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EE’S CEAEGE AT YELLOW Ti
May 11,1864.
i rang out loud and clear,
ishlng sabres leapt;
i flames belched from front and rear,
our brigade swept.
&Yfd buaznh and martial strain
1 trumpet’s stirring sound
L well our charge across the plain,
1 awed ti e foe beyond.
> of blades, a mass of blue,
i flags that gaily fly;
itb, the turf’s bright emerald hue,
>ve, the Southern sky.
, was the scene as forward led
[ Custer bold and leal,
, snrleked mar ly overhead,
rlssed our eager Bteel.
lrld sun thro’ sulphurous smoke
she J grimly down that day ;
l when their lines our troopers broke
.out. In one heart-cheering ray!
[light cut and left!” brave Caster cried,
lAnd strike your sturdiest blow 1”
sabre’s clashed as side by side
[e hewed the stubborn foe.
ilrlwlnd then of flashing steel,
jht through their ranks we swept;
»w tbelr squadrons turn and reel,
our oourse we kept,
fwelkin rang with cheers which rose
from our comrades then;
i tho' it shook our sullen foes,
made us more than men.
VIth cannon trained and gun in hand
They strove to stem the tide;
.heir hundreds strewed the crimson sand
With wounded scores beside.
,ike men they fought, but all In vain;
roe twenty minutes told,
every Inch of that broad plain
r gallant troopers hold.
f>nce again our bugles blow,
rant our missing ones ;
let and whipt the haughty foe,
|e captured all his guns.
i brave oomrades, where are they
(ode out by our side ?
Lmore they’ll Join the fray,
Ito Victory ride I
In of martial deeds you sing,
ties fought and won,
: to mind some mem’ry bring
[bt this day was done,
roung Custer’s gallant oharge
(roopers brave,
’ Tavern plain and gorge
id a grave!
>ods of North Carolina
l BY PROF. W. C. KERR.
be seen from the United
lsus tables for 1870, that of
square miles of territory
re still covered with forests
|ge and variety of prevalent
jcteristic species of growth
proportioned to those
fd soil, are very great
let three well marked
|tinguished forest re*
jng to and dependent
graphical sub-di-
»and West-
section is
common in
to that in the
long leaf pine,
&rn or mountain
pecies familiar
and in New
E5st distinctive,
le species are the
fries, Cypress and
ominant growth
There are eight
i most import-
(Plnus austra-
or
pine
ite; the
to the higher
ine is the predomi-
the eastern section of
occupies almost exolu-
)ad belt quite across the
ttending from near the
a hundred miles into
covering a territory of
BOO square miles. This is
most valuable of all trees,
it of the number and import-
the uses it subserves. It is
in the form of lumber for
naval architecture to all parts
rorld, and is unequalled for
purposes, on account of its
rength and durability. It furnishes
le naval stores of commerce, known
all parts of the world; the forests of
State furnishing twice as much
i the other States together. From
rosin of this tree is made the rosin
(f commerce, and this substanoe
miles the Southern towns with
Yellow Pin*i
building
lishes an im-
.in all parts of
led
to the
rntain
, wh ish, in the Eastern
section, sometimes attains a great size,
and furnishes an excellent building
and ship timber.
The Oaks rank with the pines in
value, and excel them in variety, of
uses, number of species and extent of
distribution. While the pine (a sin
gle species) gives character to about
one-third of the forest area of the
State, the oaks dominate not less than
two-thirds. There are twenty species
in the United States, all of them
found in North Carolina, with possi
bly one insignificant exception.
Among these the most important
are:
The White Oaks, of which there are
several species (the most valuable,
Quereus alba, Q,. obtusiloba (Post Oak,
and Q,. prinus), forming extensive
forests in all sections of the State. On
account of its strength and durability
and great abundance, its uses are im
portant and manifold, both for domes
tic purposes and for export in the form
of staves and ship timber. The ship
yards of Liverpool are already seek
ing their material in the forests of
middle North Carolina.
Several other species of oak are also
of wide and varied use, chiefly the
Bed, Oak (Q. rubra), Black Oak (Q,.
tinctorla), and Willow Oak (Q. phel-
los), which are abundant throughout
the middle and western district, and
often grow to a very great size. Live
Oak (Q. virens) is found only in the
seaboard region, whose value in ship
building is well known.
Hickory. Of this tree there are nine
species in North America, and seven
of them are found in this State, and
three species in all parts of it, and in
abundance, and often of great size.
But little use has hitherto been made
of this tree, except as fuel and for
wagons and handles; but being one
of the most dense, rigid, heavy and
iron-like of our woods, it has recently
come into great demand, and many
large handle and spoke factories have
been erected within a few years,
whose products are shipped by mil
lions to Europe, California, Australia
and all mining countries especially.
The forests of North Carolina will sup
ply this world-wide demand for many
years,
Walnut exists in two species, one
the common Black Walnut (Juglans
nigra) throughout the State, but most
abundantly in the middle district. It
is a most valuable wood, being very
compaot, durable, free from attacks of
insects, of a very fine dark brown
color,and capable of a high polish. It
is the most popular and universally
used cabinet wood in the United
States, but is so common in the mid'
die and western sections of this State
that large farms are fenced with it.
The Chestnut (Casteanea yesoa) is
one of our largest forest trees, some
times ten feet in diameter and eighty
to ninety feet high, found mostly pnd
abundantly in the Piedmont and
mountain regions of the State, where
it is much esteemed and used for
fencing on account of its great dura
bility and facility of working. It is
also valued for its abundant crop of
uit, which, with the acorns of the
oaks, is the principal dependence of
hog-raisers of the mountain counties.
Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) Is
one of the largest and handsomest of
our forest trees, and occurs in all parts
of the State, attaining its greatest size
in the mountains. It is much used
for building and other domestic pur
poses as a substitute for pine, com
bining lightness and facility of work
ing with rigidity and durability.
Cypress (Taxodium distiohum)
abounds in the swamps and lowlands
of the east, forming the almqpt exclu
sive growth of several thousand square
miles of territory. It grows to a great
size, the wood is very light, durable
and muoh used for the manufacture
of shingles, which are exported dn
immense numbers to all the Northern
Atlantic ports. It Is also used for
building purposes, and for staves and
telegraph poles, water vessels, &o.
Juniper, or White Cedar (Cupr issue
thyoides), is found In the same region,
though not so abundant, and is used
for the same purpose as the cypress,
especially for shingleB and cooper
work, for whloh it is even preferred
to the latter.
Besides these are the Maple (6 spe
cies), (Birch t species), Beech, Ash
(4 species), Poplar (8 species), Elm
(8 species), Mulberry, Sassafras, Gum
(4 species), Dogwood, Persimmon,
Holly, Looust (3 species), Sycamore,
Inn (Linden or Lime, 8\ species),
ckeye (5 species), Wild! Cherry,
Cedar, White Cedar, feluguolla
lee), Willow (4_jBP«h@}. a:
lO!
shade and ornamental trees, a num
ber of them muoh prized as Cabinet
Woods ; among which may be men
tioned the Black Walnut, already de
scribed, the Bed Cedar, sometimes
nearly equalling the Mahogany in
beauty of color and grain, free from
insects and arematic; the Black Birch
or Mountain Mahogany and Wild
Cherry, both of very ornamental grain,
taking a high polish ; and so also the
Curley and Bird's Eye Maple/ the
Holly, a beautiful, close-grained,
white wood, taking a brilliant polish.
It will readily be imagined what vari
ety, richness and beauty these numer
ous species, belonging to so many and
widely differing families of plants,
must impart to the forests of this
State, and what a vast mine of wealth
they must become in the near future.
Of the twenty kinds of timber used
in the ship-yards of New York, nearly
all are found in the forests of this
State.—From Physiographieal De
scription of N, C
Scraps from the Field of
Science.
Egypt’s Famous Queen.
Cleopatra was of Greek extraction,
being the daughter of Ptolemy Auletes,
eleventh in the line of the Greekjkings
of Egypt, of whom Ptolemy Soter,one
of the principal generals of Alexander
the Great, was the first. She was
born 69 B. C. At the age of seventeen,
by the death of her father, she, with
her younger brother, whose wife she
was to become, became an heir to the
throne. But a few years later, having
been deprived of her royal authority
by her brother and guardians, she
withdrew into Syria, where she met
Caesar, whom she fascinated with her
many and brilliant charms, while she
aroused his sympathy for her cause.
The conqueror, having established
her upon the throne, returned to
Rome, where he was soon afterward
joined by his royal and attractiye par
amour, with whom he openly resided.
Upon Caesar’s assasination she return
ed to Egypt, but the civil war follow
ing she espoused the oause of Anto
ny. Antony returned with Cleopa
tra and lived in the Queen's palace in
wanton voluptuousness. She witness
ed the disastrous defeat of her favorite
in the celebrated sea-battle of Actium,
and barely escaped in her ship to
Alexandria. Here Antony soon
after joined her, where, overwhelmed
by his defeat and hard pressed by his
successful rival, he took his own life.
When Augustus entered the city
Cleopatra endeavored to use the same
magical influence over him which
had formerly enslaved the great Julius
and Antony, but it was of no avail.
Augustus announced his determina-
that she should grace his triumphant
entry into Rome. Rather than suffer
such a disgrace, she chose death
applying an asp to her bosom. Dying
at the age of thirty-nine, she left
three sons by Antony and one by
Cseaar. In addition to the natural
charms which Cleopatra inherited,
she had oonaiderable abilities, and
for a woman of that period, possessed
unusual literary accomplishments
being able to converse in seven differ
ent languages.
Thought Etchings.
The grief that swells the Christian’s
heart is the bud of a new beauty burst
ing into flower.—Orit,
Heaven’s joys are the compensation
of earth’s sorrows. The finished
temple there is the j ustifioation of the
foundations laid here in darkness
and in a mortar mixed with tears.—
Grit.
A tree grows out of the air as muoh
as out of the ground. A character
grows out of the impalpable air of faith
as much as out of the material neces
slties of life. The noble character
born of faith and worship, and a faith
ful discharge of the duties that grow
out of the material side of being. For
character man needs the teachings of
religion as well as the teachings
science.—Grit,
' A blade of grass has little or no
attractiveness in and of itself. But
put in a bouquet, it gives beauty
and catches beauty from the flowers
Bo it is that many a life, homely and
unattractive in isolation, becomes
beautiful In society, and lights up
seolal intercourse with a oharm. The
hand of soolety often exchanges
gifts, and imparts an equalizing
wealth.—Grit*
Is
of
to
It was a cold day for that judge who
threatened to fine a party $10 for
roughing in court, when the disturb
ing element Informed his honor that
would be willing to
Puscher, the Nuremberg chemist,
says that paste made of staroh, glycer
ine and gypsum will maintain its
plasticity and adhesiveness longer
than any other cement.
Cultivation of the Portugese oyster
is recommended in the French official
journal on account of the alleged rich
ness of that bivalve in iodine, bro
mine and chlorine.
The Lancet yields to the belief that
the electric light must soon become
the common illuminating agent, but
insists that some method should be
devised to mitigate its intensity.
Montana is said to contain a large
coal-bearing territory, and it is pre
dieted by geologists that the Territory
has the capacity for being the largest
coal producer in the Union.
There is reason to believe that the
power of the more intractable explo
sives will soon be made simply motive
force—at least some of them—judging
from some of Herr Beck’s experi
ments.
Metallic iridium is very hard. It
easily cuts or marks steel. It can be
cut by a copper disk revolving at
yery high velocity, if the surfaces in
contact are treated with corundum
and oil and the iridium sheets are
very thin.
The Scientific American condemns
the use of camp stools and chairs by
undertakers who take these seats from
house to house, thus disseminating
disease. The carrying around of ice
boxes is deprecated for the same rea
son.
Dr. Quesneville stated before the
Societe d’Hygiene that he had pre
served water potable for more than
three years by adding to it half a
grain of salicylic acid for each quart.
It is recommended for use in expedi
tions in warm climates.
Japan is keeping fully abreast of
Western nations in the introduc
tion of new inventions. One of the
latest signs of this spirit of enterprise
is the extensive use of the electric
light in several of the Government es
tablishments at Yokohama.
According to an Antwerp pharma
ceutical journal, the best way to re
move ink soots is to use a phosphate
of soda, first of all spreading a few
drops of melted suet over the ink spot,
and then washing the substance in
the saline solution until the spot dis
appears.
Near Tabiana, Italy, the remains of
a fossil elephant have been found.
Its tusks measure 8.2 metres in length
and 0.28 metres where they are nar
rowest. The find has caused quite a
sensation, and there will likely be a
careful excavation made when the
winter is over.
Papers read before the Academy of
Sciences, Paris, go to show that the
several electrieal systems of Jabloch-
koff, JaminandDebrun are now much
on a level from an economical point of
view. The data from whioh the re
sists were obtained had been collected
during the late exhibition of electric
ity in the French capital.
Mr. Routledge held lately at a scien
tific meeting that the paper trade was
probably the one which turned to im
mediate use more waste products than
any other. In it was utilized cotton,
flax, hemp and jute waste* and old
ropes and canvas rags. In fact, the
paper manufacturer could turn to
profitable purpose any vegetable fibre.
A Provisional Committee, the Pres
ident of which is M. Charles Boysset,
has been formed for organizing an
Internationa 1 exhibition of appliances
to insure the safety of railway passen
gers. It is intended that the display
of the various devices will take place
some time this year in the Palais de
l’Industrle, Paris. It ought to do
muoh good to inventors and the pub
lic.
Belt manufacturers may find it of
interest to know that the experiments
of M. Jenatzy, of Brussels, disclose
that under uniform loads oaoutchouc
takes increasing elongations, until it
becomes quite twioe as long as it was
originally, and that then the elonga
tions decrease until rupture ensues.
The weight necessary to quadruple
the length is three times that, under
whioh the length has beoome double.
• An automatic eleotrio mechanism,
that is designed to announce the ap
proach of railroad trains, has been
tried on what is called the Paris-Lyon
Mediterranean LjjuL^ It fldfcists of
a bell. When a train passes O]
box the mercury is so agitat
form contact with the wire
eating with the bell and thi
it ring.
An Italian journal reccommends 1
use of methylaniline violet, also cal
Hoffman’s purple and Paris violet,!
detecting free mineral acids in vi
gar. A solution of this dye, althou]
containing but 0.1 per cent, of it,
be changed to an ultramarine blue^
mineral acids, even when they
very dilute, while organic acids
not affect the color.
A mixture of twenty parts of ha^
soap, forty parts of kerosene and ox
part of fir balsam has been found verl
effective in destroying insects whic|
damage the orange tree. Professor
V, Riley is the authority. Other vs
uable plants, notably the vine, migl
be similarly protected by a spray ftoi
an application of the same recipe,
can^be diluted at will with water,
as not to interfere with
tution of the plant.
the coi
The Ret»rt Courteous.
One of the most unique spec^j
the courting crisis on record
at a London dinner paity.
long made love to her, and wS
the table he learned from a frienc
ting next to him that his rival
ed to “pop the question” that
day. What was to be done ?
some distance from her, whil
dreaded rival was at her side.'
ing a leaf from a note-book he
on it witn pencil, “Will y
wife? Write your answer, y^
on this paper and return.
This he sent by a waiter, si
the lady in blue at the end of
ble. •Be very careful,” This sex
was careful enough, but the
forgot to give him the pencil (
lady to use. She didn’t have
cil, but she coolly put the note in"
bosom and answered to the wait
“Tell the gentleman yes,” with as’ 1
little betrayal of excitement as if she
were accepting an invitation to a
game of croquet.
Why Kerosene Lamps Burst.
Girls, as well as boys,need to under
stand about kerosene explosions. A
great many fatal accidents happen
from trying to pour kerosene oil on
the fire to make it kindle better, also
by pouring oil into a lamp while
it Is lighted. Most persons suppose
that it is the kerosene itself which ex
plodes, and that if they are very care-,
ful to keep the oil itself from beingj
touched by the fire of the < light therj
will be no danger.
But this is not so. If a can or a
lamp is left about half full of kero
sene oil the oil will dry up—that is,
“evaporate”—a little, and wilP form,
by mingling with the air in the upper
part, a yery explosive gas. You can
not see this any more than you camj
see the air. But if it is disturbed
driven out, and a blaze reaches
there will be a terrible explosion,
though the blaze did not touch
oil. There are several other liquid
used in houses and workshops whi
will produce an explosive vapor
this way. Benzine is one
fluid another ; and
ether, or chloratputfMHy’clo the same^
thing. If tne lamp is kept well fill
with pure oil, there is no danger of i
explosion.
James Payn and an America^
Editor.
James Payn’s stories are as widely
read and appreciated in America asf
home, and are translated into hal
dozen languages. We remember,
deed, but one set of stories which
not appreciated in Amerloa; and
they were good—too good, perhaps?
For years Mr. Payn maintained a
vate and pleasant correspondence wl
an American editor, to whose magi
zlne he was a regular contributor,
this correspondent he retailed all tl
best stories of his club; and olub sto
ries, we know, are gentlemen’s stories.
When we say “gentlemen’s” we mean
all the word implies, and could mean
no less in speaking of Mr. Payn. Still,
gentlemen’s stories are not ladles’
stories. Picture, then, our author’s
horror when the Information was one
day delicately conveyed to him
through the proprietor* of the maga-
lue that “their editor was a woman t”
e longrM^^Bg lady oould stand it