Martinsburg gazette., October 30, 1886, Image 1

About Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887

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P. VERNON ALER,
JUSTICE AND HONOR.
■
nil
Editor.
-v..- . ' • .
YOL, I.
MARTINSBURG, W. VA., OCTOBER 30,1886.
NO. 5.
Norwegian Friendliness for America.
All through Norway, writes a corre
ipondent of the Qtobt-Democrat, the
name'of America is one to con jure with,
‘ fcnd Americans are welcomed in even
neater degree than the English are dis
liked. Every Norwegian has a friend or
relative in tne great republic, or has
heard of that El Dorada where the poor
Norsemen have gone and made fortunes,
and if you can say Wisconsin, or Min
nesota, or better, Dakota, which is the
latest fashion, you can win them at once.
One constantly meets Norwegian men
who have been in America, ana they de
light to talk it over. It pleases them to
lee the increasing number of Americans
among the summer travelers, and they
look to them to stem the wholesale in
vasion of English, whom they love
none too well. We have a character here
in our landlord, who, after years at sea,
has retired to quieter pursuits. He has
been to America, and has served as cap
tain of Norwegian coast and fjord
steamers; he speaks English, and Ms a
special aversion for tM Scotch,whom he
considers more rude, overbearing and
grasping and unendurable than the Eng
lish. This nautical landlord is as auto
cratic and independent as if his inn were
the bridge of nis steamer, and his last
exploit has been to refuse to Aake m an
excursion of forty Scotchmen. “No
room! No room!” said the captain-land
lord, and the men in homespun and
knickerbockers had to look elsewhere.
\ The running of Scotch and English ex
cursion steamers across to the Norwegian
coast and in Mu out and along the
fjords has exasperated the Norsemen be
yond all measure, as it takes from their
little steamers the support that they need
and1 have the first rlgnTW: There is one
Norwegian line only running to England
to land passengers at Liverpool, and
when the Norwegians object to the En
Sllsh running excu~sion steamers into
leir fjords the bullying capitalists say:
“Let the Norwegians try to stopus and
we will drive their line out of Liverpool.
Not an emigrant nor a case of goods will
we take from their steamers.”
Coral Fishing.
There is a prevailing impression among
the young that men dive down to the bot
tom of the sea for coral. A little girl
once told us, ^th big, wondering eyes,
how the coral .diver would dive down
head first to the very bed of the ocean,
and after a long while come up with a
handsome corat necklace around his neck
and tw<£br three bracelets on each wrist,
which was considered a pretty good mess
of coral to catch at a single dive. The
truth is, however, that the coral is ob
7~i tained |>y means of a wooden apparatus
/ in the shape of a cross, having id its cen
tre a leaden stone or slug for ballast. Nets,
the meshes of which are loose, are hung
on the bars of the cross and dragged at
the bottom of the sea, and among the
crevices of the rocks. These nets, wind
ing about the cOraline plant, break up
or tear off its branches, which adhere to
the meshes. The apparatus is drawn up
by the fishermain whenever he thinks it
is sufficiently laden. Coral fishing is
largely followed in Algeria, the annual
production amounting to $190,000.—
Texas Siftings,
A New Qem.
A deposit of precious stones of the
rare kind known as ‘‘golden beryl” has
recently been found in the Berkshire
Hills (Mass.) Specim ns of this gem
are occasionally met with in the hands
of oollectors, but it has never before been
found in sufficient quantity to become
an article of trade. When cut the stones
are of a beautiful golden color, exceed
ingly hard and of great brilliancy. Mr.
Kunz, mineralogist of Tiffany & Co ,
pronounces them unsurpassed In purity
and beauty. Professor Dana, of Yale
. Oollege, who recently visited the mines,
ieclares it to be a wonderful formation
and the crystals the finest ever seen by
him. I understand that the hew gem
Will soon be on the market—Town Topics.
Primitive Man.
Two Liege savants, MM. Marcel de
Puydt and Maximilian Lohest, have an
nounced a recent discovery which may
be of scientific importance. In a cave at
Spy, a few miles from Namur, known as
the Biche aux Roches, they found in the
sand-stone two human skulls of extra
ordinary thickness, resembling the cele
brated skull found in the Neanderthal,
near Elberfeld. They have the* Bame
very projecting eyebrows and the same
low sloping forehead of a decidedly
simian character. The finders suggest
that these are types of the skulls of the
primitive race whp dwe t on the Sambre.
Other things were discovered in the cave
by MM. de Puydt and Lohest, among
them some thousands of flints very care
fully dressed on one side; also some
specimens of jasper and agate, minerals
not found anywhere in the neighborhood,
ivory breast-pins, several red ear-pen
dants, and some necklets of pearls of
curious designs. It was noticed that
there weije no representations of animals.
All were found in the sandstone, three
layers of which were plainly discernible..
It was visible that the remains of flints,
etc., deposited in each layer indicated
different stages of skill in workmanship.
The lowest stratum was by far the poor
est, jn the number of the objects found
and in the quality of their workmanship.
But it was here that the skulls were
found, so that from a scientific point of
view it is most important. A drawing
has been carefully made of the geolog
ical section of the cave, so as to mark
precisely^ the point where the skulls were
found.—St. James's Ornette.
Big Account Books.
In a Wall street banking house are to
be seen the biggest account books in
America. They average from two feet i
sqpare to the bigness of the top of a desk, •!
and the most ponderous is a load for an j
able-bodied clerk. The covers are half
an inch thick, and material enough for a I
pair of leather breeches is consumed in j
every one. When ranged in order in the j
section of the vault consecrated to them !
they present a most magnificent array, j
If Goliah were alive ana in the trade |
these would be the books for him. I
have an idea that their imposing appear
ance is one of their recommendations to
faror, though assured that their utility is
their chief title to existence. It appears
also, that these large and massive vol
umes are specially calculated for self-pre
servation. They are so solid and so
firmly constructed that they can resist
fire without the protection of a safe. In
an ordinary conflagration where th#
flames are not allowed to play too long,
these books will pass the ordeal with no
wbrse harm than that their backs will be
converted into charcoal and their edges
scorched, but be btherwise intact. J The
experiment has been made. When pro
tected by a safe they are indestructible j
in the fiercest flames. In the matter of
cost they rival their appearance in mag
nificence. Thousands of dollars are ex
pended by the hou«e in question on its j
account books. Before the war this ex- j
Sense was modestly restricted to a few '
undreds. Indeed, when the house was 1
counted a very prosperous one its full
line of books in daily use cost little more
than one of their Brobdignagian succes
sors.—New York News.
The Ladies.
I am the boss of the entire shop,
And, you bet, I make the girls all bop—
—~lam the forelady. ,
Frcm 8 until 61 yell out “Cash!”
And I seldom fail to make a “mash”—
I am the saleslady.
When I’m very mad I spoil the fish.
And I sometimes sma ll a china dish—
I am the cooklady.
I dose the baby to keep it still,
And I very often make it ill—
T am the nurseladjV
My stock in. trade is water and soap,
A wringing machine and piece of rope—
. \ ” I am the washlady.
' —King's County Journal,
The Products of Coal.
Pew persons hare any idea of the won
derful products from a lump of coal—a
lump of coal that is placed in the retort
of a gas manufactory. Ordinarily burned,
the combustion of a lump of coal results
in carbonic acid smoke ^ which is merely
soot, or, rather, the visible portion of
smoke is soot) and the ashy in which are
found silica, alumina, oxide of iron,
phosphoric acid, sulphuric acid, potash,
sodium, combined sulphur, sometimes
traces of chlorine-titanic acid, and other
substances. Tn the gas retort a variety
of products are obtained. The gas as it
is Carried through the hydraulic main to
the purifying rooms takes with it tar
and ammonia, the latter evolved fro hi
the nitrogen. The ammonia has to be
washed out with water in an arrange
ment by which tho ammonia is gathered
and saved. Tons and tons of sulphate
of ammonia are thus made, and become
an artic e of commerce. The sulphur is
removed by caustic lime or oxide of iron.
The carbouic acid is also removed by
lime, but the sulphurous acid cannot be
removed, and, with several others, re
'mains in the gas after all efforts to re
move it. The others give the gas its
smell. n
By distillation, naphtha and asphaltum
are obtained. Asphaltum is a dead oil,
very useful to preserve wood. From
this, too, carbolic acid is obtained—very
important in surgical operations, as be
ing the most valuable antiseptic known.
Prom Naphtha, benzole, eumol, tojtuol
and cymol are obtained. Naphtha, as is
well known, is used as a burniag fluid.
Benzole is a solvent for grease and oils,
very useful in cleaning kid gloves and
things of that kind.
Benzole treated with mtnc acid pro
duces nitrobenzole. This, singularly
enough, is used as a flavoring extract by
confectioners and for perfuming soap.
When used for this purpose, it is known
in commerce as the essence of myrrhbane,
which it is not, although it smells and
tastes something like essence of myrrh
bane or oil of bitter almonds. Nitro
benzole is terribly poisonous, but not
more so than other adulterate used by
confectioners.
From nitrobenzole, aniline is obtained.
This when first obtained is a perfectly
colorless liquid, but darkens as it nows
older. From aniline are obtains th<
coal tar colors, which are so very bril
liarit The colors are of all hues. Thi
one known as “Turkey red” is exactly
similar to the red that used tobemadi
from the madder root.: Since the dis
covery of this aniline, it has almost com
pletety broken up the raising of maddei
in Holland. There thousands of acre*
were devoted to the raising of maddei
root to get the Turkey red dye. It cat
be made mihch cheaper from the produc'
of a gas factory.— Coal Trade Journal.
The Pecan Tree.
The pecan tree is found in a wild
state in the woods of the various sections
of the South and West. It grows to •
very large size, and bears yearljr many
bushels of fine flavored nuts. Though
little or no attention has been paid to
these valuable trees, cultivation greatly
improves them, the nut growing much
larger and improving in flavor, The
pecan tree lives to a great age, and con
tinues long in bearing. There is no good
reason why it should not be grown, ex
tensively in all parts of the United
States. It is well adapted to any kind of
soil, doing well on rocky hills apd waste
land. There is no nut or fruit tree more
valuable and requiring so little atten
tion. The nuts always find ready sale at
fancy prices. In planting the trees the
only object is to obtain good fresh nuts,
and of a good early variety, of large
size, from which to grow the trees. - If
ill is preferred to set out the plants, get
healthy trees of a good variety one to
two years old.—Scientific American.
A mathematician estimates that a ma
rine of One-horse power would keep
7,000,000 watchea running.
ssnm
Amaiia* Speed of the Pigeon.
The much belauded steam engine, the
piotir* powers of which have constantly
to be tended and renewed, is but a poor
contrivance by the side of the pigeon,
which, wfth his self •contained mechan
ism, oan ' not only travel at amazing
speed, but can “stay” for an extraordi
pary period. The* performance of the
pigeons which lately flew from London
to Brussels is astounding. They were
loosed from their baskets, some 300 trav
elers in all, at 10:20 a. m., on Sunday,
and they completed the journey of 180
miles within a minute of 4 o'clock, hav
ing flown the distance in five hours and
forty-One minutes—that is to ray, they
went 360 half-miles in 340 minutes—
more than a mile in two minutes, and
this sustained for nearly six hours. It is,
to be assumed that they lost no distance
and that they went the shortest way to
Brussels; but it is reported that
they encountered a severe storm
on their passage, and every man
who has battled against a high
wind well understands what that means,
it is obvious that in fair weather, to say
nothing of what might have been done
with a favorable breeze, very much bet
ter time could have been made. As it is,
the speed of these pigeons, kept up for
180 miles, is almost equal to the average
time in which the winner of the Derby
runs his race, and is superior to the time
which some few winners have made; it
is indeed, almost e ]ual to the best record
of a racehorse over a mile, that record
being about one minute and forty-two
seconds; for no one now places the
slightest faith in the legends of Eclipse
ana his mile a minute. The American
trotting mare Maud S.has covered a mile
in two minutes eight and three-quarter
seconds. The best time made by a man
is Georgo's four minutes twelve and
three-quarter seconds; but it is the en
durance of these pigeons that makes their
work so wonderful. Migratory birds, of
course, come infinitely greater di tances,
though it is necessarily impossible to
estimate their speed. —London Standard.
* -
A Watchmaker’s Epitaph. ^
As one of the “Curiosities of Litera
ture” connected with watches, we may
cite the following, which can be seen in /
the churchyard at Lydford, Devonshire,
England:
“Here lies in & horizontal position
> The outside case of
George Routledge, Watchmaker.
Etoutledge, Watchmaker.
Integrity was the nmm wring and prudent
the regulator of qlltheiPlfeonsof his life;
B>f all the actions
umane, generouS^BBi liberal.
ce
uiuuouv} 5QUC1 vuvfJ99|i uuvi «uf
His hand never stopped till he had relieved
distress,
So nicely regulated were his movements that
he never went wrong,
Except when set a going bv people who did
not know his key;
Even then be was easily set right again.
He had the art of disposing of his tune so
That his hours glided away in one continued
round of pleasure,
Till in an unlucky moment his pulse
stopped beating.
HerandownNov. 14,1801, aged 57,
In hopes of being taken in band by his
ig taker
-. • -, 'Sl'v. Maketjn^immm
Thoroughly cleaned, repaired, wound up, and
set a-going
In the world to come, when time shall be
no more.”
Vaklng a Match.
A young man of Baltimore^. went
several years ago and corresponded reg
ularly with an elderly lady friend in
Washington. About six months ago he
wrote that he'd get married now if he
knew a nice girl that would have him.
“There’s a chance for you,” said the
lady, laughingly, to her niece when she
received the letter.
“Tell him to write to me,” skid the
poung woman, also laughing.
The aunt did so, the young man wrote,
—-- r — «s w .
the young woman answered the
ind the result of the correspondence that
followed was a wedding last week he
iween the young folks who, until a few
lays before, had never seen each other,
rheir friend* say^ that both have done
sreHl —PhjladdphM *«»rd.
/