Frostburg mining journal. [volume], March 09, 1872, Image 1

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

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V. H. WALKER & J. B. ODER,
VOLUME I.
I>anie Mature.
Men wiy he in a prie?tew, ntern and fair.
Perfect in beauty, and ensphered with calm .
Her rapt eye* (lifted heavenward, unaware
Of discord in Creation’s happy psalm.
I know her as a kindly, ancient dame.
Benign and garrulous through all the year
Full of content, amid all change the same.
Gladdening the seasons with her great good
cheer.
No goddess, lofty in fidelity.
But busy, happy, friendly with all men .
Wise and loquacious, innocently free.
Telling of what shall he and what has been
‘■'he has unnumbered sectets in her care ;
She screens her mysteries with sound and
sight: .
Yet half reveals their meaning every where.
And hints it In the sunsets every night.
She in a tender mother in the spring ;
She pete each little leaf and blade of grass ;
She teaches brooks and rivers how to sing.
And loads the winds with blessings as they
pass.
And not less tender when the weary year
Lies down and dies amid the withered leaves
She hath no more the treasures held so dear.
Yet keeps her quiet patience, while she
grieve?.
Daily, in trustful, kind simplicity.
She shows to men her beauty's excellence.
Willing that every human soul should see
Upon her happy face God’s evidence.
Alike to poor and rich, to dull and wise.
She gives her flowers, her sunshine, and her
breeze:
In every nook sho hides some fair surprise.
And leaves no spot unloved on land or sea. l .
Would that we all. like her. in rare good-will.
Made room for all things in our sympathy ;
Content to labor patiently until
I God's message, through our lives, is full and
free.
HAL’S DREAM.
A MAINE FAIRY TALK.
Poor little Hal really (lid not know
what to do with himself. He did not
care to read : and Tom was lost in one
of Mayne Reid's soul-thrilling tiger
hunts, and would not so much ns look
at him. He might have put himself in
his little bed. and spared himself and
the family his restless wanderings about
the room, resulting in the occasional
thump of a hook knocked from the
table, an overturned work-basket, and
other catastrophes apt to occur in the
erratic course of a small hoy with noth
ing to do. But never, while he had the
proper spirit, of a boy of eight, would
he go to bed before Tom did I So lie
bravely fought against liis yawns and
general sleepiness; and, throwing him
self on the hearth rug, diligently pulled
old Crambo's ears: until the warmth ol
the fire, and the sweet Strauss waltzes
Cousin Kate was softly playing in the
next room, fairly overpowered the ob
stinate little fellow; and, curled up be
side Crambo, his head comfortably pil
lowed on the dog’s back, in spite of him
self he sunk into a delicious nap ; and
this is what lie dreamed :
He thought he was perched on a
branch of a large tree which stood on
the edge of the meadow-pond. It was
a tree that he knew well, and a position
in which he had frequently found him
self; for the children dearly loved the
old branches, which so overhung the
pond that many of the leaves almost
touched the water. The small people
used the wonderful tree for all sorts of
purposes. In warm weather the swim
mer jumped from it into the cool water,
and the little girls played house and
had "cubby holes” in it, and Hal him
self had often read fairy tales there bv
the hour.
But all this had been in summer, and !
now he satshivering on the hard branch, j
wondering why he was there that bitter j
cold winter night. He looked up at the ;
stars; they seemed cold and cruel: and |
the full moon laughed in his face—it 1
was not a pleasant laugh, he thought, j
but a very scornful one. Then he j
glanceddown upon the solid, silent pond
that lay outstretched beneath him, and
the poor child shivered again, and pic
tured the warm tire at homo, anil tried
to move hack on the branch, that he
might jump down and run away ; hut
he could not stir ; he seemed to he fas
tened as if tied hand to foot.
He determined to call as loud as he
could, thinking possibly some one might
hear him, and take him down : and he
was preparing to give a good loud scream,
when suddenly he heard coming front
all parts of the wide meadow, and saw
advancing lightly over the snow—now,
before I tell what he saw and heard, 1
wish to say that it was nothing reason
able ; but one is not responsible for
what he seeß and hears in Fairyland arid
T'reamland, and Hal was in both : and
if this is not a true story, no one can
say it is not a true dream—he heard
coming from all parts of the meadow,
tiny little bells, the sweetest, clearest
tones one could fancy ; and he saw wee
white horses prancing lightly over the
snow, and drawing equipages which
were half-sleigh, halt chariot, exquisitely
delicate and beautiful.
Swiftly dance the little white horses
over the snow, and presently the fairy
chariots stop hy the very tree where Hal
sits, half-breathless with delight, and
the fear of being discovered. But the
fairies are quite secure. They have no
fear of an unbidden guest, so long have
they been wont to hold their revels un
seen. It was veiy different in the days
of old, when at any time they might
have been surprised by a mortal straying
within their realms. But people rarely
now-a-days wander so far in Dreamland
that they reach the blessed Fairyland,
which lies beyond ; a fact which few
know, and which is not taught in the
geography, and so many believe there
is no Fairyland at all. There are, how
ever, other truths not to be found in
geography, and 1 would advise all my
little friends to believe there is a Fairy
land now. just as much as there ever
was.
Hal was amazed to see the fairies
coming so genteelly in their carriages,
instead of flying or floating through the
air, or rising up suddenly out. of the
ground, us all fairies he ever heard of
invariably did. But he concluded that
this mode of progression must be a pe
culiarity ot the Maine fairies, of whom
he had never read a word, and he was
consequently quite ignorant of their
habits; then, too, the fairies in his
books lived hundreds of yeat sago, while
these were modern ones, and, naturally
enough, lairy fashions would be apt to
change in a thousand years or so.
He watched intently, and saw them
one by one step from their chariots, and
such dazzling, radiant little people he
had never imagined. They looked like
pictures he had seen of brave knights
and fair ladies of old times, only so
tiny. The knights wore cloaks glitter
ing with gems, and swords that looked
like rays of light, ar.d the trains of the
fairy ladies sparkled in the moonlight.
Hal was gratified to observe that their
toilets were not at all modem, for, it
must be confessed, the idea of the car
riages failed to strike him agreeably,
and he almost feared to see a chignon
on some wee lady's head. But no such
sad trial awaited him. The fairies were
not destitute ol a correct appreciation
of what was due to the memory of
their ancestors, and their silvery, glis
ening locks fell unbound and free as in
tbe time of Cinderella and the beloved ,
fairy godmother.
He thought it very droll to see them
airily shaking out their robes, laughing
lightly, and chatting like real people,
except their voices were so high and
thin that at first he shivered to hear
them speak.
When the musicians seated them
selves. Hal grew impatient to hear what
sort of music they would make on in
struments no bigger than the end of bis
little finger. But not a note sounded,
and though the fairies were walking
about the pond—their dancing-hall—
they all seemed waiting for some one;
and an usher, holding an icicle lor a
wand, stood looking strenuously expo • i
tant.
Once more Hal heard the sweet jing
ling of fairy-bells, and dashing over the
meadow came a chariot of carved ice,
gleaming with the ever changing hues
of the opal. In a moment out
sprang a fairy, head and shoulders above
the others, and he looked so grandly
royal, Hal thought he must be a king,
as indeed he was—the King ot the North
Pole!
His cloak glittered as the trees do in
the winter sunshine, when their
branches are coated with ice. His hair
was of the brightest yellow, and n crown
of rare jewels encircled his brow, on
which shone a silvery star.
The company advanced and made
obeisance, as the usher announced
“Ilis Majesty, Arcticus, King of the
North Star and Polar Star, and of all
snow-fairies far and near !’’
While King Arcticus graciously ac
knowledged the salutations of thin
branch of his subjects whom ho had
never before visited, the leader of the
orchestra ordered the overture to the
opera of the “ Aurora Borealis," and
lovely music as it was 1 It sounded like
that which the wind brings autumn
nights, although not sad, like wind
music, but brilliant and joyous; and
then it would have odd, strange, fitful
tones coming suddenly, like gleams of
light.
The musicians played faster and faster,
and changed into dance music so merry
and mad that the sound of it almost
whirled Ifal off his bough. No one
danced, however.
Hal imagined a lovely young princess
must bo coming; for, although all were
beautiful, he saw no one fair enough to
dance with King Arcticus.
Presently he held his breath, enchant
ed to see the fairest, daintiest, tiniest
creature, reclining in a crystal car drawn
by snow birds. She smiled a faint, cold
smile as the throng surrounded her.
The gallant Arcticus, bowing till his
plumes of frozen fountain sprays swept
the ice, said :
“Will her Highness the PrincessKragi
la permit me to assist her from her car?
llal was surprised that she did not
appear more gratified at Arcticus's coin
tesy; she seemed really indiflirent to
it, and cast a rapid, searching glance
upon those who were watching her so
proudly. For Fragila was dearly loved
by her subjects, and now they were
prouder than ever before of her beauty
since Arcticus had left his glorious pal
ace at the tip top of the North Pole,
and his magnificent villa in the North
■ Star, and his vast glacier estates, to come
i to her small tributary realms, and a.-k
her to be his queen.
It is a peculiarity of dynasty in the
North Pole that its members always do
their own wooing, instead of sending an
embassy for that purpose, as is the
fashion of some other potentates.
Hal was in cctacies of wonder and de
light. as the king and Fragila opened
the hall and floated over the ice in tlie
Crystal Quadrille.
Hal had heated of a color called !
“ moon-on-thc-lakohe fancied Fra- j
gila's robes must he moon-on-thc-snow
he could think of nothing else so sil
very and so soft.
Now, all the fairies were dancing, and
they flew so fast that it made him dizzy
to watch them. Ho then anil there
discovered the cause of the sharp biting
wind, which frequently before had
blown straight across the meadow. It
was the snow-fairies waltzing—nothing
i hut that.
During the intervals between the
dances, lie had time to notice the man
ners ol tliose small people. He saw,
wonderingly, that Fragila was still sad,
while Areticus grew more and more de
voted to her; and that many of the
fairies seemed trying to gain the favor
of the royal guest. The old usher
bowed, when he drew near, till all his
joints cracked, and sounded like the
snapping of glass when water freezes in
it. Hal could have laughed out at this,
had his at tention not been drawn to a
new comer—a prince who would have
been as handsome as Areticus, if he had
looked as smiling and happy. His dress
was the loveliest pale rose color, with a
slight golden tint—the shade snow often
assumes at Hunset—and his cloak floated
about him like a rosy cloud.
He drew near, and looked sternly at
Areticus and sadly at Fragila. A faint
rose tinge appeared on her cheek. Hal
thought that it was a blush, hut it may
have been the reflection of the prince's
cloak.
The herald speedily shouted, " llis
Highness Prince Hosius!” and the fairies
saluted him ; but they did not bow so
low by as much as half an inch, as they
had bowed before Arcticus, and a half
inch on a man's nose or a fairy’s bow is
considerable.
Hal soon learned that the colder the
land the nobler the family of these fairy
magnates, and that Arcticus was king of
them all; but the high honor he paid
Fragila was like many another honer,
a burthen to the bearer, for she loved
Prince Rosius. Poor little Princess!
.She must marry to please her Prime
Minister, and not her own heart. Hal
thought if he were Fragila he would
want them both, and if he could have
but one, he could not possibly tell which
he would choose.
Such a silly thing some of the fairies
did ! Everybody knows that a snow-
An Independent Paper—Devoted to Literature. Mining. Commercial, Agricultural, General and Local News.
FROSTBURG, ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND, SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 1872
fairy cannot leel cold ; and yet because
Arcticus reigned over the coldest of all
countries, some o‘ these tributary
princesses thought they would find fa
vor in his sight by pretending to suffer
from cold when he approacued, imply
ing that His Majesty conveyed about
with him wherever he went an atmos
phere of extraordinary and aristocratic
frigidity, which conduct on the part of
the fairies was so snobbish it was almost
human. Prince Hosius, not over anxious
to please Arcticus, and seeing the fool
ish courtiers politely trying to screw
themselves up into a shiver land very
funny work they made of it, for they
did not understand the first principles
of a shiver) scornfully remarked:
“On the contrary, / am oppressed by
the unusual heat, and shall soon go
north to my residence, if the weather
continues to be so unpleasantly warm.”
Warm in the presence of His Majesty ,
Arcticus, of the North Pole
The trembling courtiers shrank from
the prince, appalled.
Arcticus spoke, hut not to pronounce
upon Hosius some fearful doom.
“ It affords us deepest pleasure," said
the king, “to meet one who is fearless
enough to speak the truth.”
The fairies, seeing that nothing ter
rible was going to happen to Rosius.
approached him again without being
compromised. He had spoken the
truth, for. being distantly connected
with the glad spirits of the sunshine, he
was unlike any other snow-fairy, capa
ble to a slight degree of experiencing
the sensations of neat and cold ; but he
was far too wretched to be comforted by
a fine speech, and gazed sorrowfully
upon liis beloved Fragila.
The orchestra began the Iceberg Galop,
and as Arcticus was about to dance with
Fragile, Rosius stepped before him, and,
seizing the princess, whirled her away !
The courtiers stood aghast. The orches
tra dared not go on, after so direct an
insult to His Majesty. Arcticus frowned:
but, knowing that Rosius was brave and
noble, and had ever before been more
winning and courtly in manner than
any prince in all Fairyland, the wise,
good king forgave him this burst of the
fiery nature which came from his remote
sun-spirit ancestor, and bade him draw
near. Rosius came, and Fragila, and
the fairies gathered around to listen to
the roval words.
Arcticus, taking Rosius by the hand,
led him to Fragila.
“ Do you love each other, my chil
dren?”
“ Like twin snow Bakes, gracious
king !”
Arcticus raised his noble head, and,
standing proudly erect among his de
voted subjects, Baid :
“ Know that we of the North Pole aro
never ungenerous. Take thy dear Fra
gila, Prince Rosius; and thou, fairest
child, though thou will not be our
queen, yet thou shalt rule our palace.
Come.”
The magic chariot of carved ice ap
peared, and Arcticus, Fragila and Rosius
Hew joyously toward the North Star.
Beneath Hal’s tree, an old fairy dowa
ger, who was, perhaps, a bit of a gossip,
remarked to the usher that she hud
always been extremely desirous to ascer
tain the real cause of the peculiar yel
low color of the king’s hair. The usher
made no reply, but continued to bow
reverently in the direction in which the
chariot had passed long after it was out
of sight. This seemed so absurd that
Hal laughed aloud, when instantly the
whole multitude of fairies darted to
ward him, and he heard a frightful
noise, and felt himself falling from the
branch, and sinking—sinking —sinking.
The terrific noiso was merely Crambo's
bark of welcome to his master, who at
that moment entered the room, and the
sensation of falling was also due to
Crambo, who, springing up, uncere
moniously removed master Hal’s pillow.
“Cousin Kate, won't you please play
that tinkling IceDerg Galop?”
Everybody laughed at sleepy little
Hal, who, with flushed cheeks and
tangled hair, was asking for such strange
music. But he did not soon forget the
delicious fairy tones ho had heard in his
I dream, which he privately doubted, it
I all seemed so very real to him.
An Undesirable Kitchen ttirl.
From the Omaha Bee, Feb.
i >ne of the most curious c;ises of
mania that we have ever heard of came
to our notice this morning. A girl
about It) years of age, named Johannah,
a Swede, hired out as a servant girl in
the family of Mr. Hutt, who lives on
Thirteenth street. She did her duties
well, hut at times exhibited a wildness
that did not argue well for the sound
ness of her mind. However, as she
never did anything out of the way, very
little attention was paid to her spells,
and finally Mrs. Hint attributed them
more to her pcculiarties than to lunacy.
Last evening, Mr. and Mrs. Hutt went
out to visit a neighbor for a few mo
ments, leaving an infant 10 months old
in the girl’s care. On their return they
found the girl gone, nearly all the
dishes in the kitchen broken into frag
ments, all the chairs in the dining-room
piled on top of each other, and the babe
sleeping quietly on the floor under the
chairs. 'I hree windows in the parlor
were broKcn, the window curtains torn
down ami rolled into a bundle and
thrown into the yard. The kitchen
stove furniture was scattered all over
the floor, and the house was full of
smoke. All the girl's things were still
in the house, and it was evident she
had gone off bareheaded and barefooted.
This morning she returned to Mr. Hutt’s
house, and went about her work as
usual, seemingly not knowing that there
had been anything wrong. When ques
tioned she said she knew nothing about
how the breakages came, but was sure
she didn't, do it. Of course it wouldn't
do to keep her longer in the house, and
she was sent to her home across the
river. The damage she did, Mr. Hutt
says, will not fall short of $l5O.
Origin of Klssiug.
It is to wine drinking we owe the ori
gin of the kiss. After Maecenas caught
his wife sucking his finest wines
through the bungholo of the barrel
with a straw, the custom became gene
ral in Rome for the husbands to kiss the
lips of their wives that they might, dis
cover the qualities of their good la
dies’ stolen libations, and Cato, the el
der, recommends this plan to the seri
ous attention of all careful heads of
families.
The Steam Sand-Jet.
It is said that the steam sand-jet has
been applied to wood-engraving, the
decoration of marble, and the cleaning
of brass eastings. To engrave upon
wood with the sand blast, it is necessary
to photograph the object to he repro
duced upon the prepared surface of the
block, and this lieing exposed to the
blast with certain precautions, is on
graved in a few minutes. It is stated
that specimen engravings are soon to
to be published, which will afford the
public an opportunity of comparing the
work done by the sand-jet with hand
work. If the claims of those interested
in the process are well founded, the in
troduction of the new system will great
ly reduce the cost of wood-engraving,
and perhaps compel our engravers to
take more pains with their work. The
process cannot compete with hand work
in certain directions, and while it may
at first glance threaten to encroach
upon the interests of engravers, it will
very likely prove to be to their advan
tage in the end.
A Big Tiling for Cattle Men.
From the Springfield ltegutrr.
The Chicago and Alton Railroad,
with its customary enterprise, has pro
vided a new car for the express accom
modation of the cattle dealers and
drovers who ship eastward over its line.
It is the stock dealers’ sleeping coach,
and is one of the “ biggest things” out.
These cars are considerably longer than
the common freight car or caboose, and
are fitted up with comfortable bunks,
wash stands, cushioned seats, etc., etc.
The bunks can be u turned ui>” during
the day, and can be used for dining
reading and for all other purposes to
which an ordinary car is applicable.
These cars are most comfortably fitted
up with everything necessary to add to
the comfort of the occupants, and are
placed on each cattle train destined for
the great Eastern markets. They are
the best improvement ever made upon
our Western roads, ami the cattle
dealer who starts upon his long and
toilsome journey from here to New
York cannot fail to appreciate and en
joy them.
Risen from the Dead.
Mr. Fuss died at Menasha, Win., on
on Thursday last, and preparations were
made for the burial. The funeral was
postponed until Sunday, when the
friends of the deceased gathered to do
the last sad rite for the departed. Just
before the coffin was closed, some of the
friends noticed that the supposed corpse
was pet spiring quite freely. A physi
cian was called in, who proceeded to
bleed the man, when the blood flowed,
and ho soon came to, and recognized
the anxious mourners. lie is now
doing well, and is in a fairway of re
covery.
German Ironclads.
The irenclads in building in German
yards are to be armed with seven-inch
plate only, instean of teu-inch, as was
first designed. The turrets alone are to
be covered with stronger plates, and are
to be armed with two guns each of
twenty six centimetres. The engines
are fixed at 800 horse power for each
vessel, and one at least of these engines
is to be made in Germany. In couse
quence of the heavy expense incurred
by the building of the two great iron
clads at] Messrs. Samuda’s the construc
tion of German-built vessels will be
necessarily delayed. The naval esti
mates set apart annually 2,500,000
thalers for new vessels, but Messrs.
Sami da’s vessels alone cost over 4,000,-
000 each. They are to be plated with
as Htrong armor as the “ King William,”
and are expected to be completed before
the close of the year 187.1.
Infant Candidates for Matrimony.
Two juveniles from Illinois, aged res
pectively 16 and 14 years, were in Belle
vue. lowa, on Monday, inquiring for a
Justice. They were referred to the
venerable Justice adjoining the
telegraph office. Their business be
ing made known, which was to get mar
ried, after examining the couple the
Justice took charge of the intended j
bride, and the young bridegroom ab ]
sconded. The father of the little lady j
has been notified, and it is expected ;
that she will soon be taken home.
Another Kind of a Leap-Year Party.
The Dodgeville, Wis., Chronicle says a
young lady of Mifflin sent an invitation
by the constable, on Thursday of last j
week, to meet her at a justice's office in
Mifflin at a leap-year party. The gentle
man complied with the invitation, and
the meeting was adjourned to meet at
Dodgeville at the session of the Circuit j
Court, and the gentleman agreed to pay l
if he failed to be there.
The Uses of Cotton Seed.
Front the New Orleans journals we
learn that in that city there are six es
tablishments with aggegate capital of
$1,500,000, engaged in the manufacture
of oil and oil cake from cotton seed, the
product being 100,000 tons per annum.
The oil is extensively used in the manu
facture of Boap, and the oil cake is
shipped to the plantations for feeding
cattle.
Vaccine Virus.
Physicians and others who wish to
send vaccine virus to remote plac es, will
be interested in the fact that a crust
may bo preserved for months by keep
ing it covered with glycerine.
Economy being practiced in the Michi
gan State Prison, the soup recipe of
the institution cannot fail to be of in
terest to frugal young wives just begin
ning housekeeping. Just take 600
pounds of beef, 2 bushels of onions, 3
bushels of )>otato6s, 14 bushels of tur
nips, 50 pounds of barley, 10 )iounds of
salt, and 130 gallons of water, and boil
them together. This will give you a
good meal and you will have enough
left for poor pussy.
Rosweu. Burt, whocommittedsuicide
at Delavan, Wis., recently, did not com
mit the deed in a fit of remorse, as was
first stated. He was angry at his wife
for some cause, and attempted to
frighten her by pretending to hang
himself. He met with a slight accident
in his performance, and succeeeded in
f uot only scaring Mrs. Burt, but also in
making her a widow.
Stained.
RT *oß* TKRRY.
There are step* upon the §no*.
It was ■j>otlew once, and fair .
What eatin *ould it know.
Floating through the air?
Aina! upon the earth.
It fluttered and lay low.
Forgetful of its birth ;
And Hteps are on the anow.
There nre *top upon the snow .
It is trodden and unclean.
Wbat now Khali ever show
The wh’teness that hath been?
So dreamily and atill.
Out of heaven, sailing alow
Over forest, field, and hill:
But steps are on the snow.
There are steps upon the anow .
It i* Ktained witn mire and day;
When the raina of spring shall flow.
Will it wash them all away?
Ah ! when the weening rain
Drops heavily and alow.
It will w:u*h away the stain.
And vrush away the onow !
Farm and Harden.
Insects.— Nc wis tlip time to prevent
canker-worms from ascending the trees,
the warm days which often occur this
month being favorable for their move
ments. Their ascent can be partially
prevented by placing around the trunks
bands of paper which are to be kept
coated with tar. taking care to renew
the coating everv few days, or as often
as it hardens. Other methods, such as
a gutter of tin or lead surrounding the
trees, have been used, but the success
of all of these contrivances depends
upon constant inspection and care. A
great many tent-caterpillar's eggs can
be destroyed by carefully searching the
trees before they commence to develop
their leaves; the eggs are attached in
rings to the branches near the extremi
ties.
Sheltering Stock.— experiment made
in England shows that one hundred
sheep fed under one shelter on twenty
pounds of Swedish turnips each per
day. at the end of a few weeks had
gained three pounds each more than
another hundred which were fed twen
ty pounds of the same kind of turnips
each, but in the open air or field. Five
sheep were fed in the open air in No
vember, the temperature being at forty
four degrees. They consumed ninety
pounds of food per day. At the end of
ten days they weighod two pounds less
than when at first exposed. Five other
sheep were then placed in a shed, the
temperature being forty nine degrees ;
at first they consumed eighty-two
pounds per day, then seventy pounds,
and at the end of the time they had
gained twenty-three pounds. This is
proof sufficient of the advantage of
sheltering stock in winter.
Handling Beet. A Miohigan bee
keeper recommend smoking swarms
with cotton rags to make them submis
sive to handle. By this means he once
transferred 300 swarms to new quarters
without getting stung.
Seed Corn. —Soak doubtful seed corn
in chloride of lime and it will come. If
you soak seed corn in tar water in which
a little copper has been dissolved, the
gophers and crows will give it a wide
berth.
Rye for Milch Cows. —A foreign pa
per says : “ When rye is of good quali
ty, it certainly constitutes an excellent
food for all kinds of stock. Dairy cows,
fed daily on five pounds of rye meal and
a sufficiency of cut straw, have been
found to yield very large quantities of
milk. In Holland, which is famous for
its excellent butter, rye is a common
food for milch cows; and, indeed, gen
erally throughout northern and central
Europe there exists a great prejudice in
favor cf rye as a cattle food as there
is a prejudice against it in this coun
try.”
The Partridge the Agriculturist's Friend.
—At a meeting of horticulturists in Illi
nois strong ground was taken against
the destruction of these birds. To show
how useful this bird is it was stated that
a flock of partridges were seen running
along the rows of corn jußt sprouting,
and seeing them engaged in something
which was believed to be pulling up the
young plants, one of them was killed
and its “crop” examined, which was
found to contain one cutworm, twonty
one striped bugs, and over one hundred
chinch bugs. Another member related
that he had adopted measures te pro
tect the bird, and that they had become
so numerous and so tame that hundreds
of them, after snow falls, could be seen
in his barnyard with the fowls where
they were !“d. As a result of their
presence upon his premises his wheat
crops were unusually abundant, while
in many other places not far off the
chinch bug and other insects had de
stroyed half the crop.
Feeding from the Straw Stacks. —A cor
respondent of the Toronte Globe says :
“ Feeding cattle from the straw stack
certainly saves a great deal of trouble,
and as long as the best straw can thus
be picked over, and the refuse trampled
under loot, the stock may do well; but
when they come to the upper part of
the stack they will not eat halt of it,
and as that generally happens towards
the end of the winter, just when fod
der begins to run short, it then became
“ Hobson choice,” and, moreover, from
the wilful waste at the commencement,
the poor cattle are then compelled to
eat this portion up clean, as it is then
discovered that fodder will run short.
The fact is, such feeding, and from a
straw stack, in any case, is a miserable
arrangement. The cattle are poor, and
infested with vermin almost all winter,
and it is June before the old hair is all
off: whereas, if stabled, and fed with
straw from the barn, less fodder will do
by nearly one-tliird, and more manure
will be made, and the cattle and stock
will look sleek and well at the end of
April and beginning of May.”
Hints for the Housewife.
To Remove Lime Spots from doth. —
First use a stiff, dry brush to remove
any adhering lime, then rub the spots
with a cloth wet in cold vinecar, and
dry the garment.
To Cleanse Pie Plaits. —Place them in
a brass kettle with ashes and cold water,
heat the water gradually and boil one
hour. Wash in soap suds and rinse in
fair water.
Cleansiny Jars.—l Stone jars which have
become offensive and unfit for use may
be rendered perfectly sweet by packing
them full of earth, and lettng them
stand two or three weeks.
Indian Meal Cake.— One pint scalded
milk, or a half cup cream, or a pint of
sour milk, one teacupfnl of suet chopped
fine, a tablesjioonful of sugar, teaspoon
ful of salt, six good-sized sweet apples
chopped fine, three eggs well beaten,
and a small teasjioonfiil of soda. Beat
thoroughly, ami bake in a shallow pan.
Ijaundry Polish. —Take two ounces of
fine white gum arabic powder, put it
into a pitcher, and pour on a pint of
water; and then having covered it, let
it stand all night. In the morning pour
it carefully from the dregs into a clean
bottle, cork it, and keep it for use. A
tablespoonful of this gum water, aided
to a pint of starch made in the usual
manner, will give to lawns, either wli te
or printed, a look of newness, after they
are washed. It is excellent as a jiolisb
for shirt bosoms and other starched
linen.
Ham Balls.—Save all the small pieces
of boiled ham. such as aro usually
thought too |>oor or small to use : chop
fine and add as many eggs as there are
persons to eat; sprinkle with a little
flour; beat together with the chopped
ham and make into balls. Fry in hot
butter or well clarified drippings to a
golden brown.
To Boil a Ham. —Boil it three or four
hours, according to the size; then take
up, skin the wliole, as for the table;
stick in over it a dozen cloves ; rub over
it half a small cupful of sugar; sprinkle
thoroughly with poutided rusk ororacker
crumbs, and set into a well heated oven
for half an hour.
How to Boil Fresh Fish. —A “ traveled
gentleman” says the only proper way
to boil fresh fish is, after eviscerating it,
to sew it up in a linen cloth and plunge
it into hot water containing a little salt.
When done take it out, and cutting the
threads of the cloth down the back of
the fish, cut the skin of the fisli, so that
in taking off the cloth, the skin comes
off with it, leaving the fish “just deli
cious"’ Scaling the fish before cooking
it, he regards as very bad economy.
Welsh Rarebit. —Put into a frying-pan
a quarter of a pound of cheese cut up
into thin idicea. Pour on it half a pint
sweet milk. Stir in an egg that was al
ready beaten up, add a fourth of a tea
spoonful of mustard, a little less red
pepper, already ground, and a teaspoon
ful of nice butter. Stir this mixture all
the time. Then add, lastly, a few crackers
well broken up, and after thoroughly
incorporating them into the mixture,
turn it all into a heated dish and
cover it.
Composition Cake. — 1J pound of sugar.
If pound flour, f pound of butter, 1
pint milk, 4 eggs, half a gill of wine or
brandy, 1 teaspoonful of soda dissolved
therein, 1 nutmeg. Bake au hour and a
half. These quantities make three
loaves.
Sugar Cakes.—b pint of butter, lj
pint o sugar, 2 eggs, Juice and grated
rind of one lemon, b teaspoonful of soda
dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of milk,
a pinch of salt, flour enough to enable
the dough to be rolled out easily, a little
nutmeg. Roll thin. Out in shapes and
dry on a sieve after baking.
Fruit Cakc.—\ pound of flour, l pound
of brown sugar, b pound of butter, 1
pound of raisins, * pint of milk with f
teaspoonfuls of soda dissolved in it, 5
eggs, * gill of brandy, \ pound of citron,
1 teaspoonful of cloves, 1 teaspoonlul of
cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful of nutmeg.
A Good Tab's Sauce. —Take one gallon
of tomatoes, wash and simmei in three
quarts of water until nearly done.
Btrain through a sieve. Add two table
spoonfuls of each of these spices; gin
ger, mace, black pepper, allspice, and
salt, and one of Cayenne pepper. Boil
down to a quart. Pour in one-half pint
best vinegar, and then pasß through a
hair sieve. Bottle in half-pint bottles ;
cork and seal securely, and keep in a
cool place.
The Late Earl Mayo.
Earl Mayo, the late Governor General (
of India, who was recently assassinated f
by a Mahommedan convict, was about ‘
60 years of age. As Lord Nass, he .
served twenty-one years in the House of <
Commons, representing tirst the Irish ,
borough of Caleraine, and afterward the (
English borough of Cockermouth. He
was first called to too Cabinet upon the
success of the conservative party in
1852, when he was appointed Chief
Secretary for Ireland. Under the two
subsequent conservative governments,
that were inaugurated respectively in
1858 and 1866, he served in the same
capacity. When Disraeli was about to
dissolve his Cabinet in 1868, he appoint
ed the deceased, who had just succeeded
to the title of Earl Mayo upon the
death of his father, Governor General of
India. This disposal of the highest
office in the gift of the government,
just upon the eve of his retirement,
brought severe censure upon Mr. Dis
raeli, and it was expected that Mr. Glad
stone would resent the proceeding by
vacating the appointment. It is not
usual, however, to change colonial offi
cers with every change of the govern
ment, and Mr. Gladstone did not choose
to mak<* this an exception, especially as
he regal ded Earl Mayo as an unexception
able man. The deceased is said to have
been a most amiable and popular gen
tleman, and a high-minded and faithful
public officer.
Wouldn’t Compromise.
The editor of the Knoxville (Tenn.)
Press has received a visit from Mrs. Put
nam, the heroine of the famous broach
of promise case of Putnam vs. Davis, in
which she obtained a verdict of $4,000.
She says of her recreant lover: “It I
had not been certain that he had prop
erty 1 would never have brought the
action. Why, it has alrerdy cost ine. for
counsel fees and incidental expenses
about $2,000. He thought to fix things,”
continued Mrs. P.. “ but he didn’t un
derstand the law. Ilia property is to
be sold on the 20th of March, and, if
necessary. I’ll bid it in and move in on
him." Mrs. P. gleefully said that two
committees had waited on her since the
verdict was rendered, wishing to com
promise (anefhere Mrs. P. seemed Btruck
with the entire absurdity of the matter);
i “ but I never herrd of a compromise
after a judgment had been obtained.”
Scott county, 111., has lost 5,000 hogs
i during the past three months, of
. I cholera.
Editors and Proprietors.
NUMBER 24.
A Plea for Eggs.
Be gentle to the new-laid egg.
For egg* are costly things;
They cannot fly until they’re hatch’d.
And have a pair of wing*.
If once you breAk the tender shell.
The wrong you can’t redress;
The " yelk n and white will all run out.
And wake a dreadful *' moss I”
’Tis but a little while at best.
That hens have power to lay .
To morrow eggs may addled be.
That were quite fresh to-day.
0. let the touch be very light.
That takes them from the ksg ;
There is no hand whose cunning skill
Can mend a broken egg !
Tiro-Fold Province of JonrnalUm.
My lady fair comes from the ball;
(Hides frow her carriage, stately ;
The stops ascend— I hold her train—
Bids me "good night " sedately.
Her bearing makes me confident.
By that mysterious rustle.
When she retires, she first takes off.
Then sits and read* her bustle.
That's why they like the “quarto” best.
K’en in the highest station.
Ah l two fold powers of newspapers
For woman’s reformation.
—Boiton Traveller.
Wise and Otherwise.
Immersed in business — A teacher ot
swimming.
Bom watermen and wild Indians
feather their skulls.
The proprietor of a certain stage line
says he drove seventeen thousand miles
without missing a trip, hut he had not
gone to one ball before he tripped a
miss.
Look, out for mad dogs now. There
is nothing makes a dog so mad as to be
compelled to sit out by the door-step
this weather and howl to get in by the
stove.
“ How much corn may a gentleman est?” whis
pered P., -
Whils the cob. on hie plate lay in tiers:
“ As to that," answered Q . a lie glanoed at tha
" Twil/'depend on tho length of his oars.”
A friend who did the Coloradian
mountains last fall has informed us
that he got as ravenous as a raven
among the ravines, and sat down in one
of the gorgeous gorges and gorged him
self.
In Chiokaaaw county, Mississippi, Mr.
Lorenzo Day married Misa Martha
Week, upon which a local poet com
ments as follows :
A Pay is made, a Week is lost.
But time should not complain.
There’ll soon be little Days enough
To make the Week again.
A Connecticut fisherman one day
baited his hook with a live frog. After
patiently waiting some time for a bite, as
he chatted with a friend, he found that
his lively bait had swum ashore, and
was sitting quietly on the rock by his
side. He wound up his line and went
home.
A minister at a colored wedding wish
ing to make Rome humorous remark,
said, “On such occasions as this it is
customary to kiss the bride, but in this
case we will omit it.” To this ungallant
remark the indignant bridegroom very
pertinently replied, “ On such occasions
as this it is customary to give the min
ibter $lO, hut in this case we will
omit it.”
Thf. Boston Bulletin has tha follow
ing valuable mortuary list: Methusela
died of liver complaint. Lot’s wife of
salt rheum. Absolom fell a wig-time to
hairysipeles. Goliah died of the stone.
Ilaman of the dropsy. Nebuchad
nezzar of too much vegetable diet, leav
ing Mrs. N. a grass widow. John Bun
yan, troubled by corns, took his pill
grimly and progressed. Desdemona
also took a pill-ow. Samson was killed
by a pillag too. Montgolfier was
(s)pilled out ol a balloon. Julius
(Vesar was (s)killed in war. John Rog
era died of an overdone steak. Romeo
died of heart disease. Governor Hof)
man died his moustache.
Funny Street Car Incident.
An incident occurred on a San Fran
cisco horse railroad, recently. An el
derly and very portly lady passenger
signaled for the car to stop at a certain
street, but of course the rear platform
went a little beyond the dry crossing.
The. old lady growled a great deal, and
the conductor stepped off the car and
offered his hands to guide her to the
crossing, when, forgetting her exceed
ing weight, she sank bodily into his
outstretched arms, and, as a conse
quence, the conductor sat quietly down
in the mud, and the passenger fell over
his head. He Bwore and she stormed,
and the. other passengers laughed, but
being behind time, the conductor was
obliged to go on his way, leaving the
old lady trying to wipe the mud off her
clothes with a seven inch square hand
kerchief.
Hard to Manage.
Some wags were walking uround an
agricultural implement store, and they
chanced to see in the roar a dressed hog
hanging by a hook to the wall. ”Ha !
ha!” cried they to the young man in
attendance, “ what sort of an agricul
tural implement do you call that?”
That,” said h", “ is a patent combined
root grubber, corn-sheller, apple-grinder,
gate-lifter, double-action, back-spring
soil plow ; but I guess you won’t want
one, for it takes a mighty smart man to
manage ’em.”
A Dog Story.
On Thursday a fine Newfoundland
dog walked into the school-house on
Poplar street, Boston, entered one of
the dressing-rooms of the pupils, took
down the cap and coat of his young
master, and then gave an inquiring look
at the children, among whom he failed
to see the owner of the cap and coat.
Walking into a school room on the same
1 floor he found the object of his search
' and went up and affectionately kissed
J him. This is a true story, says the Bos
ton Herald.
> A maiden lady of Guilford, N. Y., of
i good character, liberal education, and
1 rare accomplishments, is laboring under
a most singular infatuation. Imagining
s she is engaged to be married, though
she has never seen her intended, she
; makes extended journeys to see or meet
i her betrothed. Failing once, nothing
’ discouraged, she starts off again.
At Virden, 111., last week, a child
, named Hilliard bit its tongue and bled
f to death before the flow could be
stopped.