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TIUIUTOIJOBRNAL HA MILTON, GEORG IA diknf.bs and 7wTitnrr. A prominent American ntyuU'Mimn, says the Loudon Wstbe., was said to take a pride in always knocking nt any door within which ho had an engagement precisely with tho first stroke ‘A the clock or with tho vary tick of his watch. Pcrliups if that wondrous wise states man had token tho trouble to “ tot up” nil tlif <aids and (‘lids of time he must have wasted in securing that pettifog ging precision ho would liavc found that, whatever he might hare done for otlter peoplo's time, he had really beeuas waste ful of his own m the veruwt sloven in this way may Ikj supposed to be on the allowing of very exemplary people—as wasteful, for instance, as Lord Palmers ton, who was known to drop in to a pub lie dinner four hours after tire appointed time. When Bosville gave his fashionable dinners in Welbeck street the guests were always given to understand that t ime must be observed to tho minute, nnd that if they were not there dinner must proceed without them. It was not often that folks came late, for most peo ple can bo punctual when they know’ it is expected of them. On one occasion, however, it happened to bo tho astrono mer royal who came in a half minute or so behind tho appointed dinner hour, and found the guests coming down tho staircase to the dining-room. “ I trust, Mr. Friend,” said the host in greetiug him, ‘‘that in future you will bear in mind we don’t reckon time hero by tho meridian of Greenwich but by tho mo- | ridian of Welbeck street.” That sort of thing may all be very well when it is clearly understood that, in auctioneer* phraseology, it is to be dinner time, “ prompt,” but it is not every host who can muster the hardihood for such rig idity, even though their guests may not bo astronomers royal. Most people | would agree with Dr. Johnson in his well-known dictum on tho point. “ Ought, six people to be kept waiting for one?” asked Boswell, who was him self inclined to proceed without one lag gard. “Why, yes,” said Johnson, “if the one will suffer more by your Bitting down than the six will by waiting." A SERPENT'S CASTLE. A Canada paper describes a singular mountain rock cave, thirty miles north nest of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where every winter the snakes of all species in the surrounding country resort for their hibernal sleep. Last winter some of the convicts of the penitentiary were set to work to build a wall around the entrance to the cave. When the time arrived for the snakes to seek their haunts they found their prog ress impeded, and soon tho strange gath ering was increased by fresh arri vals from the interior, rmtil many thousands of snakes were racing and wriggling around the entrance, vainly seeking an opening in tho wall. Heads with small eyes and red tongues were projected in hundreds from every crev ice iu the rock, and a mast unearthly hissing was kept up. On tho occasion of our visit to this re markable congregation of reptiles we were reminded of "Milton's description of the legions of devils which were trans formed into serpents, ouly in the pres ent- case tho snakes wore not so large as those described by the poet, but the hissing must have been equal to that de scribed iu “ Paradise Losh” Wiim Tucker and Ad Hitt, two Lou isville (Ky.) boys, got their desire for adventure in tho common way, by read ing tire literature of Buffalo Hill and Texas Jack ; but their choice of a field was unusual, for they decided to go South instead of West. They had very little money. They could just pay for a single ticket to Alabama, and they de cided t hat one should travel as a regular passenger, while the other rode in tho trunk as baggage. The toss of a coin settled that Hitt should go iu the trunk. A bottle of water and some bread were put in with him, and second holes were bored to supply him with air. Tucker drove to tho railroad station iu a hack, checked his trunk and settled himself eomfortably in the seat of a first-class ear. But all did not go well with llitt-. He was tumbled roughly into the bag gage car, aud left standing on his head. Other trunks,were piled on his, nearly closing the air-holes. When almost smothered, he let out his remaining breath iu a yell for help. The lid waa broken. The contents had lost his de sire to room. lie confessed, and, with Tucker, was scut home. PHIL'S CONUNDEV ?. A Scotchman, so Sydney Smith falsely said, requires a surgical operation to get a joke through his head. A writer in a contemporary, however, tells the story of a nnux who couldn't get a conundrum through his head: There was a time with the club when conundrums and quaint play upon words constituted the chief of the post-prandial eujoyme n&. We hud all furnished co nundrums except Phil; and we told him, one evening, if ho didn’t have a good conundrum, fresh and new, for us on the following day, we would suspend him for neglecting to furnish his quota of enter tainment. That night Phil lingered lieliind after the others had gone, and then applied to our steward, Michael, to help him out from his difficulty. “Mike, give me a conundrum—a reni fresh one—tliat’s a good fellow. You know I’ll do as much for you any time.” Mike knew it, and scratched his head; and finally evolved the following: “It is my father’s child, and my mother’s child; yet it is not my sister nor my brother.” “Goodness me! Mike, how can that be?” ■” Why, don’t you see, Mr. Barton ? it’s myself. I am my father’s child, and my mother’s child ; but, of course, I ain’t my own brother or sister, ei ther.” “Hi! I see! That’s good! Capital! New, let’s see !” And ho repeated it until lie was sure he had it right. On the following day, over the dessert, Phil announced: “ Ho, boys ! I’ve got a conundrum for yon, and there ain’t one of you that can answer it.” “Go ahead, old fellow. Let us have it. Propound.” “ Well, here it is : It is my father’s child and my mother’s child, yet it is not my sister nor my brother.” They thought a fow moments, and then one of them cried out, and the rest immediately followed suit: “Why, it’s yourself, of course.” “ No,” said Phil, shaking his head. “ That ain’t it. You won’t guess it.” “But that is it. It can’t be anything else. Look at it for yourself.” “I don’t care. ’Tain’t right. You haven’t got it.” “ Well, then, who can it be? Tell us.” “ It’s our steward, Mike MacDou uul One cannot wonder if Russian mag nates wo afflicted with dynamite on the brain, but it seems odd that the craze should spread so far os to infect quiet English gentlemen who live- at home in ease. Yet one of the big-wigs of the semi-suburban town of Croydon had a sharp attack of the malady, caused by no less an occurrence than the delivery at liis door of a locked cash-box. Neither he nor any of his family had ordered such an article, and he at once suspect ed a plot to destroy not only himself but his belongings, so he conveyed the box with unheard-of precautions to the local police station. Tho men in blue of course concurred in liis view, and with equal care took it to a neighboring iron monger, who strung it up on a scaffold pole and opened it in some mysterionsly delieato manner. The cash-box proved lo le quite empty, and had merely been left by the übiquitous sliop-boy at tho wrong house 1 ARCTIC WINTERS. Iu a paper read before the National Academy of Sciences, Lieut. Schwatkn treated of “ the duration of tho Arctic winter.” He said that at latitude 88 deg., 20 min., 2(5 sec. (the highest point ever reached by man, which was attained by Commander Markham, of Capt. Nares’ expedition), there are four hours aud forty-two minutes of twilight on Dec. 2*2. the shortest day in the rear in the northern hemisphere. In latitude 82 deg. 27 min., the highest point where white men have wintered (tho crew of the Albert, of Capt. Nares’ expedition), there ave six hours and two minutes in the shortest day. In latitude 84 deg. .52 min. (seventy-two geographical miles nearer the pole than Markham reached, and <528 miles from that point), the true plutonie zone can be entered by man. The pole itself is only shrouded in por rtet blackness from Nov. 13 till Jan. 27. The pole has about ISB days of continu ous daylight, 100 of varying twilight, mid seventy-seven of utter darkness.” A young man with an umbrella over took nu unprotected lady acquaintance in a rain-storm, extending his umbrella over her, requested the pleasure of act ing ns her rain-beau. “ Oh,” exclaimed the young lady, taking his arm, “you wish me to bo your rain-dear.” Two | souls with but a single umbrella, two ! forma that c topped as QUO, LOCUST LEA VKS. As softly as tho accents of love fall up on the restless heart and sweetly soothe its thirsting tenderness, now fall the fairy snow-flakes down from the veiled heavens. Sweet and silent messengers from a sinless region ! Who has watched you descend on soft and feathery wings and not felt his heart glow with an inex pressible feeling, a speechless love, a kiud of wild desire to gather you all in his weary arniH and fold you to his heart, and in your purity to be baptized and lose of himself all that is earthly ? Who has not gazed into the labyrinth of your dreamy, downward dances and felt his spirit mount heavenward, in a momentary delirium of ecstasy, upon the mazy stairway formed by your downy wings ? lam watching you now, and my heart borrows lightness from your noiseless approach, and I feel in the depth of my heart that I love you because you are pure. Sometimes I have vaguely wondered whether the hu man heart is capable of loving good be cause it is good or not, but your coming softens me into charity. I believe wher ever throbs a human heart there you have a lover ; though you may be dread ed, you yet are loved. Float downward, sweet wanderers, and kiss the earth’s brown breast with your soft white lips, and from watching eyes wrap in folds of white the still, little forms of fallen autumn leaves; fall softly, oh 1 how softly, in that sacred old burial ground on yonder hill, and cover that little mound where sleeps our baby darling, our little Maud, who was called from earth while yet her soul was pure as your wings are white. Fall tenderly around the lonely hovels of the desolate and poor ; kiss lightly the little white feet that wander forth and leave their prints on your velvety robes, while the little outstretched arms and tiny fingers are raised to catch your light coquettish forms; gladden with your merry waltzes the little, loving hearts that want and poverty have failed to chill. Beautiful snow ! dance on to the music of the winds; worshipful eyes are watching you, and merrily-beating hearts are growing wild with joyous anticipations of the happy moments yea will bring them ; dance on, and rav ish those eager, sparkling eyes with your dazzling beauty; touch the hearts of those who welcome you, and teach them to fellow yon in your wanderings to the haunts of the weary and home less win? aro'fearaing for the sunlight of hope and affection ; who, though they love you, are recoiling with dread and death-like chilliness from even a touch of your starry wings; who in life’s utter darkness are starving for one re viving draught from the waters of char ity, Mrs. J. Y. H. Koons. "CHALK YOUR HAT." The cant phrase, “ Chalk your hat,” which is still current in many parts of the Union, is said to have had its origin in a literal illustration of the words. “Admiral” Reeside was an owner of various stage coaches in the days before railroads. He spent much of his time in Washington, where, indeed, he lived for several years. At the annual ad journment of Congress lie would pass his friends of the House and Senate—he was well acquainted with all the promi nent politicians of his era—over any stage lino lie controlled. He would say to an Ohioan or Kentuckian : “I sup pose you’re going back to Cincinnati or Louisville, and I’ll pass you through by stage.” When he was asked : “How?” he would reply : “ Give me your hat,” He would take the hat, make a cabalis tic chalk mark on it impossible to coun terfeit, and return it with the remark, “ That will serve your turn ; my agents will recognize that anywhere, and won’t receive a cent from the men whose liat is so marked.” Reeside was right. All his agents knew the sign at once. The thing became so common that some fel lows tried to imitate it, but they were invariably detected and compelled to leave the stage or pay their fare. In the South aud West “Chalk your hat” still stands for what the East styles dead heading.—New York paper. When a man wants to enlist in th army of China his courage is subjected to a very unusual test. The recruiting officer places the candidate in a chair and proceeds to extract a tooth, and the con duct of the patient under this ordeal is said to decide the question as to his fit ness for the military service of the em pire. If ho howls and jumps up and down he is pronounced unfit; but if lie smiles and exhibits generally a feeling of satisfaction lie secures a permanent place in the ranks. The bee is said to be a resident of any climate of the globe. It will prosper in hollow trees in Canada, where mercury will freeze in the open air, as well 04 id the equator. now PEANUTS AltE PREPARED POE MARKET. Peanuts, to be prepared for market, are placed in a large cylinder, from which they enter brushes, where every nut receives fifteen feet of a brushing before it becomes free. Then they are dropped on an endless belt, passing along at the rate of four miles an hour. On each side of the l>elt stand girls, and, as the nuts fall on the belt, the girls, with a quick motion of tho hand, pick out all the poor-looking nuts, allowing only the best to puss the crucible. Those that do pass drop into hags on the floor below. When the bag is filled it is sewed up and branded as “ cocks,” with the figure of a rooster prominent on its sides. The peas caught up by tho girls are then thrown to one side, again picked over, and the best singled out and branded “ships.” These ave as fine a nut as the first for eating, but in shape and color do not compare with the “ cocks.” The third grade is brand ed as “eagles.” These aro picked out of the cullingß of the “ cocks ” and “ships.” The cullings that are left from the “eagles ” are bagged, sent to the top story, and what little meat is in them is shaken out by a patent shelter. The nuts being shelled by this new pro cess, the meat drops in hags below free from dust or dirt of any kind, and is then shipped in 200-pound sacks to the North, where it is bought by the con fectioners for tho purpose of making tally or peanut candy. It may be here stated that a peculiar kiud of oil is ex tracted from the meat of the nut, and in this specialty a large trade is done among the w holesale druggists. There is nothing wasted, for even the shells are made useful. They are packed in sacks and sold to stable-keepers for horse bedding, and a very healthy bed they make. A nice little romance appears in the columns of the Springfield Republican. One of the rosiest maidens in that city, while hurrying to the depot to take a train, tripped, and so gracefully recov ered herself as to win the admiration of a very substantial-looking old gentle man. He assisted the young woman on the train and to a seat beside himself. Conversation flowed pleasantly and ac quaintance ripened fast. On parting at a station not many miles west of the city, the couple exchanged addresses. The okVgentleman proved to be a wealthy Chicago merchant, who opened a corre spondence with the heroine. She ap parently wrote as agreeably as she talked. Letters winged their way be tween the city by river and the city on the lake. Then came a proposition— not of marriage, but that the worthy son of the susceptible parent be admit ted to the correspondence. The father gradually drew out of the field, and the son more than made liis place good. Then came an offer of marriage. It was accepted. Three souls are happy, a brilliant wedding and luxurious home are in prospect, and the railroad officials have been greatly puzzled of late by the number of Springfield girls who are stumbling, with more or less grace, aboard trains bound for the great and glorious West. PA r OF AUTHORS. A recent English writer says: “Un til last year, Tennyson received $20,000 a year for his copyrights. Walter Scott received over SIO,OOO for ‘ The Lady of the Lake,’ but Scott had to abandon poetry when Lord Byron appeared ; and, while Lord Byron was calculating one morning that he had made $120,000 by poetry, Shelley was complaining of the printer’s bill, which he had to defray out of liis owui pocket. Browning’s re ceipts are not equal in a year to the veriest newspaper hack who scribbles bad prose. Arnold’s ‘ Light of Asia ’ will hardly bring him in as much as a dozen political leaders * thrown off’ for the Daily Telegraph. Journalism is handsomely paid in London, witness the writers of the Times, the correspondents of the News and the Telegraph." When the celebrated Gen. Wolfe died, a premium was offered for the best written epitaph on that brave officer. A number of poets of all descriptions en tered tlie competition, and among the rest was one who addressed his commu nication to the Sun, as follows : He marched without dread or fears. At Ihe head of his bold grenadiers ; And what was more remarkable—nay, very particu lar, K_' climbed up rocks that were quite perpendieu iicv. Destroying the Human Stomach. The manufacture of cheap candies from white earth, or terra alba, mixed with a little sugar and glucose, is carried on extensively in New York. A census taker, who investigated the confectionery business, reports that seventy-five per cent, of some candies is composed of these substances, aud some candy, notably “gum drops,” contains still less sugar.* What is called a tine brand of casHle soap has been found to be com posed chiefly of this white earth and grease, —Boston Journal, A JUDGMENT OF SOLOMON. In some ancient monkish manuscripts in France occurs the following interest ing story, which, has no place in the Bible itself, though it Is in the original prefixed to tho Proverbs of Solomon. It appears to have been a great favorite in the middle ages ; and w;is often re lated from the pulpit. A King, in some domestic difference with his wife, had been told by her that one only of her three sons was a true offspring, but which of them was so she refused to dis cover. This gave him much uneasiness; nnd, liis death soon afterward approach ing, he called liis children together; and declared, in the presence of witne>sos, that he left a ring, which had very sin gular properties, to him th it should be found to be liis lawful son, and that to him, too, should belong his kingdom. On his death a dispute arose about the ring between the youths—and it was at length agreed to refer its decision to the King of Jerusalem. He immediately ordered that the dead body of his father should l>e taken up and tied to a tree ; that each of the sons should shoot an ar row at it, and that lie wdio penetrated the deepest should have the ring. The eldest shot first, and the arrow went far into the body; the second shot, also, and deeper than the other. The youngest son stood at a distance and wept bitter ly ; but the King said to him : “ Young man, take your arrow and shoot as your brothers have done.” He answered: “ Far be it from me to commit so great a crime. I would not for the whole world disfigure the body of my own father.” The King said: “Without doubt you are his son, and the others are changelings ; to you, therefore, I ad judge the ring.” [Worcester (Mass.) Spy. Nothing on Earth so Good. Certainly a strong opinion, said one ol our reporters to whom the following was detailed by Mr. Henrv Kaschop, with Mr. George K. Miller, 418 Main St., this city: I suftered so badly with rheumatism in my leg last winter that I was unable to attend to my work, being completely helpless. 1 heard of St. Jacobs Oil and bought a bottle, after using which I felt greatly relieved. 1\ itli the use of the second bottle 1 was completely cured. In my estimation there is nothinsr on earth so good for rheumatism as St. Jacob- Oil. It acts like a charm. SNAKE AND FROG. Many years ago, while in Ceylon, I lived in a house in “Slave Island,” raised on a high platform. Tho steps up to the door had become loosened, and be hind them a colony of frogs had estab lished themselves. One morning I watched a snake (a cobra) creep up, in sert its head into a crack, and seize a frog, which he then aud there swallowed. But the crack that admitted the thin flat head and neck of the ophidian would not permit of the same being withdrawn when the neck was swollen with the ad dition of the frog inside it. The snake tugged and struggled, but iu vain, and after a series of futile attempts disgorged its prey and withdrew its head. But the sight was too tantalizing. Again the head was inserted in the crack and the coveted morsel swallowed, and again tho vain struggles to withdraw were re newed. I saw this repeated several times, till, gaining wisdom by experi ence, the snake seized the frog by one leg, withdrew it from its coigne of vant age, and swallowed it outside.— Nature. [La Crosse Republican Leader.' Having been cured by St. Jsenb* <hl, I recommend the same to ail suit'erei, with Rheumatism, says Mr. L. Shift man, - S, M Calumet Ave., Chicago, 111. THE PEOUK Iff ALASKA. One of the most remarkable traits of this peculiar peoplo in Alaska is their aversion to salt, which they will not eat in any form. I have seen them, when offered a choice piece of corned-beef on the vessel, taste it, and, on finding that it had been salted, spit out the mouth ful with a wry face and throw the re mainder on the deck with disgust. No matter how putrid a whale or seal may be they eat it, raw and unseasoned, with ct (dent relish.— New York Herald letter. A ( ross Ruby. Nothing is so conducive to u mans re maining a bachelor as stopping lor one night at the house of a married friend and being kept awake for live or si\ hours by the •Ty ing of a cross baby. -Vll cross and crying babies need only Hop Bitters to make them well and smiling. Voting man, remember this.—Traveler. There is fashion in names as in other things. To-day country names are in vogue in France. The boys are called Jean, Andre, Jacques, Eustaclie, Marcel, Claude, Pierre, Francois, and Antoine; the girls, Claudine, Collette, Jeanne, Yvonne, Odette, Aritte, Heliette, Jac queline, Georgette, Miquette, and Nico lotte. Tle Bet Life Pr*-er*er: Warner’s Safe Kiney and Liver Cure. Some enthusiastic fashion writer pre dicts a revolution in underwear. Well, a change in such things is necessary, once in a while.