Frostburg mining journal. [volume], February 17, 1872, Image 1

About Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913

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J. R. GROVE & J. B. ODER,
VOLUME 1.
Here.
BY ROSE TERRY.
When nifcht comes brooding o’er me,
Like a prison’s dreary cell;
And its visions rise before me,
With dread no speech may tell ;
When alone with my only longing,
And the darkening soell of tear,
I watch the sad stars thronging.
Till the beams of dawn appear.
Then, like some silver chimes.
Come back the old, old times—
The dear old times, my darling.
The living, loving times!
Unsleeping. I remember
The days that all are gone.
Like June dreams in December.
Or flowers when summer’s done ;
The times that are never over.
For they live in heart and brain.
And. like kisses from a lover.
Their spell comes back again.
Like a song of magic rhymes.
Return the dear old times
The old, old times, my darling,
Tho living, loving times!
This is my lone life’s treasure.
That none can take away—
Remembrance without measure
Of every vanished day.
Of love-light round me streaming.
Of tender lips and eyes ;
Awake I lie, yet dreaming.
Nor sleep, till day shall rise.
Like a bee in blossomed limes,
I live in those old times—
The times, you know, my darling.
The living, loving times!
Cold are tho skies above me.
The earth is wrapped in snow.
And it still, ns then, you love me,
Alas! I cannot know—
Silenco between us lying.
More chill than winter’s cold
And my heart like a baby crying
For its mother's wonted hold.
But I breathe the summer’s prime.
Remembering that old time.
Though you forget it, darling.
The living, loving time !
TH^^ONBKKFpI^MtEAM^^
“ Oh, yes, sui tin I Yes, yes—l believe
in dreams,” said old Silas Tafton. He
took another whifl'at his pipe, and then
added: “ One of the greatest specula
tions I ever went into come of adream—
a wondertul dream. I'll tell you about
it.”
And we listened to the old man's
story us follows:
You remember, some of you, about
the great land speculations herein Maine
thirty years ago. Poor men—a very
few of them—were made suddenly rich :
and rich men were made suddenly poor.
I was living then in Grey. Oneday, old
Sam Whitney, of Oxford, stopped atoui
place, and showed us a map of a new
town which had been laid out in Saga
dahoc. On tho map it looked beauti
ful. There were brooks, and lakes, and
broad plains of pine and oak, with
streets all laid out, and spots for
churches and school-houses marked in
proper array. 1 had a cousin living
down that way, and 1 concluded to go
down and take a look. I found the
town of Ellenvillc which old Whitney
had showed me on his map, to be a
wild, worthless tract, all rocks and
swamp, but on the edge of this tract, in
another township, my cousin owned a
piece of good land, and I bought a hun-
fired anil fifty acres of it, anil made me
an excellent farm ; and for that pur
chase I was never sorry.
Meantime Ellenville was nearly all
sold in hundred acre lots. The excite
ment was at fever heat, and people
bought witlioutonce thinking of coming
to look at the land they were purchas
ing. But by and bv the new owners
began to look up their property, and
you can rest assured that they were a
blue set when they were assembled on
that territorry. Within all the limits
of the mapped-out township there was
not an acre that could be cultivated.
On the side that bordered my farm it
was a craggy ledge of rocks; and be
yond that to the eastward the land
settled away under the mud and the
water of a sunken slough. Some of
these lots had been sold as high as one
pound an acre ; and a few of them even
higher than that. One poor lellow,
named John Twist, from Vermont, had
paid one pound an acre for a lot that
bordered on my farm. On the map it
had been set down as a magnificent
pine forest, with a beautiful river upon
its border, on which was a superb water
power. John Twist bought it and paid
for it, and when he came to look at it
he found it to be a mass of barren rock,
with here and there a clump of scrub
oak and a few Norway [lines, and for a
river he found a water-course which
tumbled melted snow over the crags in
the spring, but'which was dry most of
the year. I did not see the poor fellow
when he came to survey his property,
but I can imagine how he felt.
After a while, however, the excite
ment passed off, and the sufferers of
Ellenville turned their backs upon the
graves of their speculative hopes. On
my farm I prospered. My land was of
the very best quality ; my wife was a
true helpmate ; my crops were abund
ant; my stock thrived; and 1 found
myself at length with a goodly pile of
money tied up in my stocking.
One evening in early autumn, after
our crops had all been garnered, a man,
riding a sorry-looking nag, pulled up
before our door. He was a well-looking
man, with a sedate and solemn face,
and dressed in black. It was safe
enough to concluded that he was a
minister, and so he announced himself.
He said he was the Kev. Paul Meek
more ; he. was a missionary on a home
circuit, and asked shelter for himself
and his beast for the night. Of course
we welcomed him cheerfully; and we
were pleased with him. He had traveled
extensively, and his conversation was
entertaing and instructive. Before we
went to tied he read a chapter in the
Bible and made a prayer; and Betsy
said to me, after he had retired, t hat
she had never heard such a beautiful
prayer in her life.
The next morning, at the breakfast
table, Mr. Meekmore was very sedate,
fie asked a blessing, and then only an
swered such questions as were asked
him. Finally Betsy told him she was
afraid ho had not slept well. Hesmiled,
and said ho had slept very well, saving
the spell of a curious dream which had
visited him three separate times during
the night. Betsy asked himif hewould
tell what it was about.
“It was the old dream of hidden
wealth,” he said, with a solemn look.
“ I haven’t dreamed such a dream be
fore since by a wonderful dream in
South Africa I led to the discovery of a
diamond mine worth millions of dollars;
and it never profited me a penny. But
such wealth is not for me. I need it
not. My calling hath higher and holier
aims. And yet this poor flesh is some
t ines weak enough to lust after the
dross of gold and silver 1 ”
By degrees we got from him that he
had'dreamed of a silver mine among the
craggs of our hills. The mine seemed
to his vision utterly exhaustless in tho
precious metal ; but lie could not locate
it. Betsy, whose curiosity was aroused,
would have pushed the matter, but Mr.
Meekmore finally shook his head more
solemnly than ever, ami said that lie
would rather forget the dream if lie
could.
When the missionary’s horse was at
the door, and the owner was prepared
to start oil', lie informed us that lie was
bound toward the Canada line, and that
he might return that way. Of course
we told him that our door would al
ways be open to him ; and lie promised
that he would abide with us again, if
had an opportunity.
in two weeks Mr. Meekmore came
back. He had received a summons, he
said, from tho home board, to return to
Boston and make immediate prepara
tions for a winter's campaign in the
West.
The second evening in the society of
the reverend gentleman wo enjoyed
more than we had enjoyed the first.
His fund of anecdote and adventure was
literally exhaustless, and yet an odor of
sanctity and delicacy pervaded all liis
speech. Wc urged that he should spend
a few days with us, but he c>uld not.
He said it would give him great pleasure
so to do, but his call to the new field of
labor in the West was pressing and im
perative.
On the next morning, at the break
last, our guest was even more sedate
and thoughtful than on the previous
occasion; and when questioned on the
matter lie told us that he had been vis
ited by the same strange dream again.
“This time,” lie said, “the vision
came with wonderful distinctness, I not
only beheld the vast chambers of virgin
silver, but I saw an exact profile ol the
overlying territory. 11 was a wild, deso
late spot, by a deep ravine, through
which the snows of winter seem to find
release in spring, running down a craggy
hillside to a dark and wide-stretching
swamp below. This would not impress
me so seriously were it not that once
before a dream of tlio same import
proved a startling reality.
We conversed further on the subject,
and alter breakfast Mr. Meekmore took
a pencil, and upon the blank leaf of an
old atlas he drew a picture of the spot
he had seen in his dream; and he
poinied out where, beneath the roots
of an old, stumpy pine tree, ho had seen
an outcropping of the precious metal.
He had drawn the picture, lie told us,
to show us how vivid his dream had
been; but he advised us to think no
more of it. Even if it were possible
that the dream had substance, the body
of the mine was far below the surface:
and, moreover, tho Lord only knew
where the spot was located, even allow
ing that such a spot existed.
For once in my life 1 had allowed my
cupidity to get the better of my outspo
ken honesty. 1 allowed tho reverend
guest to depart, aud did not tell them
that I knew where there was a spot ex
actly the original of that which he had
pictured, even to every rock, shrub,
tree, and ravine. And that spot was
upon the wild lot which had been pur
chased by John Twist, and which John
Twist probably owned still.
That very afternoon, armed with an
old axe and a pick, I sallied forth to the
rough outside of the Twist lot. I knew
exactly where the pictured spot was to
be found, and when I had reached it I
was more than ever struck by the faith
fulness of Mr. Meekmore's draft. The
accuracy in detail was wonderful. And
when 1 retlected that this draft had
been made by one who was an utter
and absolute stranger to tho place,—
made from simple impressions of a
dream, —is it a marvel that I was
strongly and strangely influenced. I
found the old tree which the reverend
dreamer had particularly designated,
and wont to work at its roots.
And ere long my labors were reward
ed. Beneath one of the main roots 1
found a lump of pure white metal ;gs
large as a hen’s egg ; and upon further
chopping and digging I found several
more smaller pieces. They had evi
dently been broken from a molten
mass, and upon rubbing off the dirt I
found them all pure and bright.
That night I slept but little. I could
only lie awake aud, think of the vast
wealth that lay buried in that bleak
hillside. But what could ] do? The
lot was not mine, and I should run
great risk if 1 troubled another man's
property. And, moreover, if I made
lurther exploration while the land w.-is
not mine the secret might bo divulged,
and the vast wealth snatched from me.
I must purchase tho Twist lot, and I had
no doubt that I could buy it for a mere
song.
On the next day I rode over tosremy
cousin, and when I had spoken of the
Twist lot lie informed mo that not only
that lot, but a number of others, were
for sale. They had been advertised,
and would be sold at auction in two
weeks. He called me a fool when 1 told
him I should bid on the Twist lot; but I
told him I had looked it over and had
made up my mind that my sheep could
tind plenty of grazing there throughout
tho summer months. He asked me if
I hadn’t already got all the sheep-pas
ture I needed; but I told him lie need
not trouble himself.
During tho next two weeks I kept
quiet, and held my tongue, giving no
opportunity for my secret to become
known. On the appointed day 1 went
over to the settlement where the land
wa to be sold. It was to be put up in
lmndred-acre lots, and sold by the origi
nal plan of the Whitney purchrse.
Lot number one was put up first,
and sold for one quarter of a cent an
acre.
The next lot was the “ Twist lot,”
so-called, and I heard it whispered that
iron and copper ore. had been discover
ed upon it. A stranger, in jockey
clothes, started it at fifty centß an
acre. Another stranger, who wore a
blue frock and top-boots,bid seventy-five.
Then there was more talk about iron
and copper. The man in the jockey
suit said that he had positive assurance
that pure iron ore had been found in
some of the gulches, and he bid one
dollar an acre. At this point I entered
the contest, and bid one dollar and
five cents. Up—up— up—twenty-five
cents at a time, until at length I had
bid ten dollars an acre. People called
me crazy. Ten dollars an acre was mere
than the very best land in the whole
country was worth. But I held my bid,
and kept my own counsel.
An Independent Paper—Devoted to Literature. Minins, Commercial, Agricultural, (ieneral and Local News
FROSTBUR(x, ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17. 1872.
And the Twist lot was knocked down
to me for just one thousand dollars.
The terms were cash. I told them to
make out the deed while I went homo
after the money. And away I rode. I
emptied my old stocking of gold and
silver, and found nine hundred and fif
ty dollars. I borrowed the other fif
ty without trouble at the settlement,
and straightway proceeded to the office
of Squire Simpkins, where the deed had
been made. The instrument was duly
signed and sealed, and when the squire
had assured mo that the payment of
the money would make all fast and
safe, I handed 'over the gold and sil
ver.
1 observed that the name of John
Twist had been recently signed, and I
asked Simpkins if Mr. Twist was
present. *
“ Ho was hero a few minutes ago.”
said Simpkins, “anil will be buck again
after liis money. He’s feeling pretty
good, I should judge, since he has got
rid of liis hundred-acre lot for twice as
much as it cost him, and for a thousand
times more than any sane man would
think it was worth.”
Half an hour afterward I called at the
squire's again. Mr. Twist had justgone
out with his money.
“There he is now,” said Simpkins,
“just bound off.”
I looked out at the window, and saw,
at the door of the inn, on the opposite
side of the way. a tall man, in a bottle
green coat, with bright, glaring but
tons, just mounting a horse. I recog
nized tho horse; and 1 recognized the
man.
“Who is that man?” I asked, “he
with the green coat and bright but
tons ?”
“That,” said Simpkins, “is Mr. John
Twist.”
In a moment more tiie man in the
bottle-green coat had ridden away, with
liis heavy saddle-bags behind him; and
buttoned up within that coat I beheld
my reverend guest I It flashed upon
me that the Rev. Paul Meekmore and
Mr. John Twist were one and the same
same person ! And this was not all that
flashed upon me!
A iew days afterward I took my
lumps of white metal to a man who was
versed in such matters, and asked him
what they were. He took the largest
lump and tested it, and said :
“ Pewter I”
I asked him if pewter was ever dug
out of the earth in that shape.
“ Well,” said lie, “ seeing that pewter
is an alloy of tin and lead, itcouldn't be
very well dug up, unices somebody had
gone and buried it beforehand.”
Touching further explanations on my
“Twist lot,” I will not speak. 1 will
only add that I have at home an old
stocking with half a dozen lumps of
pewter in it; and I never look upon it
but I am forced to acknowledge that
dreams are sometimes very strange and
wonderful things!
A City in Two States.
Bristol, in Tennessee and Virginia,
is an anomaly among towns. It has a
population of only 3,000, but is located
in two States, the line passing near the
centre of the main street. The rogues
and lawless know where it is to an inch.
The line used to be deeply venerated,
and in former years it would have been
considered a symptom of the decay of
the Republic for a Tennessee constable
to cross the street on the sidewalk, on
the sacred soil of Virginia, to arrest a
criminal. But the line is not now re
garded with tender veneration. When
a man kills another and steps over the
lines for protection, the officers step
after him and fetch him back; killing
is, consequently, not so popular as for
merly. Each side of t,.e line has a
separate Mayor and Board of Aldermen,
and regulates its own affairs in the
sense contemplated by the constitution.
There are two papers published, one on
each side of the line. Each side also
lias its own schools and churches.
A London Institution Transplanted.
The benevolent ladies of Newark, N.
■J., have established a day nursery for
children under the age of five years,
with a view of benefiting mothers who
cannot afford the luxury of “ female
help,” and who may wish to spend a
day in shopping or visiting friends,
without being burdened with infants.
The cost per -week, including Sunday,
is not to exceed seventy cents. Mrs.
Booth's baby nursery in London is re
ported to have been a great success until,
by mischance, one of the babies fell
from its manger, and was so severely in
jured thatdeath soon followed. Mothers
are apt to lose confidence in an “ insti
tution ” where the lives of their oil
spring are endangered, and unless the
Newark ladies provide wire nettings, or
cages, for the care of the little ones,
their success is not likely to be of long
duration.
Camels in Nevada.
From the Virginia City Enterprise. Jan. 13.
A train of over a dozen camels arrived
in this city yesterday afternoon from
the valley of Carson river, below Day
ton. These “ships of the desert” were
loaded with hay, in bales, for Adams’s
hay yard on North D street. The huge,
ungainly beasts presented quite a pic
turesque appearance as they filed into
town with their cumbrous freight. Upon
arriving at the hay yard, at the word of
command they all knelt down to be re
lieved of their loads. These animals
appear to thrive quite as well in this
country as in the wilds of Sahara. There
are an abundance of deserts here if they
are necessary to the comfort of the
beasts.
Studying Stars by Lantern.
Rev. Sanies Freeman Clarke, of Bos
ton, has turned his wits in a novel di
rection in inventing an astronomical
lantern. It is a small dark lantern,
one side of which is fitted for paper
cards on which are punched, by little
pin holes, the various constellations in
the heavens, so that a boy, or girl for
that matter, who is studying the stars
has only to go o'nights with his or her
lantern and a supply of cards, put the
constellations in succession in front of
his light, and then follow out the
originals in the sky. It saves him the
trouble of running into the house every
few moments to study up his charts.
Frightened Mormons, instead of seal
ing any number of new wives, are now
carefully concealing the number of wives
they have.
Current Items.
Mr. Tavlor, of Lafayette, Ind.,thought
he would sheer his mule's tail. The
surgeon is assiduous in his attentions
to Mr. T.
The Louisville Journo/, referring to
the fact that somebody is going to build
a hotel in Rhode Island ninety-two feet
long and sixty feet wide, expresses as
tonishment that the authorities “ should
permit anybody to put the State all un
der one roof in tlmi way.”
Near Shoals, in Martin county, Ind.,
a few nights ago, a gang of thieves
went to a saw-mill, took down all the
machinery, including the engine and
boiler, loaded it upon the cars of Hie
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, hailed a
passing train, hitched the cars to it, and
liicd away to Illinois.
Mrs. Roby Van I'etten has obtained
a verdict for $5,000, in the I’eoriaCircuit
Court, against the Chicago, Burlington
and (Quincy Railroad. Her husband,
Dr. M. B. Van I’etten, of Trivoli, 111.,
was killed by a train on that road some
time since. The sum obtained was the
full amount churned by Mrs. Van
I’etten.
A citizen of North Stockton, Conn.,
buried his first wife, and inscribed upon
lior tomb, “An Angel on Earth—ASaint
in Heaven,” which was all right. But,
when lie buried liis second along side
liis first, the marble dealer inscribed on
her tomb: “Another Angel on Earth—-
Another Saint in Heaven;"and the
neighbors want to know how long this
thing is going to last?
Says the Marquette Mining Journal:
“ An Indian upon the Houghton and
Ontonagan railroad lost the cork out of
a can of nitro glycerine, and replaced
it with a wooden one, which lie drove
into its place with liis little hatchet.
The can was completely ruined, and
tiie noble red man is supposed to have
made the quickest, trip to ‘ the happy
hunting grounds’ on record.”
Tiie history of the word “ gerry
mander ” dates from the Ohio Legisla
ture of 18-10, where a Mr. Gerry Man
lier, a member, introduced a bill to ap
portion the State into Congressional
districts. One of his districts comprised
a string of counties reaching entirely
across the State, and another resembled
in form a liorse-shoe rampant. The
word “ gerrymander ” sprung into ex
istence at once.
A practical .joke was recently perpe
trated on an Indian at Winona, Minn.,
who asked lor a certificate that lie
11 good Injun—no drink, no steal.”
The wag was all accommodation, and
fixed the Indian with his papers. The
beggar started out on his professional
tour, and his first application was to a
crowd of jolly fellows on Main street.
One of them took the certificate and
read out to the rest: “This Indian has
the small pox ; look out for him.” The
realer dropped the paper as though he
had been shot.
Tile Trenton, X. .1., Itank Bobbery.
From the New York Sun, Jan. 23.
On Sunday night the Trenton bank
was robbed in a most systematic man
ner. The burglars, five in number, had
been in the city several days. They
had rented the building adjoining the
bank, of a colored minister named
Walkin', for the avowed purpose of
opening a millinery store. They had
even a wire from the house to the bank,
to which they attached an alarm. One
of the robbers remained in the house to
watch the street and give the alarm
when any one passed, llis companions
would then stop work and conceal their
lights until all danger was over.
Messrs. Sweim and Bayles were em
ployed as watchmen in the bank, and
it was their custom to enter the bank
about 10 o'clock in the evening. At
half past 0 on Sunday evening, Bayles
went to the bank and unlocked the
door. lie was immediately seized,
gagged and bound in a chair. The
burglars thus forced an entrance and
fastened their prisoner without having
been observed. At 10 o’clock Mr.
Sweim, who had been a watchman for
twenty years, went to the. bank, and
was also seized by the men, who were
awaiting his arrival.
In securing Mr. Sweim a slight strug
gle occurred on the steps of the bank,
and before he could be drawn inside
the door the struggle was seen by a lady
who was passing, and who, thinking all
was not right, gave an alarm. The
burglars saw that they were detected,
and made good their escape. They hail
previously, however, burst open the
bank vault, and removed all the valu
ables. They had not sufficient time to
break open the inner vault, or any of
the safes in the main vault.
In the bank were found two heavy
pieces of timber, two kegs of powder,
drilling machines, and a large numoer
of valuable tools, with which, from the
expedition they used, they could in a
short time have gained entrance to all
the funds of the institution. In the
yard was found a ladder, by which the
burglars escaped to the premises rented
by them, whence they made good their
escape at their leisure. A large num
ber of securities, amounting in value to
over $100,00(1, was left on the lloor.
Tile Military Division of tile Smith
Discontinued.
A general order of the War Depart
ment announces that, by direction of
the President, the military division of
the South is discounted. The com
manders of the departments of the
South and of the Gulf will report direct
to the headquarters of the army. The
personal staff of the late Major-General
Halleck will report for duty with their
proper commanders. The general staff
officers of the division will report for
orders to the chiefs of the respective
departments. The records of the di
vision will be turned over to the head
quarters of the Department of the South,
except such as are not needed there,
which will be forwarded to Washington
by Captain K. N. Scott, Acting Assistant
Adjutant-General.
Hints to Horsemen.
You should always keep your horse
fat, and never allow any lien on him.
When your horse refuses to take
up an oat, consider him as having failed.
You may stirrup your saddle, but
don’t stir up your horse—in a crowd.
It you don’t look carefully after the
bits of your horse, you may some day
be looking alter the bits of your wagon.
Farm ami Garden.
To KVI Lice on Hogs —Take two parts
lard and one ol coal oil, mix a little,
warm so it will run freely, and pour
from ears to tail, or apply with a brush,
and it is sure death to the lice without
injury to the hog.
Cure for Scab on Sheep. —A correspond
ent of tho Prairie Farmer says: About
this season of the year we frequently
see and hear considerable said about
tile losing of wool, or scab in sheep.
For the benefit of sheep breeders and
farmers generally, allow me to say,
through the columns of your paper,
that this disease made its appearance in
my stock for several successive years. 1
finally tried the following ointment,
which proved to be effectual : Soda, one
pound : sulphur, one pound; cream
tartar, half pound. This, mixed to
gether, should be applied by parting
the wool and rubbing it into the fur
row, from head to tail.
Oiling Harness. —To oil a harness prop
erly, take every stiap apart, as far as
practicable, and put it in a tub of warm
soap suds—if it soaks through all the
better—thoroughly wash, and with a
brush, or otherwise, remove all gum
and dirt. The best oil to use is pure
neatsfoot; if this cannot be obtained,
liver, or tanners' oil, as it is -oruetimes
called, may be used. Upon a bench or
board placed in a handy position, lay
out the strap to be oiled straight, and
with a common paint brush apply tho
oil to the entire surface or edges of the
strap, 'file appearance of the harness
will lie benefited by the addition of a
a little lampblack, and the oiling
should be commenced as soon as the
water has dried from the outside of the
leather—at least the leather should not
be more than half dry when the oil
is applied. *
Meat- for Fowls in Winter. —Nature has
provided for wild birds an abundance
of easily digested food at the time they
need it most, for when nesting, at the
beginning of warm weather, the army
of insects that keep pace witli the new
vegetation supplies every element
needed in the formation of eggs. As
liens, whether wild or domesticated, are
no exceptions to the general law, their
laying depends very much on the
amount of animal food they eat, and
when llieground is frozen, or when they
are kept shut up either in summer or
winter, they must he given butcher’s
meat of some kind. Calves’ plucks,
and the plucks of sheep and lambs,
with the hearts and livers attached, are
the best for the purpose. The mode of
preparation is important. We have
seen sueli tilings thrown whole am
uncooked into the poultry yard ; bu
there is much waste, because the fins
tissures cannot be pecked to pieces so
as to be swallowed by the fowls; and
ca's, dogs and rats prey upon what is
left over night; besides raw meat makes
hens quarrelsome among themselves.
The proper way is to boil until tender,
and run through a sausage machine,
and the absence of bones facilitates the
latter operation, on which account we
do not procure calves’and beeves’ heads
when the plucks are to be had. If not
convenient to use a mincing-machine,
then take for a small quantity of meat
an ordinary chopping knife and wooden
bowl, or for larger operations a box,
such as is used in mixing cut feed for
horses, and a spade with a good steel
blade ground to a keen edge. After
chopping, add to the mass the liquor
in which it was boiled, thickened with
meal and seasoned with cayenne and
salt, and feed warm. If it is too much
trouble to provide for your fowls in win
ter an equivalent for insect forage, then
give only grain ; but expect to procure
your eggs of somebody else who makes
an artificial summer for his poultry as
to diet, and as far as possible tempera
ture also. —Health and Home.
Fecundity of Ducks and Hens. —Some
interesting experiments have been made
upon the comparative fecundity of
ducks and hens, so as to determine
from which of the two the larger num
ber of eggs can be obtained in the same
time. For this purpose three liens and
three ducks were selected, all hatched
in February, and nourished with suit
able food. In the following autumn the
ducks had laid 225 eggs, while the hens
in this case laid none. In the following
February the laying season began again
witli the ducks, and continued uninter
ruptedly till August. They showed no
inclination to set, and became very
thin, but subsequently fattening lip
somewhat. In the meantime the hens
had not been idle. The total number
of eggs laid by the liens amounted to
157, or 86 each; and the ducks pro
duced 392, or 131 each. Although the
eggs of the ducks were rather smaller
t ban those of the hens, yet they proved
to be decidedly superior in nutritive
material : so the superiority of produc
tiveness appears to be altogether on the
side of the ducks.
Feeding Potatoes to Horses.— ln Ger
many, where potatoes are so mucti
cheaper than grain, the experiment lias
been repeatedly tried of feeding lioises
upon them—at least, in part; and this,
as we understand, has proved quite suc
cessful. In one instance five tour-horse
teams were kept hard at work and in
good condition on a day’s ration for
ivventy horses of one and one-half hun
dred weight of hay, eight bushels of po
tatoes, fifty pounds of meal, and a lib
eral allowance of chopped straw. The
potatoes were steamed, mashed, and
mixed with meal while hot, and then
covered up and allowed to remain for a
time, during which they undergo a
slight fermentation and evolve a quan
tity of carbonic acid. The chopped
straw was worked in just before feed
ing. This trial was continued for more
than four months, and found to agree
with the horses, while at the same time
it proved satisfactory in point of econ
omy. As this food must be sweet and
clean, great care is necessary to prevent
the vessels in which it is kept from be
coming sour.
Artificial Incubation. —Hatching chick
ens by artificial means, and poultry on
a large scale, are the staple problems of
poultry keeping. The former has not
been successful enough yet to be prac
tical. A few handfuls of corn, fed as
fuel for setting fever, will keep eggs
warm better than a lamp that requires
trimming and watching. Incubators
are excellent playthings, and rank with
aquaria, house plants and caged song
sters. Chickens can be hatched artifi
cially, and reared also without a hen.
But '7O have to learn of a single in
stance where apparatus for artificial
hatching has been successfully employed
in raising fowls for maiket. Every year
almost some improvement is announced
which trials do not justify.— Ohio
Farmer.
Hints fur tile Housewife.
To Remove the Taste of New Wood.—\
new keg, churn, bucket,or other wooden
vessel, will generally communicate a
disagreeable taste to anything that is
put into it. To prevent this incon
venience, first scald the vessel with boil
ing water, letting the water remain in
it till cool. Then dissolve some pear
lash, or soda, in lukewarm water, add
ing a little lime to it, and wash the
vessel well with this solution. After
ward scald it well with plain hot water,
and rinse it well before you use it.
To Make a Washing Fluid. —Take sal
soda, 1 pound ; unslacked lime,} pound;
put them in live quarts af water, and
boil a short time, stirring occasionally;
then set oil' to cool, and after the liquid
luis settled, pour it into a stone jug and
cork for use. Soak your white clothes
until they are wet through ; wring out,
and soap the wristbands and dirty
places. Have your boiler or kettle half
tilled with water, and when at scalding
heat put in one common teacupful of
the fluid. Stir it well, then put in your
clothes and boil half an hour; then
take out and rub through one suds
only, rinsing well in the blueing water,
and your clothes will look better when
dried than if rubbed through two suds
before boiling.
SI reef Cleaning in London.
It is said that the beginning of all
street sweeping dates back to the action
of a certain London merchant who at
tracted a great number of persons to
his stoie by keeping a line of communi
cation open to the other side of the
street. Through many months it was
the only place where any one could
cross the street without sinking into
black and unsavory mud, and the mer
chant’s name and business became fa
mous as the result ol his shrewd scheme.
His rivals adopted it, and finally the
city government was forced by popular
clamor to take street cleaning under its
own charge. Other cities imitated the
Metropolis, and the practice became a
general one. It may he that a new re
form is to he inaugurated now in the
same city. Mr. Ruskin, disgusted with
the prevalent method of keeping only
the crossings free from mud, announces
that he has hired three men, who will
henceforth work eight hours every day
in endeavoring to keep as large an ex
tent of street pavement as possible per
fectly clean. The Loudon papers gen
erally ridicule the scheme ; but all Mr.
Ruskin’s schemes are ridiculed at first—
and a good many of them afterward. It
remains to be seen whether this reform
will live down opposition, and become
as general as its prototype.
Fainting Hoofs.
A correspondent relates his experience
in painting roofs as follows : To me
therA seems to be no doubt that it is
economy to paint the roofs of all build
ings. Five years ago I built- a barn and
a large ice-house, both standing in the
shade of large trees. The ice-house I
roof 1 had painted as soon as finished; I
the barn was not, and a portion of the I
roof is covereil with moss, and the shin- I
gles almost rotted through, while those I
on the ice-house seem to be as sound as |
when first put on. I have also tried the'!
same experiments on buildings not
shaded, ami am convinced that a man
cannot alibi'd to allow any shingle roof
to go unpainted, at least if he expects
to own it many years. Having just
finished a new barn, I had my men
paint the roof before the scaffolding was
taken down, it being more convenient
to do it before than after removal. I
use for this purpose white lead and lin
seed oil, adding coloring to give the
shade desired.
Chinamen in Memphis.
There are several Chinamen in Mem
phis, some ot whom have obtained per
manent employment in families, where,
according to the Appeal, they give great
satisfaction, by doing all manner of
work, at all hours, without grumbling.
Others of them are still heating around
town, living cheap and working wher
ever they can. One of them is a regu
lar lodger at one of the station houses.
He goes in there eveiy night with his
bundle of clothing on his back, spreads
them down at the inside door, and lies
down to sleep. He manages to keep
good clothing on all the time. The po
lice, who are acquainted with the habits
of celestial John, say they never take
a square meal, but go into groceries and
purchase their grub for a few cents.
Dried codfish and rusty ends of bacon
are their principal luxuries.
Horace Greeley’s Tribute to Franklin.
At the inauguration of the Franklin
statue in New York recently, Horace
Greeley, in responding to a toast, said :
“ Let mesum up the character of Frank
lin in the fewest words that will serve
me. I love and revere him as a jour
neyman printer who was frugal and
didn't drink ; a parvenu who rose from
want to competence, from obscurity to
fame, without losing his head ; a states
man who did not crucify mankind with
long-winded documents or speeches ; a
diplomatist who did not intrigue; a
philosopher who never loved, and an
officeholder who didn’t steal. So re
garding him, I respond to your senti
ment with ‘ Honor to the memory of
Franklin.’ ”
A New Propelling Power.
A Buffalo man mu it have the credit
for the most novel invention yet pro
posed for propelling boats on the canal.
The. power is not attached to the boat,
and the entire body of water in the ca
nal is moved, and the current thus cre
ated is used as the propelling power.
The plan embraces a wall laid in the
centre of the canal its entire length, di
viding it into two equal channels. At
the head of each level is placed an im
mersed wheel of peculiar construction,
which is moved by a stationary engine,
and the action of which is to throw the
water from one of the channels into the
other. A current is thus created from
the machinery in one channel and to
ward it in the other.
Wu at fruit is most visionary The
•pple of the eye.
Editors and Proprietors.
NUMBER 21.
The Yarn of (he “Nancy Hell.”
BY W. S. GILRKRT.
'Twiw on the shores that round the coast
From Deal to ltamsKate span.
That I found alone, on a piece of stone.
An elderly naval man.
His hair was weedy, his beard was long.
And weedy and long was ho.
Ami I hoard this wight on the shore recite
In a singular minor key :
“Oh, I am a cook and a Captain bold.
And the mate of ihe Nancy brig.
And a '•o’sun light and a inidshipmite.
Ami the crew of tho Captain’s gig.”
And he shook his fists and tore his hair,
Till I really felt afraid,.
For 1 couldn’t help thinking the man had been
drinking.
Ami so 1 simply said :
"Oh. elderly man. it’s little l know
Of the duties or men of the sea.
Ami I'll eat my hand if I understand
How you can possibly be
"At once a cook, and a Captain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig.
And a ho’sun tight and a inidshiprnite.
And tho crew of the Captain s gig.”
Then ho gave a hitch to his trowsers. which
Is a trick all seamen larn.
Ami, having got rid of a thumping quid.
He spun this painful yarn :
“ ’ Twas on the good ship, Nancy Bell,
That we sailed to the Indian sea.
And there on a reef wo camo to grief.
Which has often occurred to me.
" And pretty nigh all o’ the crow was drowned
(There was seventy-seven o’ soul)
And only ton of tho Nancy’s men
Said * Here !’ to tho muster-roll.
" There was me and tho cook and the Captain
bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig.
And the bo’sun tight and the inidshipmite.
And the crew of the Captain’s gig.
" For month wo’d neither wittles nor drink
Till a-hungry we did feel.
So. we drawed a lot, and, accordin’ shot.
The Captain for our meal.
"The next lot fell to tho Nancy’s mate.
And a delicate dish ho made ;
Then our appetite with the midshipmito
We seven survivors stayed.
" And then we murdered the ho’sun tight.
And he much resembled nig;
Then we wittled free, did tho cook and me.
On tho crow of the Captain’s gig.
" Then only the cook and mo was left.
Ami the delicate question, * Which
Of us two goes to the kettle?’ arose.
Ami wo argued it out as sich.
" For I loved that cook as a brother. I did.
And the cook he worshiped mo ;
But we’d both he blowed if we’d either ho
stowed
In the other chap’s hold, you see.
" ' I’ll he cat if you dines off me.’ says Tom ;
4 Yes, that,’ says I, * you’ll be.”
* I’m boiled if I die. my friend,’quoth I;
And * Exactly so,' quoth he.
*’ Says he. 4 Dear James, to murder mo
Were a foolish thing to do.
For don’t you seo that you can’t cook ms.
While I can--and will- cook you t
"So he boils the water, and takes the salt
And the pepper in portions true
(Which he never forgot) and some chopped
shalot.
And some sago and parsley too.
" * Come here,’ says he. with a proper pride.
Which his smiling features tell,
* ’Twill soothing be if I lot you see.
How extremely nice you’ll smell.'
" And ho stirred it round and round and round.
And he sniffed at tho foaming froth,
When I ups with his heels, and smothers his
squeals
In the scum of tho boiling broth.
" And I eat that cook in a week or less.
And—as I eating bo
The last of his chops, why I almost drops,
For a wessel in sight I see.
****** *
" And I never larf, and I never smile.
And I never lark nor play,
But l sit and croak, and a single ioko
to turn out almanacs.
How to overcome your sorrows —Strike
one of your own sighs,
A policeman, fond of reading, told a
friend that, lor a nusement when off
duty, bo often “ took up ” a book.
Vi li v is a mar. who makes additions
lo false rumors like one who has confi
dence in all that is told him? Because
re lies on all that lie hears.
The Smiths had a dinner at Pitts
burgh on New Year’s day. The first
toast was : “ Pocahontas —Heaven bless
her for saving the Smiths to this coun
try.”
A bride in Indiana, alter the conclu
sion of the marriage ceremony, stepped
gracefully forward and gave out the
hymn: ‘‘This the way I long have
sought.”
A cynical society man says he does
not object to keeping the command
ment which tells him to love his neigh
bor as himself, provided that neighbor
is a woman and pretty.
A small boy, being called up as a wit
ness in a New York court, and asked
by Mr. C. S. Spencer what they do to
persons who swear to a lie, replied,
“ They makepolicemei^u^^emj^^^^^
Prof. Agassiz, who is with a scientific
expedition upon the coast survey steamer
Uussier, writes from St. Thomas to the
Superintendent of the Survey some ac
count of the progress of the expedition.
A curious discovery was made of the
nest of a fish, built up of the gult weed
curiously knit together into a mass as
large as the two fists. ’lhe elastic,
threads which held the sea-weed to
gether were found beaded at intervals
with eggs, which proved to be those of a
curious fish, which has fins resembling
hands, by which it attaches itself to
the sea-weed and walks rather than
swims. The fish has long been known,
but its curious nest, set afloat upon the
ocean, is a new discovery. Probably
j^^^i^jiii^sider^uio^Hiatthegulf^^^^^
several garden Mowers, and has a num
ter of linden, willow and cherry trees
planted, to supply food for comb and
honey. At present there are 168 stocks
of bees on hand. The past year ho sold
4,000 pounds of honey at 25 cents, and
about S7OO worth of bees. The swarms
are arranged in rows near the ground.
The Quimby hive is used, and the settle
ment looks like a city of dwarfs. The
Italian queens are preferred.