Frostburg mining journal. [volume], March 16, 1872, Image 1

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

Image provided by: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

                
( . ||. WALKER A J. B. ODER,
VOLUME I.
Tliroutrli Lift*.
We pliaht the Rifts that every seas *n bear:*.
Anti let them I’all unheeded from our grasp.
In our great eagerness to reach and clasp
The promised treasure of the coining year;
Or else we mourn some treat good passed awav.
And, in the shadow of our grief shut in.
Refuse the lesser good we jet might win.
The offered peace and gladness of to-day.
So tnrough the chambers of our li'e we pass.
And leave them one by one, and never stay.
Not knowing how much pleasantness there was
In each, until the closing of the door
Has sounded through the house, and died away.
And in our hearts- wc sigh. ** For evermore.”
Coming.
Coming, coming, coming 1
Tell nobody whofc
Tis enough that one heart knows
Another heart is true.
Coming, coming, coming!
Tell nobody when ;
Let the quiet watcher
Watch alone till then.
Coming, coming, coming !
Tell nobody how:
As visitor, or messenger.
Or keeper of a vow.
AUNT BEBOBAH’S CONSPIRACY.
“Now, Aunt Deborah,” said the widow
Warren, “ tell me your honest opinion ;
what on earth is really the matter with
our poor dear Maria?”
“Well, there's a good deal, or maybe
there ain’t —1 don’t know. Sometimes
1 think it’s about everything, and
then again I think it ain’t nothin’
at all. Leastways, she keeps her bed
an’ seems to be wastin' away like. Doc
tor Jones can’t make it out.”
“Toor dear! And I’ve known so
many just such cases. The doctors
seem to be all at fault nowadays.”
The pretty widow sighed deeply as
she shook her flaxen curls over Aunt
Deborah’s oracular answer; but al
though she repeated her inquiry in all
the multiplicity of forms suggested by
her natural friendly interest, she failed
to observe anything more definite from
the careful discretions of Tom Brace
man’s spinster aunt. At last, after once
and again expressing her sympathy, not
only for “dear Maria,” but for “poor
Tom” himself, she brought her daily
visit to an end, and Aunt Deborah was
left to her own devices. A good old
soul was she, and, with all her strong
love for her nephew, and her pity for
his invalid wife, she was as keen as a
razor and a u deep as a well.
Busy as she seemed over her knitting
that summer afternoon, her thoughts
were busier than her lingers, and more
than once her shrewd old face flashed
with the light of new ideas ; but though
her tirm lips worked and quivered ami
smiled, not a sound escaped them until
she heard the feet of Doctor Jones on
the doorstep. Then, indeed, she broke
out with the exclamation :
“ 1 will ask him ! 1 will know the
whole of it, and see if 1 ain’t right.”
See him she did, before ever he went
into the sick chamber, and again when
he came out, and a good long talk they
had of it, for they were kindred spirits,
Aunt Debby and the doctor.
“Will it do to break the matter to
Tom ?" asked the doctor, just as he was
going.
“ No, indeed !” was the reply. “Least
ways, not yet. You see we can’t tell
how it may turn out. Maria may just
sink under it. for all we know. We’re
on dangerous ground, doctor, and we
must keep our secret.”
And so the doctor went away, leaving
Aunt Deborah looking more inscrutably
keen and solemn than ever.
The front room in the second story of
Toni Braceman’s home was one which
he loved to enter always, and whenever
he could, and yet, for all its books and
flowers, and what might have been its
beauty, its brightness and its refinement,
it was the shadow-ivom and disappoint
ment of the young man's life. Tom
tried hard not to see or feel the shadow,
hut it was always there, and even love
could not lift it, so long as his young
wife lay on the white bed in the coiner,
in that strange, fretful, lingering, incom
prehensible illness.
They had been married but two years,
and, though the first had been shoit
enough, the second seemed to Tom a
troubled sort of eternity, for during al
most the whole of it Maria had been
pining and wasting away on the bed in
the corner!
So slowly she had wasted, too, yetting
up, every now and then, daily, for weeks
at a time, and only seeming more
wretched than when sho was in bed;
and poor Tom was often at his wit’s end
with the dubious and unconsolatory in
formation vouchsafed him by the doc
tor. lie had no doubt of the skill and
science of the old physician, not a
doubt, but he did wish that something
might be done for Maria, and so he
brought her more books and flowers,
and went away later and came home
earlier, and still his wife pined and fret
ted away, and talked of being a burden
to him, and even suggested, once or
twice, that he might one day be happier
with some one else, rather than such a
helpless invalid as herself.
“ 1 don’t think 1 shall trouble you
long, Tom,” said she, mournfully, on
the morning after Aunt Deborah’s talk
with the doctor. “Not very long.”
“Oh, Maria!” groaned Tom.
“ Yes, Tom, 1 know myself better
than you do, or the doctor.”
Just then, the clear, strong and some
what exasperating voice of Aunt Debo
rah was heard at the floor, and Tom's
answer died upon his lips. Whatever
it might have been, or what feelings it
would have expressed, Tom showed no
emotion externally; nor did he fail to
extend a hearty, perhaps too hearty
greeting to the pretty and smiling Widow
Warren, as Aunt Deborah ushered her
into the sick room.
It was her customary call; but this
time Tom did not stop to gossip, but
caught up bis hat and hurried away.
In vain the pretty widow did her best,
that morning, to cheer and enliven the
drooping spirit of the poor invalid;
hardly a breath of life seemed to re
main in the almost inanimate frame of
Maria Braeeman; and, at last, both the
widow and Aunt Deborah abandoned
their charitable efforts at encourage
ment, and conversed in low, monoto
nous tones with one another.
“ What does the doctor say now ?”
anxiously inquired the widow.
“ He don’t seem to know,” murmured
Aunt Deborah. “ Leastways he won’t
tell. He says she's in a bad way for
want of sleep. That’s what I'm goin to
keer for as soon as it’s time for her
medicine. She'll sleep sound enough,
poor soul, and I hope it’ll do her some
good.
“ Poor dear," said the widow, “ I
hope so. No one oan hope to get well
without sleep. 1 know that myself.”
If the invalid heard or understood
what was said, at least she gave no
visible or audible token; nor did she
even arouse herself to sav goodbye
when at last the widow had finished her
“ errand of mercy,” and went away.
Hardly had the latter disappeared,
however, when Avint Deborah an
nounced that it was time for Maria to
lake her medicine : and the sick woman
had learned that there was no appeal
from the mandates of the doctor and
his ally. So she quietly raised her
drooping heard, and swallowed, without
a murmur, the by no means agreeable
draught that had been prepared for her.
“ Now, dear,” said Aunt Deborah,
“ Doctor Jones says you will havea nice,
resting, refreshing sleep; and I won’t
let no one disturb you.”
The invalid said nothing, hut sank
helplessly back, and closed her eyes,
while her astute guardian betook her
self to her knitting, until Doctor Jones
should come to take note of the effects
of his prescription.
She did not have long to wait—less
than an hour—and then the stealthy
tread of the man of science, its sound
modulated for sick ears hv long practice
in such approaches, came all but noise
lessly up the stairs, and toward the door
of the sick chamber.
“Maria,” said Aunt Deborah, in a
low tone, “ Doctor Jones is come.”
But no voice answered from the bed,
and it was evident that the potion,
whatever it was, had done its work,
for if Maria Braceman aroused herself
at no other time, she did at the ap
proach of her physician.
“She 'pears to be sleeping, doctor,”
hoarsely whispered Aunt Deborah. “ I
gave her the whole on it at one dose.”
“That’s right; maybe the sleep'll
steady her poor nerves. Don’t she look
pretty, though, as she lies there?”
“ Bah, Doctor Jones! and you an old
married man, and a grandfather ! Any
how, I will say she's prettier than Widow
Warren, any day.”
“(if course she is; but, then, you
can't altogether blame Tom, under the
circumstances. He’s done pretty well,
I think.”
“ Perhaps he has, seein' he ain't had
a wife, to speak of, for more’n a year.
Still, it seems kind o’ strange of a man
to be calculatin’ on what’s goin’ to c r me
hereafter, while his first wife’s alive—
and so pretty as that, too.”
“Well,” heartlessly muttered Doctor
Jones,” he'll have less time to waste in
courting, one of these days.”
“ Hush I You might wake her up.
'Pears to me as if it was enough to make
her turn in her grave if she knew it.
Let's go down stairs.”
They did so; but not even their
strange talk had brought a sign of life
into the silent face on the pillow, unless
a faint flush on either cheek could
count for such. After they had gone,
however, a slow, gradual, singular
change began to make itself manifest.
At lirst, Mrs. Braceman stirred uneasily
in the bed, as if troubled by her dreams,
or as if the sleeping potion she had
taken had caused restlessness, instead
of slumber. Then her still red and
pretty lips opened, and quivered like a
hurl child's; and then her blue eyes
peeped timidly out, as if to see if she
was, indeed, alone.
“ Tom !” she muttered, “ Tom— my
Tom, and Widow Warren ? .She isn’t
good enough for Tom! I ain’t good
enough for Tom ! Have I been bad to
him? If I hadn’t been, he wouldn't
wan’ther. Does he want her? Oh,
how can he, and I still here! Tom ?
Tom Braceman and the Widow War
ren ? He’s a wicked fellow to think ot
such a thing ! I won't have it! He
shan't have her ! It shan't be so !”
By slow degrees, the faint Hirsh had
deepened on Mrs. Braeeman’s cheeks,
until they wore more the look of life
than they had done for many a day ;
and then she suddenly found herself
sitting bolt upright in bed.
“ 1 can t prevent it by staying here,”
she said to herself. “ and I will prevent
it, for she shan’t have him 1”
An hour later, a light carriage drove
up in front of the little cottage across
the way, and a gentleman helped a lady
to alight from it, just a moment before
Aunt Deborah came up stairs again, to
see it liar patient was still sleeping.
Sleeping? Anything but that, for an
excited, trembling form, in a white
wrapper, came forward to meet the old
laly on the very tlireshhold.
“Maria Braceman I you up? And
put on your wrap all alone? I’d no
idea that medicine would help you so
quick ; it’s wonderful, I declare!”
"Aunt Deborah,” sternly demanded
Maria, “ was that Tom that just came
home with Widow Warren?”
“ Yes, dear, 1 reckon it was, and the
widder’s promised to corns in here, and
spend the rest of the day. .She's goin’
to stay to tea, and if you can keep up,
we'll have it in your room. You can lie
down if you want to. and it'll be real
nice.''
For a moment Maria looked Aunt
Deborah full in the face, and struggled
hard to say somethin •, and then she
turned, and tottered toward the bed.
“She shan't come! I won't have
her ! She shan’t come yet—not while
I’m alive I Oh, Tom—Tom Braceman,
I wouldn't have dreamed you could be
so wicked !” and the poor invalid wife
threw herself down in a passion of hys
terical weeping. Aunt Deborah did her
best to console her, and even to excuse
Tom ; but in the very words she used
for the latter purpose there was fresh
fuel for the tierce Hamo of poor Maria’s
jealousy, and she refused to be pacified
or comforted.
“When Tom comes home,’’ she said
at last, “tell him I’m asleep, and can’t
sec hint. I don’t want to sfe anybody.
1 wan’t to be all alone by myself.''
It was by no means tho first time that
Tom Braceman’s return had met with
such a welcome ; and so, when he came,
he sat quietly down to tea with his aunt
and the pretty widow, little dreaming
An Independent Paper—Devnied to Literature, Mining, Commercial, Agricultural. General and Local News.
FROSTBURG, ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND, SATURDAY, MARCH 1(5. 1872.
of the storm that was brewing Kterally
“ over his head.”
As they sat there, enjoying them
selves—that is, all but Tom—they might
have heard a faint rustle of robes in the
entry, if they had been listening; hut
they were not, and chatted on uncon
sciously.
“ Uh ! Mr. Braceman !” said the pretty
widow, “I am so much obliged lo you
for my ride. Mother was real gHad to
see me, and I had a good long visit with
her. Some day you must take me
again.”
“ I will, with pleasure,” said Tom; “ I
feel so grateful toyou for your kindness
to poor Maria. It's so good of you to
come and see her as you do. I’d do
anything for any one that was good to
Maria."
“ Yes, and no doubt all the time you
wished it waß her instead of me.”
It was a foolish speech to make to,
any woman’s husband; but l orn was ’
not compelled toanswerit, for just then i
the door opened, and to their unbound
ed astonishment, in walked Maria
Braceman in her white wrapper.
“Indeed he did,” she said, as she
came In, with a strange Hinile on her
flushed face. “ I've no doubt he did,
and I’ve no doubt he'll be glad of his
wife’s company to tea with him again.
Now, Tom—oh, Tom, ain't you glad?”
Tom forgot the widow and Aunt De
borah, and hugged his wife for all the
world as if they had not been there, 1
putting her down, when he had done,
in the place at the tea tray, which Aunt
Deborah had discretely vaca ed.
It was a funny, queer sort of a tea
after that, and would have been uncom
fortable, perhaps, for Maria was more
than a little odd in her manners; but
Doctor Jones came in shortly, and
promptly ordered Tom to take his wife
up stairs. Tom did so, and as he dis
appeared from the room the doctor whis
pered to Aunt Deborah .
“ I reckon that counter-irritant has
worked for this once; but wo must keep
it up. If she’ll only make up her mind
now that Tom shan't have a chance at
anybody for a second wife ; it’s all in
her own mind, you know.”
“ I reckon she will,” said Aunt Debo
rah.
Widow Warren looked on in blank
amazement, and just for common kind
ness they were compelled to let her into
the conspiracy. There had only been a
make-believe sleeping-draught, and the
ride had been a part of the plan. Tom
himself had been as innocent as a dove;
but be reaped the benefit of the
“ counter irritant,” for, from that day
forward, Maria Braceman never gave
him any reason for discussing with him
self any possible future of which she
should not be a part, and the shadow
was rapidly lifted from the bright, sunny,
pleasant, loving, upper front room.
Young Man, You’re Wanted.
A woman wants you : don’t forget
her. No matter if you are poor, don't
wait to be rich ; if you do, ten to one if
you are fit to be married. Marry while
you are young and struggle up together.
Hut mark, young man, the woman don’t
wantyou if she is to divide her affections
with a cigar, spittoon or whiskey jug.
Neither does she want you if you don't
take care of her and the lit
tle afterthoughts which are
pretty sure to follow. Neither does she
want you simply because you are a man,
the definition of which is too apt to be
—an animal that wears bifurcated gar
ments on his lower limbs ; a quarter sec
tion of stove pipe on his head, swears
like a pirate, and given to filthy prac
tices generally. She wants you for a
companion, for a helpmate—she wants
you to have learned to regulate your
appetite and passions ; in fact the image
of God, not in the likeness of a beast.
If you are strong in a good purpose,
firm in resistance to evil, pure in
thought and action as you require her
to be, and without which inward purity
neither of you are fit to be husband and
wife: if you love virtue and abhor rice,
if you are gentlemanly, forbearing and
kind, and not loud talking, exacting
and brutal —young man that woman
wants you ; that modest, fair, cheerful,
right-looking, frank-spoken woman we
mean, who fills your idea of maiden and
wife. It is she that wants you—marry
her when you like, whether rich or poor ;
we’ll trust you both on the above con
ditione, without any further security.
Training Birds to Catch Fisli.
From a Chinese Letter iu Land and Water.
On the 9th of April we left Shanghai
in two Soochow traveling boats. On
the following day we met a fleet of cor
morant boats with their feathered occu
pants. We anchored here to see these
strange looking birds perform their
work, which they did very creditably,
and we were much pleased to see how
completely the boatmen had their birds
under control. The birds stood on the
gunwales of the boats, and at a signal
overboard they went, quickly returning
to their owners with their one or two
tinny captives. It was wonderful to see
with what rapidity they swam under
the water (the creek was so beautifully
clear that all tile movements of the
submerged birds were clearly discerna
ble), and how accurate they were in
darting after the fishes, seldom making
a miss! After watching them for some
time, and having stocked our larder
with fresh fish (chiefly chub, carp and
perch, of one-quarter to two pounds
weight) we continued on our journey.
On the morning of the 12th, we ar
rived at a small village, Tong see, wheie
we again had the pleasure of seeing the
working of the fishing cormorants, and
noticed in this case that the boats had
only one man in each, who, provided
with a long bamboo, used it in propel
ling his canoe along, and anon striking
the water and shouting loudly at any
of the birds that were lazily inclined,
when the laggards immediately dived,
and soon came to the boat to deposit
the fruit of their labors.
The Protestant Kpiscopal is the most
wealthy church in New York, owning
property valued at $7,500,000, and has
accommodation for sixty thousand.
The Roman Catholic Church ranks next,
having edifices valued at $5,400,000,
with accommodations for fifty-six thous
and. The Presbyterian Church* ranks
third, and the Methodist Episcopal
fourth.
Farm and Garden.
Preparing Tree Seeds for Planting. —As
I long as the cold, freezing weather con
tinues, hard shell Reeds and nuts may
I be prepared for planting next spring.
It is very often the ease that a few nuts
orotlier coarse seed have been laid aside
in the fall and neglected, until they
have become so dry that there would be
little chance of growing if planted in the
same condition next spring. All such
seeds and nuts desired for planting
should be soaked for a few hours in
warm water, then mixed with sand or
soil, and placed out of doors where they
will not freeze, or at least remain cool
and moist until wanted for planting.
Apple, pear, cherry, peach, plum, and
other fruit tree seed may be treated in
this way with benefit. All the larger
species of nuts, as well as Osage and
other hedge plant seeds, require similar
{(reparation to make them grow readily.
Mitch Cows. —A rural proverb says:
“ That which comes out in the pail must
go in at the mouth,” and it is a well
established fact that a large flow of milk
aannot be produced without abundance
of suitable food. A cow comfortably
wintered, and fed and watered with
regularity, will yield more milk than
one exposed to cold and irregularly fed,
even with plenty of the best provender.
liran or shorts, or any product of wheat,
is good for milk. Potatoes fed to milch
cows produce large quantities of milk
which is rich in butter. Pumpkins are
good, but the seeds should be extracted,
as they possess strong diuretic proper
ties. Careful experiments go to show
that green, succulent food is more favor
able to the production of milk than dry,
and that of dry food the richest in nitro
genous matter best promotes the milk
secretion. A change of dietoccasionally
is very beneficial to milch cows as well
as to all other kinds of live stock.
Transplanting Evergreens. —lt is a mis
take to suppose that the same rules ap
ply to evergreens as to deciduous trees.
The latter may be set out cn the fall or
spring as best suits the convenience.
But evergreens very rarely live if trans
planted in the fall. !Nor will they en
dure to be moved vary early in the
spring, like other trees. They are more
tender and less tenaoioasof life. Many
people, overlooking this fact, have trans
planted iR early spring, and met with
ill success, even when great care has
been taken. The tiest timo to trans
plant evergreens is late in the spring,
just at or before the period of active
growth. It is comparatively easy to
move them at that time, say toward the
end of May, and no other time will an
swer as well. Another caution is to be
strictly observed, and that is not to ex
pose their soft and tender roots to the
sun or the drying wind. This is far
more important with evergreens than
with other trees. Ten minutes exposure
of the fibrous roots to sun and winds is
almost sure death. Keep them covered
with moss or matting till ready to set
out .—Massachusetts Ploughman.
Pee Feeder. —Make a frame say, six
inches square, of sluts one inch or
more wide; cover this one side with
thin muslin, drawing the edges of the
cloth up all around the frame on the
outside, and tacking them to the top.
Then make another frame of slats half
an inch wide and six inches square.
This is nailed on the bottom, leaving
the muslin between the frames. The
feeder may be placed over any sized
hole in the honey board, where the
bees can readily pass under it, without
obstruction or having to climb several
inches. By removing the honey board,
it can be set on the frames ; but it will
then be necessary to lay something over
the top.
The Pest Breed of Fowls.— What breed
shall I get? This is the question asked
by the beginner in poultry keeping, or
by him who is dissatisfied with the com
mon fowls in his possession, and who
wants to try “ one of these craeked-up
breeds there is such a hue and cry
about.” We reply as we have repeatedly
done. Do not expect that you can keep
any variety of blooded fowls with sue
cpss under the ordinary random manage
ment. High bred fowls are capable of
returning extra results for extra care;
but many varieties will perish if forced
to roost out of doors in winter, and pick
up a meagre diet in the barn-yard, as
we have seen the common sort do. The
latter will live almost anywhere, but
will afford little profit or none at all. A
blooded breed chosen and managed
wisely will give a greater amount of
flesh or a greater yield of eggs, in pro
portion to the grain consumed, than any
barn yard variety. But do not aim to
perpetuate the artificial fancy points in
the breed you may select, if you value
utility, but choose breeding stock with
solo reference to stamina.
Hints for the Housewife.
Tincture of Iron in Acute Rheumatism. — I
I)r. J. Russell Reynolds reports in the
Itri'ish Medical Journal eight cases of acute
rheumatism successfully treated by the
tincture of iron. The pain was relieved
very rapidly, and convalescence speedily
established. In some! of the cases the
heart was implicated. The quantity
given was lifty or sixty drops every six
hours.
Varnish far Carved Work. —The follow
ing is highly recommended as a “ polish
varnish One ounce white rosin and
one ounce of seodlac, dissolved in half
a pint of alcohol. Lay on with a brush,
warm ; and warm the work, if possible ,
at any rate, have it thoroughly dry.
Knives. — Clean with a soft flannel and
Bath brick. If rusty, use wood ashes,
rubbed on with a newly cut bit of Irish
potato. This will remove spots when
nothing eho will. Keep your best set
wrapped in clean white paper; then in
linen, in a drawer, out of damp and
dust. Nover dip the ivory handles of
knives in hot water.
To Remove Acid Stains and Restore Color.
—When color on a fabric has been do
stroyed by acid, ammonia is applied to
neutralize the same, after which an ap
plication of chloroform will, in almost
all cases, restore the original color. The
application of ammonia is common;
but that of chloroform is but little
known. Chloroform will also remove
paint from a garment or elsewhere
when benzine or bisulphide of carbon
fails.
To Clean Cane Chair- Bottoms. Couches ,
etc. —Turn up the chair-bottom, and
with hot water and a sponge wash the
cane-work, so that it may be thoroughly
soaked. Should it be dirty, use a little
soap. Let it dry in the air, and it will
be as tight and firm as when new, pro
vided the cane is not broken.
Ox-Tail Simp. —Take two tails, divide
them at the joints, soak them in warm
water. Put them in cold water into a
gallon pot or stew-pan. Skim off the
froth carefully. When the meat is
boiled to shreds, take out the bones, and
add a chopped onion and carrot. Use
spices and sweet herbs, or not, as you
prefer. Boil it three or four hours. Add
a little celery.
Peefsteakßolls. —Cut small, thin steaks
from the round—fry them lightly;
make a Bluffing as for roast veal or tur
key ; spread it over the steak, roll them
up tightly, and sow or tie up neatly.
Stew them in rich beef stock, or brown
gravy, twenty minutes, and serve hot,
with the gravy poured over. A half tea
cup of rich cream, added a few minutes
before serving, is a great improvement.
A Sweet Potato Vine. —A sweet potato
vino is a curiosity which few realize un
til they try to cultivate one. It is scarcely
any trouble. Put a sweet potato in a
tumbler of water, or any similar glass
vessel, fill with water, keep the lower
end of the tuber about one or two inches
front the bottom of the vessel, keep on
the mantel shelf, sun it for an hour or
two each day, and soon littlo roots will
appear, the eye will throw up a pretty
vine, and grow rapidly over any trellis
work above.
Bread Pudding , without Milk or Eggs. —
Take one peund of stale bread, a half
pound of currants, a quarter pound of
sugar, and one teaspoonful of ginger.
Pour boiling water on the bread, and
when cool and properly soaked, press
out the water and mash the bread, add
ing the sugar, currants, ginger, and a
little salt and grated nutmeg ; mix the
whole well together; put in a buttered
dish, laying a few small pieces of butter
on the top, and bake in a moderate oven :
when baked, let it remain a few minutes,
then turn it out on a flatdish, and serve
either hot or cold.
Water-Proof Dressing for Boots anil Har
ness.—One of the raostimportant means
of preserving health, especially at this
season, is to keep the feet dry and warm.
Farmers and others who are exposed to
wet and cold would find the following
composition very valuable, as a protec
tion and a preservative tor their boots.
It is also excellent as a dressing for har
ness : neats foot oil, li pint; beeswax, 1
ounce; spirits turpentine, 1 ounce; pine
tar, 1 ounce. Molt and mix together,
and stir until cold. Spread and rub this
composition over the leather while it is
damp ; leather will absorb oil and grease
better when damp than when dry. For
the soles Lake pine tar, and rub it in be
fore a fire until the soles will absorb no
more. Three or four applications will
be needed. The durability of the solos
will be much increased.
The Third Commandment Not Good for
a Car Ride.
The Now York correspondent of the
Boston Journal tells the following amus
ing story :
A well-known Doctor of Divinity was
riding the other day in a streetcar in
company with a friend. Hois a positive
man and resents an insult quite vehe
mently. Earnestly engaged in conver
sation, he handed the conductor a
ticket as he came to collect the fare.
The conductor did not move on. As he
remained studying the ticket, the doc
tor’s attention was attracted toward the
official, who seemed to be highly inter
ested in the car ticket. He read it,
smiled, shook his head, and finally said
to the doctor : “ This may be all very
well, but the ticket is not good on this
line.” “ What's the reason it’s not
good, I should like to know?” said the
testy doctor. “ It’s one of your own
tickets ; 1 bought it this morning.” “ 1
guess not,” said the conductor. The
altercation drew the attention of all the
passengers. “ This is -very good advice,
but it will not pass you over this line
and the conductor read : “ Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord thy God
in vain.” An explosion followed—
amid which the doctor paid his fare
and left the car. He has concluded to
keep his religious cards in one pocket
and his car tickets in another.
Scripture Knowledge.
London papers relate curious stories
of the blunders made by Oxtord under
graduates in the Scripture examination
which they have to pass before taking
their degrees. It is told of one that
when asked who was the first King of
Israel, he was so fortunate as to stumble
upon the name of Saul. He saw that
he had hit the mark, and, wishing to
show the examiners how intimate his
knowledge of the Scripture was, he
added, confidently, “Saul—also called
Paul.” Another was called upon to
mention “ the two instances recorded in
Scripture of the lower animals speak
ing.” The under graduate thought for
a moment, and replied, “ Balaam's
ass.” That is one, sir. What is the
other?” Under-graduate paused in
earnest thought. At last a gleam of
recollection lit up his face as he replied,
“The whale! The whale said unto
Jonah, • Almost thou persuadest me to
be a Christian !’ ”
The Oldest Inhabitant.
The Los Angelos, Cal., News has the
following : There is at present living at
the San Gabriel Mission, and old native
California lady, whose eyes have seen
the passing away of several generations.
She claims to be 132 years old. She was
a mother at the time the Mission Church
was built—lo 2 years ago. Her hair is
as white as driven snow, but her eye
sight is as keen as that of a child, and
her step as firm as that of a woman a
century younger. She is an expert as a
worker of embroidery, and executes the
finest work without the aid of glasses.
Every day, weather permitting, she may
be seen in the tields or orchards near
by her residence, busy at work with her
needle.
Madame Lynch, the mistress of Lopez,
Dictator of Paraguay, is dying at her
home, in the south of France.
Superior.
From the New York Tribune.
Southward of Lake Superior stretches,
for more than a hundred miles, a wild
erness broken by but few mining settle
ments or lumbermen's camps. The
eastern half of this region was most
absurdly attached to Michigan on her
admission as a State, with intent to con
sole her for the loss of Toledo—con
ceded to the power rather than the
right of Ohio. The western half forms
a part of Wisconsin. Ultimately. Michi
gan and Wisconsin will cedo it all to
form a new State nearly of the size and
conformation of Tennessee, which will
probably be named Superior.
This region is the seat of the only
considerable copper production as yet
developed in our country—a production
which has thus far absorbed many more
dollars than it has returned. A very
few companies have profited by copper
mining, but many more have lost. We
trust that, with ripened experience and
greater accessibility, the copper district
will yet prove a source of wealth. The
product is the finest in the world ; the
copper being quite generally alloyed
with silver, which gives it unusual
value. Many specimens of pure silver
have been obtained, but no silver mines
of decided value have yet been dis
covered ; though just across the lake,
on a petty islet near the shore, there
has recently been opened what appears
to be one of the richest veins of silver
ever yet discovered.
But by far the most important mineral
product of this region is iron. The
iron of the Marquette district is mar
velously pure and abundant. Of the
scant two million tons of pig iron
smelted in this country in 1871, very
nearly one-third was fused from this
ore; nearly one million tons having
been mined and sent away. The fur
naces of northeastern Ohio and north
western Pennsylvania are largely sup
plied with the Marquette ore, though it
costs them an average of $8 per ton, or
sl2 for the ore that makes a ton of pig
metal—the yield being nearly or quite
06 percent. If the metal were not re
markably good, and largely required
for conveision into Bessemer and other
steel, so high a price could not be
afforded. But Michigan, Wisconsin,
Illinois, and Indiana, also largely pro
duce iron from the Marquette ore, and
are rapidly increasing the product.
But for the railroad from Marquette
to Escanaba on a bay of Lake Michigan,
it would not have been possible to ex
port half of this volume of ore. That
railroad, early constructed through a
pathless and swampy wilderness, has
greatly aided the development of our
iron industry, and has, we trust, proved
a good investment to its enterprising
stockholders. We learn that all the
iron mines vet opened have satisfactory
orders for all the ore they can supply
throughout 1872.
But southwest ward of the Marquette,
district, on the Menominee river, which
here forms the boundary between Michi
gan and Wisconsin, there is another
iron district, larger than the former and
claimed to be equally rich, pure, and
facile, which is very soon to be opened
by the extension thereto of the Chicago
and Northwestern railroad, now not
many miles distant. This region is
mainly ownod by the Portage Lake and
Superior Ship < 'anal Company. Its ores
have been thoroughly tested and pro
nounced entirely free from phosphorus,
sulphur, rnd arsenic—in short, contain
ing the best iron. It is calculated that
large quantities of charcoal pig will be
made on the ground, clearing it of the
heavy timber which now covers it, and
that the almost fabulous growth of the
Marquette product, from 1,000 tons of
ore in 1855 to nearly 1,000,000 tons in
1871, will be eclipsed by the develop
merit of the more accessible and more
extensive beds and hillocks of the Me
nominee. So let the Northwest dupli
cate its blast furnaces at once, and pre
pare to supply itself abundantly with
the choicest hwme-made iron, eschew
ing future dependence on either Great
Britain or Pennsylvania.
Huxley on Education.
Prof. Huxley, in his lecture last month
on education and government, said:
He wished that every woman-child born
into the world were trained to be a lady,
and every man-child were trained to be
a gentleman. But he did not use these
much-abused words byway of dis
tinguished people who wore fine
clothes and lived in fine houses, and
talked ar stocratic slang, from those
who went abroad in fustian and lived in
back slums, and talked gutter slang.
Some inborn plebian blindness, per
haps, prevented him from understand
ing what advantage the former had over
the latter. Thoughtfulness for others,
generosity, modesty and self-respect
were the qualities that made the real
gentleman or lady, as distinguished by
the veneered article that went by the
name. He by no means wished to ex
press any sentimental preference for
Lazarus over Dives, but on the face of
the matter one did not see why the
practice of those virtues should he more
difficult in one state of life than in an
other ; and any one who had a wide ex
perience among all sorts and conditions
of men would, he thought, agree with
hi .. that they were as common in the
lower ranks of life as in the higher.
Ten Years of Journalism in Germany.
A German newspaper directory which
has just been published gives a satis
factory account of the progress of
journalism in the last ten years. What
is now called the German Empire pos
sessed at the beginning of that period
only 1,184 daily papers, but the number
has risen to 1,743. The press has de
veloped most rapidly and most sue
cessfully where neither caution money
is required from the proprietors nor a
newspaper tax levied. Prussia, the
most backward in this respect, has
raised its contingent of journals only
from 670 to 954, whereas Bavaria has
addect 111 to its 139 of 1862, and Baden
has even multiplied its public organs by
150 per cent. Rhenish Prussia is the
province most favorable to the journal
istic trade, 165 daily pap* rs falling to
its share; Bradcnburg follows by the
aid of Berlin. Mecklenburg, the coun
try reported most inimical to progross,
has raised its number of journals from
24 to 51.
Editors and Proprietors.
NUMBER 25.
Current Items.
The cities of Minneapolis and St.
Anthony have been united under the
name of Minneapolis.
Olympia, Washington Territory, with
a population of about 1,500, supports
two daily and six weekly new papers.
Official mortuary records show New
York to bo the unliealthiest city in the
Union except New Orleans. Now
Y'orkers try to explain away the ghastly
figures by the statement that it iH
swollen by an exceptionally complete
record.
The water-pipes of .lackson, Mich.,
are frozen solid, and there are appre
hensions of great damage if a fire should
break out. Peoria, 111., and other
Northern cities where the Holly system
has been introduced are similarly
afflicted.
The work of widening the dellsof the
Wolf river, Wis., was commenced last
week. These dells are natural cuts
through which the river passes, and are
100 feet high, 400 feet long, and only 11
feet wide. They will be opened to a
uniform width of 20 feet.
The Montreal Net os says the first in
stalment of the new silver coin has just
arrived from the mint, being $50,000 in
the larger coins, that is, half and quar
ter dollars. The smallerdenominations
have been delayed by the breakage of
dies, but will not be long behind.
The handsome young girls in the
churches at Kalamazoo, Mich., are de
puted to take up the collections. The
scheme is said to have worked very suc
cessfully. Some of the very attractive
collectors are frequently called back by
young men to receive, a second collec
tion. The Kalamazoo deacons know
something.
William H. Boyle raised on ten acres
of land in East Hartford, last year, an
average of 29,600 pounds of tobacco,
which he sold at 55 cents through, mak
ing his total crop worth $16,2,80. Mr.
Boyle claims that tobacco call be raised
for $3lO a ton, allowing liberally for
manure, interest on land, etc.
The Supremo Court of Maine is turn
in" its attention to natural history. Its
last discussion was as to the standing of
an oyster, and, after a thorough study
of the habits of the bivalve, it pro
nounced it a fish. The vexed question
is settled unless the oyster should ap
peal to the Supreme Court of the United
States.
A machine has been invented in Utah
for killing grasshoppers. It is drawn
by horses, and consists of a large apron,
which picks up the insects as it is drawn
forward. Behind the apron is a pair of
rollers, driven by the carrying wheels,
and whatever find its way into the front
of the machine is obliged to pass be
tween these rollers.
In the Chicago rostottioe, the other
day, there was found in the mails a
newspaper containing SI 10, which the
simple-minded sender was trying to
forward to England under a two-cent
stamp 1 The name of the party mailing
the paper could not be ascertained, and
the valuable package went to the Dead
better Office.
A famous beast — the “ Mad Elephant
of Mandla”—has just been killed, after
a long and arduous hunt. The infuri
ated beast, had been roaming for months
through Central India doing enormous
damage, lie had torn down a number
of houses, demoralized the crops, and
killed or mutilated over fifty human
beings, some of whom he ate.
William F. Fox, of Uomnoy, lud.,
near Lafayette, an old and well-known
citizen, passed through that city, on his
way home, in charge of attendants, with
his mind completely deranged. He
had been to Butlalo with a drove of cat
tle for sale, and while thero the market
declined, entailing a great pecuniary
loss to him in his speculation, which i-,
supposed to be the cause of his afflic
tion.
The Kooka Executions.
The London Times publishes the fol
lowing telegram from its correspondent
at Calcutta, dated Feb. 3 :
“ Further information has been re
ceived which shows who is responsible
lor the Kooka executions. After the
complete suppression of the mutiny,
Deputy Commissioner Cowan selected
fifty men to be shot. Upon the scene
of execution one broke away, ran a Mr.
Cowan, and was cut down. The others
were blown from guns on Deputy Com
missioner Cowan’s own responsibility.
Mr. Forsyth, the Commissioner at Um
balla, executed sixteen move. The
whole band, which numbered 300, lias
been literally hunted down ; sixty-six
men and two women, terrified, half
famished, and twenty-nine of them
wounded, submitted in the end to four
men. The whole transaction occurred
within forty-eight hours, and in the
neighborhood of our fine force of 15,000
men of all arms at Delhi camp. The
Government has ordered an immediate
inquiry. The public feeling, which at
first was hesitating, is partially turning
against the executions.”
The Woman’s Tea Company.
The Woman’s Tea Company had a
formal opening last Thursday, to which
invitations were received in the form of
telegraphic dispatches. Visitors i ere
regaled with cups of delicious “ Man
darin” tea, handed in stands of lacquer
ed ware, accompanied by fancy crackers.
The rooms, which are S3S Broadway,
are a museum of curiosities collected by
Miss King, during her recent tour in
China and Japan, and among them is a
jots house, well furnished with hideous
looking gods, whose table is perpetually
set according to Chinese custom, with
oranges, hananas and the liko. The
“ tea” entertainments will be kepi up
during the present week.— New York
World, Feb. 10.
An Englishman has invented a new
method of lighting houses with coal oil,
being simply to have an oil-tank at- the,
top of the house, with pipes to convey
the non-explosive to all the lamps about
the building. It is suggested that one
effect of this plan will be to reduce the
number of widows and orphans, as the
whole family would go together in case
of an explosion.