ft
B. P. SCHWEIER,
THE GOISTITTJTIOI-THE UTJIOI-AJD THE E3TF0B0E1OTT OP THE LAWS.
Editor and Proprietor.
:1
VOL. XXXVII.
MIFFLIN1WN. JUNIATA COUNTY. PENNA.. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 4. 1SS3.
NO. 14.
l
iik in vzpmm'pj an .
wAy mm0m$jmm www
i 1
J
SO MET I MP. SOMEWHERE.
nunswered J pi? Uie prayer jour up k.rt pi,
tied
In agonj of bean tttut man; jean?
Doe faltb begin to tail. It hope departing
And turn jroo all tn Tain tuoae falllns; tears'
Say not i be l ather hath not heard your prayer
Vnn ih.'l a.-. . r
' - j r uesire, sometime, somewhere,
lnanswcre.1 ret t month when yon ant presented
Tms one petition at the Father. ttmae.
It seemed you ooold not wait the time of asking
so urgent was yoor heart to make It known, '
Taough years have passed since then, do nut de
spair. The Lord will answer jon $ ometlme, somewhere,
t nsotwered yet: nay, do not at ungranted,
1-erhaps your part is not yet wholly done.
The work began when first your prayer was ut
tered, Ami Uod w 111 finish what he has begun.
It you will keep the incense burning there.
Hi glory you will see, sometime, somewhere.
AN OLD B iCHELOR,
'Mir Time, Miss TiHie'.'
"Yes."
"He's au old lachtlor, Susan
Kite
says. '
"Mercy u us, Kizzy Jones. Who's
an old bachelor?"
Miss Tillie Bell, IijuI lieen medi
tating deeply as to whether scarlet,
orange or green would be best to begin
w ith in working a motto, aud evidently
not paid due heed to the opening re
marks of her hand-maid.
Kizzy gave her broom a flourish, and
replied to the mistress's question.
'The feller that's took the cottage
back yonder on the hill. I don t reckon
he is overly young.
He's kinder grey, but not very, jest
a leetle grain, an' what do you think he's
lieen a-doin all the morniu?"
"Goodness me, Kesiah, how should I
know?"
"lieen a-plantiu marigolds in his
front yard all the blessed morning.'
Bought a whole lot of iiackages of seed,
Susan said, every one marigolds."
"Dear me, what a funny man!" said
Miss BelL
But as Kizzy hung up the broom and
disappeared the large cardlxiard motto
slid on to the floor on one side of her
aud the skeins of worsted silk on the
other, all in a tangle of vivid color, aud
Miss Tillie forgot them, forgot the
present entirely, and sat with her hands
folded and her soft eyes looking out to
the line of hills across the fields.
It was the word '-marigolds" that
had sent her thoughts wandering, so
often will one simple word waken a
whole train of recollections.
There was sadness mingled with
these freshly-stirred remembrances, a
sadness that had come to her through
her first and only romance.
She was young when that happened.
Even now she was pretty aud plump
and pink.
Then she w as slender and pale, and
Joe Gilford had seen the wide world in
her eyes and there had lieen promises,
and an eiigagpuwul-nng, and a little
brow n cottage bought, back on the hill,
w ith a lunny, straggly, red-bud tree in
a comer of a bit of front yard, and Til
lie, who had very little money of her
own in those days' invested five cents in
a paper of marigold seed tolieautify the
vard.
"For," she said, 'marigolds are such
a hearty jolly kind of flowers. There is
so much satisfaction in theui-"
But just its they had come up and 1
gun to bloom in huge brilliant masses
of golden-yellow and velvet-soft, red
brown, three weeks liefore the wedding
dav, w liat w as it took all the light out
of them all the suggestive beauty and
sweetness out of the brown cottage.
"What but a horrible quarrel w ith Joe
a quarrel in which they had1 lioth act
ed with the w isdom and common sense
of a couple of belligerent children fight
ing over something as important as a rag
doll, and breathing deadly threats
against each other.
And Jte had wound it all up by re
pairing to the brown cottage in a ter
rible teniier, aud pulling up every man
gold bv the roots throwing them spite
fully across the street, as near Tilhe's
home as possible, where they lay, a heap
of bright color, fading and wilting m the
""iff a straight slim little figure in a
a... trvino- to look as much like
a shadow as possible, had slip.ed out of
.1.- i, ;.. the faint light oi a ciwui
moon and gathered up one little veh et-
red marigold-from the heap
EL . . J i if that marigold, all dead and
dry was in one of Miss Tillie's .boxes
2uirsnow,whynoonebutTilhelul
any suspicion of it . . and
Ana joe nau
gone away.
aWay while the
M..S' - 1 1
"And he
can stay
u r,f me." J.ll"e jw
wona lasts, joi - ,
..... ... how he had called
her an obstinate little jade, though to be
sure she called him an ogre.
Tillie was a devout little womanand
. ,. -ivinr in the narrowest
was uciii uii o . .
heavenward path she could find jet her
letting sin of temper would get in tier
and trip her up.
.1 ., had said, "there are
not hS,7dHutie. in life than thujhig
of an obstinate goose of a man with a
, .
oaa iemiei. l e
t how many, many tears sne
had shed over that little dead marigold
Tiuiewasnotasmiforgivingas
i . .. j a : v 1-ka
a n now a man had taken the brow n
liachelor.
conage on me planting
"overly" young, who had wen p
marigolds all the morning.
t, nn..ld not be overlj joung
l t il, v 1 "
now. , i Vv t -i
Suppose this man sliould be Joe.
Kizzy 's head was poked , inside the
dw: ' a-;,,;. id she. "be's -goin'
jiiss VTrfeTlow With the man- ven M f upward of twenty
to be married, the fellow w tw-entyve knarup
golds is." Miss Tillie1 eiRht and ttree
As the Lead disappeared, Miss l un , diance3 that are mcreut
snapped the thread of her reverie, gave
her head an impatient little toss, and
picking up her motto and her wool, be
gan to work brisklv.
en, well," she half-sighed, "if
leople do their dutv. there Is no doubt
that things will come out all right some
ft ilne
Kir.v
came flying in red and inriliiif
with some .. stalking solemnly liehind
her.
"Here he Ls, Miss Tillie, that's him,"
she said, choking a titter, and pointing
to a square-shouldered man in the door
way, whose thick brown hair was
slightly tinged with gray.
It was J, Gifford, not looking so
very different from what he had in the
old days.
"Tillie," said he, without any preface
at all, "I've come back and liought the
cottage again, and planted the mari
golds. "And now, don't you think we had
letter fulfil the contract we broke so
long ago?"
"I thought," fluttered Tillie, "Kizzv
said
" Twasnt me, twas Susan Kite said
it, w hen she fetched the milk this eve
nin said her brother Jeff was in the
store and heered the men a axin of him,"
pointing her ellxiw at Joe, "if he was a
goin to git married, ami he said 'You
letter reckon I am."
"And so I am if she'll have me," an
swered Joe, coming forward.
'Kizzy, you run and feed the chic
kens, or the cat, or something, nir
dear."
And as she disappeared w ith an tin
suppressed giggle, Joe went straight to
Tillie, and dropping down beside her
chair, tangled her wools all up by catch
ing her hands as she was picking at a
knot.
"What impertinence," said Tillie."
"Do you suppose I have forgotten
w hat a scamp you were?
Have you reformed?"'
I don't know," he answered serious-
"I have tried."
"And what does jour motto say?
" 'Charity suffereth long and is kind.'
"I know that you are kind and sweet.
Tillie.
Ixrarest Tillie. try me again."
Ah. Joe." sighed Tillie, "we luth
have need of heaveu's help.
If we go there for strength and help.
we shall learn the lesson to he kind to
each other."
And when shall we be married.
Tillie?" Joe asked.
Oh, not till the marigolds bloom,"
Tillie answered.
That lrarkin.'
At a table in a Coruhill ivstaurant,
Boston at dinner recently, sat a man
from Cambridge, who was a native of
New HamiBihire. Meeting an old ac
quaintance the conversation soon turned
on family topics ami Uie tir.ijegan to
talk alniut their former neighbors in a
most familiar way. "Yes." remarked
the Cambridge gentleman, 'Sam was in
many resjects different from the rest of
the boys. You rememlier who he mar
ried? "Well, when the old man, his
father, found that he was shinin' round
with her, lie called mm one day m tne
Uirn and saiil: 'Sain d ye intend to
many Beckie? Sam never said a w ord,
so the old man said: 'Me boy, ye know
all aUmt them. 1 can't tell ye notliin'.
Ye know how the sisters has turned out
;tnd not one of them is now Iivnr with
their husbands.' Sam was as mum as a
pantomime and, just as soon as he was
readv, him and Beckie got tied.
"They lived on a farm, and everything
went on smooth for alout a year, ami it
came to hoff butcherin' time. Sam got
all ready to have the usual iwrty for the
occasion, and just as he was shaneniu'
up the Knives uecKie came out mm num.
Sain, 1 in goin' Home.' rsim protested
in Ins a met wav, out n o no use, iwj
he said he'd get a man to row her across
the pond. It was about half a mile over.
She said: '.No je won i: je n row me
over yerself !' Sain told her he couldn't,
and Beckie fired up and said: 'Then I'll
drown meself.' Sain said he'd go with
her if she wanted to do that, so the lioat
was got readv, she got ui. and mey
rowed out till the w ater w -as twenty feci
deep. Then Sam stopleu ami saui.
'Well, JSeckie, mis is a gi juit ioi
ve to drown verself!' She didn't oin
her mouth. He waited awhile and then
said: "Come, Beckie, I'm in a hurry to
Kit Kick.' She never looked up. Sam
nut down the oars, caught hold of her
and pitched her in. She grabbed for
the ooat, but he wouldn't let her git
near it. lien sne was aiunnuiniF
she said: "Sam, let me in that lioatand
ve'Unot hear anything moi from me
but o' the way.' . ....,..
"So he pullol ner m, aim mk-
back home. She cnangeu urr
and entertained the guests. They're
now nearly eigniy auu jo un.i -happier
old couple-did you? Idorrt
thuik thev ever spoke of tlutt dnckm
vl L i,Atnr she was coin to drown
Slllt- 1 ,v -
herself-
The KmH and the SI lie.
m .;i....,f and the "mile"are terms
often usetl interchange-ably, but erron
" The fact Is that a mile is less
than eightyeven ff
Thm, and onea
wiUiin yer) -U - - .
knots, ine T. feet
Thfresultof the difference is that the
ll eJ,T .iies ir hour is always con-
ri Unrer than when stated in
siderably w'1 ,(rgets this and
to "Snyots, whenit
sUl ,k. iTmanv miles, he may I ffivmK
Is really soi nanr n'"'ill,.mlibe. When
figures verg. - a vwsf.1 is
we near i-..- - , knots r
Ible S take the statement
'u'. ve kiree grain of salt, for
Wilh knots te3.04 miles i-er hour, a
twenty biots"- have made
hlubteTfby Znue who have the
and it doubted dj ,
measurement wl2;er e
made tnty4i nui
lt hasln dd hat
lish torpedo b knots.
twenry-io." - twenty
Twenty-iom bour? aua
' sTtsillN Al V " -
Mexican Peculiarities.
Among all classes in Mexico there is
too much of the idle "rest and be thank
fid" spirit. Mature has heeu bountiful:
the necessaries of life are easily secured:
the need of exertion is minimized; a few
beans or a handful of corn, a little fat,
aud some chillies will form the unvary
ing diet for weeks. But all are inveter
ate gamblers. Although sometimes too
lazy or improvident to provide even
comfortable food, they will sit for hours
over canls or dice, and in their infittua
tion iawn anything on which thev can
raise money. In selling their chillies,
their eggs, iKiultry or other produce,
they seldom have any fixed price; their
demands are mainly graduated by the
apiwrent capacity or generosity of the
purchaser, i oiitracting to supply milk,
for example, to the railroad const ruction
gangs, anerarraiiguiglora a very ample
remuneration, and going on tor one,
lierliaiw twit weeks, they will complain
their cows are doing Uidly, get a few
extra cents lier gallon, and peihaiw a
week later make a similar stand for a
further advance. The merchaiitile
classes in the towns, although they sel
dom have much capital, are toleraolv
straightforward, endeavor to meet their
eiisraireiiieiits. and have a wholesome
horror of a protested lull, fcvery village
celebrates, at least once a year, its fiesta.
where dancing, an extra amount ot
camblinir. cock fitrhliug, and sometimes
biill-liaiting are the entertainments, and
where the lilieral consumption of cheap
intoxicants brings business into the
Court of the Elealdi or Justice of the
Peace. The Mexicans are generally
more pusillanimous and siqierstiiious
than the Indians. Secret societies, under
priest lv control, exercise a good deal of
aullioritv. Both in Old and New Mexico
the l'enitates count their numliers by
thousands, and enjoin among their vo
taries fasting and humiliation, from
which, however, exemption is freely ac
corded on iyment of certain dojes. On
occasions, self-flagellation and strqies
inflicted by brother devotees are proceed
ed with until the infatuated victims are
covered with blood. For several hun
dred yards along a jth thickly strew n
with pncklv cactus, others go on hands
and knees to prostrate themselves liefore
the Cross. Bearing a cross weighing
several hundreds jiounds, with arm out
stretched and secured, others toil for
miles, usually to some sacred chajel or
almost inaccessible mountain top. hen
the poor enthusiast, fainting under his
burden, is aliout to drop, attendants
place their shoulders under the anus of
the cross, and afford temporary siipnirt.
These senseless jieifonuances shatter
yearly the health of many weakly devo
tees, and kill some. The United States
Government recently endeavored to put
down these Juggernaut suiierstilions in
New Mexico by introducing a bill pre
venting cruelty to men or the low er ani
mals but, jealous of interference with
their iKiwerand profits, the priesthood
steiiuouslv pNised it, and it was w ith
drawn. The habits and education of
the masses will obviously have to under
go much change liefore the country' can
make material progress.
The first instructor in music of Ole
Bull was a Dane named l'aulseu. a man
thoroughly qualified in his profession,
hut given to drink. At one of the week
ly ouartcttes 1'aulseii unbilled so ireelv
that he was unable to play. In this un
fortunate dilemma le was half-joking-ly
told to take his place, and the violin
was placed in his hand, w ith the promise
of a stick of candy after the jiei-fonn-ance.
Ole accepted the command in
earnest. A quartette of Pleyel which
he had heard several times w;is chosen,
and his memory served him faithfully.
To the astonishment of all he played
each movement correctly. He not only
executed the difficult lwssages, but
marked the rests. It was a wonderful
triumph for the 8-year old ly. He
was made at once an active niemlier of
the club. Soon after he liecame the
owner of a little nil violin. He slept
in the same room with his parents, aud
the night of its purchase he could not
sleep for thinking of it. After all was
quiet in the house he crept out of lied
and into the next room where the in
strument had been dejiosited. But let
him tell his own story:
When I heard father and mother
breathing deep, I rose softly and lighted
a candle, and in my night clothes did
go on ti-toe to ojhmi the case and take
one little (eep. The violin was so red,
and the pretty jiearl screws did smile at
me so! 1 pinched the string a little
with my lingers. It smiled at me ever
more and more. I took up the how ami
looked at it. It said to me it would
lie pleasant to try it, across the strings.
So I did trv it, just a very, verv little.
and it did sing to me sweetly! -Then I
(did creep farther away from the bed
room. At first 1 did play very soft. 1
made verv, very little noise. But pre
sently I did liegin a capriccio which I
like very much, and it do go ever louder
and louder; and I forgot that it was
midnight and that ever) liody was asleep.
Presently 1 hear something go crack:
and the next minute I feel my father's
whip across my shoulders. My little
red violin dropped on the floor and was
broken. I weep much for it, but it did
no good. They did have a doctor to it
next dav, hut it never recovered its
health."
In 111. when he was 21 years old, he
went to Paris to pursue his musical
studies, but his money soon gave out.
and he had no means of replenishing his
purse. He was unknown as a musician,
lie could not even teach, and he was at
last reduced to the very verge of star
vation. The tide turned at last, how
ever, and by a series of curious accidents
i i- i - : i : . i.- e
ne was euaoieu to cam a ueariii oeiorc
some rich and powerful connoisseurs iu
music. After a successful concert tour
through Italy he devoted hinfself to
study with an intensity which wrecked
his health. Visiting Bologna Jie won in
the most extraordinary way the great
celebrity which follow ed him ever after
ward. It seems that at the tune ot his
stav in Bologna, Malibran and DeBeriot
were both there, and were advertised to
amear. The two had a violent quarrel,
however, and refused to go iqioii the
stage.
"Ole Bull had now been a fortnight
in Bologna, lie occupied an tipper
room in a jxior hotel, a sort of soldiers'
barracks, where he liad lieen obliged to
take temporary refuge, liecause of the
neglect of a fnend to send him a money
order. Secluded from society, lie sjient
the days iu writing on his concerto; and
when evening came, and the wonderful
tones of his violin sounded from the
oien windows, the people would as
semble in the street below to listen.
One evening the celebrated Colbran
(Rossini's first wife, and a native of Bo-
. v : '.. . ' II..: ,
lOguaj was (Joasiug aaa ooiuau aim
heard those strains. She paused. The
sounds seemed to come from an instru
nient she had never heard before. 'It
must be a violin.' she said, 'but a divine
one, which will lie a substitute for le
Bel lot and Malibran. I must go and
tell Zampieri.'
"On the hiirht of the concert. Oh
Bull, having retired very early on ac
count of weariness, had already lieen in
tied two hours, when he was roused hy
a nip on the door and the exclamation,
Cospetto di lSaeco! What stairs!' It
was Zampieri, the most eminent musi
cian of the Italian nobilitv. He asks
Ole Bull to improvise for him, and then
cries, 'Malibran may now have her head
aches!' He must off to the theatre at
once with the voiiug artist. There is
no time even for change of dress, and
the violinist is hurried liefore a disap
pointed but most distinguished audience.
The grand duke of Tuscany was there,
and jH-lVriot with his hand in a sling.
It seemed to ( Me Bull that he had been
transported bv magic, and at first that
he could not meet the cold, critical ex
actions of the it-ople In-fore linn; for
he knew- his apiearance was againf
him, and his weariness had almost un
nerved him. He chose his ow n coiuo-
sition, and the very desjicration of the
moment, which coiupelletl him to shut
his eyes and forget, his surroundings,
made him play with an akiiidoii, au
ecstacy of feeling, which charmed and
captivated his audience. As the curtain
fell, and he almost swooned fioiii ex
haustion, the house shook w ith reiter
ated applause.
"nhen, after taking food and wine,
he apjieared with renewed strength and
courage, he asked three ladies, whose
cold, critical manner had chilled him on
his hrst entrance, for themes to impro
vise uiion. The wife of Prince Poiiia-
towsky gave him one from 'Norma,'
and the ladies at her side, one each from
the 'Siege of Corinth' ami 'Borneo and
Juliet.' His improvisation, in which it
occurred to him to unite all these me
lodies, renewed the excitement. The
final piece was to lie a violin solo. The
dint-tor was doubtful of Ole Bull's
strength, but he step)ed forth firmly,
saying, 'I w ill play! oh, you must let me
plav: and ntraiu the same unrestrained
enthusiasm followed. When he finished
there was a rain of flowers, and he was
congratulated by Zampieri, lk-Beriot
and the priiicqial musicians present. He
was at once engaged tor the following
concert, and the assistance of the socie
ty was ottered for a concert ot ins own.
One gentleman asked for sixty tickets.
another for one hundred, ami Kniile
liOiip, the owner of a large theatre m
Iiologua, offered him his house and or
chestra free of expense. The wheel of
fortune was turning in lus favor; the
Norns were now weaving bright threads
in the web of his life. He played at
IkiHi Concerts, was avouiiaiiicd to his
hotel by a torchlight procession, made
honorary memlicr of the Philharmonic
society, ami his carriage drawn home by
the lMiptdace. This was Ole Bull's leal
debut."
a o l sule da.
Captain John ITartlev, late of the
Twenty-second I'nited States Infant ry,
walked into the shooting gallerv at No.
WtUhavenue.N Y. recently. He appear
ed entirely cool and self-imssesscd. lie
talked with the two voting men who
had charge of the placs alxml pistols
and guns, and they noticed that his lan
guage was that of au educated man.
"People should lie verv careful. I.e
Slid, "aliout using tin-anus, e-pecia!ly
when thev have hair triggers.
"Yes, that's so," replied the attend
ants.
Then the lai1v had a quiet drink.
and the stranger returned to the gal
lery aud began again to talk aliout
shooting.
" W hat distance is vour pistol range?"
he asked.
"Oh, aliout sixty feet from the coun
ter to the target twenty luices," was
the reply.
'"I prefer fifteen lmces fur pistol prac
tice," said the stranger. "Can I lire a
shot or two at that distance.'
"Certainly."
Hartley got over the rail and careful
ly measured fifteen paces from the tar
get. Then he tKik one of the pistols,
which had lieen loaded for him w ith a
twenty-two calibre cartridge. Holding
it in his hand he turned and said:
"A friend of mine was so can-less
once as to shoot himself iu the foot just
as he was aliout to raise the pistol. It
is really very dangerous to jHiiiit the
pistol tow anl the floor unless one is verv
careful." Hartley was still cool anil
collected when he said:
'Is the target all ready?"
"Yes; fire away."
"Well, here goes." .
Deliberately raising his right hand
the startled attendants, who were
awaiting the discharge, saw him press
the muzzle against his right temple.
He pulled the trigger, a mullled sound
followed, and Hartley fell to the floor
dead. After the usual excitement at
tending such scenes in a public place,
the body was taken to the ilice station
and thence to the Morgue. ' It the pock
ets was found a canl, on which was
written ''John Hartley," and a pawn
ticket for a watch, handkerchief and
gloves.
His suicide was mainly due topnvertj".
No money was found on him after his
death, and iu his pocket was a pawn
ticket for nine dollars, liorrowed on a
silver watch. It is also thought that his
desiondeiicy was augmented by family
troubles. He was married a u I was 44
j'ears of age.
Cochineal.
This article as found in trade, is the
dried IxmIj- of the female-cochineal in
sect, which lives on a sjiecies cactus.
During life it is aliout the size of .a
small ladvbug. It rather long, com
pressed, equally broad all over, wing
less, and marked behind with deep
incisions and wrinkles. The cochineal
insect has six feet, which iieverthe
l.ss are only of use directly after birth.
It fastens itself upon the plant by means
of a trunk placed between the fore-feet,
and remains there till ft dies. The sap
of the plant provides this little animal
with nourishment. The male cochineal
insects resemble the female during the
larva state. They change into the
chrysails, ami soon come forth as small
red flies. The female then lays some
thousands of eggs, and liecoines covered
with a white jiowder. She protects the
eggs under her liody; and hatches them,
so to sieak in this way. When the
young insect apiears the mother dies.
- GustaveDore has undertaken to
model the bronze statue of Alexandre
Dumas, which is to staud in the Place
Malesherbes. It will be the great ar
tist's first attempt at statuary, and only
a single copy of the work will be cast.
Hack Monat.
The famous stage driver Ls dead. He
has been on the do n grade a long time.
KeiVntly his foot lost its final hold on
the brake and his coach could not he
stopied until, battered and broken on a
sharp turn, it went over into that canon,
black and deep, which we call death.
In his way Hank Monk was a character.
In the oid days, before the leathers
under his coach were so soaked with
alcohol, there was no better lialanced
head than his. There was an air aliout
him which his closest friends could not
understand. There was something
which seemed to say that stage driving
was not his intended work; that, if he
pleased, there were other things, even
more difficult than handling six wild
horses, which he could do quite as well
Generally, he was reserved of speech,
sententious in his ways, but often,
while battling with a high-strung team
would pronounce an epigram worthy of
Ingersoll or Kmers.ni. After his little
episode with Greeley, distinguished
men assiiig over the Sierras, where
Monk drove, would plan to ride outside
with linn. Manv a one has ridden
twenty miles, trying in vain to call him
out, and at hist has settled Imek with
the lielief that he was but a stolid idiot,
when half a dozen words from Monk,
sHiken with his ieculiar drawl, showed
that when he drove Greeley's coach
over the mountains there was, tierhaps.
as big a man outside as there w.is inside
the vehicle. As he was not like any
other man, so he was not like any other
stage driver. In his prime he would
turn a six -horse coach in the stn-et with
the team at a full run, and with every
rein apirently hmse. But the coach
would always bring up in exactly the
sNit that the most careful driver would
have tried to bring it. His eye never
deceived him, and his estimation of
distances wasalisoltite: the result which
must lie when leaders, swings and
wheelers all were playing their roles,
was with him an exact science. His
driving was such a perfection of art
that it did not seem art at all, and
many an envious whip, watching him.
has tin ned away saying, "he is the luck
iest man that ever climtied on top of a
1hx." It was not luck at all, it was
simply au intuitive, exact calculation
from causes to effect, ami his whole
dutv ended when he fixed the cause.
The effect had to be. He has often
driven from the summit of the Sierras
down into the valley, ten miles, in forty
live minutes. Other drivers have done
as well, the only different-? lieing that
with others it was a strain upon eye.
and hand, and arm, and foot; with
Monk it was a matter of course. He
was to stage driving what the German
lajiers say Kdwin lSooth wasiu Hamlet:
lt was not played, but lived." Of
course we speak oi linn as he was oi
old. when the railroad was vet lievond
the sierras, and when staging over the
Sierras was something filter than staging
ever was ln-fore. or ever will be again.
Of late years Monk has lieen but a
ghost of himself. His physical strength
has lieen so wasted that no wild horses
have lieen given him: the grades up the
mountains have not lieen sprinkled; the
locomotive took away the glory of stag
ing, ami Kid whisky sapped the liner
springs of the old driver's life. A year
ago. tor the first time, a coach cajisized
under him. ami while the accident
seemed t rival in itself, it was a notice
to him that his hand had lost its cun
ning, that his lanqis were going out.
that a lark canon was liefore him. ami
there was no moon to rise. When this
w inter closed down he went into his
little den of a house ami knew that he
was going to mire down in a few weeks.
When friends tried to have him consent
to lie removed to the hospital, w here he
could have more comforts, he refused
tnd waited where he was, until Wed
nesday last, when he drove into the
home station. He died simply a dissip
ated old stage driver; but if in the long
ago, when life was bright ami hoie was
exultant, his heart did not receive a
wiitind which changed his whole life.
and all its purposes, than a man's face,
and acts, and moods, and models of
thought are no indication of what he has
done ami suffered.
Kemarkabie riula tf tinltl.
A volume might easily lie filled with
anecdotes of remarkable ''funis" in the
Victorian gold fields. In midsummer.
lsii, two jHMir men were at work iu a
gully, when,, on digging around the
oots of a tree, the pick of one or titeni
tine iiixin something very hard. 1 lie
man exclaimed he wished it had been a
nugget, even if it had broken his pick.
It proved to lie a nugget, ami out des
tined to lie famous. A wagoner was
one dav driving his team on the road.
when his wheel, in turning up the soil.
suddenly exposed to view a considera
ble lump of shining matter. The wag
oner stooied to pick it up, and by doing
so became-the owner of a nugget which
proved to lie worth i.'l,i0. In the
early days of sluicing a S-otchman was
working an extensive claim, and employ
ing a iiuinlier of men under him. His
last Shilling was siicut liefore any gold
was found. He told his men he had no
more f uiuls antl could go on no longer.
They had a great resjiect for him, ami
suhscrilied among themselves enough to
irry on the work for a few weeks.
Gold was soon afterward found in abun-
lance. The Scot retired w ith .40.M,
and made over the mine, while still in
full yield, to the men who had so gener
ously helped him. On one occasion two
men, who had just arrived from r.ngland.
sat down to rest on the outskirts of a
spot to w hich there had lieen a recent
rush. It was a broiling hot day, and
thev were gl;nl, after their toilsome
walk up the country, to rest in the
shade of an old gum tree. As they sat.
one of them, rubbing up the earth with
the heel of his lioot, disclosed to view
something hard and yellow-looking.
Pulling it from the ground, they found
it was a huge cake of veritable gold.
Without having had to use pick or siwde
they had realized a fortune, and, sieed-
lly turning their backs on the digging,
they took flte first ship home.
Ist An Inel.
The following currious puzzle is said
to beat the celebrated "1.1-15-14," ami
is well worth investigation. Take a
strip of paiier or cardlioard 13 inches
long and o wide, thus giving a stirf;ue
of 0-5 inches. Now cut this strip dui
gonally, as true as you can, giving two
pieces in the shape of a triangle. Now
iiieasure exactly 0 inches from the larger
end of each strip ami cut in two pieces.
lake these slips and put them into the
shajie of an exact square, aud it will
appear to be just 8 inches each way, or
o4 square inches, a loss of 1 square' inch
of superficial measurement, with no
diminution of surface. The question is,
what becomes of that inch.
A Crownins; Danger.
Much has lieen written and said con
cerning the benefits ami dangers that
atteud the use of the electric light. No
tice has lieen taken of the annoyance
and danger to life from the placing of
the electric light wires on jmles and
buildings in proximity to other wires,
noticeably those of telephone compa
nies, contact with which may result dis
astrously to persons using 'phones on
the cin-uit thus affected, lt has become
an almost unwritten law that to avoid
such conteiigencies as far as jiossible all
wires used for electric light circuits
shall be placed lielow all other wires on
the same lxiles, with a view to avoiding
lxissihle danger in case of breakage of
those conveying the current from th.
dvnaiiiiHgeiierator. Although attention
hits been called in emphatic manner to
the obstacle which wires iu general.
whether on lxiles or buildings, are to
hremen in raising ladders and in tl
jiei-foruiaiice of their many difficult du
ties in extinguishing fires, but little
mention has heeu made of the extra
danger to which they are liable when
working in the vicinity of wires carry
ing the MwerfuI currents needed for
the eli-ctric light. The rapidly increasing
demand for the light is so well known
that the' most suiieriirial examination
cannot fail to convince that danger to
the fire laddies from this source is con
stantly growing.
Conversation with local fire officials
shows that they are keenly alive to the
situation and anxious that the possihility
of serious results lie sjieedil) reduced to
the minimum. Very fortunate it is
that since the introduction of the elec
tric light in Buffalo serious fires have
lieen few, ami in no case h;is the prox
imity of the wires caused accident to
the tire-lighters. As instancing the
vigor with which the.se w ires make their
presence know n, it is related that at
the ( 'tnnitvrrinl lire w lieu the new Hayes
truck was on Washington Street, the
extension ladder wasat onetime resting
across the bundles of w ires struifg on
lxiles through that thoroughfare. A
memlier of the company was leaning tin
the crank used to turn the eleatiug
screw. Suddenly he juiiqieil as if shot
and liegan rubbing his hands, w hich had
been liehiud his back resting on the
crank. Asked what was the matter,
the astonished fire laddie replied that
the thing was hot. Examination so far
proved the truth of the assertion that no
one cared to Uither the crank. In raising
the extension ladder there is used a
stout chain passing over pulleys at the
top and bottom of Uie main ladder. This
chain, it apeared, was pressing against
an electric light wire, ami though the
latter was insulated, enough of the
Hiwerful current escaied to make the
electricity felt. Though the iron about
the ladders ami truck, together with
the iron tires, seemingly made a com
plete "ground," there was still plenty
of lightning left. While this incident
serves to convey some idea of the iin
IMirtance of these w ires as a factor iu
fire fighting, there yet remains to lie
considered l he danger tm the inside of a
building which is lighted by electricity,
as is the case in many buildings occupied
for .business puriioses on Main Street
and' elsewhere, ami in large manufac
tories w here the light is now in constant
use. In all of these places at ail times
during the night the powerful current
asses into the building until it teaches
the lamp most remote from its point of
entrance ami then jmsses out. Whether
the lights are in use. does not affect the
question. While the generator is in im
tion the circuit is complete w ithiu the
building, for if the lamps are not iu the
use they are "switched out" by a simple
lever overhead, and the current, though
it docs not pass through the cat lion arc,
making its presence known by the light
thus formed, it is silently circulating
j list as powerful as if seen. Susjieuiletl
to the ceiling, as these lamps usually
are, it is easy to see mat even a sngn
tire in store or factory may detach Uith
lamp and w ires from the fastenings that
keep them out of harm's way. A break
age of this sort and the room may lie
coiue a mammoth Ieydeii jar, more es-
lecially it the place is well flooded, for
water is one of the best conductors.
The ends of an electric light wire on a
floor covered with two or three inches
of water is not a state of things in which
the lire laddies find much comfort. Yet
the firemen are by no means enemies of
the electric light, and only ask that rea
suitable precautions lie taken for tlieii
protection from this source of daugei
while at work.
A simple switch placed outside ot
each customer's premises, by w hich such
place can lie "cutout' ot the circuit
ami the current kept out of the building
when the lamiis are not in use, is sug
gested by local firemen as probably the
most practicable safeguard that can lie
put in oicratioii without expense or de
iav. In factories or other places where
the light is used all such "cut outs" can
lie oierated by the firemen on their
arrival at the premises, wliile consumers
using the light a shorter tune can o-rate
the switch with hut little more trouble
than in simply switching out the lamps,
as is now the custom. The subject in
creases in importance as the use of the
light extends, and it will proliably re
ceive local attention ere long.
Sin-Ka'ers.
The sujierstitioii of the sln-eatcr in
Wales is said to linger even now in the
secluded vale of Cwm-Aiiiaii, in Ca-r-hiartheiishire.
The meaning of this
most singular institution of superstition
was that when a jierson died the friends
sent for the sin-eater of the district.
who, on his arrival, placet I a plate of
salt ami bread on the breast of the de
ceased person; he then uttered an incan
tation over the bread, after which he
proceeded to eat it thereby eating the
sins of the dead jierson; this done, he
received a fee of two-and-sixiience,
which, wesupiKise, was much more than
many a preacher received for a long and
painful service. Having received this,
he vanished as quickly as possible, all
the friends ami relatives of the departed
aiding his exit with blows ami kicks and
other indications of their faith in the
service he had rendered. A hundred
years siuce, ami through the ages lie
yond that time, we sujijiose this curious
superstit'- was everywhere prcalent.
Gen. James B. Steedinaii has lieen
chosen Chief of Police of Toledo, Ohio.
Stryehinia was discovered in lsltf.
Ovid burned the "Metaniorphies"
when exiled from Home, but copies had
been taken by his friends. -
Veterinary colleges were Hrst foun
ded in England in the hope of putting
an end to the ravages of the murrain.
Bilk handkerchiefs washed in cle i
water with para white castile soaplojl
like new. Do not iron, but snap be
tween the finger until almost dry, auu
theu preaa under a weight, -
Kegulale Vour Watch.
It is not generally known that there
is available to every one a most simple
ami accurate method of regulating a
clock or watch, w hen access to stand
ard time at short intervals is incon
venient or iiiiixissible. It consists simply
in observing the time at which anv
IKirtic ular star sets, or passes the range
of two fixed objects on different nights,
It Is necessary to have the correct tillie
to start with: after that, a clock Inav
lie kept w ithin a very few seconds of
standard time tor any iiiiuiIht ot years
without any difficulty. The sun cannot
In- used for this purjiose. for the reason
that there are only two days in the j'ear
when it is on the meridian of a place at
noon by cluck time. It may he as much
as fourteen ami a half minutes fast, or
sixteen and a quarter minutes slow on
different days; and liesides, the deter
mination of iis altitude with any degree
of accuracy requires the use of secial
instruments, and much skill iu oliser
vation. To determine the time by observation
of a star, on the contrary, is a matter of
great ease, and no instruments are ne
cessity. The mode of ojienitioii is as
follows: S-lect two fixed )oints for a
range of observation. If a westerly
window can lie chosen w hich faces any
building anywhere more than twenty
live to thirty feet distant, we have as
good a ost of observation as we can
desire. Drive a nail or stick a pin into
the window jamb: or. if anything more
sulistantial is wanted, fix a thin piiy-cof
metal, with a very small hole iu it to
sight through, in any convenient place,
so that yon can observe the time any
star sets or sinks lielow the roof of the
adjacent building, or whatever may lie
chosen as the more remote sight. Then
choose some well-tlcliucd star, the bright
er the better and w ith your time piece
set right, to start with, olwne the time
it pisses the lange of your sights. The
exact time, as well also as the date of
this observation, sliould lie recorded;
then to find out at any subsequent time,
how much your watch has varied from
correct time, observe the same star, and
recollect that it setsjust three minutes
ami .Vi.lM m 44 seconds earlier on any given
night than it did the preceding night.
Thus if oui'Tirst olrscrvatioii was taken
st mie night w hen thestar set at iiiuehours.
fit' t ecu minutesaittl t went y-thrce seconds;
and at our second oliscrvation, taken
just one week later, it set at eight hours,
forty-seven minutes ami hltv-two sec
onds, we would knew that our watch
had kept oMTect time. If it set at eight
hours, forty-live minutes ami fifty-two
seconds, we would know that our watch
or chick had lost two minutes during
the week. Ami similarly for any other
variation. If the time at which it had
set had W-en eight hours, forty-nine
minutes and littv-two second, we
see that our watch had gained two min
utes, aud so on.
If the location of our sights admits of
it, we should select a star ."-, as nearly
as jMrssible. from the jmle star, for its
apiKtreut motion will lie greater than
that of one near t lie inile. and the liability
of error will lie diminished. Unsuitable
selection can lie made, the error need
not le more than three or four seconds.
ami it will not lie accumulative.
From the fact that any given star sets
nearly four minutes earlier each night,
it is evident that it will after a w hile
liegin to set during ilavlight. Befoie
this occurs it will If necessary to trans
fer the time to some other star, which
sets later. Thus we see that the later
iu the evening our first oliservation is
taken, the longer the smie star may lie
used. lo Minister the time, ot course
is verv simple, you merely have to olt-
scrve the star you have lieen using, note
the time, and alx the error ami rate of
variation of your watch: then as late as
convenient the stine evening, select the
new star, not too near the horizon, oli
serve its time, and from the date of the
first observation, calculate the exact
time of its setting, or passing the range
f your sights, this is a cry simple
matter ami n-quires no explanation.
Then use the new star aslongasNssibe.
ind traiissci- to another, and so on.
Three t'tiiiet tr rom rimicti.
Iliiiing the Crimean war (lS.Vt-.'i) the
Cniteil States sent a hiuiiUt of artillery
and engineer officers to witness the pro
gress of the war and benefit by the ex
perience thev might gain there, and
among them was a general (now living
mil in the arin I who at the expiration
of the war. was given a year's furlough.
to travel in Euroiie. He. w ith a partv
of friends, were visiting Pouieii. where
the present excavation had lately liegiin.
ami undercharge of a guard, were ler-
luitted to look, but not take anvthing
thev might see.
In looking over the ashes in the bur
ied citv. he saw three pieces of money.
and the temptation to secure them for a
friend to whom he hail promised some
curiosities of Ins trip, was too great to
resist, and the guard not looking, he
lipped them into his pocket and gac
them to the present owner, who has had
them in his ossessiiii until now. Now
as Poiiih-u was destroyed A. D. the
coins must have Ih-cii that old at least.
We give the description of their present
apiearam-e:
A copi-cr coin, the size of a cent, dee
ply crusted and colort-d with green,
from age shows iiikiii the face a heat I
crowned with a laurel wreath, ami the
letters up ckas escasian; on the
liack of the coin a winged female figure
mil the letters Vh.toria, evidently
lieing a medal struck to commemorate
a victory !' Yesmsiau, who was Kin
jieror of Koine from A. D. tiU, to A. D.
'J. the year of the destruction of Pom
peii.
A smaller copitT com. ab itit the size
of our dime, in almost tierfect condition
except lieing worn off at one side, I tear
uiMiii the face the head, in helmet, of a
soldier ami the letters vuits; on the tit It
er side the figure of a wolf under two
stars, suckling the twins, K'uuiilus anil
Remus, under which are the letters It.
K. All Koman coins of the different
emperors reigns licar the letters S. C.
(consent of senate). I hese are wanting
on this coin. Koine was a republic
from otKl li. C. to 27 B. C, ami as the
wolf ami tw ins was the seal ami Kouia
Kepult-lnip Pou't, the motto of the
Republic t if Koine during those vears
this coin, small though it is, can lay
claim to a good old age.
A copper coin a I Hint the size of a
quarter, head of (. la minis tasar, sur
rounded with the inscription, 't la in tins
Ca-sar, Aug Iinper.itor," on the other
side a full length Roman soldier with
sword ami shield, standing Ytetweeu the
letters S. C. Claudius reigned A. D. 4l
This coin is made of pure copiier, is in a
fair condition, worn smooth in places,
and some of the letters of the inscrip
tion, illegible.
NEWS IN liRIKF
The University of Cambridge was
founded hi li".!.
Titles were aK.lil,e-i in France
after the revolution.
I.ast year 11 Jews in Yieiiua lie
came Koman Catholics.
Ex-Secretary of the Treasury Mor
rill, of Maine, is in failing health.
Marshall Kazaine is soon to write a
history of the Franco-Prussian war.
Ancient Thelies covered au area
five miles in length bv three miles in
breadth.
The imleiemieiicc ami prosperity of
Novgorod were destroyed bv Ivan Vasi
livitch I.
The Prince of Wales has accepted
the chairmanship t,f the Ijntgftdlow
Memorial Committee.
A resilient of Woodbury. Temi..
but thirty years of age. has just married
for the fourth time.
The iietrifactioii called agate was
named from the river Achates, inSieilv,
where it was first found.
Kit h gold mines have lieen discover
ed in Giiatamala. Central America.
causing much excitement.
The Paris Acadeiuv of Medicine
offei-s a prize of .-..( Kit l for the finding
of a remedy for diphtheria.
Valuable coal discoveries continue
to lie made on the east coast of Vancou
ver s Island, llritish I olumbia.
--The different leagues of German
cities were united into one bythe'reatv
of Ilcidellierg, signed iu l:!s4.
In the greater ltrt of the East,
whistling is looked mailt with ill-fax or
as a practice full of evil omen.
The contract tor the Yorktowii
monument has Ut-u awarded to the
llollewell G limit e Co.. for ;Vi.i it s I.
The Kernese (S iteilatnl ! Govern
ment has forbidden any meeting of the
salvation Antiv within the canton.
A resident of Holland, who tli.s!
iu lTJ. was stid to limr smoked over
four tons of tolmcco iu his life of eight v
years.
Iloimat. the artist, has secured, at
the price of -J4l. a lieaut it'nl lxirtrait
of Erasmus, draxvii bv Alliert Durer in
1VJO.
ne hundred and fourteen thousand
small trout have lieen recently distribu
ted in the streams of Eastern Pennsxl
vania. Poi'ittiises are often known to form
a ring aliout a shoal of small fish, and
by driving them into a mass obtain a
hearty meal.
The largest circular saw in the
xvoiid is at Blakelv. Washington tern
ton'. It cuts -ji i.i urn feet ill twenty
four hours.
On hearing of his having won ltat.
000 florins iu one of the national lottery
drawings, a imor starving devil was
struck dead.
The ice harvest from the Kenuelec
river is now estimated at t'74.uii tons,
ami there were Lti.iKio tons left over
from last year.
There are imw- only thirty-six es
tablishments in Cologne that profess to
sell the true ami only genuine can. In
ls-jy there were sixty.
A method has lieen discovered l
which the pin needles of the Silesiaii
forests can lie cured, felted and woxen
into serviceable cloth.
The Mobile and Ohio railroad. 4!H
miles long. hasUen iu ojieratioii twenty
seven years, and not a single passenger
has ever lieen killed on it
The Peruvians buried all the wealth
of their Ineas with them, and so great
was the aiiunuit thus interred that the
Sitiiiiaris took .f'.i: U.iioi from a single
tomb.
The reason why the tombs of the
Egitiaii Inonan hs were built in the
desert was that in this place thev occu
pied 110 land which might have Uer.
used for agriculture.
During the twelve months which
ended on .lauuaiy ::ist. Iss:;, 0tir int
I niiIs of merchandise amounted in value
to 5..VJ.7-J7. .'!t'7, and our eximrts for
the same Jieiiotl were ?7s.1.2!iS.4ii,..
The Marquis of l-orne xvhile in
California hail several doen quails ship
Itl from that state to the head keeper
on the Inverary hum us. wit li a view to
having them acclimated iu S-otland.
The production of litioksamt maps
in Germany, including new editions,
during lss reached 1 t.7'.it. as against
1".1'.1 in lsxi. "Natural science, law.
and theology are all more weakly repre
sented. Mat hematics, philosophy, and
m. .dent languages ircrease.
Judge Jeremiah Black, referring to
the rumors of the Pn-sident's marriage,
says that when he xvus a member of
ruclianaii"s Cabinet he was continually
solicited to lie the medium of matrimon
ial overtures to Km-Italian.
Mr. Frederick Archer, who in the
last years has w on some l,"inn races
and who was married a fortnight ago.
Imssrsscs a fortune estimated to lie con
siderable over j.Mm.n'io. Mrs. Archer
is the eldest daughter of Mr. John Daw
son, of Warren House, Nexviitai ket.
Louisville, Ky., is busily making
iciaratioiis for a great industrial ex
hibition next August. The citieus
have siiliscrilicd i"it 1.1 tot l. ask for 110 out
side help, ami are putting up the main
building, which xxill cover thirteen
acres. The show w ill open August 1.
and xxill continue lull days.
In the town of Wootlbritlge, Ct.
lut six miles from New Haven, titer
is an tiitk tree slid to in- from l,mntn
1.S4KI years old. the oldest of its kind
known in America. It is thirty feet in
ciroiimfcrence at the Kisc, ami some of
its branches spread sixty feet lieyoitd
the trunk. It is yet vigorous.
Beyond the Mississippi River there
are l.:." 1,000 square miles not settled
by white men, and of this area :o.o:
square miles, embracing much of the
licst land, are included within Indian
reservations, while much of the remain
der consists of mountainous tracts,
lands inaccessible or sterile ami arid re
regioiis which cannot lie irrigated.
A few yearsagoassociations known
as "Bunds of Mercy" were formed in
England, the object of which was to
irculcate ami promote kindness to ani
mals. They have achieved a great suc
cess, esiiecially in teaching children to
show kindness to the dumb creation.
The Earl of Shaftesbury is at the head
of the organization.
The annual report of the London
PeaUxly Trust shows the net gain for
the year to have ixen almost fl.HMMi.
It has now provided for the artisan ai d
lalmring class tt,biOnxinis, exclusive of
Iwth riHiins, laundries, and wash houses.
The trustees show in their report that
the fund has Wn exmled strictly in
acconlance w ith the donor's expressed
wishes
v
r-'
ir-
i
1