.
? i
t i
B. F. SOHWEIEB,
TEE OOISTITimOI THE TTBTIOI AID TEE EVTOBOEEETT OF TEE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
VOL. XXXIV.
MIFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY, PENNA., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1880.
NO. 42.
ptwfe iwiid m, mi
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Littl Bobolink, flying through the meadow
LuLting on Ull graae. nodding at hi ahadow;
FoDpujg aown onto toe groand.
Where his mate ia sitting
On five tiny. epecklK egg,
Boani bar ha ia flitting
Hen and there, and everywhere.
Catching flies to bring her ;
Than be lighta above her nest
A sweat aong to ing her
Love'y aong. so full and atrong.
With swsstneaa babbling over ;
How I lore to h-r h;m aing,
winaw- ou the clover 1
Boon the litda birds will hatch.
Then they'll fly together
Aftr food to fill their months
Through bright and rainy weathar ;
Here and there, and everywhere.
Seeking fo d to bring them.
Hardly stopping all day long
One cweet aong to aing them.
But the birds, ao tiny bow.
Will soon their wine be trying.
And through the meadowa all the day
In happy sport be fling.
Then Bjboliuk will atop to think
That summer's almost aver.
And ao a parting song hall aing,
Swingiag on tha oloier ;
Livelv so fnJ an J strong.
W.th sweetneea babbling orer,
How I love to hear him aing,
Swinging on the clover I
The Haunted Oven.
It was in the days of our grandmothers,
when there were brick ovens in the land,
that Mr. Hubbard bought his house, and
bought it very much against his wile's will.
Ii was a lonely bouse, an J reported to be
haunted. It was next to a graveyard,
which although unused, was not cheerful,
and which, likewise, had the reputation of
a ghost. However, Mr. Hubbard did not
believe in ghosts, and was too cheerful to
be depressed by warnings, and never in
tended to be lonely.
''Mrs. Hubbard," he. said, wnea his
wife shook her head over the purchase,
"I got it cheap, and it a guxl one. You
will like it when you get thereof you don't,
why, then talk.'
So the house was bought, and into it
the Hubbard family wear. There was
scarcely a chance for a gh t to show his
face amid such a family of boys and girls.
Mr. and Mrs. Hubbard counted ten of
them, all noisy ones.
Having once er postulated and spoken
out her mind as to the house, Mrs. Hub
bard gave up the point. She scrubbed
aad scoured, tacked down carpets, and
put up curtains, and owned that the place
was pretty.
As not a ghost appeared for a week, she
made up her mind that there were no such
inhabitants. She even began not to mind
the tombstones. So the house got to rights
at last, and baking day came about. In
the press of business they had a great deal
of baker's bread, and were now Ured of it.
Mrs. Hubbard never enjoyed setting a
batch of bread to rise as she did that which
was to be eaten for the first time in the
new house.
"For I cannot get up an appetite for
stuff that nobody knows who had the mak
ing of," said Mrs. Hubbard, "and all puffy
and alumy besides.'
So into the oven went the bread, and out
It came at the proper time, even and brown,
and beautiful as loaves could be, Mrs.
Hubbard turned them up on their sides as
she drew them forth, and they stood in the
long bread-tray, glorious proo of her
skill and the excellence of the oven, when
Tommy Hubbard bounded in.
Tommy was four, and when at that age,
we are prone to believe that anything will
bear oua weight. Tommy, therefore,
anxious to inspect the newly-made bread,
swung himself off his feet by clutching the
edge of the bread-tray, and orer it came,
loaves and Tommy and alL
Mrs. Hubbard flew to the rescue, and
picked up the loaves. All were dusted
and put in the tray again but one. That
lay, bottom upward, under the table,
"A bothering child to give me so much
trouble! "she said as she crawled under
the table to get it. "Ah O ah dear,
sister oh O my"
And there on the ioor sat Mrs. Hubbard,
screaming, wringing her hands, and shak
ing her head. The children screamed in
concert. Mr. Hubbard rushed in from
where he was at work.
"What's the matter, mother I" he gasp- J
ed.
Mis Hubbard pointed to the bottom of
the loaf lying in her lap.
"Look there and see!" she said. "It
is a warning, William; 1 am going to be
taken from them alL"
And he looked; and he saw a deaths
head and cross-bones, as plainly engraved
as they possibly could be.
"It is an accident, said Mr. Hubbard.
"Some queer cranks do come, you know
But Mrs. Hubbard was in a troubled
state of mind, as was but natural.
"The stories about the haunted house,
were true," she said; "and the spirits have
marked the loaf. I am afraid it is a warn
ir.g." And the loaf was put aside, for even
Mr. Hubbard did not dare to eat any of
Mrs. Hubbard got over her fright at
,... ,u -. nr th awfully marked
MM, UIU UiC UC v.
kmf HnrMf through R , aDU
tne peo-
rile ram to Hubbard's a'l
the week to
look at it- It was a death's-head and cross
bones, certainly every one saw that at
a glance; but as to H meaning,
differed. Some believed that it
death;
people
was a
others
thought that the spirits wanted to frighten
th. Hubbard's away, and get possess.cn of
the house again all to themselves:
This latter supposition K
Hubbard with courage. . Final!, being
brave woman, she adopted the belief; ani
when another baking day arrived, pother
loaves into the oven once more, prep"
for cross-bones and not to be frightened by
them,
The loaves baked as before. They cam.
oot brew, anal crusty and as Mm Hubbard
tunwiea in kar ha tr were
cross-bonM vl. ;.) v... ..
., ul uu ins last were
"""dry characters of letters. What, no
one could tell, until there dopped in for a
chat a certain printer of the neighborhood,
accustomed to reading things backward.
"By George!" said he, 'that is curious.
That is curious-r-e-s-u-r-g-a-m resur
gam; that is what is on theloaf ream-gam."
"It is what they put on tombs, Isnt UP
asked poor Mrs. Hubbard, faintlv
"Well, yea,' said Mr. Hubbard, being
bad as cross benes and skulls."
Mrs. Hubbard shook uer head.
is even soiemner," said the little
woman, who was not as rood a tin,,, ..
breadmaker. I feel confident, William, that
I shall soon be resureamed. and wW ;n
inese dear children do then I"
And now that the second loaf was be
fore her eyes, marked even more awfniiv
kAH. - - -at J
"rax, -airs, Hubbard grew really
pale and thin, and lost her cheerfulness.
"I have a presentment,' she said, over
ana over again, "that the third baking will
uecioe wno the warning belongs to, I be
lieve it is meant for me, and time will
show. Don t you see how thin I am crow
ing f"
And though Mr. Hubbard laughed, he
also began to be troubled.
The third baking -day was one ot gloo-n.
Solemnly.as a funeral, the f amilyassembled
to assist in the drawing.
Five loaves came out loarkless; but one
remained.
Mrs. Hubbard's hand trembled, but she
drew it forth. She laid it on the tray.
She. turned softly about. At last she ex
pose J the lower surface. On it were letters
printed backward, plain enough to read
this time, and arranged thus :
Died April 2d,
lamented by
her large family.
"It is me !" cried Mrs. Hubbard, "I am
am going to go to morrow this is the 1st.
I do feel faint yes, I do. It is awful,and
so sudden.
And Mrs. Hubbard fainted away in the
arms of the most terrified of men and
husbands.
The children screamed; the cat mewed;
the dog barked. The oldest boy ran for
the doctor. . Teople flocked to the HuV
bard's. The loaf was examined. Yes,
there was Mrs. Hubbard's warning her
call to quit this world.
She lay in bed, bidding good-by to her
family and friends, her strength going fast.
She read her Bible, and tried not to grieve
too much. The doctor shook his head. The
clergyman prayed with her. Nobody
doubted that her end was at Land, for peo
ple were very superstitious in those days.
They had been up all night with good
Mrs. Hubbard, and dawn was breaking,
and with it she was sure that she must go,
when clattering over the road and up to
the door came a horse, and on the horse
came a man, who alighted, lie rattled
the knocker and rushed in. There was no
stopping nun. t'p the stairs he went to
Mrs. Hubbard's room, and bolted into it.
Everyone stared at htm as he took off
his hat.
"Parding," said he breathlessly;
heard Jlrs. Hubbard was dying, and she'd
warnings on her bakings. I came over to
explain. You see, I was a sexton of the
church here a few years ago, and I know
all about it- You needn't die of fear just
yet, Mrs. Hubbard, for it is neither spirits
nor demons about, nor yet wsmin s. YY hat
marks the loaves is old Mrs. Finkle's tomb
stone. I took it for aa oven bottom, seeing
there were no survivors, and bricks were
dear. The last folks before you didn't get
them printed off on their loaves because
they used tins; and we got used to the
marks ourselves. Crossbones and skulls
weput up with,aud never thought of caring
for the resurgam. So yon see ow it is,
and I am sorry you've been scared."
Nobody said a word. The minister shut
his book. The doctor walked to the win
dow. There was a deadly silence, airs.
Hubbard sat up in bed.
William !" said she to her husband, "the
first thing you do, get a new bottcm to that
oven.
And the tone assured the assemblage of
anxious friends that Mm. Hubbard was not
going to die Just yet.
Indeed, she came down the next aay.
Ani when the oven had been reconstruct
ed, the first thing she did was to give in
vitations for a large tea-drinking on
which occasion the loaves came out ll
light.
Americas) "ewepapare.
t-v .. io 131 American (United
States and Canada) newspapers 8U9 dai
lies, 8,428 weeklies, ui-wroui
monthlies. The total circulation ui .
ele issue of each of these papers omitting
1 920 not given reaches the enormous
alrirreKate of 20 677,538 copies, divided as
Er Dallies, 3,540,156; weekhes, semi-
weeklies, and tn-weeauea, .
m?nS and semi-monthlies. 3,625.68.
S - .n-rpra of 2.041 to each paper
Tsmgie issue, and taking jU !. of
the whole for one year, a
M792
frtV-nound newspaper at its average
meuCeVOOO sheet, (solid) to. a fx
.Ci. of all these, piled up, wouM
rnel 5,170 feet (nearly -. mile)
rk. far a whole year, 459, 11 V ieet
iTneaxly 2 oKs, and in ".average
tni'riWo atut"
brevier gTpTin one news.
420 r To p SuVthe total 10
paper- T0?Vhi.VVeraee size, there must
181 papers f this aveg o
be handled newly 5,(KWU pom.
tyI X S3 Sfdaibes, week
number of issues m ..,,, WOuld
SeTand 'rJmccasion.
make 724,796, and P"nt49,696000
the handling "Jg&i raiher
Thesejsveragen wiceag
than maximu There -
tltt0,0w.
Business Lsws la Dally Caa.
The following compilation of business
law contams the esence of a large amount
of legal verbiage:
If a note is lost or stolen, it does not re
lease the maker ; he must pay it if the
consideration for which It was given and
tne amount can be proven.
Notes bear interest onlv whim n amtoA
Principals are responsible for the acts
ui meir agents.
Each Individual in a Dartnershin is re
sponsible for the whole amount of the debts
oi tne nrm, except in case of special part-
Ignorance of the law excuaM no ntu
The law compels no one to do impassi
bilities. An agreement without consideration is
void.
A note made on Sunday is void.
Contracts made on Sunday cannot be en
forced.
A note made by a minor is void.
a contract made with a lunatic is void.
note obtained by fraud, or from a per
son in a state of Intoxication, cannot be
collected. -
It is a fraud to conceal a fraud.
Signatures made with a neurit are vvl
ia law.
A receipt of monev is not alwava in
clusive.
The act of one partner binds all the rest.
"Value received1 is usually written in a
note, ana should be, but is not necessary.
If not written it is presumed bv the law.
or may be supplied bv Droof.
the maker of. an "accomodation" bill or
note, (one for which he has received no con
sideration, having lent his name or credit
for the accommodation of the holder) is
uouna to ail other parties, precisely as if
there was a good consideration.
Ao consideration is sufficient in law if
t be illegal in its nature.
Checks or drafts should be presented
during business hours, but in this country,
except in the case of banks, the time ex
tends through the day and evening.
it the drawer of a check of draft has
changed his residence, the holder must use
due or reasonable diligence to find him.
If one who holds a check as payee or
otherwise, transfers it to another, he has a
ngtit to insist that the check be presented
that day, or at farthest, the day following.
A note endorsed in blank (the name of
endorser only written) is transferable by
delivery, the same as if made payable to
Dearer.
The time of payment of a note must not
depend upon a contingency. The promise
uiufl be absolute.
A bill may be written upon any paper or
substitute lor it, eitner with ink or pencil
1 he payee should be distinctly named in
the note, unless it is payable to bearer.
An endorsee has a right to action azainst
all whose names were on the bill when lie
leceived It,
If the letter containing a protest of non
payment be put into the post office, any
miscarrirge does not effect the party giving
notice.
'otice of protest may be sent either to
the place of business or of residence of the
party notified.
An oral agreement must be proved by
evidence. A wnten agreement proves
itself, the law prefers written to oral
evidence because of iu precision.
Ho evidence may be introduced to con
tradict or vary the written contract; but it
may be received in order to explain it,
when the contract is in need of explanation.
Hygiena at tha Seasbara.
Dr. Boariiman Reed of Atlantic City,
has written a most useful paper upon this
subject. He says people visit the seashore
for various reasons, but mainly for health
or pleasure. The pleasure-seekers really
require more attention from the local prac
titioners than the health-seekers, simply
because they violate more flagrantly all
hygienic laws. But even the invalids who
visit this great sanitarium in such numbers,
both in summer and winter, do not always
take the best care of themselves. In the
first place many make an unfortunate
choice of location. Patients with soften
ing tuberculous deposits insist upon spend
ing not only their days, but their nights
also, down very near the beach instead of
being content with the more moderate
stimulation of the milder air a square or
two back in the town. Sufferers from
chronic malarial poisoning, on the other
hand, frequently select as a dwelling place
some shady bower in the centre of the
Island, instead of a sunny spot close to the
beach where the clhorine aad iodine com
pounds in the ocean spray could, undiluted,
exert their antiseptic and undoubted anti-
maUr:.i! v;:;k. ,, not to speak of that mys
terious chemical aCul, ozone, of which we
hear so much and know so utile, but which,
whatever its therapeutic power, is thought
to be most abundant near the salt water.
Supposing a favorable location to have
beea secured, there are numerous paints
uuon which most invalids need minute
instructions, either from their own medical
advisers or from a competent resident phy
sician, first in importance perhaps is the
diet. The weak stomach winch neither
quinine, gentia'?, malt, nor any other pro
product of pharmaceutic art could compel
to welcome a nearly meai at nome, soon
acknowledges the superior tonic powers of
salt air. '1 he appetite becomes uncontrol
able. The patient now felicitates himself
and receives the congratulations of his toy
indulgent friends upon his rapidly improving
health, nai tne appetite is buuiuibu.-u
more than the d gestive powers, and unless
restrained, the result is a bilious attack. If it
b9 in the winter time the patient may es
carie with a headache, furred tongue, com
plete loss of appetite, and the cessation of
all improvement. Ihen deciding that the
Dlace no longer agrees witn nun, lie returns
home, perhaps little better than he came,
if it be in the summer, the same over-eating
may produce a diarrhoea or cholera morbus,
iust as it would any wnere euw, sou uie
J . . i t- i : in
patient, wnen tne iocai suuiapiua iu
natched him up sufficiently, goes back to
the city roundly denouncing the seashore.
8o with exercise. Persons debilitated by
disease and foul urban air feel themselves
stimulated here to perform extraordinary
foata in walking, bathing, dancing, etc. Bj
such excesses thty rapidly dissipate their
newlv acquired strength, and are leu more
prostrated than before.
The item of bathing well deserves a
chapter to itself. Next to imprudence in
eating and drinking, bathing too long, at
the wrong time, or in tne wrong way, causw
more miscmei ncrc uus uj
agency. It is obvious enough that invalids
too weak to react from the shock of the
breakers, and from the emu oi contact
with water twenty or thirty degrees colder
than their bodies must suffer seveiely from
bathing in the ocean at all even if they do
not stay in half an hour to an hour, as
some misguided ones do.
But the great luxury, and, when scien
tifically employed, most valuable therapeu
tic agent, the in-door sea-water bath, is now to
be enjoyed at several puuxa uu mo uuuiu.
it ia eaneciallv advantageous in the winter
and spring months, but even in midsommer
affords the benefits of sea bathing to thous-
aaas wu are venture into me ssssa.
Boy Iavaatora.
Home of the mo4 important inventions
have been the work ot mere boys. The
invention of the valve motion to the steam
engine was made by a boy. Watts left the
engine hi a very incomplete condition, from
the fact that he had no way to open or close
the valves, except by means of levers
operated by the hand. He set up a large
engine at one of the mines, and a boy was
hired to work these valve levers; although
this was not hard work, yet it required his
constant attention. As he was working
these levers, be saw that parts of the engine
moved in the right direction, and at the ex
act time that he had to open or close the
valves. He procured a strong cord and
made one end fast to the proper part of
the engine, and the other end to the valve
lever; the boy had the satisfaction of seeing
the engine off with perfect regularity of
motion. A short tune after, the foreman
came around and saw the boy playing mar
bles at the door. .Looking at the engine
he soon saw the ingenuity of the boy, and
also the ad vantage of so great an invention.
air. Y atts then carried out the boys lnven
tive genius in a practical form, and made
the steam engine a perfect automatic work
ing machine. The power-loom is the in
vention of a farmer boy who had never
seen or beard of such a thing. lie
wnittled one out with his jack-knife, and
after he had got it all done, he, with great
enthusiasm, showed it to his father, who at
once kicked it ail to pieces, saying he
he would have no boy about him that would
spend his time on such foolish things. The
boy gathered up the pieces and laid them
away, boon after that his father bound
him out as an apprentice to a blacksmith.
about twelve miles from home. The boy
was delighted at the Idea of learning a trade
ana he soon found that his new master
was kind and took lively interest in him.
He had made a loom of what was left of
the one his father had broken up, which he
showed to bis master, lhe blacksmith
saw he had no common boy as an appren
uce, and that the invention was a very
valuable one. lie Immediately had a loom
constructed under the supervision of the
boy; it worked to their perl act satis taction
and the blacksmith furnished the means to
manufacture the looms, the boy to receive
one-half the profits.
A strange Clock.
A strange clock is said t j have once be
longed to a Hindoo prince. In front ot the
clock's disk was a gong swung upon poles,
and near it was a pile of artificial human
limbs. The pile was made up of the full
number of parts necessary to constitute
tweive perfect bodies; but all heaped to
gether in apparent conlnsion.
When the hands of the clock indicated
the hour ol one, out from the pile crawled
just the number of parts Leeual to form
the frame ot one man, part coming to part,
with a quick click; aad when completed,
the figure sprang up, seized a mallet, aad
walking up to the gong, struck one blow.
This done, he returned to the pile, and fell
to pieces again. When two o clock came,
two men arose, and did likewise; and at
the hour of noon and midnight the entire
heip sprang up, and marching to the gong.
srtuct, one alter the other, his blow, mak
ing twelve in all; then returning, fell to
pieces as before.
Before clocks were so common, hour
glasses were much used. Sometimes they
served as pocket watches. They were al
ways kept in the churches to mark the
length of the sermons. In England, dur
ing Cromwell's reign, the sermons were
very long. An hour was seldom sufficient
for their delivery. So one old minister
when the sand ran out in his time-piece, is
said to have turned it saying : "I know you
are all good lellows : so let's have another
glass." Occasionally, when the speaker
was prosy, the congregation would either
sup out or rebel. 1 his u not to be won
dered at, when the spsaking continued two
or three hours. There is a story that one
oi the fun tan preachers wss just turning
his glass the second time, when the sexton
interrupted him with the request that he
would lock up the church and put the key
under the door when the sermon was over,
as the few auditors left wore going home Ui
their dinners. Then another, it is said, let
his hour-glass run while talking against
drinking, lie reversed it, exclaiming.
'Brethren, I have somewhat more to say on
the nature and consequences of drunkeness,
so let's have another glass and then "
which was a regular toper's phrase. 8j,
for all their gravity, the Puritans did not
lack humor.
A Direr Among; tha Fishes.
Fishes are as playful as birds, and some
species may be tamed as readily as any
other pets. Divers in diving-bells have
bad some curious experiences with them.
A prolonged stay in jne place gave a diver
an opportunity to test this Intelligence fur
ther, and to observe the trustful familiarity
of this variety of marne life. He was con
tinually surrounded at his work by a school
of gropers, averaging a foot in length. An
accident having identified one of them, he
noticed that it was a daily visitor. After
the first curiosity, the gropers apparently
settled into the belief that the novel mon
ster was harmless and clumsy, but useful
in assisting than to their food. The spe
cies fed on Crustacea and marine worms,
which shelter under rocks, mosses, and
sunken objects at the sea-bottom. In
raising anything out of the ooze a dozen of
these fish would thrust their heads into the
hollow for their food before the diver's
hand was removed. They would follow
him about, eyeing his motions, dash
ing in advance or around in spori, and evi
dently with a liking for their new-found
friend. Pleased with such an unexpect
ed familiarity, the man would bring them
food and feed them from his hand as one
feeds a flock of chickens. The resemblance
in their familiarity and some of their ways
to poultry was, in fact, very striking. As
a little chick-will sometimes seize a large
crumb and scurry off, followed by the
flock, so a fish would sometimes snatch a
morsel and fly, followed by the school. Ii
he dropped it or stopped to enjoy his tidbit,
his mates would be upon him. Sometimes
two would get the same morsel and there
would be a trial of strength accompanied
with much flash and glitter and shining
scales. But no matter how called off, their
interest and curiosity remained with the
diver. They would return, pushing their
noses about him caressingly in appearance
if not intent and bob into the treasures of
worm and shell fish his labors exposed.
A Farpstaal kitting; Fond.
There is a lake on the Saw Tooth Moun
tain?, California, that probabaly has no equal
in the United States. It is about sixty-five
miles from Bonanza, and at an altitude of
nearly twelve thousand feet The lake
lies in a basin among the sharp crags ot the
snowy Saw Tooth, and is a sheet of perpet
ual ice. It was discovered in August of
last year by a party of prospectors, and
named the Ice Lake. The sun seemed to
have no effect upon it except in places ad
joining the shore. It is simply a great
bowl in the hard mountain rock brimful of
solid iea, upon which the ray of the sua
descend with no pewar te penetrate.
Uvlna la a iaat ttanaa.
Iight-heuses are strange and lonely
homos for men to live In. Some of them
ai parched out on the ocean, with the land
scarcely in sight, and the restless sea for
ever beating and moaning around them.
The keepers of these do not see other
human faces than their own in a quarter of
a year. Might and day they are on the
watch, gladdened awhile by a sail that ap
pears for a little while and then floats out
of sight, below the horizon. The might
be out of the world, for all they know of
it concerns, it losses and gains, it battles
and its victories, the changes that each day
brings forth. 1 nere are other light-houses
situated on the coast, but so remote that
they are scarcely visited, and others that
arc surrounded by the civilization of a fish
ing village, and on summer days are crowd
ed by fashionable people freui the neigh
boring watering places. But for the most
part, except in the approacnea to flourish
ing porta, they are buut out on the farthest
mama of the land, on far-reaching capes
and peninsulas, on iron bound headlands,
on detached rock and sandy shoal. The
light ships are still worse off, anchored as
they are in stormy waters, and forever roll
ing, plunging, leaping m perpetual unrest,
dipped ot their wings, while other vessels
are passing and repassing, shortening sail
as they enter port, and spreading their can
vas as they start out anew, lhe light
ships are manned by men alone, but in the
light-houses the keepers are allowed to
have their wive, and children are born
unto them and brought up with the sea and
the sea-birds and the distant ships for com
panions, jiany a pretty story or poem has
been woven about children living in this
fashion. They learn the secret and won
ders of the sea, and feel glad when it sings
softly on the calm days and sad when its
bosom is i ulMed and white in the storms.
Their Utile heads are full of strange fancies
about Mature, and I do not believe they
could understand or enjoy the life that you
and I lead at home, bomehow I cannot
think of thorn as real children. They seem
more like water sprites that have their
home in the blue depths among other deli
cate plants that blossoms there. But they
have lessons to learn from school books,
aud a great many things to do in their
father's household. Their life, with all it
romance, is not one of idleness, you may
be sure.
A Night With Panther.
In the autumn of 1S52, after having
traversed a great part of the Western ter
ritory, 1 found myself in the pleasant and
healthy little vilhairo of r ayetteville, in
the north-western part of Arkansas. Here
in consequence of the large quantity ot
game with which the neighborhood abound
ed, I determined to devote a few weeks to
recruiting my strength, which owing to
the laborious manner in which I had traveled
had become very much exhausted, and also
to enjoy the pleasure of my favonte amuse
ment hunting.
Upon one of my hunting excursions I had
been smgulvly unsuccessful not having
had a shot during the whole day, and, as
might be supposed, felt in a not very joy
ous mood; for upon all previous occasions
I had met with great, loss. 1 his ill luck
caused me to remain in the forrest much
longer than I auticip&'cd; and when I first
began to think of returning, I found
that it was already beginning to get dark.
and I had quit a distam u to travel through
the forest before reachu ' the village.
Weary in body aud harai e l in mind, in
consequence of my wuut of success.
slowly retraced my steps. Soon the dark
mantle of night was spread upon the forest,
and I as yet, perceived no sign; of the open
ing. 1 hastened mv steps, thuiki.ig, to reach
the clearing ere it became too dark for the
travel. Faster and faster I w.ilked, until 1
found myself going at a tnsk lot,although
at every step my clothes werj torn by the
brush, and my flesh considerably lacerated.
Soon, however, I was compelled to slacken
my pace, as it had become so dark that I
was unable to distinguish the trees, and
rather reluctantly came to the conclusion
that I would have to take up my quarters
for the night where 1 was.
As my mind was thus employed, trying
to arrange some plan for my night's
accommodation,! was startled by a piercing
shriek, as ot some person in distress. 1
stopped suddenly, and endeavored to peer
ia the darkness for an explanation. Again
heard the sound, although apparently at
not so great a distance from me as the first.
stood then irresolutely. Were it a human
being, it would be my duty to render any
assistance that might be in my power, and
At this point of my meditations, 1
perceived through the underbrush, a short
distance from me, two objects, close together,
resembling small balls of fire. 1 had now di
vined the cause cf the noise I had beard. It
proceeded from a wild animaLand that ani
inaL was now watching me with its tire-like
orbs! I hastily raised my gun and fired;
but as the object was some distance from
me, and not being able to draw a sight, I
must hsve missed it, for no sooner had I
pulled the trigger than with two or three
bounds, it was before me. I now discov
ered, from its close proximity, that it was a
panther that much dreaded and savage
animal, which old hunters, even when well
equiped, are loth to meet, I drew my
hunting knife, not having time to reload
my rifle, and waited for the fatal spring;
but to my surprise, the panther crouched
down about twelve feet from me, and
gazed into my eyes in a manner not suited
to lessen my excitement. Steadily I
watched it, expecting every moment to be
torn in pieces by the ferocious animal,
although 1 was determined to defend my
life to the last extremity. Once I endeav
ored to reload my rifle, but the moment I
commenced to move, the panther rose, as
about to spring upon me. I determined.
therefore, to keep myself in readiness for
the attack, for 1 perceived, from the move
ments of my enemy, that should I attempt
to move, it would be upon me in an instant
There we were in the midst of a dense for-
ist, eyeing each other with a bitter enmity.
Thus was 1 kept in suf pence for a long
tune I know not how long, for each min
ute seemed an hour, until the panther
probably becoming hungry, slowly ad
vanced toward me. When within about six
feet of me, it again stopped, and prepared
for the spring. I retained my composure man
f ully.for although I had been much excited
on the first appearance of the animal, the
length of time that had intervened, and the
hopelessness of my case, had given me new
strength, and I determined that if 1 must
die, it would be bravely defending my
life
Suddenly the panther gave a spring.
This I had anticipated, and planted myself
as firmly a passible, holding my knite in
such a manner that the animal would jump
upon it. The shock knocted me down; but
knew that I had buried my knife in the
animal body, for the warm blood that fell
upon me, convinced me of the fact, 1 bad
not killed the panther, however; for,
before I could regain my feet, it was upon
me ; aad as I had lost my knife immediately
upon the first attack, 1 was almost power
less, having nothing to defend myself with,
but what nature had bequeathed to aa. It
again jumped upon me, and we rolled ovsr
and 9vr upon tne eartn. i clasped n Tntn
all my pawer areuad the bedy, and frem
the tightness with which I held il, it was
unable to do me much injury. I felt, with
pleasure too that it strength was decreas
ing, and concluded that th knife must
have entered a vital part. I held firmly,
knowing, that should I relax my effort,
death would be the inevitable result. Every
moment I telt the strength of the panther
diminish, until finally it ceased its hold al
together. I knew now that my enemy was
dead, in consequence of the wound It had re
ceived in lu first attack ; and, after I became
aware of the fact that it life was extinct, I
began to examine my own injuries, wh);h
although not severe, were numerous- I
found that my breast had been toraeonaid
erableoa the first attack. I bound np my in
juries with my handkerchief, a well as
circumstance would permit, and then.
being much exhausted, lay down near mv
now defunct enenmy, to rest.
I lay there upon the earth for some time.
and must nave slept ; ior, when 1 again
remember, the first gray streak of mora-
ing were begin! ng to break through the
tall tree. I now, for the first time, had a
fair view of the object of my nightly com
bat. It was an immense panther; and, as
I gazed upon it, I shuddered at what woald
have been the result, had I not been so
fortunate as to disable it on the first attack.
I now skinned the animal, and hastily
turned to the villiage, when, on measure
ment, it proved to be tea feet and a half
from tip to tip.
The Black Uraoghl.
Outside of the opium smoking establish
ment and there are quite a number
here the consumption of that drug is
increasing daily. Within the last few
years the amount of laudanum, morphine
auo crude opiam used outside of prescrip
tions has been largely augmented, until
now it has become a matter of much com
ment amongst the physicians A leading
druggist in New Orleans, recently said, you
would oe surprised u you knew the num
ler of well-to-do persons who are slave to
the habit here in this City. Of course, it
has always been known that there were
many opium-eaters in our city, but, so far
as I can judge, they have increased 50 per.
cent, during the last two years. Although
there are more men than women who drink
laudanum, the women or a they would
prefer ,to be called ladies far out
number the men in the use of the more
powerful morphine.
a nave tnree wuo taxe tneir six grains
" . T .? ' u
" , ,7 . , . f' '
have to adulterate it, foi I do not know
wuo xmj unr- luiku. im iuuuu ueau in
,UCT i "'ten compiam or. the
I t 1"L. - , . .
weakness
"V uu. i
to keep on the safe side. They resort to
all soi is of dodges to get it. Getting the
numoer oi some physicians prescription
and asking to have prescription Aa-
filled for a lady, and a little note requests
naste as the panv is suffering from neu
ralgia. Another is to ask for the syrup of
morpmne, wuicn, according to the phar-
macopia, is one gram of morphine to
one ounce of syrup. By sending to sev
eral stores they can get enough for their
daily spree, as the notes always
state that the sick (?) person is used to
taking the syrup."
winter, saio another, "quite a
prominent actor came into the store and
represented himself as a druggist at Shreve
port and wanted to know how much lauda
num was by the pound. When told he
grumbled at the price, but paid it and car
ried off a large bottle. As he remained
here some time I discovered who my bogus
druggist from Slireveport was, aad noticed
nis drowsy appearauce.
I hey are sly folks, these opium-eaters.
and it require all the ingenuity of a drug
gist to delect them sometimes. They feel
ashamed of the habit, and very seldom
come out boldly as do those who are ad
dicted to alcohol. Why there ia a physi
cian nere wno is under the influence of
opium a large portion ofl his time, and yet
his fauuiy don't know it. It is only where
the habit is beyond all aid that the effects
are visible to those unacquainted with the
dreadl ul results that its use brings with it.
lneygooofrom small doses, if you
can cau tnem doses, and then go on gradu
aly increasing untd they can take surpns- probably from the fact of his lisp
ing quantities. 1 saw one man take off, as whih WM ' aD. to 0Terthrew
i it was o much water, six ounces of
laudanum. We sell a great deal of opium
to the Chinese, but they only use it for
smoking, and I don t thiuk I can recall a
cnmainan who drinks any preparation of
They are not responsible for the intro
duction of the opium habit here, though.
1 remember an English gentleman who
used to live on itace street, thirty years
ago, when 1 was a drug clerk in that
neighborhood, who took his laudanum
regularly, and who died eventually from
its effects. His wife, who caught the de
sire from him, only survived him a year.
But then it was a remarkable thing to hear
of what is called an opium eater they do
not eat it, but drink a preparation of it or
some of it salts. Now there is no telling
how many there are in the city.'
A Boy Kills m Horse Thief.
A lew miles west ot Culbertson is a
ranch, and near by a herd of horse. About
week or so ago four men, one of whom
was supposed to be an Indian, suddenly
came upon the herd, and commenced to
'round up" the horses. "Round up is a
herdsman's phrase, and means driving the
horses together, and in doing so the horses
walk or run around in a circle, and are
thus more easily driven away. One of
these men approached a boy, 14 years of
age, and the only person in sight, and
okingly asked to see his revolver. The
boy said he guessed not and stepped back.
The man then attempted to get the revol
ver, but the boy was too quick for him, and
instead of getting the revolver the man
got a bullet in his breast and fell to the
earth. In the meantime another of the
herders, hearing that something unusual was
gmngon, hastened to the scene. The three
robbers became alarmed and fled without
taking the herd of horses. The man and
boy then approached, rather cautiously,
the man lying on the ground, but they
soon found that he was dead, and, only
two or three montha before, a herder and
companion with them.
Foctry ef me TaDIa.
More appetizing thau ail patent tonics Is
perfectly arranged table, sparkling with
cleat ness. bo let us be a little extravagant
our fresh table-cloths, when soap, water
and a utile labor are all we have to pay.
And now we must decide, shall we have
the best china, and do with some stoneware
for every day? or Shall we pay ourselves
the respect usually reserved for company?
Clearly, we are the person to whom it is of I
the most importance. Shall we ait down to I
odd plates and cracked saucers six day I
that we may enjoy gilded china the ev-1
enthr By no means. We will have plain
white French china, which can always be
matched when broken, and we will sit
down to it every day. In the same way we
will bring out the plated knives and silver
forks, and partake of our food, with a sense of
our own desert. We shall feel increased
respect for ourselves, also, with napkins
and butter plates ; so those w will have.
Tba Mystery mi Taraawred Staal.
In the whole range of the mechanical
art it would be nearly impossible to find
another process at once so simple and so
common in practice, and yet ao little un
derstood in theory, as the hardening and
tempering of steel. It was probably this
fact which led the Institute of Mechanical
Engineer (of England) to place this sublet
among those to be specially investigated by
a committee of its own members, whose
first report has recently appeared. To
illustrate the facts which require scientific
explanation, the process of hardening and
tempering a cold chisel, which is usually
done at one operation, may be briefly de
scribed. After heating, the point l dipped
in cold water, and thus the tool is hard
ened. After cooling, the smith lifts the
steel from the water, and watches it closely
as the heat remaining in the body of the
metal diffuse itself throughout the hard
ened portion. As the heat spread the
color passes from a white luster to a pale
yellow, to straw color, to brownish orange.
Then the point is dropped into water again.
and in the full confidence that after cooling
the temper will be that desired. If the
smith delayed, the brown would become
dappled with purple, and would then pass
successively into full purple, light blx
full blue, dark blue, and color would give
Its own temper upon cooling as bright blue
for swords and watch springs, dark blue for
saws, etc. These are the well known facts.
and yet their "how" and "why" has all-
ways been equally a mystery to the artisan
and the scientist, although upon the correct
solution of the problem depends so import
ant a matter as knowledge how best to
reach that judicious compromise which
should blend the maximum of hardness and
toughness. Now, either can be produced at
pleasure as the colder the bath the harder the
steel.andtbe slower (as in oil) the tougher ;
but extreme hardness i produced at the ex
pense of tenacity, and vice verta. The
committees' conclusion was suggested by
Allison's experiments upon platinum wire ;
which he made public in 1870. These ex
periments showed that the incandescent
wire became covered with minute fissures.
due to expiration of the occluded gases
uuder the action of heat, and that when
th win was cooled in a vacum the fissures
closed. By a succession of heatings and
coolings the gases were entirely expelled,
and the platinum became much harder
and denser. As the committee suggests it may
be that the first and extreme beating drive
out the gases occluded at ordinary tern.
I r,-t.. ih. .v,.
hard steel. W hen the metal is slightly
heated, a m tempering, reabsorption be
Ul ,ne Cuteristlc colon are
i ,in t tK unrc ik. ..,.aM .k.
I vuoutMi a as u BtutOibc, iuo
gradual opening of minute fissures, which
are produced bv this reabsorotion. In con-
nection with this latest theory may be men
tioned one or two earlier ones. Oue is
that when steel is heated the carbon be
comes liquid, and is absorbed by the iron
as water is by a sponge, and that upon a
slow cooling the carbon becomes amorphous
and the steel is soft, while, if cooled
quickly, the carbon crystalizes, taking
Uie properties of diamond, and the steel
becomes, as if it were, diamond set in iron.
This theory of Julien's is, perhaps, the
most striking one, but while accounting for
hardness, it due not explain the temper of
steel, to say nothing of objections to the
pustulated liquefaction of carbon.
Another theory explains the process of the
contraction and compression of cooling.
Finally may be mentioned the theory that,
at high temperatures, steel assumes an
amorphous wax like form, on cooling from
which it crystalizes into large crystals, if
the process is slow and undurbedTbut
into small crystals if the process is rapid or
disturbed by hammering. Such are the
leading theories ; scarcely one of them is
not sustained by striking analogies, but
none of them, including the latest, entirely
explains this exceeding.y simple and com
mon but battling mystery.
ft-unuun as a spy.
Among the officers of the Revolutionary
army, none, probably, possessed more
originality than General Putnam, who was
eccentric and fearless, blunt in his man
ners, the daring soldier, without the polish
of the gentleman. He might well be called
trickerr which he mi hl in ew.
, tr.;. .:,. ., ir
necl milea from New York, was in
nlnag of the Britism. Pvlinlua .
few .turd
Datriota. was lurkinir in the
vicinity, bent on driving them from the
place. Tired of lurking in ambush, the
men began to be impatient, and importuned
the General with a question as to when
they were going to have a bout with the
foe. One morning he made a speech some
thing to the following effect, which con
vinced them there was something in the
wind:
"Fellows, you have been idle too long,
and so have L I'm going to Bush's at
Horse neck, in an h Mir. with an ox team
and a bag of corn. If I come back I will
let you know the particulars; if I should
not, let them have it, by hookey.
tie shortly afterwards mounted his ox
cart, dressed as one of the commonest order
of Yankee farmers, and was at Bush's tav
ern, which was in possession of the British
troops. No sooner did the officers espy him
than they began to question him as to hi
whereabouts, and finding him a complete
simpleton as they thought, they began to
quiz him, and threatened to seize the corn
and bidder.
"How much do you ask for your whole
concern?" asked they.
"For mercy s sake, gentlemen," replied
the mock clodhopper, with the most de
plorable look ot entreaty; "only let me off,
and you shall have my hull team and load
for nothing, and if that won t dew, 1 11
give you my word 111 return to-morrow,
and pay you heartily for your kindness and
condescension."
'Well," said thev, "we'll take you at
your word. Leave the team and provend
er with us, and we won t require bail for
your appearance.
Putnam gave up the team, and sauntered
about for an hour or so, gaining all the in
formation he wished, lie then returned to
his men and told them of the foe, and hi
plan of attack.
lhe morning came, and with it sallied
out the gallant band. The British were
handled with rough ban is ; and when they
surrendered to General Putnam, the clod
hopper, he sarcastically remarked:
'Oen'lemen, I have kept my word. I
told you I would call and pay you for your
kindness and condescension."
A Reboot Olaea Times.
The other day an interesting relic of
stirring times was recovered from th sea
on tne east coast of Aberdeenshire. This
is no less than one of the gun of the Span-
ish Armada, which has been lying these
three centuries in a creek at Stains, a little
south of Peterhead. The St. Catherine
wa wrecaed here in her flight northward.
Two gun were fished out of the same pool
in 1840, a third in 1855, and two more
guns and an anchor in 1873. The present
find 1 reported to be th largest and moat
eemp'et ef all.
Tha Tamons Whitebait.
The proper whitebait season ia consid
ered by the principal Thames fishermen to
begin when Parliament begins, and end
when Parliament ends. This is the rule
they hsve gone by for many years past, or,
to put it according to the almanac, they be
gin with nets in February and go on to the
midddle of August. This year Parliament
held its sittings so late that the whitebaat,
not being able to wait so long, adjourned to
the sea, thence to return as sprats about next
November, especially being careful to
remember that they are due at the Mansion
House on the 9th of November. "Bait,"
as it is technically called, varies much in
site and quality according to the season of
the year. Thus, in February and March
considerable numbers of "yawling are
caught. These are, without doubt, "year
ling" herrings. In June and July the bait
runs very small, aud "heads and eyes"
appear in the nets. These are very minute.
gelatinous little creatures, so transparent
that the bright, silvery eye is the most
noticeable portion of them. At various
times of the year appear also "Pol wigs,
L e., young gobies and Kooshans," infant
weaver fish, as likewise 'buntings' (brown).
and red shrimps, sand eels, sticklebacks, etc.
W have carefully examined a sample of
the "bait" siniiliar to that which will be
caught to day for the ministerial dinner.
It consists almost entirely of young sprats-
lovely Utile flan, silvery as a new shilling, .
and in excellent condition. It has lately
been alleged that killing this fiy is a waste
ful process, aud that they should be al
lowed to grow into adult fish, but in th
estuary of the Thames sprats are not falling
off; in fact it oftenhappens in the winter
months that Billingsgate market ia over
stocked with sprats in consequence of so
many "games" (scotch for sprats) being
sent from Inverness and other firths of Scot
land. This also accounts for the fact that
when abundant sprats are largely used for
manure for the Kentish hop-yard and
turnip fields. The value of whitebait as
whitebait is very large. One firm alone
pays 100 a week in wages during th
season, and at another place about XI, 000
a year is co mng in as wages to the white
bait catchers. Under these circrmstance
il is not likely that Parliament will ever
be asked to mak it illegal for the fisher
men to catch or the public to eat whitebait.
As regards the origin of the term whitebait,
in former times these little fishes were used
as "bait" for the crab-pots ; then, as now,
they were very bright and silvery, and
were called "whitebait, "in contradistinc
tion to other baits that were not white.
When they became fashionable as food for
Londoners they still retained their name as
'whitebait," by which appellation they
will probably be still known at minis
terial dinners for many years to come.
Roman Coins at Harvard.
Iul877,Kobert NoxonToppan ( 1858.)
of N. Y., presented to the library a collection
of Koman coins,eigbty-one in number,illus
trating the period from 400 B. C. to Coa
st antine the Great, A. D. 337. The cm as
ar ef copper, silver and gold and are of
exceptional value, owing to their fine state
of preservation, many of them being as
clear cut as the recent coinage of the
United States Mint. Copper money wa
first coined in Rome about 425 B. C, and
this collection includes a large copper as
of 400 B. C. The stamp of the govern
ment cid not determine the value of the
coin it simply certified that the value
existed in the coin. All the Roman em
perors before Constantino are represented
here. Cleopatra. Julius Cesar, Brutus,
Sylla, the Calburniau, JBmilian, and Acil
iaa familes, contribute a coin each, and
there are ten of the year 269 B. C. This
collection remained unarranged until quite
recently, when the donor presented a band
some case, and personally arranged the
coins chronologically, with a descriptive
label beneath each coin. The case is of
polished rosewood, two feet in height three
feet in length, eighteen inches in depth at
the base, aad six inches at the top. It has
been placed in the art room, which is im
mediately above the delivery room, and
can be seen at any time by permission of
the librarian.
Inventors.
The last wrinkle in gas-meters is the pa
tent of a Norfolk man a price indicator
showing in dollars and cents the amount
due fur gas. An automatic railroad-switch
signal has been patented by a Hartford
hotel clerk. It shows danger whea a
switch is displaced, and will not right it
self until the last of the indefinite number
of switches to which it may be attacked
has been properly placed. Clocks can now
be made self-winding: that is, electric clock
of the Copenhagen variety. Louis Soen
denberg, the Dane in charge of them, ap
plies to them a mechanical contrivance
which periodically cnts off the steam of
electric fluid from the battery, and brings
an electro-magnet to bear upon the relax
ing main-spring in such a wty as to renew
its tension instantaneously. A young New
Yorker has patented what he calls water
skates. The skate is sn air vessel made
of zinc and hermetically sealed; is about
five feet in length, ten inches broad and
five inches deep, with vertical sides, and
tapers off fore and aft, or at the toe and
heel, like a steamboat. Oa the deck or
upper surface there is a socket into which
the. foot is set, and the opening being
guarded by a rim of metal to keep the
water from washing into the socket. The
bottom is fitted with a double gang of au
tomatic paddles, one gang forward and
the former aft, with five blades in each
gang. The blades are set on swivel In a
frame ten inches square, that bangs ver
tically from the bottom of the skate. As
the skate is pushed forward through the
water the blades are opened and offer
no resistence, but when the foot rest ao
as to begin a forward movement with
the other foot, the pressure backward
close the blade and gives a purchase on
the water that materially aids in propul
sion. (Each skate weighs about eight
pounds, but in the water, owning to it
buoyancy, it has no perceptible weight on
the foot. The other day the inventor
walked across the surface of the Harlem
river on them, the movement being a sort
of a gliding step, in which the skate Is not
lifted out of the water.
A Desert ef Quicksand.
A most singular desert of quicksand ex
ist in Arabia. It is in the heart of the
country, about three hundred miles from
Aden, on the Indian Ocean, and Is called
the Bahrel Saffi, or Sea of Saffi, so called
from King Saffi, who, in an attempt to
cross the desert, disappeared with his
whole army. It is described as covered
with undulating hills which give it the ap
parance of a moving sea. On this strcnge
desert are white patches formed of im
palpable powder, into which i a plummet,
with sixty .fathom line, ia thrown, the
whole slowly disappears. In one ot these
quirk sands, the ill-omened King Saffi and
his host found a tomb.
Horse racing ra Boston Common,
wa complain! i In 17M.
- 1 '