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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