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(glimpses of r eu) Books.
anecdotes of the late war.
r i.'roii) “ Anecdotes of General Taylor and the Mex
ican War,” by Tom Owen.]
•• Punch up my old Horse.'’—The Ken
luckey cavairy joined Gen. Taylor on his
v;l y back from Victoria to Monterey. One
~f them was leading an old horse; he had
j! ever seen Gen. Taylor, and old Rough and
Heady riding, as is his wont on a march, in
Ivance, was met and accosted by Kentuck,
thus— . .
‘•Old cock, punch up my horse lie is rather
broke down.” n _ ‘
Suiting the action to the word, old Zack
<rave the poor beast several sound punches
with his suck, which he always carries.
“Don’t you belong to the butchering de
partment T’ says Kentuck.
“ VVJiy do you tinua. so t ’ says daylor.
u Why,” says die naif-alligator, 44 you
look so nit a.ia sieeiv, tuat. i suppose you
havu’i seen very hara umes.”
“Harder ma t you imagine my good man,”
said tneGe.ieiai.
What the Kenmckian thought, or how he
fell, when he found out to whom he was
speaking, we pretend not to say.
A Mexican Anecdote. —The people of the
Mexican capital had been told that the Amer
icans eat children, and all these pledges of
love had been removed. Lieut. M., oi the
dragoons, having heard this story, accosted
a man, and asked him if he knew where he
could get “ a nice fat boy for supper,” addins:
that he was “ very hungry.”
The astonished Mexican answered, with a
doleful shake of the head, 44 No hay.”
“Weil,” said M., “as I’m hungry, I ain’t
particular; let us have a iitue giri, men. ‘
The poor man still more hoiniieJ, da lared
that ihere was none oi Utjso a the village.
M., then turned toiiimau ■ ouquire “vv ell,
show me a market where i can get a nice
piece of a lull-grown man.
Tnis was too much for the Mexican, and
he took to his heels in the twinkling of a
jackknife.
Be careful Boys. — A little while before
ilie battle of Buena Vista, a party of twenty
athletic young men, direct from Saltillo, met
Gen. Taylor near his camp, at Walnut Grove.
“ Where are yob from enquired the 44 good
old man,” of the foremost of the youngsters.
“Just from Saltillo, General, was the re
ply, in a voice such as a favorite son assumes
when speaking to a beloved parent.
“Well, well” said the General, looking at
die party with solicitude, “you had betiet be
careful, boys, and not trust yourselves out on
die road in such small force, you will get cut
oil some time, it is very imprudent to do so.”
The Anglo-saxon.—The above was the
name of a little sheet published at Chrhuahua
white in the possession or CoiouelDoniphan,
the print ng materials were foun 1 in the ci
tv. The fonts of type had no w’s, ant ihe
publisher was forced to adopt the cockney ism
of two v’s whenever he wished to print a
word in which the w was used; as, will
Wool’s way be wisely chosen.
General Taylor’s indomitable Will —
The steamboats purchased for transports up
on the Rio Grande being a small summer-craft,
performed but poorly against the strong cur
rent of that river, swollen to a torrent by the
melting of the mountain snows. General
I’aylor was blowing up a quarter-master for
not having a supply of tents and munitions
at a particular spot; and the latter excused
himself by showing that he had pushed them
“11 by steamboat with the least possible delay.
‘■ Vou see, General,” continued he, “it is the
tardiness of the steamboats, that is to blame.”
” Alien,” quoth the General, 44 I'll hang ev
my shiftless son of a gun of their officers, the
moment I lay eyes oil them.” —But, General,”
said the quarter-master, “it is not the fault of
‘he officers, their steamboats have not suffi
cient power to breast the current.” —“Then,
I’ll hang the steamboats!”
General Taylor’s Mexican Pony. — Gen.
lay lor’s markee at Victoria was about a mile,
-hove that of Gen. Patterson, and between
‘he two the Tennessee cavalry lay encamp
f,(l - General Taylor was riding from his
quarters to General Patterson’s one day, upon
;l beautiful Mexican pony, and on his route
passed close to a Tennessee trooper who was
nibbing down his horse. Totally ignorant of
‘he rank of the plainly-dressed old man, and
s '> uck by the beauty of his animal, he accost
*'d him with—
Look here, stranger, wouldn’t you like
sw ap that ar pony *?”
‘No, friend,” quietly responded the Gener
■’ ‘ u he is a favorite nag of mine, and I do
‘ M 't desire to part with him.”
A LI il TJJis A Jii Ju JV£ii Aid 7 (2 ABIE IT If 1 & ♦
A comrade of the trooper’s, recognizing the
General, said to him in an under-tone; “ Bill,
you d—d fool, don’t you know who you’re
a talking to ? That’s Gen. Taylor.
Now Bill, regarding General “Old Rough
and Ready” as the greatest man on the face
of the smiling earth, was terriiied at finding
that he bad put his foot in it, and stammered
out —
“ G-g-gineral, I-I-l didn’t know it was you ;
I beg p-p-pardon, Gineral.” The old com
mander kindly offered his hand to the trooper
to relieve him from his embarrassment, inquir
ed his name and residence, complimented the
Tennesseeans, telling him that he had found
them the bravest of the brave, and rode quiet
ly on.
On the march of Gen. Taylor’s division
from Monterey to Victoria, when encamped
near a small town, this same pony was stolen,
and the General immediately dispatched a mes
sage to the alcalde, informing that worthy
functionary of the fact, and that if he was
not restored he should take the priest’s horse.
The threat had the desired effect, for in a
very short space of time the pony was trotteu
up to the General’s tent, “with the compli
ments of the alcalde.”
Don’t Care. —An eccentric officer of Gen.
Taylor’s army had returned irom a convivial
party, and felt in pretty good humor with him
self and everybody else. Being inclined to
breathe the fresh air, and suffer the effects of
good cheer to evaporate, he selected a patch
of greensward in camp for a promenade, and
commenced slowly walking backwards and
forwards. Now it so happened, that a senti
nel on duty had post directly in the officer’s
line of march, and every few minutes would
encounter his superior officer, and, as in duty
bound. his musket would be presented to sa
lute him, and when he had passe !, brought
to the shoulder. This continued for a long
time, till the sentinel was quite tired of salut
ing him, an 1 at last said, “Colonel, if you
pass this way again, sir. 1 shan’t salute you.”
His officer paused, spread his legs, surveyed
his man from Ins glazed latigue-cap to the
toes of his brogane, and back to his cap again,
then thrusting his hands deep into his breech
es pockets, exclaimed :—“And if you think
I care whether you do or not, you are most
in-infernally mistaken, my line fellow; that’s
all I've got - to say.” And resuming his prom
enade, the officer and private passed each oth
er with the utmost indiflerence.
itijc ID or Ivin a fttan.
THE WAGONER-
God bless you, honest wagoner !
But, sir, your eout and vest
Were out oidato a month ago —
Your hat is nut the best —
You are l ot whiskered nor perlumod
Yon have no glove or fan —
Y'ou are no dandy —but you are
Another thing—a man.
And you a e awkward, wagoner;
Your teet are not turned out —
You sir, and stand, and walk upright,
A mk iv ill not lounge about ;
How you would tread a parlor floor,
Upon a morning “ call!”
Your motions, like your notions, are
By far too natural.
You are not polished, wagoner,
For you will smile or frown,
Just as yon love or loathe a man,
And kiss or knock him down ;
Y ou have not learned to smile —in hate,
To compliment and —cheat ;
Your soul comes forth in speech and look,
To every man you meet.
But when the crowd of souls shall stand
Disrobed of mortal clay—
When, from each jewel mind, tho dross
Os earth shall fall away—
When sin shall grow more dark and dull,
And only Virtue shine —
What, geui among earth’s vanished ones,
Shall sparkle more than thine !
LEISURE HOURS FOR WORKING
MEN.
We have always been in favor of shorten
ing thd hours of labor, and closing stores ear
ly, in order to give clerks and mechanics the
benefits of evening study and instruction. If
they do not achieve it in that way, how are
they to acquire knowledge—when and where
are they to cultivate the mind and improve
the facilities ? They understand these things
in England, and improve upon the understand
ing. There the mechanics who have improv
ed their time, can rise in the woqfiL One of
the leading Editors of the Western Review,
and the most brilliant writer of the age, was
a cooper. One of the principal Editors of a
London daily Journal was a baker; ope. of
the best reporters of the London Times was a j
stone mason; one of the most eloquent Min- 1
isters in London, was a blacksmith ; Joseph
Hume was a sailor, and then an apothecary.
There is an army of working men now hold
ing high intellectual positions in England.—
So have many great Americans sprung from
plough-boys and mechanics, but they have
had time to improve ifi unselves.—leisure to
cultivate their minds. This is what our
clerks, our apprentices, our laborers want. —
They ought not to labor from nuvn until late
at night—they aie jaled an l fatigued, they
become evhauwe ~ an have no strength or
inclination for stu :y.
|j)i)ilosopl)B for tl)c people.
ORIGIN OF THE ELECTRIC TELE
GRAPH.
Upwards of sixty years ago, (or in 1787-
89.) when Arthur Young was traveling in
France, he met with a Monsieur Lomond,
“a very ingenious and inventing mechanic,”
who had made a remarkable discovery in elec
tricity, 44 You write two or three words on
a piece of paper,” says Young ; 44 be takes
it with him into a room, and turns a machine
enclosed in a cylindrical case at the top oi
which Is an electrometer, a small line pith
ball. A wire connects with a similar cylin
der and electrometer, in a distant apartment,
and his wife, by remarking the corresponding
motions of the ball, writes down the words
they indicate, from which it appears he has
formed an alphabetof motions. As the length
of the wire makes no difference .n the effect,
a correspondence might be carried on at any
distance. Whatever the use may be, the in
vention is beautiful.” This discovery, how
ever, lay unnoticed until about three years
since, though the apparatus was designed to
effect the same end as the electric telegraph,
by means very similar. — The London Anec
dotes.
MODE OF CULTIVATING CELERY.
The trench must be made, and the bottom
of it well manured with old farm-yard manure
in the usual way ; a day or two after the
celery is planted, let a man walk on each
sine of the plants, just measuring the length
of his foot on each side'; then slack 4 lbs. ot
guano in 30 gallons of water, stirring it well
every three or four hours ior'24 hours. 1 his
will be about the for twenty yards
of celery, which must be gently put on, im
! mediately around the plants. In a day or
i two a slight sprinkling of salt may be put on
i the plants and on the earth about. Ihe slight
salting may be repeated every ten or twelve
days. When the plants are sufficiently grown
to be earthed, repeat the guano as above,
previously, after earthing, treading the plants
on each side. After th s, no more guano
must be used, but every twelve or fourteen
days a slight sprinkling ot salt must be re
peated. Celery is very fond of soap-suds,
and so it is of salt. Hence we find it grow
ing spontaneously along the saltwater shores
of the Patuxent and of West River, at high
water mark.
WHAT OURFINE FRUITS HAVE
SPRUNG FROM.
The Peach, originally, was a poisonous
almond. Its fleshy parts were then used to
poison arrows, and it was for this purposedn
troduced into Persia; the transplanting and
cultivation, however, not only removed its
poisonous qualities, but produced the ‘’elici
ous fruit we now enjoy.
The Nectarine anil Apricot are natur. hy
bridations between the Peach and Plum.
The Cherry was originally a berry-like
fruit, and cultivation has given each berry a
separate stem, and improves its quality ; the
common mazzard is the original ot most of the
present kind of cherries.
The common wild pear is even inferior to
the choke pear; but still by cultivation, it has
come to rank among our finest fruits. Ihe
; Cabbage originally came from Germany, and
is nothing more than common sea kale. Its
cultivation has produced the present cabbage,
; and its different acclimatings, the different
kinds; while its hybridation with other simi
lar plants has produced the Cauliflower.
This shows the benefit of cultivation in the
vegetable world; but the change which c-ulti-j
vation has effected in the mind ol man is infi
nitely greater. — American Agriculturist.
CURE FOR TOOTHACHE. j
a piece of sheet about the size j
of a sixpence, and a piece of silver—say a j
quaFiir of a dollar, place them together, and
hold the defective tooth between or contigu
ous to them—in a few minutes the pain will j
be gone as if by magic. The zinc and silver
acting as a galvanic battery will produce on
the nerves of the tooth sufficient electricity to
establish a current, and consequently relieve
the pain.
FLY PAPER.
This is anew article for the destruction of
life—fly life, we mean—those wingel insects
with many legs, enemies of cleanliness in
general an I human comfort in particular. It
can be bought for six cents a sheet, and each
sheet will k 11 a million of flies, if they choose
to poison themselves with it.
■i ■
HOW TO ENLARGE VEGETABLES.
A vast increase of food may be obtained
by managing judiciously, and systematically
carrying out for a time the principle of in
crease. Take, for instance, a pea. Plant it
in very rich ground. Allow it to bear the
first year, say half a dozen pods only : re
move all others. Save the largest single
pea of these—sow it the next year, and re
tain of the produce three pois only; sow the
largest one the following y mr, an i retain one
pod. Again select the largest, an I die next
year the sort will by th s urn - have trebled
its size and weight. Ever afterwards sow
the largest seel. By these means you will
get peas (or anything else) of a bulk of vvhicli
we at presen’ have no cone >ption.
MAKING CANDLES.
Many of our farmers who stilly economy
in their domestic affairs, find it far more econ
omical to make their own candles than to buy
them. Such persons will find that by mak
ing the wicks about half the ordinary size,
and dipping them in spirits of turpentine, and
drying them carefully before the fire or in the
sun-shine before moulding, they will last
longer, and afford a much clearer and brilliant
light than those made in the ordinary way.—
A small portion of beeswax, melted with the
tallow, has a tendency to prevent their 44 run
ning,” and renders them much more lasting.
—Germantown Telegraph ✓ ‘
STONE ROPE.
A rope nearty three miles long, now lies at
Gateshead, Englan 1, which was the other
day a stone in the bowels of the earth ! Smel
ted, tho stone yielded iron. The iron was
converted into wire. The wire was brought
to the wire rope manufactory near Gateshead,
and here twiste I into a line 4,660 yards long.
It is the stoutest rope of this kind ever made.
It weighs 20 tons 5 cwt., and will cost the
purchasers $6,508. It is intended for the in
cline on the Edinburg and Glasgow Railway
near the latter city. A rope of hemp, of equal
strength, would weigh 32 1-2 tons, and cost
$1,400 more.
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR BONES.
The bone business is becoming a consider
able trade in this country. A vessel cleared
at Boston for England last week, with a car
go of bones valued at SSOOO. The proprie
tor of a bone mill advertises that persons sen
ding their own bones to be ground, will find
their orders attended to with despatch. An
instance has been recently reported in which
a dentist actually stole a full.set of teeth from
a Jady, and now that other bones are in de
mand, who knows whether some thievish
bonemonger may not pick half the bones out
of him before he is aware of danger? — Sci
entific Mechanic.
BAIN'S WRITING TELEGRAPH-
Mr. Bain, the electric engineer, arrived in
this city by the Cambria, and proceeded to
Washington to secure a patent for his Tele
graph. We have mentioned, in a former
number, that Mr. Bain’s invention was con
tested by a Caveat of Professor Morse. —
This will soon te settled. When Mr. Bain
was here before, we mentioned that all that
was now wanting in his printing telegraph to
make it perfect, was a mode of operating it
to produce a sac simile of the letter at the
other end of the wire. He answered that he
had been engaged for a long time in perlect
ing such a method of telegraphing, and had
it nearly completed. We understand that he
has now completed his invention, and is
about to apply for a patent. By it the pro
file of a runaway may be sent a thousand
miles in a few seconds, and one person may
hold communication with another by certain
understood signs, independent of the operator
knowing anything about the nature of the
communication. This is certainly a valuable
invention. — Scientific American .
141