VOL. XX.
n.if.rmGH. «—arwMMM
~ A NEW FIRM.|
DEY GOODS ■ NOTION HOUSE
PRDGH 11 WBITZBL
WILL, ON OK A BOLT
.A. J? H I L 2n cl, 1883,
Open Their New Stock of Diy Goods end Notions
! '
For Ihe examination of lite public, iu the room formerly
occupied by Scott's Confectionary,
UNION BLOCK, MAIN ST., BUTLER, PA-
§T ERMS CAS HI
JOHN BICKEL,
WHO IS
TIE Silt ISIIT FOR TIESE SHOES 111 GHTUR.
And Who Takes Orders for the Custom Work of this Firm.
ALSO
350 Pairs of Slippers, bought at Sheriff's Sale to be closed out cheap.
ALSO
SOO Pairs of Plow Shoes, all sizes, to be sold cheap.
' ALSO
A large assortment of Mens' Fine Wear in all the Latest Styles, Low and
High Cuts English Bals, Buttons, Dom Pedro, etc.
ALSO
All the Best New England, New York and Philadelphia m * kes of all kinds ol
boots, shoes and slippers always on hands.
ALSO
All kinds of Leather and Findings, large stock of French Ca]f and Kips,
American Calf and Kips, Moroccoes, Linings, Sheffield lted Sole
and Baltimore Oak-Sole Leather.
ALSO
Our own Hand Work, which CANNOT be excelled in Butler either for Style,
Work or Material.
ALSO
Farmers can have their repairing and mending done on the same day they
bring it in.
JOHN BICKEL,
MAIN STREET, BUTLER, PA.
•NEW STORE. NEW STOCK
A NEW AND COMPLETE STOCK OF
" IIUIHIR IIP [Mines Jim HUM 11
OAK ANI) HKMI.OCK SOUS,
FRENCH AND DOMESTIC KII'AND CAI.F,
COM,AK, WEI.T, SKIRTING
UPPER, BEI.TIXG, HARNESS AND LACE I.KATIIF.K
ROA"N AUSTID ZPIHSTIK: zLizsriiN-a-s, ETC.
ALSO SI ASi UK ACT 111 l KII OK AM. KINDS OF
Carriage, Buggy and Wagon Harness, Collars, Etc,, Etc,
And carry a foil Btock of Wliipa, Itoben, Blanket?, BriißhCH, ami all other Gooiln belonging to
tlie ISiiHinoHH.
All Kinds of Repairing will Receive Prompt Attention.
teFTloaae call and examine our Ooodw and got Prices before yon ]>urclia»o elsewhere.
Plastering Hair Always on Hand.
CASH PAID FOR HIDES AND PELTS.
C. ROESSING,
Beiber's Block Jefferson Street, opponitc Lowry Houwe. Butler, Pa
I A 4 *7.Ve«U»bleTn^Kl«we^K«e^Tilt«lo«n^tor
B *O/ A IHHB wiUlic scnl Hkkk to ail who ipply. Customers of
I # ®W® n nerd not wrirc for it. All seed sent from my
I establishment warranted to t>e both fresh and true to name,
■ so far, that should it prove otherwise, I agree to reldl the
■ Vf Wl -Zrorder gratis. My collection of vegetable seed is one of
Ak y, w*gWW- - most extensive to l»e found in any American catalogue,
la part of it of my own growing. As th«
original Ila t roil ucer of Karly Ohio and Burbunk
I Potatoc*. Mftrblehcud Karly Corn, the llubbard
Miirh.< h«-<»d ('abbaft, Fhlanr) , « Melon,
and a smxn of other new invite the patron
nue of the public. In thu gardens and on the farms
I those who plant my seed will be found my beat a<Uertmr
| mcnt. Jamea J. H« Qreg;Ory f Marblehcad. Mass.
DARBYS
PROPHYLACTIC
FLUID.
A Household Article* for Univc »al
Family Uso.
■mm mm , ■ Typliohl FCVCTS,
H Eraa:ca:es rawphtheria, sau
§ KALABIA.
all Contagious Diseases. Person l ; waiting on
the Sick should use it freely. Scarlet Fever has
never been known to spread w here the Fluid was
used Yellow Fever has been cured w ith it after
black vomit had taken place. The worst
cases of Diphtheria yield to it.
Fevered and Sick f*er- SMAUL-POX
sons refreshed and and
I Bed Sores prevent- PITTING of Small
ed by bathing with p ox PREVENTED
Darbys FluiJ. A member of my fam
-lin pure Air made .. WM taken y with
harm - ss '^VSmall-pox. 1 used the
For Sore Tl.roa uu> a .^ he ,i ent wa4
sure cu || e _ n ,t delirious, was not
Contain destroyed ■ anJ was jhout
*"£ * "'• tl.c h mse again in three
Chilblains, Piles, rr) othcr ,
Chafing*. etc. had it. — J. W. PARK-
Rheumatism cured. PH;ladelnhia
Boft White Complex
lons secured by its use. B
Kliip Fever prevented, g
to purify the Breath, g Diphtheria £
Cleanse the Teeth, c f u
Catarrh relieved and U Prevent 3d. |
Krvslpelas cured. r\si c—
| Burns relieved instantly. The physicians hers
i Scars prevented. , ISC Darbys Fluid very
Dysentery cuved. successfully in the treat-
Wounds healed rapidly. inent c f Diphtheria.
Scurvy cured. \ STOLLIINWERCK,
An Antidote for An: raal Greensboro, Ala.
or Vegetable Poisons,
Stings, etc. Je Iter dried up.
1 used the Fluid during Cholera prevented,
cur present affliction with Ulcers purified and
Scarlet Fever with de- healed,
cided advantage. It is In cases of Death it
indispensable to the sick- should be used about
room. Wm. F. SAND-. corpse —it will
FORD, Eyrie, Ala. j prevent any unpleas
-31111 sni ell.
The eminent Phjr
■ n , ■ sici.au, J. MAICION
■ Scarlet Fever I SIMS, M. D„ »W
H 5 York, says: "I am
fin fin VRA H convinced Prof. Darbys
N ULUJIU 1 PR l OPH B > , LA D C - TI - C £ ,UID IS .. A
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.
1 testify to the most excellent qualities of Prof.
Darbys Prophylactic Fluid. As a disinfectant and
determent it is both theoretically an l practically
superior to any preparation with which I ain ac
quainted.—N. T. LUKTOS, Prof. Chemistry.
Darbys Fluid is Kecomtnendcd by
Hon ALF.XANDEK H. STF.PHHNS, of Georgia;
Kev. CHAS. F. DEEMS, D.D., Church of the
Strangers, N. V.;
Jos. LrCONTE,Columbia, Prof. t Universitv.S.C.
Kev. A. J. Haitle, Prof., Mercer University;
Kev. GEO. F. PIERCE, Bishop M. E. Church.
INDISPENSABL.K TO KVEIIY HOME.
Perfectly harmless. Used internally or
externally for Man or H:a t.
'J he Fluid has been thoroughly tested, and we
have abundant evidence that it has done everything
here claimed. Fir fuller informati on get of your
Druggist a pamphlet or send to the proprietors,
J. 11. ZEILIN & CO.,
Manufacturing Chemists, PHII«AI>ELPHIA
STRENGTH
to vigorously push a business,
strength to study a profession,
strengtli to regulate a household,
strength to do a day's labor with
out physical pain. All this repre
sents what is wanted, in the often
heard expression, "Oh! I wish !
had the strength!" If you are
broken down, have not energy, or
feel as if life was hardly worth liv
ing, you can be relieved and re
stored to robust health and strength
by taking BROWN'S IRON BIT
TERS, which is a true tonic—a
medicine universally recommended
for all wasting diseases.
got N. Fremont St., Baltimore
During the war I was in
jured in the stomach by a piece
of a shell, and have suffered
from it ever since. About four
years ago it brought on paraly
sis, which kept me in Led six
months, and the best doctors
in the city said i could not
live. I suffered fearfully from
indigestion, and for over two
years could not eat solid food
and for a large portion of the
time was unable to retain even
liquid nourishment. 1 tried
lirown'h Iron Hitters and now
after taking two bottles I am
able to get up and.go around
and am rapidlv improving.
G. DECKER.
BROWN'S IRON BITTERS is
a complete and sure remedy for
Indigestion, Dyspepsia, Malaria,
Weakness and all diseases requir
ing a true, reliable, non-alcohoiic
tonic. It enriches the blood, gives
new li f e to the muscles and tone
to the nerves.
BUTLER COUNTY
Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
Office Cor, Main and Cunningham Sts,
G. C. ItOESSING, PRESIDENT. '
WM. CAMPBELL, TKRASCKKK
H. C. 11 EI NEM AN, SECRETARY
DIRECTORS:
J. L. Pin vis, K. A. llelmboldt,
William Campbell, J. W. Burkhart,
A. Troutman, Jacob Sehoene,
G. C. Roessinjf, John Caldwell,
Dr. VV. Irvin, J. J. Croll
A. B. Rhodes, I H. C. Hcinem&n.
JAS, T» M'JUNKIN, Gen, As't
BUTLER
tTlir (i rent i si Invention of I In- :i(;<
A IWTF\TI>OI IIU
1*1.4 ]\o STOOL,
Whiell is single vvlirn Hosed :in<
double when Ope n. Av, ;irtleil Ihi
ili(;liest liie<l:ils of e\eeilenee MIK
<li|>loin;i ;il its lir-t exhibition
Siiiinlsitl the head of all. tmuoul
ead.V iu use. I.;irnesl -lock o;
double ami single stools any
wliere'tn t lie market at wholi'sate and retail
l th(: lowest. SUles Hie latest. Send foi
eliuular. <;ood pay and Territory >;uen inori
salehinen. Wil-o i I'alent I'iano Sto< I Co. uniee
No. llot Walnut, I'lliln. JaJW.ly
If If lit B? WANTED $ 100. >££*.
I imm Wl'Kl.vi; Jnd' WSsm MF.i<l ri A.Vlr«s
J c. McCI'KUY Si Co., l'tuUdrlphu.l'a.
BUTLER, PA., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1883
INITIATED IN MASONRY.
The Bad Boy Gives His Father
The Royal Bumper Degree.
"Say, are you a Mason, or a Nodfel
low, or anything?" asked the bad
bov of the grocery-man as he went to :
the cinnamon bag on the shelf and
took out a long stick of cinnamon
bark to chew.
"Why, yes, of course I am; but
what set you to thinking of that ?"
| asked the grocery-man, as he went to
the desk and charged the boy's father
I with half a pound of cinnamon.
"Well, do the goats buut when you
' nishiate a fresh candidate ?"
"No, of course not. The goats are !
cheap ones that have life, and we
muzzle them, and put pillows over
their heads, so they cant hurt any
body," says the grocery-man, as he :
winked at a brother Odd Fellow who
was seated on a sugar barrel, looking
mysterious. "But why do you ask (
"O, nuthin, only 1 wish me aud my j
chum bad muzzled our goat with a
pillow. Pa would have enjoyed his
becoming a member of our lodge bet- '
ter. You see, pa had been telling us |
how much gocd the Masons and Old
Fellers did, and said we ought to try
and grow up good, so we could jine
the lodges when we got big, aud I
asked pa if it would do any hurt for
us to have a plav lodge in my room
and purtend to nishiate, and pa said it
would not do any hurt. He said it
would improve our minds and teach us
to become men. So my chum aud me
berried a goat that lives in a livery
stable and carried him up to my room
when pa aud ma was out riding, but
the goat blatted so we had to tie a
handkerchief around his nose, and his
feet made such a noise on the floor that
we put some baby's socks on his feet.
Well, sir, my chum me practiced with
that goat until he could bunt the pic
ture of a goat every time. Wc borried
a buck beer sign from a saloon man
and hung it on the back of a chair, and
the goat hit it every time. That night
pa wanted to know what we were do
ing up iu m} T room, aud I told him we
were playing lodge, and improving our
minds, and pa said that was right,
and that there was nothing that
did boys of our age half so much good
as to imitate men, and store by youth
ful knowledge. Then my chum asked
pa if he didn't want to come up and
take the grand bumper degree, and pa
laughed and said he didn't care if he
did, just to encourage the boys in in
nocent pastime that was so improving
to oui intellect. We had shut the goat j
up in the closet in my room, and he
bad got over his blatting, so we took
off the handkerchief, and he was eat- 1
ing some of my paper collars and j
skate straps.
Wc went up stairs and told pa to 1
come up pretty soon and give three
distinct raps, and when we asked him '
who comes there he must say 'a pil
grim who wants to join your ancient
order and ride the goat.' Ma wanted
to come up, too, but we told her if she 1
came in it would break up the lodge, *
'cause a woman couldn't keep a secret,'
and we didn't have any side saddle for
the goat. Say, efyou never tried it,
the next time you nishiate a man in 1
your Mason's lodge you sprinkle a
little kyan pepper on the goats beard '
just before you turn him loose. You .
can get three times as much fun to the '
square inch of goat. Well, we got all
fixed and pa rapped, and we let him in
aud told him he must be blindfolded,
and he got on his kuees laughing, arid j
I tied a towl around his eyes and then
I turned him around and made bim j
get on his hands also, and then his J
l ack was right toward the closet door, J
and I put the buck beer sign right 1
against pa's clothes. He was a lading
all the time, and said we boys were full
of fun as they made 'em, and we told
him it was a solemn occasion, that we
wouldn't permit no levity, and if he
wouldn't stop laffing we couldn't give
him the grand bumper degree. Then
everything was ready, and my chum
had his hand on the closet door and
some kyan pepper in his other hand,
1 asked pa iu low bass tones if he
felt as tlio 1 he wanted to turn back, or
if he had nerve to go ahead and take
the degree. I warned him that it was
full of dangers, as the goat was loaded
for beer, and told him he yet had time
to retrace his steps if he wanted to.
lie said he wanted the whole business,
and we could go on with the manage
rie. Then I said to pa that if he de
cided to go ahead and not blame us for
the consequences, to repeat after me
the following: "Bring forth the Royal
Bumper and let him bump !" Pa re
peated the words, and my chum
sprinkled the kyau pepper on the
goat's moustache, and he sneezed once
and looked sassy, and then he saw the
lager beer goat rearing up, and he
> started for it just like a cow-catcher
snd blatted. Fa is real fat, but he
knew he had got hit, apd he grunted
and said: "Hell's fire! what are you
boys doin'?" and then the goat gave }
him another degree, and he pulled off j
the towel and got up aud started for
the stairs, aud so did the goat, and ma j
was at the bottom of the stairs listen- (
ing, aud when I looked over the banis
ters pa and ma and the goat were all i
In a heap, and pa was yelling murder, j
,' and ma was screaming fire, and the ■
' goat was Matting, and sneezing, and
bunting, and the hired girl came into
j the hall and the goat took after her, !
i and she crossed herself just as the goat j
; \ hit her, and said: "Howly mother pro- 1
r tect me !" and went down stairs the
Way we boys slide down hill, with j
[ both hands on herself, and the goat
. rared up and blatted, and pa and ma |
went into their room and shut the |
door, and then my chum and me open
ed the front door and drove the goat
out. The minister, who comes to see
! nia three times a week, was just ring- 1
i ing the bell, and the goat thought he
i wanted to be nishiated, too, aud gave
him one for luck, and then went down
! the sidewalk blatting and sneezing,
I and the minister came in the parlor and
said he was stabbed, and then pa,
came out of his room with his suspeu-1
c'ers hanging clown, and as he didn't
know the minister was there, he said
cuss words, and ma cried and told pi
he would go to hell sure, and pa said
he didn't care, he would kill the cus
sed goat after he went, and I told pa
the minister was in the parlor, and he
and ma went down and said the weath
er was propitious for a revival, and it
seemed as though au outpouring of the
spirit was about to be vouchsafed his
people, and none of them sat down but
ma, 'cause the goat didn't hit her, and
while they was talking religion with
their mouths, and cussiu' the goat in
wardly, mv chum and me adjourned
the lodge, and I went and stayed with
him all the night, and I hain't been
home since; but I don't believe pa will
lick me, 'cause he said he would not
hold us responsible for the consequen
ces. He ordered the goat himself, and
we filled the order, don't you see?
Well, I guess I will go and sneak in
the back way and find out from the
hired girl how the land lays. She
won't go back on me, 'cause the goat
was not loaded for hired girls. She
just happened to get in at the wrong
time. Good-by, sir. Remember and
give your goat kyau pepper iu your
lodge."
As the boy went away, and skip
ped over the back fence, the grocery
man said to his brother Odd Fellow,
"If that boy don't beat the devil, then
I never saw one that did. The old
man ought to have him sent to the re
form school."— Peck's Sun.
j
A MODEL CANDIDATE.
Who Wants to he Elected Mayor
of live City of Bradford.
Ezra Crossman, Esq., a candidate
for Mayor in the city of Bradford, Pa.,
comes out in the following card:
"I am a candidate for the office of
Mayor of the city of Bradford, and
will be until the polls close on election
day, unless the salary is reduced below
$5.00
lam opposed to gambling houses.
I think they are no benefit to au oil
town, and I will use all the power
vested iu a Mayor to close every house
in the city, and 1 think th" Mayor has
sufficient power {o do it.
I am not in favor of fining prosti
tutes a small sum—which amounts
really to a license—and collecting it
periodically from them at their houses.
1 will use all the power vested in a
Mayor to banish these houses of pros
titution from our midst, and I think !
the Mayor has sufficient authority to do I
it, by arresting not only the keepers, J
but the owners.
I will not retain a policeman who
cannot see a iiouse of prostitution or a
gambling den or a violation of the
liquor law. Blind men are not fit for
policemen.
I am not in favor of saddling a debt
of $120,000 upon the public for water
works.
I do not believe it proper for the
Mayor-to give a stack of city warrants
iu blank to be filled out by the clerk,
and 1 will not do it.
I will not sign every warrant drawn
by the poor masters. I will enquire
first what they are givtn for, and if
not proper will not sign them.
1 will attend to the duty of holding
a morning court.
I am not in favor of the liquor traffic
in any shape, and will rigorously en
force not only the ordinances but the
law against all violations of the liquor
laws, and will vote for better laws ;
and when a man or woman is brought
before me charged merely with being
drunk, if he or she will tell me where
he or she got his or her liquor, I will
let him or her go and prosecute the
liquor seller.
There shall be no liquor selling ou
Sunday through front or back doors.
J believe the Mayor's salary should
He reduced to sf>oo per year.
I am not opposed to fireman's
parades, but I will use the power vested
in the Mayor to see that we are re
lieved from firemen's annual drunks.
- I believe that no other candidate has
put himself upon record in print upon
these questions.
No man, woman or friend has asked
me to be a candidate or suggested it,
and I do not expect the nomination
from either of tjie parties, so I am at
liberty to say if any other man will de
clare himself as 1 have done, whom I
think otherwise qualified for the office
of Mayor, I will withdraw in his favor,
"l»y your works shall ye be justified,
and by your works shall ye be con
demned."
I mean every word I say. and I be
lieve this announcement will defeat
me, but I want to .see whether the
people who want these things done will
support one whom they know will do
them. They are In a majority and
can haye it all their own way."
jK Sensitive Tree.
An "angry tree," a species of acaeia,
is growing on a farm in Virginia, Ne
vada. It was brought from Australia,
j and is now eight feet high and grow
ing rapidly It shows all the charac
teristics of the sensitive plant. When
I the sun sets its leaves fold together
and the ends of the tender twigs coil
|up like a pigtail. if the twigs are
handled the leaves move uneasily for
j a minute or more. A singular thing
| concerning the tree was its apparent
resentment on being rcniovtd from a
| pot, in which it had matured, iuto a
; much larger pot. To use the gardner's
expression, it "made it very wad."
; Hardly had it been placed in its new
j quarters before the leaves began to
, stand out in all directions, like the
j hair on the tail of an angry cat, and
j soon the whole plant was in a quiver.
At the same time it gave out an odor
most pungent and sickening, resem
! bling the odor given o£j' by rattle
snakes and other kinds of snakes when
teased. This odor so filled the house
that it was necessary to open the doors
and windows. It was fully an hour
before the plant calmed down and fold
ed iis leaves iu peace.
i —1 land-organs are ripening.
AN INFIDEL'S OATH.
Judge Briggs Defines What
Belief is Necessary to Qual
ify a Witness.
From the Philadelphia Times.
.Judge Briggs, iu a comprehensive
opiuion, ruled that atheists and all
others who do not believe iu a Divine
Being and Divine rewards and punish
ments are incompetent as witnesses.
Tbe matter was brought up on a mo
tion for a new trial, in t! uit of
Lucas against Piper, the grouud for
the motion being that Judge Briggs
bad admitted the testimony of Robert
Becker, who said that though he be
lie veil in a Creator of the universe and
in a Supreme Power which would pun
ish Lim here for false swearing, be did
not believe in God as commonly un
derstood by the people, nor in a per
soi.al (Jod, nor (iod as an entity.
Tln-re was no other evidence in sup
port ct the objection to the witness.
In his opinion the Judge said:
"With some doubt I admitted the
witness. Was this proper in the light
of tho law? SomethiDg more is requir
ed to render one competent as a wit
ness i han a belief in a Supreme Power, i
simply as a power or principle which
may be tlie restless, natural laws, as
exhibited by the motion and operation
of tLe elements, and to violate which
will surely bring punishment to the
transgressor. The belief required by
t'U.- laws is a belief in the existence of
an omniscient Supreme Being, who
will impose divine punishment for per
jury either iu this world or in the
next. If the belief be short of this it
lulls under the ban of legal condemna
tion. Mr. Greenleaf 'On Evidence'
thus expresses himself iu discussing
the point under consideration: The
third class of persons incompetent to
testily as witnesses consists of those
who are insensible to the obligation of
au oath from defect of religious senti
ment and belief. The very motive of
an oath, it being a religious and most
solemn appeal to God as the Judge of
all men, presupposes that the
witness believes iu the existence of au
omniscient Supreme Being who is the
re warder of truth and the avenger of
lalsehood, and that by such a lortnal
appeal the conscience of tbe witness is
affected. Without this belief tbe per
son cannot be subject to that sanction
which the law deems an indispensable
test of truth. It is not sullicieut that
the witness believs himself bound to
speak the truth from a regard to char
acter or from fear of punishment which
the law inflicts upon persons guilty of
perjury.'
WHAT IS REQUIRED OK A WITNESS.
"Such motives have, indeed, their
influence, but they are not considered
as affording a suflicient safeguard for
the strict observance of truth. Our
law, in common with the laws of most
civilized countries, requires the addi
tional security afforded by the relig
ious sanction implied in an oath, and
as a necessary consequence rejects wit
nesses who are incapable of giving that
security. Atheists, therefore, and all
iuiidels—that is, those who profess no
religion that can bind their consciences
to speak the truth—are rejected as in
competent to testify as witnesses.
In the Law Reporter this view is
expressed: 'The law is sure in requir
ing the highest attainable sanction for
the truth of testimony given ; and is
consistent in rejecting all witnesses in
capable of feeling this sanction or of
receiving this test, whether this inca
pacity arises (roiu the inability of the
understanding or its perversity. It
does not impute guilt or blame to eith
er. If the witness is evidently intoxi
cated he is not allowed to be sworn
because, for the time being, he is in
capable of feeling the force and obliga
tion of an oath. The non-comp. and the
infant of tender age are rejected for the
same reason, but without blame. The
atheist is also rejected, because he, too,
is incapable of realizing the obligation
of an oath, in consequence of his un
belief. The law looks only to the fact
of incapacity, not the cause or the man
ner of avowal. Whether it be calmly
insinuated with the elegance of Gibbon
or worded forth with tho disgusting
blasphemies of Paino, still it is athe
ism, and to request the mere formality
of an oath from one who avowedly
despises or is incapable of feeling its
peculiar sanction would be but a mock
ery of justice.
REUUIOUS RELIEF NECESSARY.
Mr. Starkie says: 'lt seems that the
witness ought to be admitted if ho be
lieves in the existence of a God who
will reward or punish him in this
world although he does not believe in
a future state. But it is not sufficient
that he believes himself bound to speak
in truth, merely from a regard to char
acter or the interest of society or
of fear of punishment by the temporal
law.'
It is useless to multiply authorities,
for those already referred to exhibit
the law as recognized by all civilized
countries, except in those States where
it has been modified by express legisla
tion.
It hence follows that the faith of a
witness should be a religious belief of
some kind iu the existence of an om
niscient being who will reward and
punish, either horo or hereafter, for
goad and evil deeds. A belief in a
power, as exhibited in the forces of na
ture, and call it supreme, and yet ig
nore that that power is the handiwork
of the omniscient and omnipotent God,
is totally insufficient to meet the law's
requirements. Nor is any advance
gained by asserting that he who vio
lates tho law of nature will be punish
ed, for admittedly such punishment
will follow with unorring certainty.
If one jump over board in mid-ocean or
thrust his hand in a raging fire, or vi
olate any law of his natural existence,
he would be immediately punished just
in the proportion that he violated these
natural laws. It is in this sense that
Shelly, with his charming grace and
eloquence of style and sublime poetic
conception, wrote his 'Queen Mab.'j
lie assumes that
"All-sufficing nature can chastise
I Those who transgress her laws. She only
I knows
' How to proportion to the fault
] The punishment it merits."
AN INSUFFICIENT RELIEF.
The sentiment running through this
master-piece of the poet, and which has
been said to be 'his honor as a poet
and disgrace as a man,' totally ignores
the existence of a God, aud yet he
maintains the doctrine of punishment
—that happiness and misery and re
wards and punishments are alone the
sequents of human action without Di
vine interposition and that death is au
endless sleep. A belief in such a pun
ishment is not a belief in Divine pun
ishment and is clearly insufficient to
i render one entertaining it competent
to testify under our law.
While the witness Becker said he
| believed in a supreme power that
would punish him here for false swear
ing he would not say he believed that
power divine, and he totally denied the
personality of God and of God as gener
ally understood by the people. With
such a belief how can he be said to be
in fear of Divine punishment for testi
< fying falsely? His belief being cefec
| tive in this respect it falls short of one
I of the legal requirements which is in
: dispensable to exist to entitle him to be
examined as a witness in the courts of
this State. It follows that I erred in
receiving his testimony and that a new
trial should be ordered."
Information for Pensioners.
WASHINGTON, March s. —The follow
ing circular has been issued by the
Commissioner of Pensions and approv
ed by the Secretary of the Interior:
The following regulations are pre
scribed for the purpose of carrying into
effect as speedily as possible the pro
visions of the act of Congress approved
March 3, 1883, increasing to §3O per
month the pensions of those who lost
a leg at or above the knee, or an arm
at or above the elbow, and of those
who have been so disabled as to be in
capacitated for performing any manual
labor, but not so much as to require
regular personal aid or attendance, aud
who are now receiving a pension at
the rate of §24 per month, and to §24
per month the pensions of those who
have lost one hand, or one foot, or been
totally or permanently disabled in
same, or otherwise so disabled as to
render their incapacity to perform
manual labor equivalent to loss of a
hand or foot, and now receiving $lB
per month. Inasmuch as said act has
immediate effect upon such admitted
cases as have been adjudicated at the
rates of §24 and §lB per month re
spectively, no formal application by the
beneficiary is necessary to bo made
other than to forward to the Commis
sioner of Pensions the pension certifi
cate, accompanied by a letter stating
in the handwriting of the psusioner his
present postoffiee address. As soon as
possible after receipt of the pension
certificate aforesaid, the Commissioner
will re-issue to him a new certificate
for the new rate, and will forward the
same to the proper pension office to in
scribe the name of such pensioner on
the roll at the increased rate and to
make to pensioner proper payment. In
case of amputation the certificate will
be re-issued without any further medi
cal examination. The intervention of
agent or attorney in such admitted
cases as are affected by this act being
unnecessary, will not be recognized.
Protecting His Character.
Entering the shop of bis tailor the
other day, he said:
"Sir, I owe you sixty dollars."
"Yes, sir, you do."
"And I have owed it for a year."
•"You have."
"And this is the fifth postal card you
have sent me regarding the debt?"
"I think it is the fifth."
"Now, sir, while I cannot pay the
debt for perhaps another year, I pro
pose to protect my character as far as
possible.—Here are twelve two-cent
stamps. You cau use them in sending
me twelve monthly statements of ac
count, and can thus save your postal
cards and my feelings at the same
time."
It is said that the tailor has credited
the twenty-lour cents on account, and
feels that he has secured more of the
debt than he had any reason to hope
for.
An Egg Problem.
There is an egg problem which is
said to be very afflicting to the small
mathematicians. Here it is: Two
men entered a grocery with 30 eggs
each. The groceryman agrees to pay
one at the rate of 1 cent for 2 eggs,
and the other 1 cent for 3 eggs, which
is 2 cents for ev#ry 5 eggs. It is clear
that he paid one man 15 cents for his
eggs and the other 10 cents for bis
eggs. A third man comes in lor eggs,
and the grocerymcn si^'s: "I will
soil those eggs at the same rate I
bonglit them, that is, 5 eggs for 2
cents." They were sold; and it is
plain that they only brought 24 cents.
The groceryman lost just one cent in
the transaction. How did this occur?
A Hidden Treasure Found
I'' ARMEITS vi I.LE, 0., February 13.
The luckiest man in all this county is
one Simon Shrimplin, a farmer living
a few miles west of here. He had oc
casion to cut down a very old apple
tree in his dooryard and, when splitting
it, he found imbedded in the trunk a
small tin can which, on opening, he
found contained 48 bright §2O gold
pieces, making in all §OOO. How it
ever got there is a complete mystery,
as the can was imbedded to the depth
of eight inches in the wood.
—"ls the lady of the house in?"
asked a tramp of the servant who rang
the door-bell of one of the stateliest
mansions "De ludy ob de house dou't
come to de door to talk wid de like ob
you." "Then said the tramp, elevat
ing the remnant of a hat, with a grace
Chesterfield might have envied, "tell
the lady of the boose a gentleman wish
es to speak to her iu the parlor."
Gleamings.
—There are fifty two rolling mills iu
Pittsburgh and two more building.
—lf every person would bo half as
good as he expects his neighbor to be
what a heaven this world would be.
—Two million white fish were placed
in the lake at Cleveland for the purpose
of stocking it with this species.
—Smallpox has broken out iu
Moravia, below New Castle. One
death has occurred, and live or six
other cases are reported.
—"\\ hat is meant by the pomps and
vanities of this world ?" asked a Sun
day school teacher. "Them flowers on
your hat, mum," replied a quick-witted
scholar.
Some of our exchanges are dis
cussing the "snow flea." They can't
imagine how the snow flea is made ;
but a warm rain will make the snow
flee about as quick as anything.
—A country parson sent in a mar"
riage notice for publication with the
following note, wh»n he requested the
editor to publish in connection with it:
"No fees for the officiating minister.
Blank envelope dodge."
—\\ hen yon fall on the ice don't sit
there and look around for help. That
attracts attention aud somebody gets
the laugh on you. Get up quickly,
move off briskly and act as if you were
used to taking that drop every day.
—A Franklin minister discoursed
last Sunday on the question: "What
is Man, the Apex of Nature, or the
Central Fact of Creation, in whom two
kinds of Nature are united?" It is
said that, in their bewilderment, most
of his congregation "took to the
woods."
—John B. Gough is sensible in more
ways than one. He lectured in Balti
more recently, and was disgusted to
find the printed bill referred to the
event as his "last appearance." Mr.
Gough declared his detestation of such
clap-trap and dishonest advertising. He
said : "1 have been working forty-one
years, delivering over 8,000 speeches,
and I am not worn out yet."
—When he had called the meeting
to order Brother Gardner arose and
said: "Gem'len it it wasn't for de
wheels on a wagon the wagon wouldn't
move When de wheels is on, den
what?" "Grease!" solemnly exclaim
ed an old man. "Kerrect!" whispered
the President; softly rubbing his hands
tocrether. "We lie/, de wagon an' de
wheels. We will now pase de hat
aroun' for de grease."
—lt is reported that the young gen
tlemen will be given by the tailors
oval shoulders, sloping as graceful as
the mountain side, from the apex to
the base at the arms. This will be ac
complished by building the collar high
up tbe neck and eliminating from the
shoulders the stuffing that heretofore
created the false impression, in very
innocent minds, that young men of
fashion are athletes as to their upper
works.
A Pittsburgh telegram says that
for the past four weeks a committee of
the Amalgamated Association has been
preparing a scale of wages lor all the
mills in the United States for the en
suing year from June 1. A prominent
member stated that no increase will be
demanded, and that if the manufacturers
do not ask for a reduction there will lie
no strike. Several manufacturers who
were seen stated that unless Congress
reducos the tariff on iron more than
they expect, no reduction will be asked
by them.
—Abraham Myers, of York county,
a young man who, several years ago,
lost both hands by the premature ex
plosion of a blast, is quite a successful
sportsman. His gun is a breachloader,
aud ho loads it with his mouth. He
goes out with his gun strapped to the
stumps of his arms, aims at the game,
pulls tho trigger with his mouth, and
generally brings down the game. Thus
far he has shot this season eighteen
squirrels and five wild pigeons. He
also writes readily and legibly, holding
the pen between tbe stumps of his
arms.
—Closely following the extraordin
ary series of floods wtiich have caused
so much loss of life and property on
land has come exceedingly rough
weather at sea. All incoming vessels
report that they have had remarkably
tempestuous voyages. Ordinarily,
the sailor cares little for a storm if he
can keep at a safe distance from laud,
and have plenty of sea room; but uo
seamanship is of much avail in the
face of such a tempest as that which
overwhelmed the steamer Glamorgan
the other day. This is the season
when storms at sea must be expected;
but, like the other meteorological phe
nomena which have made tho present
winter remarkable, the storms of the
last two weeks appear to have been un
usually fierce and destructive.
Receipts of the State Treasury.
IIARUISHURO, Feb. 20.—The re
ceipts at tbe Slate Treasury havo bem
very heavy the past two months.
During January they aggregated sl,-
452,200,59. Of this amount $893,-
433,04 was derived from tax on capi
tal stock; $137,573.90 from tar on col
lateral inheritance; §171,321.77 from
licenses; §53,728.44 from tax on for
eign insuranco companies; §10,509 33
lrom taxes on writs; §28,205.04 from
tax on loans; §23,514.60 from tax on
net incomes; §15,5f>8.24 from tax on
personal property, and $19,015.77 from
tax on gross receipts. Of the collater
al inheritance tax Philadelphia paid
$09,215.53 and Allegheny county
§24,021.67.
March.
Ah, passing few arc they who speak,
Willi, stormy month! in praise of thee.
Yet though thy winds are loud and bleak,
Thou art a welcome month to me.
For thou to northern lands again _
The glad and glorious sun doth brim-.
And thou hast joined the gentli- train
And weur'st the gentle name of Si.ritg.
—BRYANT.
NO. 17