Connecticut western news. [volume], February 21, 1873, Image 1

About Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970

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NULLA. VESTXGIA RETHORSXTjVX.
YOL. II.
SALISBUEY, COffN., FBIDAY, FEBBUABY 21, 1873,
My Talentine.
In mid life's wearying, noonday heat,
Rises a vision cool and Bweot,
Of happy days, alas ! too fleet
Of home beside the gray old mill
Of dripping water turning wheel
Of school house perched on snow clad hill
Of knife-hacked bench and pog-eared book ; .
Of curly-headed Phil's sly look,
His cautious, beckening finger crsok.
The billet that he shyly kissed,
Twirls through the air lights on the list
Of columned words sure t be missed.
Two merry hearts that brightly bleed,
Pierced with a feather-shafted reed
A Cupid begging love's just meed.
Some verses in a scrawling line :
" I love my love. Is her love mine ?
Bay, wilt thou be my Talentine ?"
Ah, happy, happy, foolish days :
Philip has won and loves the praise
The world gives to a poet's lays.
I keep the faded, scrawling line :
" I love my love. Is her love mine ?
Is still my only Talentine.
Ah ! Philip, do you never think
Of painted sled of mill-pond brink
Forget-me-nots in chains a-link ?
Tia well to love ; 'tis well to pray
That God will give me back, some day,
Yon and the heart you took away.
MISSH'S WEDDING DAT.
How we got through the dressing in
time, I don't know. That dreadful Miss
Minkin, the milliner, never sent home
my veil till nearly ten o'clock ; and as
Boon as I had put my dress on we dis
covered that the said intelligent Miss
Minkin had left all the tackings in. It
was a quarter to eleven before they began
to put on my veil, and everybody knows
what a time that takes. And there was
poor darling Fred down in the church,
in a terrible state I was certain. He
had come over so early. I saw him
drive past to the church when I was
only well, I needn't say how far ad
vanced I was in my toilette. Not very
far, I know. After a great deal of f us
sation, during which I had asked
Pipcher Pipcher is my maid three
times for the powder puff when I meant
the pins, and four times for my goloshes
when I meant gloves oh, dear ! what a
'long Bentence ! well, after all this, I
was ready at last.
Pipcher pulled out the train of my
dreis to its uttermost length ; and leav
ing its extreme end somewhere near my
bedroom window, I proceeded to walk
down-stairs, concluding that I, like Bo
peep's sensible sheep, should manage
to bring my tail behind me.
Down in the hall was dear papa,
pacing to and fro in a perfect fever of
excitelient,. nervousness, and sorrow ;
which, dear good man, he tried to con
ceal, but failed miserably. I suppose
.he was sorry to be losing his little girl.
Suppose ! I knew he was. Was not I
serry very, very sorry to be leaving
him?
He had put on his gloves twice
already, and had taken them off. and
was proceeding for the third time to do
likewise, when he discovered that he
had a pair of shabby old driving gloves,
instead of the white Kids that were
slumbering neglected in his chest of
draws, between one very high white
collar and two very large 'pocket-hand
kerchiefs. I was by no means in the
sprightly mood in which X may now
seem to be indulging. On the contrary,
I felt particularly sober, quiet and
nervous ; with a great lump surging
ever upwards in my throat, and no
strength at all in my knocking knees.
" Well, my dear," said papa, feebly
jocular ready at last i
And I, having nothing more original
to remark in response, intimated that
was.
And so off we went. The brides
maids had, of course, gone down to the
church long before. I was a great deal
too frightened and flustered to say
word to papa as he walked along the
garden path, and through the garden
gate into the church-yard. There was
no need for carriages. And, luckily,
tae aay was mna, tnougn in tne win
ter ; and bright though mild.
I cannot attempt to describe the
scene in church, I only saw a great,
misty sea of faces and parti-colored
raiment, and, in the midst of it all, my
dear old darling he's not a bit old.
you know, really standing and looking
very white, I fancied, but very loving
an tne same.
The orsranist was Tjlavinff as wa moved
np the aisle ; but what, I have not the
faintest conception. The only thing
xnat x recollect m connection with the
musical portion of the service was that
the choir seemed to be a very uaneces
snrily long time in getting through the
psalm set forth for the special service.
I also have a recollection that I poked
out the wrong finger of the wrong ban A
to receive the ring, whereat Fred got
very red and flustered ; and as, just at
this juncture, somebody dropped
ponderous family prayer book, the
loose leaves of which fluttered grace
fully in various directions, this interest
ing portion of the marriage ceremony
was hardly performed with befitting
aignity.
However. all things glad or sad".
(Swinburnian, isn't that ?) must have
an end. So an end duly came to the
service ; and, leaning on my darling's
. arm, my own true husband now for
ever ; and conscious that I was looking
very frightened, but interesting withal
for-are not all brides interesting ? I
passed down the aisle, through the
hronging bright faces, out into the
bright winter noon, up tie garden path
into the eld home, Can I describe the
kissings, and cryings, and congratula
tions that took place in one roem, or the
breakfast laid and the speeches made in
another ; Fred's short sesponses, or the
rector s round rhetoric ; or the howling
oi my aariing aog noddies, when Mug
gies, tne waiter we nad in :irom Blank
ton-snnnr-Mare. trod rtfinvilu- rm ia toil
in vainly endeavoring to look as though
he, the said Muggles, was not testing
the quality of papa's wine in the corner
behind the door ?
Well, it was all over at last. The
final grain of rice which, by the way,
lodged in Fred's left whisker had been
thrown we didn't go in for slippers,
you see; the last benediction had been
bestowed by the energetic besom of
William the gardner, who stood at the
gate to catch the last of us; and we were
at length together alone, my husband
and L My husband ! How strange,
and yet how delicious it was! . To think
he was now mine forever. " Till death
- us do part." sounded very fond and
true. But the words conjured up no
terror of the shadow feared of man,"
Death was. too far away a phantom to
be feared. And I only heard, a loving
voice at my side saying
"Darling, darling little woman!
Mine at last!" and felt perfectly silly
with happiness accordingly.
There were plenty of villagers at their
cottage doors and windows, and many a
head bobbed beamingly at us, as we
rolled along stationwards through the
winter sunlight. The station reached
a small sleepy junction on the Jiixe-
ter line we got out of the carriage, pre
pared for the trial attendant upon coup
es newly wed. We should have be
trayed ourselves just the same, even if I
had done as that dear anxious old Fred
wanted me to do. But, really, t go
away with old trunks and shabby
clothes. No. I could not.
While Fred went to get the tickets
I saw to the luggage. We were going
to town. What better place for a win
ter honeymoon? And we meant to see
a good deal mooning about with eyes,
mouth, and ears open, like typical coun
try cousins.
Joseph, properest of coachman, gave
me an affectionate 1 are well, x don t
mean, of course, that he embraced me;
and seeing the train that was to bear us
away rapidly nearing, he flicked Tom
my, the old horse, on the right flank, as
a gentle reminder for the sake of the
family to look smart. With a great
deal of exceedingly and, as X think, un
necessary noise, the . train came slowly
in, groaning as it in pain.
The next thing was to secure a coupe
to ourselves at least, Fred seemed to
think so. After the passing of sundry
small coin, and having run the gauntlet
of the inquisitive, surly, amused, and
indifferent among the passengers we
succeeded; and found ourselves com
fortably ensconced, with all our small
traps about us. And when the train
moved off, and my darling's hand came
feeling softly for my waist, and then
stole lovingly around it, I forgot to be
scandalized, (why, indeed, should I
have been?) and laid my nose on the
shoulder of his shaggy "Ulster, and.f elt
as delightfully happy and as deliciously
frightened as any silly little bride of a
few hours could be.
"Swindon t Swindon! Stop here five
minutes." I was far too comfortable to
care to get out. Besides Fred said he
would bring me something from the re
freshment rooms. He would insist on
my having some sherry to keep the cold
out. The five minutes' delay exacted
by the contract of the vendor of vile
commodities had nearly expired. I
had put my lips to the sherry, which
Fred finished, to. get the sweetness, as
the silly fellow said, which my lips had
left in the glass. He had restored that
article to its proper place and owner,
and was just stepping into the carriage
when he suddenly turned, exclairming
" Xiy Jove! X ve left my
The words were lost in the din. I
saw the baize-covered door swing on
him as he passed through into the re
freshment rooms. I looked eagerly af
ter him; for I hated his being out of my
sight f or a moent. Would he never
come?
A station bell rang violently. Several
guards and porters shouted "any more
going on?" The engine shrieked, and
moved. I started up. helpless almost
by reason of the rugs so carefully folded
round me. I pushed past the passen
gers in the other coupe in the most un
ceremonious manner.- put my head out
of the window. We were moving swift-,
ly away now. The last advertisement
board had vanished behind us, and all X
saw was my darling Fred, now far away
in the distance, frantically gesticulating
in the midst of a knot of porters, and, I
am afraid swearing terriWy. My fel
low passengers tried to console me, but
I turned a deaf and ungrateful ear to
their consolations, and got back to my
corner, pulled to the coupe door, and,
burying my head in the blue window-
curtain, utterly regardless of my new
bonnet, crwd copiously in my misery.
What was X to do ? Should X go on
to Paddington, and wait Fred's arrival
at the hotel we fcad fixed upon ? I could
not. How could I meet the waiters and
chambermaids, a bride without her
bridegroom ? Should I wait at the Pad
dington terminus? Should I get out
at the next station, and take the first
down-train back to Swindon ? Should
I oh! what should I do, with all the
luggage looking so terribly new and
fresh; and myself, in my smart, new
things, an unmistakable case of bride ?
And by this time my gloves were quite
spoiled by the tears that were flowing
recklessly and liberally down my woe
begone cheeks
What would Fred do ? line were to
telegraph to the hotel to meet me on my
supposed arrival, what would the people
at the hotel think? But perhaps ne
would send a message to Didcot to catch
me there. This possibility cheered me
considerably. So X dried my tears,
smoothed my disordered hair, pinched
my bonnet into its pristine shape, blew
my nose, and sat bolt upright in readi
ness for Didcot; for by this time we
were "visibly slackening speed. I let
down the window for two reasons: in
hopes that the fresh air would blow
away the traces of my tears; and in or
1 I 1 1 t . m
aer to do penectiy prepared to jump
out on the welcome piatiorm, which
felt sure would restore my husband to
me. Before the train had come to
stand-still. I had beckoned a porter to
me, and as he ran along the still moving
train, I managed to gasp out, in a voice
indistinct through excitement
" Has a telegram ctme for me ?"
The man looked aghast.
" Has a telegram come for me ?" I re
peated, impatiently.
" What name, Miss ?"
To be called "Miss, ".too! Before.
however, I could answer him, I heard a
loud voice, a few carriages from mine
asking
" Is there any lady here named
Douglas?"
I could scarcely restrain myself from
bursting eut of the carriage. He came
nearer, asking as he came. I leaned
out. and. as the man stood opposite me
almost snatched what I rightly guessed
to be a telegram out of histhands.
xesi x answered, "my name is
Douglas. Open the door, please, and
take out my things.
. Little fool that I was! Why did I not
carefully read the telegram first ? I only
glanced at the commencement of the
message : "Am coming by next train. "
When all my things were taken out of
the carriage, (as for the heavy luggage
I forgot that entirely), when the train
had begun to move in fact, when it
was too late I read the remainder of
the telegram, which ran thus: " Wait
for me at Paddington."
It was only the presence of numerous
passengers and porters on the platform
that prevented me, there and then, from
bursting into tears. 1 restrained myself.
and the bitterness was the more bitter.
What was to be done ? When did tie
next train pass through Didcot? In
tbout an hour. Of course it stopped
" No : that's the fast train through
only stops at Swindon and Reading, "
was the consoling answer I received to
my inquiries. I could not leave Didcot
for nearly two hours. At this I retired
to the waiting-room, and, sitting down
n a dark corner, gave way. I couldn t
help it. This was my marriage day.
And my darling was not with me. Per
haps I should never see him again..
Perhaps there would be an accident.
Perhaps perhaps and my fears came
afresh ; and I sat in my misery, feeling
utterly lost and forsaken ; and as differ
ent a creature from the happy bride of
a few short hours ago as could possibly
be conceived.
Presently a porter came in to light
the eras. It was craite dark bv this time.
I asked him to call me when the express
was coming. The man eyed me as if he
suspected I contemplated suicide. I
satisfied neither his surmises nor sus
picions. X would have an eager gaze at
the tram as it passed ; perhaps I might
get a glimpse of my darling.
The time went slowly by, and I sat
fiercely staring at the fire through my
tears. At last the porter called me.
" Now, Miss I" Miss again ! "the
express is coming.
I rushed out. I took up my position
where a miserable lamp cast a sickly
glare the best in the station on the
line where the train must pass. On it
came the two great red lamps on the
engine shining like giant's eyes in the
night. I bent eagerly forward, in spite
of the warnings of the suspicious por
ter, who seemed determined to keep an
eye on me. One by one the lighted
carriages went by. Not there ! Not
there ! .Not there ! Quicker than it
takes to describe this, the last carriage
whizzed by. And there, against the
window, I saw my darling's profile. He
was staring straight before him, moodily
perusing the hat-rack. At least, this
was my impression, from this moment
ary glimpse I got. Of course he did not
see me. his poor, lovmg. foolish little
wife, standing on the bleak Didcot plat
form, m the darkening night. He could
not know her ; with sinking, heart I got
back to the dingy waiting-room, back to
my chair and my tears. And this was
my wedding day !
Xt was about eight o clock. I stood
on the Paddington platform. The weary
waiting was at length over. I . should
take a cab to our hotel, and find my
darling. - When I came to take out my
traps, I found my traveling-bag was
missing. I must have left it at Didcot.
And all my keys and money were in it !
Alter endless trouble. X found the
guard in charge of the down-train, which
was just on the point of starting. I
gave him instructions, and he promised
me my bag, if it was to be found, early
tne next morning. Xiaving given the
name of my hotel, and a substantial
assistance to his memory, I stood
absently watching the departing train,
while a porter put my things in a cab ;
when there, in a first-class carriage, in
the act of wrapping himself in a rug,
was Fred, going back in search of his
lost little wife !
" Fred ! Fred !" I screamed, regard
less of appearances ; and with out
stretched hands I rushed towards the
carriage window. My foot slipped, my
head seemed to be whirling round, and
I fell. A surging noise thundered in
my ears, and then a voice said :
"Well, little darling what s the mat
ter ?"
" Where are we I gasped.
" Close to Paddington." laughed
Fred. " Feel better after your nap,
darling?"
So I had only been asleep and dream
ing ! "
Fraudulent Substitution.
A typical case is one recorded in con
nection with the celebrated Jean Maria
Farina, the inventor of the famous Eau
de Cologne. The following character
istic story is current. A London dealer
in perfumes, it is said, betook himself
to Cologne, with a view of purchasing
a plentiful stock of the genuine article.
On arriving he found the old town
swarming with Jean Marias, each and
all of them pretending to be the genuine
descendants of the original inventor,
and of course the sole possessors of the
important secret. What should he de ?
Xlow was it possible for him to select
the right man among so many ? After
long pondering the matter, he makes
up his mind. He goes to one of the
most respectable looking establish
ments, introduces himself to the pro
prietor, and after a little preliminary
chat, enters on business. This portly
German assures him he has applied to
the right man; but these assurances do
not altogether allay the suspicions of
the Englishman. The latter, notwith
standing, buys to a moderately large
amount, receives an invoice of the goods,
and hands over a check f er the sum due.
"Now," thinks he, "this plausible fel
low will be frank enough to tell me the
truth, seeing that he has my money,"
and he puts the question to him
" Are you really and truly the acDuai
proprietor of this property the lawful
inheritor of the original Jean Maria
or are you not? You see, we have done
our business; you have the cash, and
may tell me the truth." The other
hem'd and coughed and stroked his
moustache, bowed graciously, "washed
his hands with invisible soap in imper
ceptible water," as Hood has it, and at
length with a kind of greasy smile, and
a manifest seeming reluctance, ac
knowledged that there was yes, he was
obliged to confess that there was one,
only one, person in Cologne who had a
claim for priority over himself. " You
will give me his address ?" said the
Englishman. " Certainly, as you have
so liberally dealt with me," He hand
ed over the address. The Englishman
bade him farewell, and, driving off to
the place at once, there made large pur
chases to ten times the amount at least
which he had paid to his informant,
and then returned well pleased to his
hotel, considering that, on the whole,
he had transacted his business satisfac
torily. But while dining at his hotel,
he fell into conversation with a conti
nental traveler, who knew Cologne well,
and all the ins and outs of thd traffic
there carried on. The Londoner made
a confidant of his new acquaintance and
informed him somewhat boastfully of
the shrewd transaction of the morning.
" Oh!" said the other, "it is really a
pity to disabuse you; but you have
been a little too fast both the houses
you have dealt with to-day belong to the
same proprietor; he is a very clever
fellow, I assure you."
In St. Louis last Sunday a gentleman
sitting in a barber's chair, while being
lathered, observed the knight of the
razor every now and then throw some
soap suda out of the mug upon the
floor, and set his foot upon them. The
barber explained to him that there were
a lot of little snakes in the mug,' and
that they kept crawling up on the brush,
but the gentleman thought he would go
out and get a paper before being shaved,
and he went,
Transplanting Fish.
At the close of navigation by ice the
water is drawn from the canals in the
vicinity of Rochester, New York, and
vast numbers of fish accumulate in the
great basins near that city. Formerly
these fish became the spoil of such
fishermen as chose to net them for the
market. A few years since the Canal
Commissioners, acting under the advice
of Horatio Seymour, R. B. Roosevelt,
and others, gave the right of fishing in
these waters exclusively to the Commis
sioners of the State. Their superin
tendent, Mr. Seth Green, at once ar
ranged to secure these fish by means of
nets drawn beneath the ice. The fish
thus taken were placed in large wooden
cars or tanks, which were kept beneath
the ice, and preserved the fish in perfect
condition. Circulars stating the varie
ties of fish and the description of water
to which they were suited were dis
tributed, and citizens of the State were
invited to come to Rochester, bringing
barrels or milk-cans, to convey such
fish as might be desirable for the waters
of their immediate neighborhood. The
fish are delivered to them at Rochester
without cost.
The following varieties are deemed
most favorable for stocking the general
waters of the lakes and streams of New
York and the Middle States : 1. Wall
eyed pike; 2. Oswego bass; 3. White
fish ; 4. Yellow perch ; 5. Rock bass ;
6. Black bass. The rock bass must not
be confounded with the fish of that
name taken in the Delaware and further
South.
Waters suitable to the black bass
should not be left unstocked any more
than land which is in perfect condition
for cropping, and it is a matter of doubt
which will yield the better return. Seth
Green, an authority on fish-culture, and
a person of intimate knowledge of the
habits of all descriptions of fish, gives
numerous illustrations of the wonderful
increase of black bass and kindred fish.
He instances a small lake in Westchester
county, in which twenty-four bass were
placed by him. The lake was not sfihed
during four years, at the end of which
time a ton weight of fine black bass
were taken with hook and line during a
single season, and this drain did not
diminish the supply during the succeed
ing summer. Each year gives an in
creased yield, affording excellent sport
and a nutritious article of food.
The favorite mode of stocking a lake
or stream is for a number of persons
residing in the vicinity to make a con
tribution with which to defray the ex
penses of one of their number, who,
proceeding to Rochester with proper
vessels for transporting the fish, will
receive such seed-fish from Mr. Seth
Green as in his judgment are best suited
to the location which it is proposed to
stock. Twenty dollars is, as a general
thing, an ample fund ta cover all ex
pense of travel and transportation of
the fish.
The seed-fish may be obtained until
the month of March, or until the ice at
the distributing station becomes too
weak to bear the men engaged in secur
ing the stock. In depositing the fish it
is advisable to place them, if in a lake,,
at a distance from the outlet, or in the
highest still water of a stream.
The black bass deposits its spawn in
May, the bed being watched by the fe
male and kept free from intruders.
From three to six days, depending on
the temperature of the water, are re
quired to hatch the ova, after which the
female broods her young, and keeps at
a distance such fish as may desire to
lunch on her fry. At the end of twelve
months these fry will each weigh a
quarter of a pound ; at the elose of the
second year upward of a pound. The
third spring they cast their spawn, and
the lake or stream may be thrown open
for fishing with hook or line, but never
to the net, unless you desire to exter
minate the stock, which will otherwise
yield a never-failing supply of desirable
food.
During the year 1872 Mr. Green de
livered no less than seventy thousand
fish for seed purposes.
Religious Census of England.
The London Noncon formist has now
completed its religious census, and
published tables showing the religious
accommodation furnished in eighty
four towns of England and Wales, ex
cluding the metropolis. Tke population
of the eighty-four towns is 5.913.919.
The number of places of worship is
4,843 ;. the number of sittings is 2,644,
523, and tke proportion of sittings to
population is 44. per cent. Adopting
the old rule that only 58 per cent, of
tne entire population require religious
accommodation, by reason of the.neces
sary absence of children, invalids, and
others, it would appear that there is a
deficiency in these eighty-four towns of
only .14 per cent. In the census of
1851, which has been taken as the basis
of the comparison now instituted, no
separate returns were made for seven
of these towns, and consequently
comparison can now only be made in
tne case oi seventy-seven of them. This
comparison shows that in the last
twenty-one years there has been an in
crease of 1,527 places of worship, and
of 829,337 sittings. The population of
the towns has increased at the rate of
34 per cent. , while the religious accom-
modation has augmented at the rate of
49 per cent. The comparison as be
tween the Established Church and the
unestablished churches foots up as fol
lows: Established Church, 1,508 places
oi worsmp, x,U4U,b7U sittings ; unestab
lished churches, 3,335 places of wor
ship, 1,603,851 sittings ; in favor of un
established churches, 1,827 places of
worsmp, ood.iTtf sittings. Thus it ap
pears that in these eierhtv-four towns.
with an aggregate population of nearly
n trf rrr 1 1 . ti . j i -i i , .
u,uw,uuu, uie xjsiaoiisnment provides
two-fifths of the means of public wor
ship, and the religious bodies outside
of the Establishment three-fifths. The
increase of the various religious bodies
within these twenty-one years is stated
to .be as follows: The Established
Church, 34 per cent. ; the Roman Cath
olic Church, 80 per cent. ; the Uni
tarians, 34 per cent. ; the Wesleyans,
34 per cent. ; the Congregationalists.
60 per cent. ; aad the Baptists, 53 per
cent.
Oub Eyes. A young lady who let
her lids drop on being spoken to tender
ly by a young gentleman is anxious to
recover them, and offers a handsome
reward for their restoration. A nauti
cal gentleman of her acquaintance as
sures her that they could not have been
properly lashed on or they woxld not
have been lost.
A certain little damsel being aggra
vated beyond endurance by her brother,
plumped down upon her knees and
cried, "O, Lord, bless my brother Tom,
He lies, he steals, he swears ; ftl boys
ao ; us gins aoii t ; Awen, '
Santo Domingo.
It is nearly four centuries since the
first colony of Europeans was planted
in the island of Santo Domingo by the
Grand Admiral of Spain. The most
beautiful, delightful, and bounteous of
all the islands of. the Western Main on
which his eyes had looked, it was called
The Cradle of the New World." Here
he fondly hoped to found an empire for
his sovereign, whose' glorifts would
eclipse all the splendors of the East.
I he hope was not extravagant. ATo-
where has Nature been more lavish of
her gifts. A mild and salubrious cli
mate, a soil which produces spontane
ously richer harvests than are forced bv
skillful husbandry in other lands, rich
in the precious ores, the island seemed
designed to be the abode of happiness
and prosperity. At the time of its dis
covery it was inhabited by a peaceful,
docile race, naturally indolent, but,
when rousedj capable of energetic ac
tion, who might have been educated by
just treatment to take their placeamng
civilized peoples.
The rapacity and cruelty of the inva
ders prevented the realization of these
lofty hopes. Years of bloodshed and
oppression crushed the native race out
of existence. The second'eenturv after
the discovery of the island had scarcely
begun when the last of them disap
peared. The conquerors thought only
of present gain. Their policy was to
squeeze as much as possible for them
selves out of the island, leaving poster
ity to shift for itself. Wars and revo
lutions lent their aid in the work of
desolation, and made the " Paradise of
the New World" a pandemonium of
cruelty and hideous wrong. So far
from reaching the splendid development
which Columbus hoped for it, the isl
and is at this day almost as backward in
the arts of civilization and peace as it
was when the harmless race of savages,
less savage than their conquerors, idled
away their aimless lives under its genial
skies. Its fertile plains lie uatilled.
Its rich mines withhold their wealth.
There is not a plow on the whole island,
and the only steam-engine ever erected
there was destroyed by the Spaniards in
1865. Immense forests of mahogany
and other precious woods sink, unused,
to decay.
An idle, thriftless population, debased
by superstition and ignorance, encum
ber tke soil they know not how nor care
to cultivate. Yet the island itself is
still a paradise. Nowhere in the world
is to be found a more delicious climate,
more beautiful landscapes, a more
bounteous soil; and now that American
enterprise has been directed thither, the
dreams of the Urand Admiral may yet
be realized. Though lying within a
week's voyage from New York, its de
plorable condition has kept it an almost
unknown country; and when, in 1871,
the United States Commissioners went
down to ascertain the sentiment of the
people with regard to annexation, and
report upon the capabilities of the isl
and, they may be said to have redis
covered the island.
Coasting along the shores where Co
lumbus found populous villages, a cor
respondent saw but scanty signs of
human activity. Luxurious forests rise
between the sea-shore and the mountain
ranges which divide the island. The
magnificent bay of Samana, at the east
ern end, presents scenes of marvelous
tropical beauty, but of comparative sol
itude. The old city of Santo Domingo,
one of the earliest Europeaa settle
ments in the New World, stands on the
shore of this bay. Here is the grand
old cathedral, where the bones of Co
lumbus rested for more than two cen
turies; the massive walls built by O van-
do; the ruins of the house erected by
Diego Columbus, the admiral's son;
and a curious well, constructed by his
brother Bartolome. It is a place which,
in its decay, brings back the memory of
many a stirring episode m the history
of Spanish, conquest, and there is cer
tainly no place in the New World of
greater interest. In its fallen state it
retains its unrivaled beauty; but long
years of adversity and revolution have
? -1 .3 Al 11 'j i "n. . 11
impoverisneu. me oiu ciiy, Killing ail
enterprise, and destroying all sense of
security.
The correspondent's account of the
Vega Real, or Royal Plain, lying be
tween the two mountain ranges which
traverse the island from end to end,
reads like the description of some en
chanted -valley. The name was given to
it by Columbus, who was enraptured
with the glorious view that burst upon
him on reaching the summit of the San
to Cerro, or Sacred Hill. In this plain
is the principal agricultural wealth of
the island; here is grown the great crop
of tobacco which finds a market m
Hamburg; here are the rich cocoa plan
tations; and here are the largest and
most thriving towns Cotrey, La Vega,
and Santiago. . Here, too, is the centre
of the mining interest, gold and iron
being found in the neighboring moun
tains. From the Dominican part of the isl
and the correspondent proceeded to the
western division, occupied by the negro
republie of Hayti. This end of the
magnificent island is in a far worse con
dition than the eastern. All the signs
of the old J rench civilization are disap
pearing. -There are no manufactures,
the government is bankrupt, the roads
and bridges are falling into decay, the
towns are in ruins, and the men are liv
ing on the industry of the women. Yet
the climate and the soil are favorable to
.the most abundant culture of tropical
productions. Tobacco, cotton, sugar
cane, and conee might be grown in
abundance; but the indolent population.
easily satisfied, are content to subsist
on tke spontaneous gifts of the glorious
climate. Where the orange, the ban
ana, the cocoa-nut, the plantain, grow
of their own accord the natives have lit
tle incentive to labor.
The island once supported a popula
tion estimated at half a millien; itcould
sustain upward of two millions in com
fort and plenty; but civil turmoils.
misgovernment, and all the evils arising
from a degraded state of religion and
-3 1 ' 1 -, I
euucauon nave conspired against pro
gress and development in every form,
The towns are decaying. The fertile
lands lie waste. Huts in every state of
dilapidation bespeak the character of
the people. Jbxcept in the towns,
wheeled vehicles are unknown, and
produce is carried to market on mules
and donkeys. Yet in no country in the
world does nature bestow her gifts with
a mere lavish hand. . There every thing
nourishes as if it loved to grow. See
the luxuriance of forest growths there.
and think what wisely directed enter
prise and capital might do in a oountry
where the soil and climate are so propi
tious! The new Samana Bay Company
nave a glorious opportunity, xne com
pany will have, according to the report
of the commissioners, ." exclusive juris
diction for its officers and tribunals,
executive, legislative, and judieial, - in
the peninsula pf Samana, and oyer the
waters, islands, and reefs of the bay."
It is empowered to impose and collect
its own duties, taxes, port charges, etc.,
for its own use. Traffic with any other
portion of the republic is to be secured
to the merchants, "without any dis
criminating imposts whatever." . Under
these auspices the island may again
deserve the name it once bore the
" Paradise of the New World."
A Singular Marriage Case.
In the Court of Common Pleas of
Philadelphia Judge Ludlow rendered
the following important decision in the
case of the City vs. Williamson, fr de
sertion. This case presents a number
of questions, all of them interesting,
and in view of the facts proved some
what novel. The real plaintiff here is a
woman who alleges that she married de
fendant, lived with him as hsr husband
for sixteen years and was mother by
him of seven children, all of whom are
now dead except two, and one of the
survivors appeared with his mother in
court. The defendant does . not deny
that he went through the ceremony of
marriage with this woman, and that the.
ceremony was performed by a Catholic
priest in a private room at Antrim, in
Ireland, at or near the place of the then
residence of the parties. The cohabi
tation and birth of children during the
period pf sixteen years is admitted; but
the defendant declares he is and always
has been a Protestant, and interposes as
flat bar to this motion an iuigliflh
statute, passed in the nineteenth year
of the reign of George IL, which de
clares (chapter 13. section 1). "That
every marriage that shall be celebrated
after the 1st day of May,: 1746, between
a Papist and any person who hath been,
or hath professed him or herself to be a
Protestant at any time within twelve
months before siicn celebration of mar
riage, or between two Protestants, if
celebrated by a Popish priest, shall be
and is hereby declared absolutely null
and void to all intents and purposes,
without any process, judgment or sen
tence of law whatsoever. As a conser
quence it has been argued that the chil
dren of these parties are bastards, and
their mother nothing more than a con
cubine. Story, in his Conflict of Laws (p. 85,
87, 91 and 92), in substance maintained
that whenever the laws of a foreign
country are in violation of the laws of
God, sound principles of morals or
settled principls of public policy, they
will not be recognized. We shall not
be told that a husband and father may
come into this jurisdiction, make it his
domicile, and then, when followed by
his wife and children, shall deliberately
turn them all out upon the cold chanty
of the world, proclaiming that every
right has been destroyed by virtue of an
antiquated statute.
The evidence here seems to be, at
best, in doubtful condition upon one
pint, but the weight of it seems to es
tablish the fact that this defendant con
sidered himself a gooi enough Catholic
to contract this marriage; to live unmo
lested by any legal authority; to become
the father of seven children by this
wife: nor did the defendant' discover
how thorough a Protestant he was until
it became convenient to abandon his
wife, establish a denial here and con
tract another marriage with a woman in
this country.
Xt give me great judicial satisfaction
t be enabled, upon the facts befbre me,
to render a decision in favor of this
wife, to make this faithless husband
and father, who did not hesitate to
brand his own offspring in an open court
of justice as a bastard, to understand
that justice is administered here and
that his conduct does net fail, in the
most unequivocal manner, to meet with
the sternest and most uncompromising
judicial condemnation. The Court or
ders the defendant to give security for
the maintenance of his wife.
Stuck with his Cargo.
An American Bhip, the Kingin, went
into Singapore witk 1,700 coolies on
board. Her captain (Deville) was to
receive $10,000 on delivery of his cargo
there; but. the S10.000 not being forth
coming on his arrival, he prudently
concluded to hold the coolies as coll at
erah
After two weeks trial ne finds it a
rather troublesome job. His steamer
is broiling under a tropical sun, reeking
and fuming with 1.700 cooiies on board,
some above decks, some below, swarm
ing down over the side, dipping up wa
ter in buckets to cool themselves, and,
finally driven to desperatiom by the
sweltering heat, they commenced jump
ing overboard to try and swim ashore,
and thus escape the torments to which
they were subjected on board. The
persevering captain, determined to
maintain his hold on his collateral till
his $10,900 is paid, applied to the Uni
ted States Consul for aid, but in vain,
He had no authority to aid him in col
lecting his debt or holding his slippery
collateral. He soon surrounded his
steamer with a flotilla of floating small
craft to eatch the flying, or rather swim
ming, fugitives. As fast as they are
picked up on one side they jump off on
the other, till oe is - reminded by the
lively scene of the fisher boy with his
apronful of the slippery finny tribe as
fast as he picks up one another slips
out, till the fun becomes positively ex
citing. It would really be amusing, a corres
pondent writes, were it not so serious a
matter.
A Fable.
A volcano having discharged a few
million tons of stones upon a small
village, asked the mayor if he thought
that a tolerably good supply for build
ing purposes.
" I think," replied that functionary,
" if you give us another dash of granite,
and just a pinch of old red sandstone,
we could manage with what you have
already done for us. We would, how
ever, be grateful for the loan of your
crater to bake bricks.
Oh ! certainly ; parties serve at their
residences." Then, after the man had
gone, the mountain added, with nun
gled lava and contempt, " The most
insatiable people I ever contracted to
supply. They shall not have another
pebble !
He banked Lis fires, and in six weeks
was as cold as a neglected pudding.
Then might you have seen the heaving
of the surface-boulders as the people
began stirring, forty fathoms beneath
When Vou have cot finonch of anv-
thing, make it manifest by asking for
some more, xou won t get it.
The colliers on strike in South Wales
are much incensed at the proposition to
import coolies to supplant them, and
several owners of mines have received
anonymous letters, threatening them
with assassination 1 the coolies are jm-
Witchcraft.
It was in Germanv that the belief in
witchcraft seems to have first taken that
dark, systematical form which held so
fearful a sway over men's minds in the
sixteenth and seventeeth centuries.
There the wilder superstitions of the
ancient Teutonic creed have been pre
served in greater force than in any oth
er part of Europe. The pious legends
of Caesarius' of Heisterbach, who flour
ished in the earlier part of the thir
teenth century, are liitle better than a
mass of stories of magic and sorcery.
The imaginative feelings of the people,
and the wild character of many parts of
the country, were peculiarly calculated
to foster superstitions of this charac
ter. In fact, we may there trace back dis
tinctly most of the circumstances of the
earlier belief relating to witchcraft to
the mythology of the ante-Christian pe
riod. The grand night of meeting of
the German witches-was the Night of
Sfc. Walpurgia, which answered to one
of . the religious festivals of the Teu
tonic tribes before their conversion. In
after times two other nights of annual
assembly were added those of the
feasts of St. John and St. Bartholomew.
It is probable that, as Christianity gain
ed ground, and been established as the
the religion of the state, the old reli
gious festivals, to which the lower and
more ignorant part of the people, and
particularly the weaker sex (more sus
ceptible of superstitious feelings), were
still attached, were celebrated n solita
ry places and in private, and those who
frequented them were branded as witch
es and sorcerers, who met together to
hold communication with demons, for
as such the earlier Christians looked
upon all the heathen gods. This gives
us an easy explanation of the manner in
which the heathen worship became
transformed into the witchcraft of the
middle ages.
, jAt an early period it was commonly
believed that the witches rode through
the air to place of rendezvous on reeds
fend sticks, or on brooms, which latter
Were the articles readiest at hand to
women of this classio society. The
chief place of meeting of the great an
nual witch festivals in Germany appears
to have been, from an early period, the
Brocken Mountain, tire highest part of
the wild Hartz chain: but there were
several other places of resort.
The persons believed to have been
initiated at their assemblies were looked
upon with dread; for they were sup
posed to be capable of injuring people
in various ways, both in their persons
and their possessions, and their malice
was especially directed against little
children.
One of the earliest trials for witch
craft, unconnected with other offences
on the Continent, is that of a woman in
the bishopric of Novara, on the north
ern borders of Italy, about the middle
of the fourteenth century; and it illus
trates the general belief which also pre
vailed in Germany at that period.
It appears, from the slight account
which remains f the trial, that the be
li J then held by the Church was, that
women of this class. could by their
touch or look fascinate men, or chil
dren, or beasts, so as to produce sick
ness or death; and they believed fur
ther, that they had devoted their own
souls to the demon, to whom also they
had done personal homage, after having
trampled under foot the figure of the
oss. X or these onenses tney were
judged by the most learned theolo
gians to be worthy of being burnt at the
stake
An English Picture.
Some striking revelations, which, un
happily, compare favorably with the
condition of some New York tenement
houses in the Fourth Ward, reach us
from a country village in Dorsetshire,
England. A laborer of that place was
summoned for a nuisance, owing to the
filthy condition and obscene habits of
himself and family. The cottage which
he occupied consisted of two small
rooms, each about nine feet square,
Both had no fire-places, and but one
small window; in the lower room the
sole furniture was n small table, in the
upper an indescribably filthy blanket
and chaff mattress, which was shared by
the defendant and his grown-up son
and daughter. It may be eonjectured
what was the morality of people living
under such conditions, and a few ques
tions from the testimony will sufficient
ly illustrate the ignorance of the girl:
The Chairman (to the prisoner s daugh
ter, a wretched girl in rags): How old
are you ? Prisoner: I don't know. The
Chairman (to the prisoner): How old
is she ? Prisoner: I don't know; she's
called Maria; but she's never been to
school. Mr. Bell: I believe she is
about 18 years of age. The Rev. Carr
J. Glyn (to the girl): Would you like
to lead a better lite if we get you t
place? Girl: No. The Chairman
Cannot yon get a lodging somewhere
else ? Girl: No. Prisoner: Yes, you
can; I'll get you lodgings and pay for
them. The cause of the wretched case,
however, was not their poverty, since
the father and son were earning good
wages. Such a 'case of crime and de
pravity is a disgrace to England.
A Feeling Tribute.
A Philadelphia editor thus relieves
his mind on a subject familiar to all
newspaper offices the inevitable Pub,
Doc: "We owe our thanks to Judge
Kellev for the latest Patent Ofhce re
ports. We already have sixteen hun
dred of these interesting volumes in
our little library, but they have been
read and re-read so many times that we
know every page of them by heart.
This new volume came opportunely and
gratefully on Christmas morning, and
that night we gathered our little family
around the fire amd read it through to
them. The affecting tale entitled Im
provement in Monkey Wrenches,'
seemed to touch every heart, and when
we came to the climax of the little story
about ' Reversible Pieboards,' there
was not a dry eye between the front
door and the stable. During the read
ing of the piteous narrative entitled
' Gum Washers for Carriage Axles, the
whole familv crave expression to bois-
terdus emotion, and the hired girl was
so much excited that she lost her pres
ence of mind, and went around to her
mother's inadvertently with six pounds
of sugar and a butter kettle full of
flour, and came home at midnight in
toxicated. We can never sufficiently
thank Judge Kelley for the innocent
enjoyment thus furnished us. The
memory of that happy eveuing will
linger in our minds very much longer
than that hired girl, ever lingers when
she lights on a lot of substance which
she thinks will suit the constitution of
her aged parents."
The Kentucky Senate has passed a
bill prohibiting the sale of liquor on
Sunday,
Items of Interest.
A Colorado youth lately died from
the bite of a skunk.
The net debt of the United States
now stands at $2,102,658,581.
All the cavalrv horses at Camp Doug
lass are down with the horse disease.
Mice among the matches produced
fire that destroyed a heuse in Belle
Plain, 111., lately.
There are at the present time 204 ves
sels engaged in the whaling business
hailing from American ports.
The $2,500 required in Halifax, N. S.,
to back Brown against Sadlier, the Eng
lish sculler, have been subscribed.
Arizona Territory is not only free
from debt, but has a balance of cash in
the treasury amounting to $20,000.
A seven-foot kangaroo in Australia
had a battle with three men, three hor
ses, and four dogs, and whipped them
all.
Seven thousand four hundred and
ninety-seven Chinese coolies were im
ported into Havana during tne past
year.
Men from the scene of the fight with
the Modocs say that the squaws took
part in the battle. One soldier was
killed by a squaw.
A Hartford paper says "the dull
aualitv of the gas enables the gas com
pany to declare a brilliant dividend of
twenty-five per cent."
A true bill has been found against
Robert Bowles, in the Central Criminal
Court o J London, and his trial is ex
pected at an early day. . .
A dispatch from Bordeaux says a ves
sel, supposed to be British, went ashore
on . the coast near that city, and all on
uoaru ure pruuuuiy won.
A Massachusetts undertaker, with the
aid of a policeman, waylaid a funeral
Procession, and stopped it until his bill
tor the coffin was settled.
Iowa farmers have discovered that by
filling their dressed geese with water
and allowing them to freeze an increase
of weight can be obtained.
The Cortes' committee on the aboli
tion of slavery in Porto Rico has declar
ed in favor ef granting owners an aver
age indemnity of $250 per slave.
Senator Alcorn, of Mississippi, is
now living witn nis tmrd wiie, ana
twentv-one children can exclaim : "My
father is a Senator from Mississippi."
The belles of the Anglo-Saxons mads
no changes in style for three hundred
years, while the men of that period
were continually cnangmg tne iasnion.
The Balances in the U. S. Treasury
Currency, $3,244,465; coin, $64,436,857,
including $24, 747, 000 in soin certificates ;
special deposit of legal tenders, $30,
080,000. , . :
The price of coal has again risen in
England, causing the suspension of
work at many of the iron lurnaces, and
depressing the market for English Rail
road Securities.
The bill abolishing the franking
privilege after the 1st of July next,
with.the Senate amendments, was passed
by the U. S. House of Representatives
by the extraordinary vote of 143 to 48.
A sweet little boy only eight years
old bless his little heart walked uuo
the scene of a teacher's examination at
Oswego, last week, and bawled put :
" Annie, your feller is down to tne
house."
An English newspaper, speaking of
the large amount of coal imported from
the United States, thinks it probable
that a system of iron steam colliers will
carry United States coal to all parts of
the world.
A bill has passed the Indiana Legis
lature providing that transient visitors
from other States not be granted di
vorces unless the alleged cause of com
plaint was a legal ground for divorce in
r. , . , i j
tne otate wnere it occurreu.
John Hunt, at Cairo, HL,' placed the
butt of his rifle on the ground, with
the muzzle leaning against his breast.
when his powder-horn fell on the ham
mer in such a manner as to discharge
the weapon, killing him instantly.
Some questions very naturally sug"-
gest themselves to an inquiring mind.
An amateur farmer wonders wny, on
all this fair earth, the ground is spread
bottom side up, so that it must be turn
ed over with a plough before crps can ,
be raised."
Mr. Charles Towi Fowler, a London
reporter who died lately, had given his
attention during thirty years singly to
the writings of fires; He pursued his
peculiar line of reporting with so much
earnestness that, it is said, he literally
lived upon a fire engine.
Captain Jack, the Modocs chief, pre
serves regular military discipline, and
drills his men every day with the assis
tance of persons well acquainted with
military tactics and ambushing, and
who are supposed to be renegade whites
who have become their allies.
The Mayor of Detroit says that ruhe
pulled down the small-pox flag from a
tenement owned by him " to conserve
the public peace," explaining that boys
congregated around it and "dared"
each other to scale the fence and ap- "
proach the house on which the flag was
displayed.
A New Orleans woman, who was told
by a "Voudou priestess" that her
daughter, recently buried, would revive
on the third day, wsnt to the tomb at
the time designated, had the coffin
opened, shrieked, and clasped her living,
frantic child in her arms, realizing that
she had come just in time. :
The Carlist insurrection i Spain is
assuming formidable proportions. The ,
Paris Union Bays their lines extend
through the Northern provinces of
Spain from Cape Creux to Corunna, nnd
that they are flourishing in numbers,
arms, and resources. Mail communi
cations haee ceased between Spain and
Paris for a whole week.
Two minutes suffice for a Swedish
execution with the new instrument just
adopted. The victim is made to stand
up inside a hollow cone, his head pro
truding from an opening at the apex ;
another cone is placed over , his head,
which brings a curved knife against his
neck, and the executioner slices hia
head off by a single movement.
Japan has recently taken two impor
tant progressive steps, which indicate
that the recent report of a conservative
reaction among the rulers of that Em
pire is untrue. The first of these steps
is the decision to create an elective
Parliament of two Houses, and number
ing 600 members, by which step, for the
first time in the history of Japan, the
people will have a voice in public affairs.
The second step is the issuing of a de
cree by the Government, which makes
the sale of young females for the pur
pose of prostitution illegal under severe
penalties,