himself, his
knees nearly touching the floor, makes
it almost certain that Ah Tek was mur
dered. A Dunwriat on the DarUina; Field.
There is one figure that stands out re
freshingly cool and unique during
these troublous times. This was John
M. Dooly, the man who announced that
he would not fight under any circum
stances. He was probably the most
brilliant man produced in that era,
prolific of giants. He was the peer of
Crawford on any field, and his suie
rior in the forum. His abilities were
transcendent, and his failure to make a
national reputatiou arose doubtless
from no other cause than his refusal to
fight on any and all occasions. A uon
combatant could not held his head up
in those turbulent times. Dooly had
the most delicious humor, and a sharp
tongue withal. He was continually
gcttiug into trouble because of his
satiracal sayings. He was perfectly
fearless ot speech. Judge Gresham
once threatened to chastise him. Dooly
replied: "You can do so if you like.
You will get no credit for it, however.
Anybody can do it. and a great many
have done it." He was once knocked
down by a gentleman that he had intro
duced as the inferior judge of the infer
ior court of the inferior county of Lin
coln. He called lustily on the specta
tors for help, and when rescued from
his antagonist, rubbed his head and re
marked, drily : "Well, that is the forty
second fight I have been engaged in,
and if I ever got the best of a single one
I do not now remember It." Before
Dooly's ieaee proclivities were fully
known, he was challenged to mortal
combat by a Mr. Tate, w ho came to the
field with Mr. W. II. Crawford as his
second. Dooly accepted the challenge.
Tate had lost a leg and wore a wooden
one. When he and bis friend reached
the field they fonnd Dooly alone, sit
ting on a stump.
"Where is your friend ?" asked Craw
ford, in some surpr'se.
"He is in the woods, sir."
"And will be present In a moment,
sir, I suppose?" said Crawford.
"Yes, as soon as he can find a bee-
gum."
"May I inquire w hat he wants with a
bee-gum ?"
"Why, I want to put my leg In it. Do
you suppose I can afford to risk my leg
of flesh against Talt's leg of wood ? If I
bit his leg, he will get another to-morrow
and peg away as usual. If he hits
mine, it may kill me or compel me to
stump it like him for the balance of my
life. No, sir; I must have a gum.
Then I will be Just as much wood as he
is, and we will be on equal terms."
"I understand you. Colonel Dooly;
you do not intend to fight."
"Why, really. Colonel Crawford, 1
thought everybody knew that."
"Very well, sir; but remember, colo
nel, your name in no enviable light will
fill the column of a newspaper to-morrow."
"I assure you, my dear sir, I had
rather fill every column la every news
paper in Georgia than one coflln."
A Thoua-htful Wile.
Doctor S , the whilom Professor
of Hebrew in one of our theological col
leges, had a strong impression that his
wife was not the most tender-hearted
woman living, and it had even entered
into his imagination that she was not
capable of deep and self-sacrificing love,
in fact, he had more than once let her
see how his mind was bent in that re
spect, and be sure that it did not at all
mend the matter.
One day the doctor had gone to a
neiirhborinz town, to visit a friend, on
foot.- On his way home, and when far
from any human habitation, a sudden
shower befell him, aye, it quickly
came to be storm with lightning and
thunder, vivid and crashing. The poor
man was in a terrible plight. He was
subject to rheumatism, acute and pain
ful, and a thorough wetting by rain
would be sure to bring it on. As a
strange and ghostly luck would have it,
at that moment the old sexton came up on
his hearse. He had todrive directly by
the doctor's door. The good man hailed
him and begged for a ride.
"I shall die if I get wet," he said.
"There ain't room up here. Doctor,
for only one, and a plagued small scat
at that; but if you're a mind to get in
side, you can do so. Sakes alive! Id
rather ride in there strong and well
than dead."
The doctor did not stop long to con
sider. Any port in such a storm as
hat, he thought, as he crept into the
body of the hearse, and pulled the nar
row door shut after him.
In due time just before noon the
sexton pulled up at the doctor's door,
and the good wife, who chanced to be
standing at the front window, when she
saw the ghostly equipage stop at her
door-stone, went to see why it was.
"For mercy's sake. Mr. Trout,
what've ye stopjied here with that
dreadful thing for?"
"I have the doctor your husband
inside, Madam."
"Goodness me! Who'd 'a thought it!
No more midnight trampin' over them
everlasti u' old Hebrews ! Sally ! Sal
ly !' suddenly turning, and directing
her voice down into the cellar kitchen
"take that mutton out of the oven !
Take it right out! It'll make dinners
for to-morrow, and "
She stopped suddenly, for just then
she saw her husband crawling out from
the hearse. She saw this much and
then retired within the citadel. What
transpired there we cannot say. It was
better not to tell, perhaps, even if we
knew.
An Artist in Welkins;.
When not on the track, Bertha von
Uilleru lives and eats and dresses like
other people, with a few exceptions.
She sets her face like iron against alco
holic stimulants; sweet things, and
pastry. She will not even let her agent
rub whisky iuside her shoes to keep her
feet from swelling, for fear people will
smell the whisky and think she is a
tippler. Kare beef, vegetables, oat
meal, and plain, solid food, form the
"chief of her diet," like that of the
little old man who would never be quiet.
After finishing oue of her public walks
she goes to bed and drops asleep at once.
Toward morning, about 3 or 4 o'clock,
her maid awakeus her, and walks her
about her room a little tiuie, to keep
her limbs from becoming stiff. After
one of her severe walks she sutlers some
what from w hat are technically called
"walking cramps," which are pains
around the knee joints. To alleviate
this iter legs are rubbed with salt and
water.
Pnysically there is nothing abnormal
or startling about her. Shu weighs 110
ounds, is rather below medium height-
and has the face which, after all, is the
best for steady wear iu this world a
face which would not be noticed for
being either handsome or homely. Her
hair Is very heavy, and of the fashion
able blonde gold color. She would like
to wear it cut short, but, out of regard
to fieople's prejudices, wears it long,
Furthermore it may interest some dress
reformers to know tlmt she weais an
ordiuary corset during . her walk.
Bertha came to this country about two
years ago. She was famous among her
acquaintances In Germany for her
walking feats as a school girl, She is a
native of Freiberg, in Baden, and is a
zealous and pious liouian Catholic.
Along with her piety is mingled a
shrewd business streak.
Her money is invested in Boston, and
she looks after It shrewdly, too.
" Mine fader he wants me to send my
money to h:m in Get many," said she,
' but 1 won't do it. I don't like to do
c'at."
She carries about her a little instru
ment cailed a pedometer, which regis
ters every mil? she walks. It is kept
going by the motion of her body in
walking. When we saw her, she wore
a sort of flowered polonaise, reaching
down a little below the knee, with a
light felt hat, of the "pork-pie" shape
upon her head. She is more muscular
than plump, and her movements, are
energetic as well as graceful. As she
races around the track she looks like a
fish darting through the water. She is
as straight as an arrow, and her shoul
ders are very broad and square for
woman. Her walking is not in the
least like that of ordinary persons. It
is like that of an Indian on a long jour
ney. She seems to propel hersell along
with her arms and shoulders almost as
much as with her feet, The peculiar
swing of her elbows and shoulders
reminds one continually of the motion
of a bird's wings. Her toes do not turn
out, as civilized people's are supposed
to. They go straight ahead, and the
left foot, perhaps, points slightly in
ward. She always turns upon her left
side as she rounds the curves of her
track, and this constant turning to the
left has niade a slight difference in her
sides.
She is very popular with ladies every
where, but dislikes exceedingly to have
them kiss her. We noticed lady bid
ding her good-by, and observed that at
the hand shaking moment Bertha slight
ly drew her head back.
"There," said the agent, smiling,
"she's afraid that woman is going to
kiss her."
I hope nobody will go now and say
Be flh a von Uiilern is crazy.
Only one man in America can make
her walking shoes, and he lives Chicago.
Her fast walking gait is so different
from her walking one that when she
stops to take her brief rests during the
walks, the moment she stops an atten
dant lifts her in his arms and carries
her to her room, and she does not take
a step until she is carried back. She
would lose her gait if she did, and it
would require some time to get it back
again. The human mind is a very
strange machine. Music and applause
help her along wonderfully in her walks
If a band can catch the time of her step
it increases her sped several seconds ou
the mile. The bottoms of her feet are
soft and tender, like other people's,
and she is not particularly muscular,
except in the calves of her legs. They
are as hard as the back of a Cincinnati
sugar-cured bam.
Daniel Webster on Statesmen.
Mr. Webster professed to have liked
Mr. Jefferson better upon making hit
personal acquaintance. His great sim
plicity be found impressive. The author
of the Declaration had an intense dis
like for the forms and trappings of gov
ernment, and when he became Presi
dent he discarded many of the pomps
which Washington had considered as
fitting the dignity of the office. Mr.
Webster thought it fortunate that Mr.
Jefferson's ideas prevailed. Of Mr.
Clay, Mr. Webster said frankly that he
did not like him. The Kentuckian had
"a great deal of native talent and a lit
tle smattering of law less than that
possessed by mere office boys in some
large offices." He added : In the course
of my professional life, it has hapjiened
many times that I found myself re
tained in the same cause, with Mr. Clay.
He was my senior by several years, in
the profession and in age. That fact
gave him the right to speak first in all
such cases. Often, before beginuing
my argument, I have had to labor hard
to do away with the effect aud impres
sion of his. Some of the most laborious
acts of my professional life have con
sisted iu getting matters back to the
starting point after Clay had spoken.
The fact is, he was no lawyer. He was
a statesman, a politician, an orator, but
no reasoncr. Mr. Webster somewhat
modified this opinion after Mr. Clay's
secch ou the Compromise Measures,
and said : "He is a very great man ;
there is no mistake about that; he is a
wonderful man." Mr. Webster con
sidered Mr. Calhoun, "the greatest man
he had met iu the Senate, or with whom
he had come in contact in public life."
Of Mr. Benton, he did not say much
that was complimentary, but his latest
relations with the Missouri Senator
were friendly and he once remarked to
him : "You know everything, Colonel,
and where everything is." Of Silas
Wright, Mr. Webster said : "He is the
most overrated man that I have ever
met. He is oracular, wise-looking, taci
turn and cunning as a fox. He was the
mon inferior man in debate that sat in
the Senate. You have seen boys at
school who would contrive iu some way
to skip the hard spelling. He always
skipped the bard places. II is arguments
besides being weak and fallacious, were
always evasive. He would try to make
the crowd think that he had answered,
when he had not touched the point. In
my judgment, he was a very smill
man a mere politician and no states
man." Of Buchanan : "He is a good
politician, but he is no statesman. He
merely looks at things as they affect the
party." Of Rusk, of Texas : "He is a
man of perfect Integrity, and of a very
high order of ability. I like him very
much." Of Mr. Pierce: He is not a
great man in the proper acceptation of
the term : hut he is not by any means a
small man. He Is a well-informed, in
telligent, ripe, talented man." Of Kos
suth : "He is a true jwitriot, a devoted
advocate o' liberty, and a brilliant
orator: but too impulsive in his feel
ings, too poetic in his temperament,
ard too visionary in his proposed meas
ures, to be a safe leader of reform or a
judicious statesman."
The Hotter of Carroll Um.
The Louisville Courier Juuruul pub
lishes a long and interesting descrip
tion of a visit to three aged brothers.
Major Thomas Butler, General William
O. Butler and Richard Butler, of Car
rollton, Ky.. two of whom fought at
New Orleans under Jackson. General
William O. Butler, the correspondent
found to be a venerable old man, slen
der and erect, who did not fear to un
dertake a three-mile walk through the
snow to introduce him to the younger
brother, who had the family records.
Thomas Butler, the fatherof the family,
came over from Kilkenny In 174G, set
tling at Carlisle, Pa., while two of his
sons began life as fur traders in Ohio.
Five of them and their father fought in
the war of independence, when Wash
ington gave the toast, "The Bntlersnnd
their five sons!" And Lafayette said,
"When I wanted a thing well done I
ordered a Butler to do it." Richard be
came a Major General in fhe army aud
fought and fell when St. Clair was de
feated. Of his brother Percival, or
Pierce, the present family was born
ne had served under Lafayette (who
dispensed with the luxury of socks in
the field), became first Adjutant Gen
eral of Kentucky and laid the founda
tion or Carrollton in 1791. With three
of his sons he served in the war of 1S12.
Thomas Butler, now eighty-nine years
old, was ene of these; he served under
Jackson as aide-de-camp, commanded
the city during the battle and after the
war was Collector of the Port. William
O. Butler, born iu 1791. was reading
law in Wicklifle's office when the war
broke out. Enlisting as a corporal he
fought in the battles of the River Rai
sin, where he was one of the few Ameri
cans not slain in the fight or massacred
by the Indians. Being liberated, he
raised a company of recruits, marched
to join Jackson, assisted at the capture
of Fensaeola and returned to New Or
leans to take part in the work there.
"I came here to fight," said Old Hick
ory, when the stnallncss of his forces
was pointed out, "and fight I shall this
very night." Reed, the other aid,
was found, somewhat elated with li
quor, playing a big game of cards with
a hat full of spoils by his side. He in
sisted on having one more hand, staked
all his possesions on it, lost, and as he
swore he would i:ot remain in New Or
leans while a fight was within reach,
Butler had to take command in the city.
Butler took part in the early battles,
and was breveted Major, for "heroic
chivalry and calmness of judgment in
the midst of danger." There were no
cotton bales, the old General says, or
rather only a few, which, with the
ditches for draining the swamp and
dirt breast-works, sufficed. During one
of the skirmishes that preceded the last
battle, Butler, with fifty militiamen
and three of his own comDany, was
sent to burn barn that interrupted the
American fire and try to capture a pris
oner from whom information might be
obtained. Butler fired the barn by dis
charging a musket into the straw, bnt
at the report his militia fled. His three
regulars made one prisoner and took
him back, while Butler remained to
finish the work of firing the place.
Four British soldiers coming up penned
him, but as he backed against the wall
he felt that it was frail, and holding out
his gun as if to surrender, threw his
weight against it, broke through, and
escaped under fire. He served two
terms in Congress in 1338-'43, fought
iu the Mexican war as Major General,
was wounded at Monterey, commanded
the army after Scott's departure, and
was voted swords of honor by Congress
and his State. He was the Democratic
nominee with Cass when Taylor was
elected President. In 1831 he was the
Democratic c andidate for Senator; in
1SG1 he performed his last public act as
a member of the Peace Conference.
The venerable gentleman prides him
self on having voted the Democratic
ticket from Jackson to Tilden, and upon
knowing no member of his family who
is not a Democrat.
The Wapiti Deer, or Klk.
Next after the moose in size, and in
some other points not at all hisiuferior,
comes the American elk, or Wapiti
deer (Cerru CanaJetuis,) called also by
some, the stag, and the Red Deer, of
America. It is of somewhat lighter
build than the moose, with a eame!-like
head aud neck, in the absence of its an
tlers, round and short body, nd dis
proportionately long, but well-formed
and stout legs, and the least possible
apology for a tail. Its color is, on the
back and sides, a yellowish brown,
which on the bel' and 'ck becomes
almost black. The legs are a dark
chestnut, and rump, white. Only the
males have antlers, which are tall,
branched and pointed. Though by no
means a handsome animal, the elk is
less awkward and homely than the
moose.
Originally, the elk inhabited the en
tire breadth of the continent, both east
and west of the Rocky Mountains, and
from Mexico to Labrador. It seemed
to prefer wooded regions to the open
praries, and though less easily driven
off than the buffalo, yet it steadily gave
away before the advance of civilization,
ret i ring i n to the mou n tai us and deep for
ests, or immigrating to regions beyond
the tracks of the hunters. They long
ago disappeared from all the older parts
of the United States, and since about
1S20, they have not been seen south of
I.ake Erie and Michigan. Some may
yet linger in Texas and Arkansas, and
aong the southern and western sides
of Iike Superior. They have nearly
all disappeared from California, and
only a few remain in Oregon. But they
are to be found in considerable num
bers in the Black Hills country, and in
Washington Territory, British Colum
bia and Alaska. In Labrador, and in
some parts of Eastern British America,
they are still found in large numbers,
but almost cveywhere, like the bisons
and the Indians, they are evidently a
doomed and departing race.
During the Autumn aud Winter the
elks congregate in herds; but in the
Spring the does separate themselves,
tor the better protection of theiryoung,
iu the defense of which they display no
little conibativeness. They are coarse
feeders, devouring indiscriminately,
grass, weeds, leaves and brauches of
trees. In hot weather they delight to
stand in the water, often going out into
considerable depths, and the bucks es
pecially will callow in the mud like a
hippopotamus. Usually they are quite
voiceless ; but when alarmed or enraged
they litter a sharp, shrill cry, that may
be heard at a great distance. When
taken young, or wholy reared in con
finement, they become quite tame,
though eveu then, they are restive un
der too much restraint. The bucks
sometimes engage in combats, which
are violent and noisy, though not often
bloody; and yet some of their fights
are know n to have resulted fatally.
Glimpses of Paris Students' Llle.
The late melancholy death of Jules
Robert, the medical student, leads me
to give you a few pictures of the life of
the poorer classes of French students.
The meagre condition of the average
student's poeketbook naturally compels
him to avoid the more exensive and
luxurious quarters of Paris and seek
those which combine the most advanta
ges with the greatest economy. For
this reason the neighborhood of the Pan
theon is the favorite resort of these care
less, free and easy Bohemians here he
may enjoy the greatest social liberty
wearing oftentimes his dilapidated and
outre costume without fear of comment
from the "ower" fastidious Parisian.
If he be so minded he may smoke bis
pipe in peace while strolling through
the adjoiuing garden of the Luxem
bourg and exchanging glances with
the pretty grisettes and bonnes who
daily throng its pleasant promenades.
The charm of this most lovely lounging
place of a bright summer morning as
contrasted with the close dissecting
room or dingy studio are oftentimes
too great a temptation for the poor stu
dents to resist; and most excellent
samples of the Paris student may be
found here, from the beardless young
fellow, absorbed in the thrilling pages
of "L'Histoire d'un Crime," to tlie sol
emn old savant, with spectacles on nose
and musty vMuine under his arm.
When the burning sun of midday
drives the loungers from their pleasant
scats under the spreading chestnut
trees, the Palace of the Luxembourg
offers attractions equally great. Within
this magnificent building, erected for
Marie de Medicis and adorned by the
genius of Rubens, is a gallery of paint
ings by modern French artists, among
which may be seen many celebrated
works by David, Gros aud Gerard. This
gallery was opened in 1818 by the
Count de Provence (Louis VIII.), and
is free to all.
Fishermen generally try to worm
into the good graces of the fish
Down In a Silver Mine.
Those who have never personally in
spected the lower levels of mines may
obtain some idea of the degree of heat
to be found therein by visiting the Sa
vage works at the change of the shifts.
The men packed together as close as
they can stand on the rage are popped
up out of the shaft all steaming hot, for
all the world like a bunch of asparagus
just lifted from the pot. They make
their appearance in a cloud of steam
that pours np continually from the
"depths profound," and are dimly seen
until they step forth upon the floor of
the works. A the men land and sepa
rate, each carries with him for half a
minute his little private cloud of vapor.
As this passes off, the man is seen tote
naked, from the waist up, his skin as
wet as though he had just been lifted
out of a pool of water. The men bring
up with them besides stvam an
amount of heat that may be felt by the.
spectators as they pass.
All this is at the top of the shaft,
where it is considered quite cool what,
then, must it be hundreds of feet be
low, where the nieu started from down
where the water stands at 157 degrees
Fahrenheit: Down there no steam is
seen it is too hot for it. It is only
when the hot, moist air . coming up
from the lower regions strikes the cool
air toward the top of the shaft that It
takes the form of steam. Down there
where the men come from you must
keep your hands off the pump column
and the pipes, and if you pick up any
iron tool you w ill at once put it down
without being told to do so. Down
there they handle things with gloves
on, or wrap rags about the drills they
are guiding, and iron apparatus they
are moving, and down there too you
well learn to keep your mouth shut
after you have drawn a few mouthfuls
of hot air into your lungs.
Perspire ! It is no name for it. You
are like a sponge that is being squeezed.
You are ready to believe that you have
10,000,000 pores to every square inch of
surface, or as many more as any au
thority may mention, and that all
these pores are as large as the cells of a
honey-comb. You go for ice water,
and it almost seems to hiss as it passes
down your throat you keep going for
it, and thns, iu a ehort time And out
what becomes of the tons and tons of
ice that are daily consumed in the mines
Remain below among among the min
ers for aa hour or two, and when you
are finally popped out at the top of the
shaft, all red bo and steaming, among
the other asparagus sprouts, you will
appreciate the beauty, the light and the
cooluess of the upper world.
Courting la Texas.
About half a day's ride to the south
east of San Antonio, nestlingcosily in a
post oak grove, is the unassuming vil
lage of Lavernia. The residents of the
village and its vicinage are good people
that is, they are intelligent, honest.
and industrious. A young man of this
city, beiug desirous of a country home,
selected the village of Lavernia. He
accepted a clerkship in oneof the stores
of the place, and for some months held
the position to the satisfaction of his
employer. The young man became
popular, and his enticing manners ap
pealed to the tenderest recesses of the
heart of a lovely young lady who figured
among the many pretty misses of the
neighborhood. He was invited to ''call
around," w hich request he was only
too glad to comply with, and it was not
long before friendship's tics grew luto
the strongest bonds.
But there lived in the same vicinity
another man having an ambition akin
to that of the young clerk, w ho, w hen
he was informed that his hopes were
about to be blasted by this stranger de
termined upon a desperate measure.
So last Sunday he stimulated himself
with drink, procured a revolver, and
proceeded to the residence of the cov
eted fair one, in search of the man who
hail dared to venture to cut him out.
As he approached the home of the
young lady, threats went forth as to
his purpose, and his rival, who was
there, being unarmed, felt insecure.
The young lady promptly conceived
what was the matter, and instructed
her San Antonio lover to betake him
self to flight through a rear outlet of
the house, secrete himself at a certain
place, aud wait until she should bring
his horse around to him. The young
man ran; but, unfortunately, in jump
iug the fence, lost a section of his doe
skins, much to his personal chagrin
and the amusement of ail excited sjiec
tator. Meanwhile the violently-disposed
rival was disarmed and persuaded
to go in peace, while the San Antonian
bestrode his pacer and skipped the
country, leaving the young man w ith
the six-shooter master of the situation.
The last heard of the young San Anto
nian was that he had been seen in the
vicinity of the Court House, in this city,
making an effort to place himself under
the protection of the strong arm of the
law, while his rival wts sitting mus
ingly in front of a big log fire, and the
young lady, no doubt, wishes that both
of the parties had never even learned
her name.
The Banana Tree.
As nations progress, commerce, the
great aeent of civilization, seeks to equa
lizeas far aa possible tli e com forts of man
kind. Of course, its first motive is its
own profit, but philosophy looks chiafiy
at results.
The merchant scans the horizon
spread before him, noting the product
that nature offers In one direction, and
has withheld in another, and If he sees
that an exchange of commodities can
be effected with profit to himself, he
gees to work to bring it about. Navi
gators and explorer prepare the way
by the news they bring of novel re
sources, the merchant avails himself of
this knowledge, and, next, the cultiva
tor steps in, if he sees chance of trans
ferring to his own country, the valuable
plant that has been discovered in a
distant clime. Thus, cotton, tobacco,
the potato, the grape and the mulberry
for the silk worm have made the tour of
the Globe. Our country seems In one
or other degree of iu vast latitudes, to
be a fitting recipient for all the best
productions that other lands can boast,
and there is no reason why we should
restrict the range of our acquisitions,
for very often it will be found that a
soil, apparently useless for all our
staples, is just the thing for something
not previously introduced. The fact
that an article did not grow there
before, is no better argument against
its future success than the reflection
that only red men were the aborigines
of America would be against the possi
bility of European white men living
here. Take, for example, that valuable
fruit, the banana. At present it is not
cultivated to any great extent in this
country, though it exists on our Gulf
coast, and in some parts of California;
but we believe its cultivation might be
profitably carried to many places as far
north as Maryland.
Throughout the tropical regions, the
banana forms the chief subsistence of
whole races of men. It is, indeed, in
ferior to grain in nutritive qualities,
but produces much more yield to the
acre. Half an acre planted with wheat
iu Europe, would support only two
persons while in bananas, in the tropics,
it would maintain fifty. It has been
calculated, says Marion, that a plot of
ground 100 yards square in bananas,
will yield 4000 lbs in nutritive substance
and, consequently, that this fruit is, in
amount of product, as 133 to 1 compared
with wheat, and 41 to 1 compared with
potatoes.
The easy conditions of growth and
the facility of its cultivation are also
greatly in favor of the banana. The
tree In its tropical home, is about 15
feet la height, consisting of a simple
stem, round aud straight, greenish
yellow in color, and surmounted by a
spreading crown of broad oval leaves,
six feet in length by 18 inches in
breadth. A thick, strong back stem
runs through the renter of the leaves,
but they are, nevertheless, so delicate
that the wind frequently tears them.
A tuft of blossoms appear in the
middle of this leafy crown some six or
eight months after the germination of
the plant. These are succeeded by a
cluster of delicious fruit some eight
inches in length by one in diameter, to
familiar to us in our seaboard cities.
These clusters, which often weigh from
50 to 75 pounds, sometimes include from
.00 to 150 separate bananas. When the
cluster is cut off the severed stem dries
up and new shoots rapidly spring from
its base preparatory to a fresh yield of
fruit, which will appear in the course
of six mouths.
The cultivation of this precious tree is
accomplished by simply protecting it
from injury and turning the soil at its
root, while its culinary preparation is
achieved by mere boiling, baking, or
roasting, although it is,suseeptible of all
the refinements of the French aud En
glish cuisine.
Acelriental Discoveries.
The discovery of gold in Nevada was
made by some Mormon immigrants in
1S50. Adventurers crossed Sierras and
set up their sluice-boxes in the canons;
but it was gold they were after, and
they never suspected the existence of
silver, nor knew it when they saw it.
The bluish stuff which was so abundant
and which was silver ore, interfered
with their oierations and gave them
the greatest annoyance. Two brothers
Grosch po.-sesstd more intelligence than
their fellow-workers, and were the real
discoverers of the Comstock lode; but
one of them died from a pickaxe
wound in the foot, and the other was
frozen to death in the mountains.
Their secret died with them. When at
last, in the early part of 1S."-D, the sur
face cropping of the lode were found,
they were worked for the gold they
contained, and the silver was thrown
out as being worthless. Yet this lode
since 1800 has yielded a large proportion
of all the silver produced throughout
the world. The silver mines of Potos'
were discovered through the trivial cir
cumstance of an Indian accidentally
pulling up a shrub, to the roots of which
were attached some particles of the
precious metal.
During the Thirty Years' War in
Germany, the little village of Coserow,
in the Island of Usedom, on the Prussian
border of the Baltic, was sacked by the
contending armies, the villagers escap
ing to the hills to save their lives.
Among them was a simple pastor named
Schwerdler, and his pretty daughter
Mary. When the danger was over, the
villagers found themselves without
houses, food or money. Oue day, we
are told, Mary went up to the Streckel
berg to gather blackberries; bir soon
afterwards she ran back joyous and
breathless to her father, with two shin
ing pieces of amber each of very great
size, She told her father that near the
shore the wiud had blown away (he
sand from a vein of amber; that she
straightway broke off these pieces with
a stick ; that there was aa ample store
of the precious substance; and that she
covered it over to conceal her secret.
The amber brought money, food, cloth
ing, and comfort; but those were
superstitious times, and a legend goes
that poor Mary was burned for witch
craft. At the village of Stuben, amber
was first accidentally found by a rustic
who was fortunate enough to turn some
up with his plough.
Kaffir Irenlns;
You all know how ironing is done
here but I'm told that the Kaffirs of
South Africa don't use flat irons, but
have quite another way. They make
the cloths into a neat flat package,
which they lay on a big stone. Then
they just dance on the package until
they think the cloth smooth enough ! It
must be good fun to them! Luckily,
Kaffirs don't wear cuffs and frills.
A wild cherry tree was cut the
other day, near Lenawee, Mich., which
made six logs, each twelve feet long,
and the top log two feet in diameter at
the small end.
i