Rapides gazette., December 20, 1873, Image 1

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L"ET US HAVE PEACE."
VOLUME V. ALEXANDRIA, LA., SATURD)AY, DECEMBER 20, 1873. NUMBER 36.
0 ,- 1 873.____BR____3
THE WRECK OF THE "AIDEEN."
BY ALFRID PIIRCEVAL GRAVIS.
" Is it cure me, Docther, darlino? an ould boy of
siventy-fonr
A fther soakin' ob Berehaven three and thirty
hour and more,
Wid no otlier navigation underneath me but an
oar.
"God incrase ye, but it's only half myself is
livin' silzl,
And there's mounlin' slow but surely to my heart
the dyin' chill;
God Incrase ve for iour goodness, but I'm past
all zuortial skill.
" But ye'll srely let them lift me, won't you,
l)octher, from below?
Ye'll let thimn lift me, surely-werry soft and
werrv slow
Tosee rny , hiid abip "Aideen" wanst agin before
Igo ?
" Lay my head upon your shoulder; thank ye
kindly, Doectbr, dear,
Take me now--G,li bless ye, Cap'n-now togeth
er, sorra 1ear
Hlave no dread that yC'll distriss me-now, agtn
Ocbone ! I see her.
"ologone ! my A;deen's Aideen, christened by
her toughin' lilps,
Wid a sprinkle from her finger as ye started from
the slips,
Thirty year ago Come T'shrovetide, like a swan
among the Ships.
" And we both 'were constant to ye till the bitter,
bitter day
Whin the typhus took me darlint, and she pined
and Iined away,
Till yonrsaell'athe only sweetheart that was left
me on the say
" So through fair and fool we'd travel, you and
I, thin, sn't we,
The same vuni coorse from Galway Bay, by Lim
erick sad Tralee,
Till this storm It shook me overboard, and mtur
theredl you, machree !
" But now, agra, the unruly wind has down into
the west.
And the silver moon is shbinin' soft apon the
ocean's breast
Like Aideen'a sumlln' sperit come to call us to
our rest.
" Still the sight Is growin' darker, and I cannot
rightly hear
The sa"'s too euwld-for one so ould--O save me,
Cap'n, dear !
Now it's growiu' bright and warm agla--and
Aideen--.lideen sliere I"
Ill-Cossidered Marriages.
In the testimolly of Mrs. Kelly, the I
mother of the boy who recently comrnitted,
at W\ilhigten, D.C ., one of the most da.'
:trdly nurtiners of tletime. she stated that
s-Ite' was. thie motherof twenty-one children.
and that upol the tather's side it was a bad
race. Although this statemnent was made
by an illiterate colored woman, it strikes
the key-note of a questioin yhich is now I
receivi;nu the serious attention of medicl
mien anlt sociad scientists on both sitdes of e
the ocean--thle question of the excellence I
and improvement, physically aml morally
Of the race to come. As the present social
law of im:rriliage stands, there cannot exist t
the shadow of a doubt that, iu a large per
(centage of ena.es, at least, it has its results
in the ill-conlidered union of utheraltly
:uand incompatible temperaments; and the
bringing into this world of a r:uce of sickly
and ill-conditioned childreu. It must be
apparelnt to any one who has given any at-t
tention whatever to the subject, that the
sacred tie of mnarriage in the United States t
is scarcely entered into with that serious t
an(d solemn cotiiderttion which such an
important step demands.
Young girls. bting left too much to the
freedom of their own wills, are permnnittedl
to contract mrarriavs with votung men of o
ewho-e previous hiiltorv tlheyi h:tve but it
tle knowledge', and oft whose' family and t
a;nteedmeltt. medically speaking, they are c
in perftict and total Ignorance. In too k
lil:ivny cases these marru'trs are the ireslt ii
of a semntinental likidg 'ormed before the a
judletment has had tirne to seil the compact 'I
with resleI't. A voting man marries a girl t
whise tvyle, or dastl, or pretty ftee e'I- tl
chlants him tlfr the tslee, *1ithonrt once stolp
pinyll to consider whether eonsuimption has o
never stalked like ia skeleton through her c
faniily for generations, or scrofuila, with M
all its debilitating onmplicationa, is not a
now hiding its deadly fangs behind that tl
royv cheek. What is the result of all this .
sinful :nd unhallowe4 hstte ? We need but ,
search the records of the divorce cOilrts ,
for an answer ilpovthe one hanld, aid! the c
sickly faces of many mothers and children e
upon the other. "M. Sedillot, a French a
physician who ias devoted much of 1 ois
time to a consideration of this important w
qletion, hlias delared that the time has '
conme when prulery or fale nlodesty must ,
no longer hide the truths of science, or ti
tprevent the proper measures being taken la
f,e the imlprovsmnent and advanceluent of
the hum:ul Itmily. It is admitted by all
philosolphers that certalri characters and tc
faculties, as well as diseases and taints, are ir
traasmittwd from one generation to anoth- o
er. "The sins of the fathers are visited yo
upon the children, unto the third and hi
folrthil gelnertion." '
M. SedJllllot thinks that one may obtain e
valuable information as to an Indivkldoal's
real value hy ceosulting his genealog, at
with Special referenoe to intelleet, mol
ty, vigor, health. lonervity, and social t
statu, and this might be wll, if preti- t
ble; but the ways and means of acquiring p
such informattin beting in most ,es uIn- st
available, even by the family and friends ti
of inltetnding paartlies, other means must he til
found to prevent improp'r connections. i
From the remotest anquity, the popular s
mind has observed the reation which sub- tl
sists between great size of head and supe- fi
rior abilitlies. Although It might appear tb
rather absurd for a lady to refuse a man in
marriage beevrtse his head did not measure t
more than 19.685inches, the average mean n
for a personll of mediocre abilities, still, ct
taken with othter considcrations, this ftaet
might wvei'h somettfng IAI the scale. It
is alo a well muthbstk~ted truism that
marr-ager.tweeant ttadillul of the same
stock are ilnjudileiou guc , in tooe
1ny' instances, asthy frut and m
tending to lunacy and diase. 'hre st
things afiect the development of the hu- oI
man fl- ame and intellect. A jndlciousla
marriage or the reverse controls the two da
Frst; early training and self-culture the dt
hit. The oily practical tmode i which W
such a qul..tion c; n be settie, in a fe
country fetteredl by so mansy socilal bar- tl
nrots and restraints as the United States, th
sems to be by a reference to medical th
lelee I
in England where marriage~s are more :
-question of family anti expedience thtan N
ith us, the advanstage of looking to the di
t edenlts of a fluly 1 aptarent in the s
lthy aPp:raranoce of the chlt drent and the
robust plhylique of the adults. Here
h-e it is a question more of emotiona re
'7 thau race consideration, the Matia- hi
ics of large cities, with their larming at:
lits of mortally amfolng children, bear fi"
sutllcient testimony to the fact that there
is something radically wrong. It might
seem rather an arbitrary and offensive te
.( ctree that a law should be passel prohibit
ing all marriages within the jurisdiction
of the United States, wherein the parties
could not exhibit from their family physi
cian, or medical officer regularly appointcd
for the purpose, a certitficate of health of
body and soundness of mind; but we have
tno hesitation in declaring that those par
tite who enter into the sacred compact of
marriage, knowing themselves to be the
present or hereditary victims of diwase., are
guilty of a crime as great as the son who
turns upon the mother who bore him
whose * enormity cannot be meas.ured
in one generation, but whose sorrow goes
rolling down the stream of time, to curse
the erring soul that gave it birth. Mar
riage in our country has come to be re
gardedas too light a matter. Villainous
and sensual dreamers have gone abro:ul,
spreading their venom broadcast through
thte land, trying to break down the virtuous
customs of our fathers, who, with their
simple partners, surrounded by stalwart
sons and healthy daughters. pased to a
winter frosty but kindly. " to sleep togeth
er at the foot," after a well-spent life. It
is entered into, in too many Instances, in I
haste and repented of at leisure. While I
the young and inexperienced are apt to
regard the interference and advice of those i
who have their best interests at heart with I
disfavor, It were better for their present I
and future happiness; for the good of I
those whom God shall send them ; for the
welfare and glory of the State, that this
contract, the most sacred and important
upon earth, should be entered into with º
careful and solemn consideration, so that t
there may be no after-regrets, no sorrow I
and sitthing. no flture generations of in
evitabl'e wretchedness.-Chicago Intcr- .
Ocean.
Manufactured Dwarfs.
The business of manufacturing dwarfs i
by mutilating children, unhappily. was at c
one time followed as a profession by a body c
of villains who had reducld it to a system.
In the prelimlmary chapters to " L'Houmme
(Qji Rtit," Victor Hugo gives an account u
of the operations of these persons which
is full of painful interest. They called v
themselves " Comprachlicos," and they la- d
bored to supply the demand which existed s
a couple of centuries ago, In almost every c
European country, for dwarfs and distort- e
edl humam beings for the royal palaces and a
and fbr the homes of the we lthy nobility. d
The king must have his misshapen jester;
the fine lady her fantastic page or foot
man; the nobleinan his hunchback lack- Y
ey: and even the Sultan his grotesque o
buffoon for the seraglio. The demand was a
greater than the supply afforded by the b
freaks of nature, and the Comprachicos tI
undertook to make good the deficiency. o
'Tihey fabricated monsters upon a large
scale. The headquarters of this infamous b
fraternity were in England, but its ranks y
were recruited from all countries, and its w
operatiorns were extended to other conn- p
tries. The ors~nization had its origin, we y
believe, in Spam. ah
The Comprachicos procured children for ie
their purpose in various ways. Some- T
thine there was an heir to an estate who
was in the way of somebo4ly,and hbewoull re
be sold into the hands of the order to be gJ
mutilated beyond recognition. Sometimies yv
pauper and orphan children would be dis- ti
posed of by relatives who did not wish to o'
take cane of them; and often, again, wlhenm p1
the raw material was not offered in snffl
elout quantities, the Comprachicos woul I fo
kidnap children for their purpose. Once be
in their hands, there wasno possibility that er
a child could be rescued without mutilation. tlh
Taken when very young, they were, as Vie- se
tor Hugo expresses it. "touched up, so that in
their parents would not recognize them." cc
Sometimes the Comnprachlcos would ta
operate on the spine in sucha way that tie ju
child would have a humped back; or they
would leave the dorsal column straight, and d(
alter the countenance. They would cut I>
the muscles so that the little one would i
wear a perpetual and diabolical grin, or he
would have its face set permuanently in th
some fatastic shaple. By a peculiar pro- al
eess the growth of another would be stunt- w
ed so that the child would be a dwarf: te
while in other eases the joints and muscle
of the limbs would be so treated that they an
would acquire unnatural suppleness. ar
'These patients would be sold to showmnen. as
who trained them as gymnasts. Some- ei
times, also. the throat would be manipu
lated for the purpose of giving the child no
peculiar vocal powers. Charles II. had a sh
,eing thus mutilated, whose office It was sh
to move around the palace at night signal
ing the hours by crowing like a cock. A m
certain Dr. Conquest, of London, wrote a gi
vol uine upon this kind of surgery, in which it
he describes the processes as if they had a ci
rightful place among the practices of ou
science. tu
The Comprachlcos were suppressed by an
statute under William and Mary. Their an
nlmterparts are msaid, however, to exist at w
this day in China. The Chinese operators
ke a child of two or three years old, and les
put it in a porcelain vase of some odd If
hape, but without lid or bottom, so that pe
itehead and feet are exposed. Intheday- di
ime the vase is kept upright; at night, it lsi
a laid upon its side, so that the child may hi
deep. Thus t'. chikl grows, filling up ioi
he spaces in the vase with its compressed di
lesh and twisted bones. This growth in for
he bottle lasts for several years. At a da
iven period it is without remedy. When
he mold has taken, and the monster is
nade, they break the vase, and the child
~omes out of it.--o-dae.
ch
Straining a Child's Memaory. hu
When a child is endowed with that most t
xcellent thing-a good memory--com- pr
non sense should teach his guardIansor in- a
tructors that he must be restraided from ha
vertaxilng it; yet we read that a certain tin
ad, aged twelve years, repeated, in Sun- th
lay-school, without one blunder, five hun- hii
Ilred and fifteen verses from the Bible. ee
WVhat makes the accomplishment of this otl
eat the more remarkable is the fact that ex
he poor child is usually imployed during ag
he day, and memorized these verses by
he light of a fire budlt in hIs yard at night. ta
t may also be mentioned that he has never for
itenuded any other than a Sunday-school. ui
!ow the question is this: What purpose in
los such a gigantic strain upon memory be
Srvye? The precocious boy probably re- gr
tats his lesson as a parrot might, without go
n the least understanding that which hle en
ecites : whereas, by thoroughly learning to
salf a dozen verses, he not only under- wl
itands what he learns, butreserves a uasel fm
icalty for profitable ses sti
re How the Panic Affects the Fashions of
ht ('leveland's Young Men.
it Owing to the unnprecedented tightness
mn of the money market, and the fact that
s most of the young menu of Cleveland had
ui- their hoanrded earnings in Eastern savings
rl banks that failed, there will be a decidced
of change in gentlemene's fashions for the fall
e :ldl winter, atnd we have been at some
r- pains and expense to ascertain what will
>f not be worn this winter by the dilllerent
ie social representatives who have heretofore
e been the "liodel of lhahion."
o Thin sUlllmer 'o'oOds will be worn far
- Into the winter ty many, esleially by
d clerks on a salary of less than $15 per
*s week.
e A very neat pair of trowsers may be
mlade by varnishing white duck pants with
Sa 'comllpound of lamnpblack and molasses,
s and lwfitre the last coat has dried, sifting
I, coal-dust and black sand over the gamlent.
S'These suits (annot be told fromnt the finest
s black eLsimnlere by experts unless tim lat
r ter chew them. 'lihe molasses renders tile
t cloth soft and pliable, while the coal dust
a and black sand give it a "nap" that is cle
u-  t. and the wearer of these llreeches may
t st:nd oil the banks of Lake Erie. and deft'
tithe C(anladian blasts that whistle through
sthe c'lothes of others Cborly c(lad. Old
Slinen pants that have been wonh all sum
nier, an. by tIing dippled In a kettle of
Shot Indiu ll pudtldilng or mnush, be lmade to
t look like new, and the fabric acquires a
f hholy that will resist anything but a rain
stormll or goat.
Shirts will (owing to the high price of
t soap, and hyste'rieal condition of tile
i washerwomlelj) to worn of a darker shalde
t than during tile summer. Bank street
hack drivers. whom a tyrannical city gov
erlllment ilenies the use of street spittoons,
and who are compelled to explectorate
against the wind. will wear bosomslll of any
color, ornamented with designs in tobacco
juice.
Many of the billiard-room proprietors
in the city have permitted their patrons to
chalk over their shirt-bosoms, as well as
cues, without extra charge. This act of
gelerosity enables many a young man to
sport a white shirt-bosom. wlho would
otherwise be unablle to afford the llxnry.
Stockings will be worn only by tire
wealthy, but the poorand ambitious young
dry-goods elerk may enjoy a very good
substitute by sprinkling a mnixture of
cayenne pepper and sawdust in his boots
each morning. -By doing this and eatting
a mackerel breakfast he can keep warmi and
dry in the rmost inclement weather.
l''o the young mian who cannot afford to
purchase a new silk hat this fall, and who
is afraid to steal one, we would say that
old silk hats may be remnodeled into new
and fashionable tiles by soaking them It
brine two or three days, then pressiug
them into the shape desired and drying
over a slow tire.
Underclothing of very good quality may
be made out of newspapers. We know :a
young btlk clerk on S perior street, who
wears a diamond and whose outward ap
pearnlce is Iaultle-s, yet for years this
young mant has wrapped a newspaper
around each leg tor dtlrwers, and hli
bosol is covered with several layersof the
Trbune.
A dress coat is indisplnsable to the ward
robe of any voung male person who min
gles lmuich 111 society, and mallny at ishle
youth will Ibx debarred from soial fIcsti'si- r
ties this winter bccantl. of ills inlabilitv to
own a coat whose talls :arl of that pectiliar
pattern knows n as " swallow-tail " or
" elawhamllllr." lBt "here is relief even
for this class. Every youg llan owns a
bob-tailed or busilne, ciat, surl of late sev
eral establishuentls h ;ve ltee opened in
this city, where ('oat-talils can ll I renltel,
so that for a few ce(nts tle poverty-stricken a
individual ilay tranlsforlm his everyllay
coat ilnto a dre.s coat. Th'llese' atent coat
tails are, of all shal:des and size, easily ad
justed and warr:anteud to give satisfaction.
l'atclhed boots will Is worn eonsi(lerably
durillg the winter, tho"llh whiere the up-ll
iwsrs are badly worn rutlers will be used. it
In case the wearer's toes protrude or his
heel is visible, a little putty will renicl y
the trouble, thllough nigilaly -prefer to black
and polish the expoaIt mteat. ard this,
whlel skillfullly done, will hardly be de
tected, even by the police.
Old straw hlats covered with bed-ticking,
and ornamented with a rooster's feather, 4.
are not only cheap and durable, buit quite 4
;a "lobbhtv".as the .f1IU styles" In the win- 4
dows of the hat stores which cost money. e
For parties and bails where comfort is
not sacrificed to style, buckskin gloves and l
sheepskin unittens are permitted, but these
S"bould be removed while at the table.
Shirts have been discarded altogether by 4.
many of the high-toned young squirts who
give to Superior street that gay appearance 4
it possesses about dinner time. No elw- a
cial change, however, is noticeable in the 4
outward appearance of these two-legged '
tube-roses, their shirt-bosoms (of paper)
and cuffs are displayed, regardless of cost, '
lnd they had rather lose a meal than to 4
walk two blocks without a cuff in sight.
No gentllsan fieels dressed witlhout at 4
least one article of jewelry on his person. 4
If he has no hItimate lady friend hoe wIll
permit him to wear her sleoeve-buttons dr
(lianlond ring, lie falls back on oxidized 4
silver ornaments. A mule shoe, procullra- 4
ble at any blacksmith shop, makes a fash- *
ionable bosom or scarf-pin, while two Mtr-
dine boxes can, by a little labor, be trans
formed into a pair of sleeve-hmttons.-S.un
day Voice.
Limitatins in Poultry Keeping. fr
For a hundredl dollars spent in the pur- c
chase and careful keeping of a few fowls, a a
hundred dollars may be gained each year.
But if this business is suddenly increased di
ten times with the expe, tation that the I
profits will be multiplied proportionately, se
a failure is sure to result-as a rule. el te
have known this to be the case many a c
time and oft. On the other hand, when ol
the experimenter has been content to feel th
his way caatiotly, and. having one sue- di
ceasful colony in operation, to plant an- '
other without overerowdirig that already bt
existing, he has succeeded and afterwards to
again successfully repeated the extension. ra
But we would caution our readers--so to
atny of whomn seem to think that If 100 w
fowls may be kept profitably that 1.,000 s
may also be maintained-against believing lx
in the possibility of poultry in large num- vi
bers without an extended range of clean i
grass, or without the closest attention, if
governed by the greatest skill and expert- g
.nce, and without every applIae known
to the art of poultry-keeping through
whiih the fowls maybe obliged to cou- al
forml to the needed requirements. The he- bi
stincts of these blirds are keen and strong r1
f and a poultry keeper must have the knowl
edge, skill and lpatience to conduct his
business so that these instincts are not ob
structed, but are led, as it were, in the
tways in which they should go. Other
1 wise strife occurs and failure is inevitable.
Street-Car Morality.
It is an admitted fact that in a consider
able proportion of cases if the conductor
t neglects to ask for the fare, the passenger
Ifdls to remind him. There are few of us
who have not seen a clan whose appear
ance would presuppose a well-lined pocket
book and a balance in bank, sitting for a
7 while with a five cent piece between his
thumb and flinger, and after the conductor
has passed by, quietly sliping the coin
hack into his vest pocket. There is, how
ever, a greater trust on the part of the car
companies in the average honesty of the
passenger than in that of the conductor.
:The "patent box" system, more in vogue
in other cities than our own, depends upon
this faith. Yet we are informed that even
this soon indicates a progressive decline of
morality. The patrons of a new route pay
as they enter with great promptitude and
honesty, but it is the conviction of the road
owners that after a year or two they are
carrying a considerable number of regular
pa-sengers who seilotm or never pay their
fares.
But the deterioration of morals in the
case of conductors, if report speaks truth,
is something frightful to contemplate. At
all events, all systems of management at
present are based upon the supposition
that conductors are dishonest. From time
to time a change in the method or the in
troduction of some contrivance for check
ing the receipts, indicates the extent of
previous demoralization. The remarkable
circumstance Is that sooner or later all
checking contrivances are more or less
evaded, and the old pilfering is resumed.
The index that used to be placed in cars to
show the number of fares proved valueless
on long routes, because the conductors
soon discovered that passengers would not
trouble themselves about its record. The
patent box was introduced on a Brooklyn t
road, and suddenly raised receipts by 30
per cent.; but gradually they fell away, and
in a few months they were at their previous
standard. We all admit that there is a
high moral tone about the atmosphere of
Boston that excites our hopeless envy.
Yet from that blissful locality there came
sometime ago a tale of Ingenious horse.ear
immorality which would raise a blush on
the indefinite cheek 9q a New York con
ductor. A company there had Introduced
the punch-gong system. Each conductor,
as he took a fare, was obliged to squeeze a
punch which marked its record on a slip
of paper, and simultaneously rang a small
gong attached to the punch. The passen- r
ger was to note the ring of t gong. For c
a while the receipts were largely swelled.
Then they declined. At length they
reached a lower point than ever before.
D etectives rode up and down in the cars, s
listened faithfully for the note of the gong ,
with each tare, heard it every time, and yet
the receipts were short. Months elapsed, t
and the proprietors were at their wits' end. a
At length the trick was discovered. An ,
ingenious artisan had furnished almost ev- b
ery conductor on the road with a small b
duplicate gong, which, carried concealed a
in the hand, did the ringing without the
recording.-N. Y. 7ribune.
New Method of (quoting Exchange
The relative value of the dollar and the
pound -terling for purposes of commercial t
exchange was fixed by act of Congress on
the 3d of March, 1873. to go into effect on
the 1st of January, 1874. By this act the
par of the English pound sterling is fixed
at $4.86.45 in American gold coin. In an
ticipation of this change, the leading for
eign Ihankers of New York have decided
upon a new method of quoting exchange,
which will be much more readily under
stood by the masses. Instead of quoting
the rate at so much premium on the dollar,
it is proposed to give the quotation for the
pound sterling. By bearing iind the a
par rate for the English pound, one can
ea•s.ily see whether bills are at a premium
or at a discount. The different systems of
luotations are thus contrasted by the'New t
Y ork Bullite: t
Vew Method. Old Method.
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How Women are Valued il Chha. 5p
Chinese husbands can procure divorces w
romn their wives by samply proving that t
they talk too much. What if such an ex- B
u-e held good in America! Womet, in b
act, are thought littie of in China. If
you a.sk a ('hinese w'oman how many chil- te
tren she has, she 'will give only the num- lii
ber of boys. She has to be askedthe di
second time how manygirls she has, as w
they are thought so little of that in many
-ases they are killed as soon as born. One st
of these women told an European fiend w
that her first child was a little girl and
deseribed how she loved the little one. If
'My husband went out," she said, "and by
brought In a tub of water. I begged him 'I'
to spare its life, but he took the lttle one to
1nd put its headl in the water, and held it
there until it was dead. My second babe a
was a daughter, and it was served the be
mine as the first; the third child wa aa w
boy; hlie lived until he was about four
rears old, when the gods got angry and sp
killed him. Then my hausnd ded; and
if I eat anything that is nice, and if I wear th
_ood clothes, my relatives become angry,
pd treat me harshly." Even in our Christ
un churches in Chmna the women are not ch
Ilowed in the same room with the men,
but am partltioned et in a wL wrewk f
room. sa
Hints About Farmers' Work.
The Ameriean Agriculturist for Decem
e her gives the following useful and timely
hints for farmers:
Hard work, such as chopping wood or
thrashing with a flail, is not favorable to
mental activity. A farmer should econo
mize his energies both of mind and body.
The more work a man does the more he
canl do is a truth which we should all do
well to remember.
The busiest man is the man of most lei
sure. The indolent man has never time to
do anything he does not wish to do.
Early ri. ig is good; getting at your
work early is better. There are men who
pride themselves on getting tiup early in the
morning who do nothing after they are up
--or do t listlessly.
Energy is the one quality which a farmer
of the present age most needs. It is not
the number of hours that a man works,
but the skill, intelligence, and activity that
he brings to it are the test of his ability and
industtry.
Machinery must take the place of hand
labor; but machinery, however pertect,
needs a man of intelligence to keep it in
order and to manage it to the best advent
age. Machinery does not do awaiy ith
the necessity for labor; it merely changes
its character. It demands brains rather
than muscle.
Thinking is harder work than chopping,
and much more remunerative.
Better hire an extra man than devote
your whole time to mere routine work.
A good boy can frequently be obtained
in the winter for little more than his board.
It is poor economy for a farmer to spend
several hours every day in doing work
which such a boy can do nearly or quite as
well is he can.
Make the house comfortable. See that
the windows and doors do not admit a
stream of cold air. Every hole stopped
will save a stick of wood. A window rat
tling in the casement is a reflection on the
owner's intelligence.
Many an old house that is as " cold as a
barn " may be made very comfortable by
the aid of a few laths, shingle-nails and
putty. Try it.
Animals require daily care. Make them
comfortable. Feed regularly and liberal
ly, and see that they have a constant sup
ply of fresh water.
Shelter saves food. It sometimes does
more than this. It saves the life of the
animal.
Butter and tallow are not economical
food for cows and sheep. When we let
an animal grow thin in winter we are ,ed
lug fat andflesh. It is injurious to the
animal and a great loss to us.
Chaffing hay and straw adds nothing to
their nutritive value. But with proper ar
rangements it is more convenient to feed
cut fodder; and when mixed with meal
or bran, horses, cows and sheep will eat
cut straw and stalks as greedily as hey.
When there is an abundance of straw and
stalks this is a very economical method of
wintering stock. A bushel of chaffed
straw (say 8 lbs.) and a quart of cornmeal, i
three times a day, sa good allowance for
a cow not giving lk. Cows giving
milk should be allowed more meal or
bran. Say three pints of cornmeal to a
bushel of cut straw, three times a day; or
a quart each of meal and bran.
Horses should be fed according to their c
work. A bushel of cut straw and two b
quarts of cornmeal may be regarded as
equivalent to hay. If the horsesare doing
but little they will do well on this mix
ture-being allowed all they will eat up
clean. If at steady work, give two or
three quarts of oats or other grain three
times a day in addition.
When feeding hay it is a bad practice to a
let the horse stand with a rack full of hay
before him all the time.
We think it is a good plan to give all
-heep a little grain every day in winter.
Fattening sheep, of course, should have
grain enough to push them forward as
rapidly as possible. One pound of corn F
per head per day for Merinos is an aver
allowance. The large breeds dray be
14 lb. each perday. The better is to
commence with half a pound of grain pea
day, and as the sheep become accustomed
to it gradually increase the amount. For
the last month of fattening, Merino sheep
can be fed l] lb. of corn per day to ad
vantage. With good bright straw and
the above allowance of grain, well-elected
sheep should gain from 14 to 3 bs. each
per week.
Breedingewes and store sheep will win
ter well-on good straw and half a
pound of corn daily.
Last spring's lambs shouldbe kept sepa- e
rate from the older sheep. It would be
well to give them at least one feed a day p
of hay.
Sows that are desirid to breed next
April should be coupled this month. A
little extra feed will secure the object. AfS
terwards the sows should be fed suAlient
to keep them in good, healthy condition,
but not fat Young sows that are grow
ing should be fed more liberally than od
ones. The latter, if they have a warme,
dry pen to run in with plenty of bedding~
wil require very little food. We feed our
own breeding sows principally on bran
soaked in water or the slope from the
honuse. A few mangels maybe fed with
great advantage to the health of the sows.
But if you have notan ample supply better i
delay feeding them out until toward
spring. h
Fattening hogs should be pushed for
ward rapidly. 1l theydo not eat well as
they will not pay for the little they do eat. oc
Better sell them as soon as their appetite tb
begins tofal. b
Last spring'spigs which areto be fat- o
tened next summer or fall aLould be fed ti
liberally. This i the grecrat seet of pro- h
ducing chotceporkat a cheap rate. A pig b
well wintered is half summered. em
If the ground is notfrozen plowing is
still in order wherever it will dfacillfte t
work in the sring.
Wheat felds should be examined to see o
if there are any parts lhable to be injured Il
by water either now or in the spri.
'The necessary ditches should be dog
tore the ground is frozen. e
Get the implements all under cover. If ,
any need repairs place them where it will a
be convenient to get at them daring the a
winter. 1.
Manure may still be drawn out and l
spread on grass land or winter wheat. t
Clean up the premises and make every- p
thing tklyfor winter. a
- -
-Immediately ater the deth ottlate t
child Priance, it was deemed that there do
should be no music lathe Japmee houses
eat three days, sad the order wa suaver
sally repcted.
Advantage of Studying Botany.
h- The most important advantage realized
y from a knowledge of botany is the'phan
ure and happiness it gives. It makes us
ýr acquainted with the vegetation which sur
o rounds us, the trees, the shrubs and herba
cenous plants, and also the grasses which
contribute so largely to the wealth and
e support of mankind in the temperate
o zones. Having an intimate acquaintance
with these, our daily walks or rides in the
I- country are made doubly pleasant 'and
0 agreeable. The entire country belongs int
in a measure to the botanist; 'tis his to en
r oy and admire, and he often derives more
Spleure from it than its owners, because
e does not have it to care for or pay taxes
Son it.
We have known invalids to become per
r fectly healthy by stuldying botany and eol
t lecting plants, Th'leir walks and rides
were pleasant and exciting. and their at
t tention being always drawn to new and
I pleasing objects, their exercise was not fa
tiguing. They were looking for some
I thing new, and rarely failed to find It, and
sometimes it was a rare and beautiful flow
1 er. We have been told by doctors and
- others that we could not live long. We
I ceased to take medicine and began the
a study of botany, and we have lived many
r years since, and now can walk with toler
able ease twenty-five miles a day to collect
plants for the herbarium.
To the agriculturist and horticulturist a
knowledge of botany will give more pleas
ure than other science. It is with plants
I he deals, and the better lie understands
them the better he can manage them and
I the more happiness he can derive from
c their cultivation. Such a person will be
s apt to make his home pleasant and its sur
roundings attractive with rare and beauti
t ful flowers and flue fruits. Such a erson
a has more of the elements of hapaes at
I his command than a Stewart, Vanderbilt
- or Astor with their millions; for these
e last have made the acquisition of money
ir chief end and aim. Their mindsbave
r not been enlarged by scientific studies and
they are strangers to the pleasures which
I studies afford. The many cares which
they have and which cannot be avoided lit
i the management of such vast estates ren
der lives toilsome and laborious, much
more so than he who has a competency in
the country, a good library in a pleasant
home and a sqcentifie knowledge of his sur
s roundings. He sees
" Wisdomi ti Ues, books ia thb runbrooka,
I Sermonus i stnes, and good In everythg.
t -Rural Alabamian.
New Plan of Church Beneveleaee.
The State street Baptist Church of
Springfeld, Mass., of which the Itev. A.
K. Potter Is pastor has started a mutual
relief association, the object of which is to
"' render assistance to families or friends of
the dead at a time when the expenses of
sickness and the additional expenses of a
funeral are often so peat as to impose bur
dens too heavy for many to bear alone."
Not only members of the church but all
persons holding sittings and their children,
can become members on the payment of
fifty cents each. At the death of a mem
ber each surviving member Is taxed thirty
cents, and a sum equal to twenty-five aits
a member is paid by the tasurer to such
relative or Mend of the deceased as the
board of trustees may designate. This Is
not a charitable association; It is an appli
cation of the principle of mutual Insuance
to one of the Inevitable necessities of life.
It is a reduction to systematic form of the
injunction to "bear one another's burdens."
The poor and the rich stand on a perfect
equliry; all enter upon the same terms,
aid all are required to take the relief pro
vided, whether they need It or not. The
organization of the society Is .simple and
easily worked, and we are not surprised to
be told that it is becoming very popular in
the church. The need of some such sys
tem of relief is apparent to every pastor.
Families which In health are able to provide
for themselves are often badly crippled by
the doctor's and the undertaker's bills;
and, if without surrendering their self-re
spect they can be aided at such a time, the
help will be of himense advantage to them,
This church has also a parlor, which it
proposes to have opened, warmed, aid
frnished with good reading every Sunday
afternoon, so that the operatives and shop
hands who have no better place of spend
ing their Sundays than the dingy dining
room of some unconimfbrtable earding
house may here find a safe and pleasant
resort. If the parlor could be kept open '
every evening or the one purpose, it
would be well. The evenings as well mas
the Sundays of these working people often
pas drearily. The time will some, we
trust, when every eenskierablie church in
the large towns will provide such a social
room for thoe of its congregation who
have not homes of their own. However,
we do not wish to find fault with Mr. Pot
ter's church; but to chronicle the satisfat
tlon which we Rel ih every ueh atteUmpt
on the part of the churcbes to do good to
all men In practical and( rational ways.
Indepseden.
Pltihel City's Eise and Fall.
The Pitteburghb Disept has a graphic
but melancholy story to aelate of the rise
and fall of Pthole Cty, which beats the
histories of all the cities of the Western
plains. But recently the Danforth Housea
and al the furniture it contained, costhi
originally $80,000, was sold for $100,
that is but an instance of the gs
blight which has fallen upon that ktri
ous municipality. It is a remnant of oil
Sthmes, and within one mouth after the first
house was erected, an G80.000 hotel was
built. In two mouths a daily paper was
estaublished, and nla three a theser was
built. Another month added a second
theater and an Acadeemy of Music, though
y.did not get to the erection of any
other academes. I Avre months the city
had her mud frUthaguisber, it being im
possible to obUl water in the place.
The completion of the half year saw sev
enty-four hotels and saloons in full blast,
and a Iopulation of 15,000. Now she is
more like the cities of the plain than ever.
Her theaters have vanished, her hotels
have put up the shutters, and the telegraph
has moved out. But nine families remain
to mourn te general desolatie, and the
Pibole and Oleopolis allsoad runs but
se tralnof earsaday c and that for the
prpo of holding te charter. The
swmigwoodhtne iBawt .placipdar.o
duect the plac.
Aom'a-4hrowly ic