Newspaper Page Text
31 wp <0 roiflian.
JESUP GEORGIA.
AM KPI SO UK.
BY BAITOIf OBEY.
And no th** hour comen at )at
Wbra all thi* <irara ia over.
The dlHiatit, pant,
Thu raptur*’ of tha lov#r !
uld not t ll that I would
That fair and fragrant fancy,
And vrt, ah, m*! wto count* It
That time should kill the panay !
Otir leva wan but a anrnmer nownr,
A Unrip of rlnga and ;
L A frail, awoct bud that bloomod an hour,
ft i hen ditvi—liko other roue*.
1 drearro-d I ne'er had aean a fIM
So ci si4ly tender,
■ And ad! my life to your dar grace
Jian: <\> wr in frauk aurrei-der.
I. • AM.' -■ < Wld
pahKionati- • rroiiw.
um who are h*oi•. wm*
Hft
-• y. r- i
- M-* I! 101 - I .
visit t InJon aineo (
find taken up my abode and entered on
the practice of my profession hr a so
licitor at Southampton
In London I hail n very dear friend,
my old college chum, George Dickson ;
and an lie wan the only person I knew in
the great metropolis, of courso I lost
no time in looking him np. Three years
had passed since our last meeting ; but
ten oonld scarcely liavo produced a
change more marked than had taken
place in the appearance and manner of
my friend.
Our first greetings and friendly inqui
ries over, I longed, yet forbore, to ask
the cause of my friend's melancholy. 1
felt sure, in duo time, of being made
the confidant of the secret, provided no
motive of delicney prompted its eon-
Boalment.
That evening, in my room at the
hotel, George told me his story. He
had formed an attachment for u yonng
lady, whose graces of mind and person
he portrayed with all the fervor of a
lovtr’s eloquence. Bhe had returned
his affection ; but her father had op
posed his suit, having set his heart on
the marriage of his daughter to a
nephew of his. This nephew was a
young surgeon, of profligate character,
my friend assured me but that may
have been prejudice- who laid long,
but unsuccessfully, wooed his cousin,
to whom his proffers were us repugnant
as to her father they were acceptable.
Home months since, Mr. Parsons, the
young lady's father, had gone into
Hampshire on business, accompanied
by bis nephew. At Southampton he
had been seized by a sudden illness, i
which terminated fatally in three days.
On the day prece ding his death he
bad executed a will (which had since
been proved by the depositions of the
attesting witnesses), containing a solemn
request that his daughter, to whom he
left the whole of his estate, should ac
cept the hand of his nephew in mar
riage, coupled with a provision that in
case the lutter offered, and she refused,
within a specified period, to enter into
the proposed union, the entire estate
devised to the daughter should be for
feited to the nephew.
To sacrifice her fortune to her heart's
choice would not, have cost .1 ulia Par
sons a moment's hesitation ; and noth
ing could liavo more delighted George
Dickson than so fair an opportunity of
showing how superior his devotion was
to all considerations of personal advan
tage. lint her father's dying request,
in Julia’s eyes, was sacred. It had
surpr'si and and stunnedher.it is true;
for, in their many conferences on the
subject, he had never gone beyond the
most kindly remonstrance, and had
never even hinted at anything like
©oersion.
Voting Parsons, the nephew, had not
the magnanimity to forego his ungener
ous advantage. He might have been
content with his cousin’s fortune alone,
hut his right to that depended on his
offer and iter rejection of an alliance
which she felt in consequence hound to
r ’'’opt. The brief season of grae ■,
she Inid been compelled to bog
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Next afternoon found me at the abode
| of Mr. Parsons, the surgeon.
“Mr. Parse ns. I preen me ?” were the
| words with which I accosted the gentle
: mn f had seen at the theater.
“Yes, sir.’’
“ You may not remember me, Mr.
j Parsons, but I believe we have met be
fore.”
“I beg your pardoD, sir, for not recol
lecting the occasion.”
“You were in Southampton last win
ter, wero yon not ?”
“ I was,” he answered, with some em
| barrassment.
| “ I am the solicitor on whom yon called
j to take a dralt a will.”
Re turned pale, but made no reply.
“ I saw a record of that will at Dr.
Commons’ this morning,” I resumed,
and ”
“ Yon speak of my uncle’s will,” he
hastily interrupted.
“ And yet,” I continued, “ you said
it was yours when you applied to have
it written. You represented yourself
as desirous of executing such a docu- ,
merit preparatory to embarking on a I
perilous voyage. The paper was drawn 1
in accordance with your instructions, \
leaving the date to be filled in at the j
I time of signing. Your looks were gray
\ then, and you certainly looked old
I enough to have a marriageable daugh-
I ter ; but your disguise was not perfect.”
j Ami I pointed to the mutilated finger.
“ What do you mean 1” he shouted in
j a defiant tone.
“ Bimply that your uncle’s signature
to that will is a forgery!” I answered
rising and confronting him. “Ho died
|on the 23d of Dooember. Your own
telegram to that effect is in existence.
It was on the 24th, the day before
Christmas, that you called on mo to
prepare the document now on record as
his will. The inference is plain; you
undertook to manufacture, this spurious
testament after your uncle’s death, and
wishing to clothe your villainy in legal
form, you procured from m the re
quired draft. You, or someone at
your instigation, simulated the signa
ture of the deceased. The witnesses,
who have since perjured themselves
in their depositions, were procured in
some manner best known to yourself
“Enough, sir,” he ejaculated, placing
his hack against the door ; “you have
shown yourself in possession of a secret
the custody of which may prove
dangerous !’
“ 1 am not unprepared for your
threat,” 1 replied. “Jn tbo first place,
I did not come here unarmed ; in the
next, I have prepared a full written
statement of tho facts to which f have
alluded, with information, besides, of
my present visit to yourself. This
paper will bo delivered to tho friend to
whom it is directed, unless within an
hour I reclaim it from the messenger,
who lias been instructed for tlint length
of time to retain it,.”
His face grew livid. His frame quiv
ered with mingled fear and rage, and
his eye gleamed liko that of a wild
beast at bay.
“What is your purpose?” he ex
claimed in ft voice Uoarse with sup
pressed passion.
“ To keep your secret while you live,”
I answered, “ on one condition.”
“Name it.” *
“That you writil instantly to Julia
Parsons, renouncing all pretentions to
her hand, and absolutely withdrawing
your proposal of marriage.”
Alter a moment’s pause, he hastily
penned a brief note, which ho submit
ted to my inspection ; it was quite sat
isfactory.
“He so good as to seal and address
it,” 1 said.
Ho did so.
“ 1 will see that it is delivered,” I
remarked, taking it up and bowing my
self out.
When I met George Dickson that
evening, his old college look hud come
back. He had great news to tell me.
The next thing was to take mo to see
Julia; and it is needless to tell what a
happy evening we three spent together,
and a happy marriage followed not long
after.
Eld ridge Parsons, I have just learned,
emigrated for Australia, on board the
London, and went down in that, ill-fated
ship.
A Miser’s Methodic Mildness.
Baltimore is called upon to mourn
the death of nil elderly miser who,
in his journey through this world,-bad
spout, little else than Ins life. There
was method in his madness, for surely
a miser may be said to be mad. A
short time before his death, he informed
a friend that lie bad never given away a
cent, norspentone when the expenditure
eould possibly be avoided. Four years
ago he married a third wife, aud though
she was young, and he was in Ins
dotage he hail entire ascendency over
her, compelling her to work in a factory
and turn over her wages to Imu. He
assumed the whole responsibility of the
household, and, under his penurious
management, nothing went to waste.
Some six years ago lie purchased a
cheap pine eoftiin. and etorea it in his
tenement, biding patiently the day when
he would need it for his final wrap.
before liis death, he told his
funeral expenses must not
aud to he directed
1 .
> men. instead
■
auce
■ ujton the employment
agon,
for
■BMPIPiB *
lli- *,■ ■” -?' * Hr
HI he same service to a sick
■
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£|gMLr. wi i,-ft pr. petti valued at 83' 1 .-
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xj a sorrowful look
coy last Saturday,
L.
it Iki
Corn as an American Staple.
From the Rural Southerner.
Jn good seasons we raise something
over one thousand million bushels of
corn in the United States ; and allowing
as high an average as twenty bushels
per acre, more than fifty million acres
are planted to this crop. In the sruth
and west very little pains is taken to pre
vent the washing of corn ground, wnen
the crop is growing, or for several years
after, if allowed to rest. This is a
great error in farming. At the last
working of corn, a fine-tooth harrow
should be used to make the soil fine,
clean and level, to prevent water run
ning between the rows. Instead of
permitting the ground to lie naked, or
grow up in weeds, it should be seeded
at once with clover and gra<-s seed in
tho standing corn. The new crop, will
not grow to do any harm before the
corn is ripe ; while the fall growth will
shelter the otherwise nakedness of the
recently-tilled land prevent surface
washtng, and recuperate the depleted
j soil. All know, or at least ought to
know, that clover is a renovating plant,
and that nearly all corn-ground needs
some amendment.
By running fifty million acres, more
or less, in corn every year, with much
washing and little or no restitution, we
most certainly fill our country witn
sorrv-looking old fields. The intelli
gence and good sense of every farmer
should condemn the practice, amfytry
to change it for the better. A groat
deal of southern land is planted, in
corn which is too poor to produce more
than from seven to ten bushels to the
acre. What is to be done with sjwth
ground, to double its fruitfulness?
We answer let it rest in clover and
Herd’s gras, with one or two hundred
ponnds of gypsnm to the acre. Plant
much let i surface in corn and cotton,
and manure that.
We have so many fields in the south ;
that require additional fertility that,
insti ad of doing our best to make corn
andcotton atonce, we should do our best
to raise the raw materials out of which
these great staples are formed. To per
form all the work on a field that ought
to give a harvest cf thirty or forty
bushels of corn per acre, aud gather a
littlo crept of less than ten bushels, may
bo honest farming, but it is not wise
farming. Some ot the essential ele
ments used by nature in farming corn
are lacking in the soil, in an available
form. If these cannot bo supplied by
the cultivator, he should try to find
something better to do than tilling poor
soil in corn. Of all the labor perform
ed in the United States, this is the
pioorest paid to individuals and the
public. Practically, it makes poor
laml poorer still ;while poor people are
np>t to become about as poor as they [
can be. It is unpdoasant to write abont
poverty, or even think about it. But
when a curable malady is fastened upon
a friend and his family, although the
task may be unpleasant, it is better to
go to their relief than to shun them.
The owners of poor land in the south
are not half so poor, nor so sick of
firming as they imagine. They simply
use their farms in the wrong way.
When corn ground is thin and u 'prom
ising, (liey plant a double quantity to
get tho bushels they want; lookiug toJ
corn alone for nut income. Th’., j- -. *<••
take throws away full half of their j
labor, and helps kill the old plantation. |
Btock it full with calves that will be- j
come good cows in two or three years ; I
when one hundred calves that cott three |
dollars a-head, will become worth thirty j
dollars a-head, or three thousand dol- i
lars. Don’t bo afraid that well-raised ]
young cows will not sell. They will pay
fifty percent, interest, and keep them on ’
your improving farm. Such land aud
stock will give an easy fortune.
Uich Men Ituyimr Winter Homes in
I lorida.
Lake Monroe, which marks the head
waters of general navigation of the St.
John, is about six miles long by six
wide, and is a beautiful body of water.
It lies iii latitude about 28S degrees,
abont 1,000 miles south of Syracuse.
On the west border of the lake, Hon.
Henry S. Sand ford, lute minister to
Belgium, has founded a settlement
named after himself. He has bought, |
I don't remember how many thousand j
acres here, and is planting orange
groves and selling off homesteads bv j
j wholesale. He has brought over a
j colony of Swedes and planted it here,
l and, singular to say, these exotics from
j the extreme north of Europe are flour-
I isliiug finely in this tropical clime,
j The village ;of Sand ford boasts several
! hundred inhabitants, has two or three
i churches—one. the Episcopal, a beau- 1
j tifal edifice, the gift of Mrs. Sandford |
| —and indulges in great expectations of
the future. Mr. Sandford is selling off
little plots, for winter residences, to ;
gentlemen of wealth who will put up
creditable buildings. Among other j
purchasers are Gen. Babcock, of Grant’s
staff and Senator Anthony, of Rhode
Island.
The Railroad War.
Freight llowli to Tivo-lhlrtls ot h Cent
K*<r Ton t*rr .*lll*.
Only 30 cents per 100 lbs. from Chi
cago to New York! Six dollars a toa
j for 900 miles, or two-thirds of a cent
per At this rate, supposing the
actual cost to be the lowest ever attained
' in this country, about 4 2 3 mills, the
profit is only one mill per ton j er mile,
and in order to earn <! per eeut. interest
' on the capital, the road costing 850,000
‘ per mile, and two-thirds of the earnings
coming from freight, a traffic amounting
1 to 2 000,000 tou- over every mile of
r ad, or 1,800.000,000 tons one mile,
must be secured. No road in the coun
try ever has had a traffic anything like
1 as large, nor Ims an> load ever attained
I as low a cost of transportation as six
; mills, except in coal. It follows that
: the competition between the Baltimore
i aud Ohio aim theother roads to Chicago
i has now driveu down the rates below a
i living price, and llie roads are doing
| their low class fre glit business at a
| loss, the only qnes ion now is, which
: can afford to los ■ mo t?—*S¥. lAiuis
! Democrat.
Colonki. Rice s i bowel Bayonet.—
The r. ports of t’ o rxpertu onts made
by officers of lie a-my with Colonel
Rice's trowel bayonets have just teen
published in pamptih t form at the na
tional armory, Springfield, Mass. It
aouears that five hundred trowel bayo
| nets were made at Springfield and
! served out to the various companies of
; the third United States infantry, sta
; tioned in the department of the Mis
souri. After a given number of exper
iments the officers seDt in their reports
on the subject, nd it was found that
the colonel and two captains were not
in favor of the weapon as a substitute
for the ordinary bayonet; while the
lieutenant colonel and all the other offi
cers (nineteen) were in favor of its ad p
tion, some of them testifying quite en
thusiastically in its favor as a field in-
I trenching tool, Subsequently a board
| of officers assembled at Springfield to
| examine the weapon, and upon their re
! commendation the secretary of war or
i dered the manufacture and issue to the
I troops of ten thousand trowel bayonets,
j The report is accompanied with excel-
I lent illustrations of the new arm. the
| various species of handles which have
! been recommended for this and other
| bayonets, plans of field intrenchments,
I with enntrasting pictures of soldiers
| “in the open” and “in trench,” and
i much other interesting matter.
England’s Standing Army.
When the army bill was before the
house of commons for consideration,
Sir Wilford Lawson made an amusing
speech, prefacing it with the resolution:
“ That in the opinion of this house the
assurances of friendship from all for
eign powers, mentioned in her majesty’s
speech, warrant a reduction in the land
forces of the British army.” He didn’t
know but that it was out of place to
talk politics in the house, but be would
ask of the honorable gentleman if all
nations were friendly to EDgland, of
whom was she afraid ? Not France,
surely, for she was so full of her own j
affairs that she had no time to think of j
her neighbors. It was, in fact, a rich
Frenchman who instructed his new
valet that his three principal duties
would be to wake him up every morn
ing at nine, to let him know as to the
weather, and to inform him under wliat
form of government be was living. Not
Russia or Prussia, for England lias
married into the royal families of each. ;
Nor Spain, since it was only the other
day that they were compelled to back
the king’s train into a tunnel to save
him from the bullets of his subjects.
England had no power to fear but the
pope and the potato bug. Gladstone
would be able to take care of the former
—a conservative government was surely
competent to prevent an invasion by the
latter. If the standing army was to be
kept on its legs the country would be
obliged some day to use it for the rea
son that induced an African chief to go
to war—he had a barrel of gunpowder
on hand and it would spoil if he didn’t
use it. The wit of the facetious Sir
Wilfred did not avail. The army esti
mates were adopted. They show that
for 873,385,000, England will have dur
ing the next year an army of 129,000
regulars, exclusive of 00,000 in India,
103,000 militia, 7,928 effective reserves,
22,000 enrolled pensioners, and 161,000
efficient volunteers and some yeomanry
—in all, an army of 450,000 men.
A Millionaire’s Octaroon Widow.
T. J. Milliken, one of the wealthiest
.merchants in Sacramento, took for a
second wifet a young betardon. She
was very pretty, well educated, and her
African'blood was barely perceptible.
The ma-riage was disfavored by the
ohildren of the first wife, who would
have no acquaintance with their step
mother. A short time ago Milliken
died. Having made no will the octa
roon wife could only claim tho wife’s
usual share of the property. The
estate was worth about u million dol
lars. The children are contesting her
right to anything, basing their suit on
the iact of Mrs. Milliken being part
negro, the California law declaring that
“all marriages between white persons
and negroes or mulatoes are illegal and
void.” The evidence shows that dur
ing the years of Mr. Miliiken’s wedded
life with his second wife she was re
ceived in good society, although her
taint of blood was well known, and
that his affection and respect for her
'were sincere. The defence is that the
law particularly designates ‘ ‘ negroes
pud mulattoes as ineligible for mar
riage with white persons, and that the
wife in this instance was neither, being
only one-eighth negro. A deoision has
not been reached.
The Rio Grande.
A special to the News- from Corpus ;
Ohristi says a fetter from the postmas- \
ter at Neuces, who was robbed and had j
his house burned by raiding Mexicans, i
savs : On the 26th instant, about four j
o’clock, p. m., while conversing with a j
man named Smith, I discovered three |
Mexicans approaching my store. I went i
into the sitting room for a rifle. Smith !
rushed in, with a Mexican following j
him with a gun pointed prepared to
fire. My wife interfered, and prevented.
He t lie'll pointed the gun at me. I
saved my life by taking his. I then
timed at the nearest of the cut-throats
in the store, when discovering about
fifty outside, did not shoot, knowing
the only chance for my life was to se
crete myself, which I did in the sub
terranean passage, where I found Smith.
The robbers sacked my store, packing
valuables in wagons. About this time
the mail rider from San Antonio ar
rived. They took him prisoner, and the
mail never reached me.
Smith now left his hiding-place and
ran. They gave chase and murdered
Him. The store was fired and I was
forced to leave my concealment, which
1 did imuoticed and remain-d near and
witnessed the destruction of my home.
Toe Mexicans left, believing me con
sumed in the flames. My children were
shot at twice while they lay prostrated
on the ground from fright. The Mexi
cans had several American prisoners,
sinppiug some and compelling them to
! go bare footed.
A clergyman, at a recent teachers’
meeting in Ohio, said that teachers a-v
Joo often selected in the wrong way.
“Examiners make an intellectual re
| quirement in straight-jacket style, and
; pav no attention whatever to the par
ticular natural, innate l adaptedness of
the ttacherfor the profession, ad thus
men and women arc found at the head
■of ouf schools wh are no more able *
develop the humru mind than a M -e.oc
I ;s to draw a pi< tnre of the heavenly
Jerusalem with charcoal.”
Horrible Death from the Bite of a
Tarantula.
Mrs. Jervis, the wife of a farmer
living near Sacrament*, died a few
days ago in this city, from the bite of a
tarantula. The case is singular, and is
another instance of the deadly attri
butes of this insect, not uncommon in
many portions of California. Some
six months ago, Mrs. Jervis, then liv
ing on her nusbanj’s farm, had occa
sion to strike a light, and going to a
closet felt about for a match. While so
doing she found something in a piece
of writing paper which she thought
might be a bunch of matches, and took
hold of it. As she did she felt a sharp
pain like the prick of a needle or pin,
and found something attached to her
fore-finger. She screamed with terror,
her husband rose, lit a candle, and to
his horror found that she was bitten by
a tarantula—whose poison is deadly
unless the wound be immediately cau
terized. He told h's wife that she had
only one chance of her life, to have the
injured part cut out. She consented,
and getting his razor, he cut a piece
one iDch square out of her finger. The
unfortunate woman stood the operation
heroically, but its effects were not such
as were desired. She lingered for six
months in continual Bgony, her blood
literally drying np, till she was re
duced to an absolute skeleton. Three
months before her death her entire
right side became paralyzed; yet,
strange to say, the hand had a tendency
to crawl, and the fingers incessantly
moved like the legs of a spider. Tnis
feeling she said she could not control,
and it presents one of the strongest
phases of this disease, though a usual
accompaniment, so averred, of poison
ing by insects of the spider kind.—
San Francisco Post.
Splendid Wheat Crop Prospicts.
A gentleman who has traveled exten
sively through Tennessee, Kentucky,
Wc3t Virginia, Maryland, Indiana, Ohio
and Southern Illinois, informs the St.
Louis Democrat that the winter wheat
crop now in the ground in ali that
region is in excellent condition. Some
farmers suppose the broadcast sowing
would prove a failure in such states as
Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and
Maryland, where the snow did not lay
long on the ground ; but examination
of the plant proves the reverse. Not
only is the growing wheat in excellent
condition in these states, but the area
put in is large. Tn the more northerly
portion of the winter wheat belt the
earth has been very steadily covered
with snow, and there can be no doubt
j that when a thaw comes it will be sud
den. Spring will be skipped and sum
mer will begin. The weather will be
hot and forcing, and the growth of the
wheat plant will be rapid. Another
thing seems to be pretty certain, and
t at is, that there will be a big corn
crop in 1875. Corn is now bringing a
price that will insure a large profit to
the farmer, and hogs are high also.
Thus there are two incentives to pro
duce corn largely. If the crop should
be so large as to force prices down, it
can be fed to hogs, and made to pay a
good profit that way.
1
Hospital for Sick Animals.
The Medical Press and Circular says:
“ The Brown Institution in the Wands
worth road is a curious featnre in Lon
don at present. Lime dogs, sick
horses, and donkeys form the out-door
patients of this hospital. It was estab
lished by a gentleman who died twenty
years ago, leaving over £20,000 for this
purpose, bequeathed to the Chancellor,
Vice-Chancellor, and fellows of the
university of Condon for the purpose
of establishing and upholding an insti
tution for investigating, studying, and,
without charge beyond immediate ex
penses, endeavoring to cure maladies
distempers, and injuries which any
quadrupeds or birds useful to man may
be found subject to. During 1873 there
were about seven thousand animals,
chiefly horses and donkeys, receiving
treatment at the Brown Institute. Many
of the horses, it was found, were the
property of rich proprietors, so that
the trustees have lately restricted the
benefits of the charity to the poor.
Hence last year not more than four
thousand animals attended as out
patients. Of these 800 were dogs, and
among these about twelve caseß of
rabies. The endowment of the charity
gives only some £9OO a year, which,
: after all expenses are paid, leaves notli-
I ing for the purchase of diseased or in
jured animals or their carcasses for the
promotion of science.”
Spelling-Matches.
The latest mania which has seized
upon Young America is that of spelling
matches. They have spread as rapidly
as the epizootic did. It is an old custom
which had fallen into disuse, but has
been revived with a r pidity which is
truly astonishing. Commencing in New
England, only a few weeks ago, they
have quickly spread to the west, the
lastplace to lie attacked being Nebraska.
The object of these matches is a very
excellent one, the proceeds and rewards
being given to the poor. They are in
nocent in character, not liable to lead
people into temptation, and are cheap
and trauquilizing. They do not excite
the passions, keep people out very late
at nights, or distract their attention
from business. In these respects they
are much to be preferred to church
lotteries, religious raffles, Jariey wax
works, and otter similar modes of
spreading the gospel into heathen lands
Some of the facts connected with these
matches are very peculiar. Although
nearly all women are accustomed to
have had spells at times, they almost
invariably come off victorious in these
matches, and put down the tyrant ma
without any difficulty. Men of literary
pretensions have been floored with
“ flaccid,” Cage let,” “ballast,” “ bal
ance.” privilege,” “capillary,” “co
lossal,” “correlate,” “appall,” aid
even little monosy labic words, nnrled
at them by the gentler sex.
CT'stomkr —I want a mourning snit.
Shopiman—Wliat is the bereavement,
may I ask? Cast mer—My mother In
law. Shopman—Mr. Brown, show he
gentleman to the tight affliction depart
ment.—Fun,
sayings and doings.
The Ohio senate has passed a bill
fixing the compensation of members of
! the legislature at 8500 per annum.
Mobe good maimers at Nice. Aa
i English lady, the wife of o, baronet,
cheated a Scotch marquis at cards, andj
the indignant Scot beat her on the sivitj
“ Time softens all things,” except t. J
! young maa who parts his hair in th
middle and whistles on the street-cars
Nothing can make him any softer than
i he is.
Br anew invention it is claimed that
I glass can be made into building mate
i rial, for house fronts, doors, or pave
ments, superior to marble in durability
| and conomy.
There is a theatre in Paris where the
i actresses pay for the privilege of appear
ing on the stage. When the manager
wants to get rid of any member of his
company he rai s es her salary.
“J. Gray—Pack with my box five
dozen quills.” There is nothing re
markable about this sentence, only that
it is nearly as short as one can be con
structed, and ytt contains all the letters
of the alphabet.
An Oregon paper makes the predic
tion that in twenty years the export of
prunes from that, state wil! be greater
in valne than the export of wheat.
Those Pacific coast croakers had better
wait and see how many sorts of root
rot, sun-scald, and insect enemies at
tack their trees during the next few
years.
For generations past, French has
been the diplomatic language of Europe.
On the close of the Franc’;-Prussian
war, Berlin wrote a diplomatic note in
German, of the deepest Russian blue,
to St. Petersburg ; the latter replied in
good Russian, sixteen quarters black.
The exchange of correspondence stopped
then and there in those two languages,
and French was resumed.
At last here is anew fa cy in the
prestidigitation line. He borrowed a
bonnet from a lady in the audience, and
as he was about to return it it caught
fire in the gas, and he had to stamp on
it with both feet to extinguish the
flame. Misery of the lady !It was her
best bonnet. Then he fired a pistol, and
a bonnet just like it fell from the chan
delier m the middle of the theatre.
Talking of the tight skirts which are
now in fashion, a lady who was born in
the last century said the other day :
“Yon call those tight skirts! You
should have seen Madame Tallien then
when she walked in the Tuileries with
a dress of an almost transparent text
ure, worn over a pair of silk tights !
You have not come to that.” “No,”
answered another lady, “and I hope
v<e never shall.”
Talmage is back in his favorite role
again. In his last Christian at Work,
he offers a last word of gratuitous
advice to theatrical people: “If yon
will only stoop down and look through
the cracks in the floor of the stage,”
he says, “ you will see fire aid smell
smoke. Better fly for your life. It is
hard work getting to heaven from the
American theater. You will have to
spring seventy-five feet at the first
jump 1” *,
The climate of Texas soon makes an
elephant of a man. The Daily Tele
graph, of Houston, says; “Horses
and alligators have but feeble constitu
tions compared with many of the stal
wart sons of the Lone Star empire.
Pistol balls and bowie-knife thrusts are,
bv many, considered the harmless re
sults of playfulness and good humor,
and the kick of a mule or mustang is
not sufficiently emphatic to call for seri
ous remark or notice.”
Two children still and srark on a
snowy slope—the girl wraped round in
the coat of the boy, and both young
faces fixed by frost in the calm repose
of death—was the picture presented to
the eyes of wearied teachers near
Mount Ayr, lowa, the other day. This
winter’s cold has taken many a life, but
none of the unfortunates were found
in so touching an attitude as this. It
was not in the heat of the conflict that
the boy died; there was no rattling
drum to stir his thickening blood, nor
comrade’s eyes to mark his heroic fall;
nothing to rouse his young enthusiasm.
But the little coat folded carefully abont
the girlish form, and his own naked
breast, told of the quiet courage aud
self-sacrifice with which he had met the
pitiless blast that blew as cold on him
as her.
A Bonanza Slice Coming East.—A
small slice of our bonanza, in the
shape of a million dollars in silver bul
lion, will be sent east to be coined at
tne Philadelphia mint during the month
of April, our San Francisco branch
mint not having sufficient capacity to
coin this amount (in addition to its other
necessary business), as fast as is desir
able. T tie bullion sent to Philadelphia
is to be coined into five and ten-cent
pieces. Our Branch mint will com
mence shortly turning out the new coin,
the tweaty-cent piece, which will soon
be put m* emulation. We may, there
fore, look hopefully to a speedy abate
ment of the “bit” nuisance, arising
out of the difficulty of making proper
change where ten-cent purchases are
made and twenty-five-cent or five-cent
pieces tendered in payment. —San
Francisco Chronicle.
Wheeler & Wilson’s Sewing Ma
chines.
We call attention to the Wheeler Sr
Wilson advertisement in our columns.
This v-eil-known Company has the
most advantageous facilities for supply
ing the public with Sewing Machines,
on as favorable terms as the business
will allow. They warrant all their
work, and it is a matter of impor
: tance to the purchaser to deal with a
i Company whose position and perma
nence give assurance that their guar
anty will be fulfilled. They have
agencies and offices throughout the
| civilized world, for furnishing needle s,
thre and acd other necessary supplies,
and have an established reputation
for reliability and fair dealing.
There is no risk in buying a Mason
A Hamlin Cabinet Oigan. These in
struments are known to be the best of
their cla=s in the world. But if the
opinion of a dealer be asked ue wijJ
frequently recommend some other,
the simple reason that he
iirct-r ■ -a - y.s- - ; r
Ln-tinments.