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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1877)
February. THE WEST SHORE 121 THE OUDK8T 1'LANT, At a recent nesting of tha Academy of Natu ral Sciences of Philadelphia, Mr. Martindale exhibited some specimens of the sensitive fern Onwlea mmibiUt) in the curious condition known as the variety obtuHilobata. The matter is of great interest, from the fact that this fern is perhaps the oldest living llnral organism mi the globe. It is found in a fossil state, and some palaeontologists Mieve it lias been in ex istence for fUO,000 years. On some of the pre vailing theories of evolution it ought to have branched off', by "gradual modifications," into numerous descendants, and we ought to have allied species, if not allied genera. But not only are there no very closely allied genera, but ouly this one single species, and it shows no tendency to produce the slightest variation worth speaking about. If we could find a good substantial va riation in this fern, it would be, therefore, a case of considerable interest. Dr. Asa (irav. in his "Mauuai oi liotaiiy. regards the so-called variety obtwilobata as no variety, but as n pecu liar morphological condition of "the same thing; and the specimens found by Mr. MartindaTe perfectly contirmed this view! The male frond of the Onoclm is but the female frond con tracted and railed an as is the ease in nil Cams having the female fronds of a different character to the male. In the variety obltwlobata the sporangia are borne on a Hat frond, like as in atpmtm, the lubes of the frond not rolling wiujuuiuij no, iw in bub peneci lorm. it istlie same thing, with only the frond not as perfectly transformed. The sensitive fern ("sensitive"'' from its withering so MOD after gathering) is ttiBuui luwmn iroiu ita UWUg as - Highly org, lzea, uotwitiistamling its great age, as any fern 1 of a much more modern origin, geologically ! speaking. There is, doubtless, much to sustain tlie theory of a gradual progress from a simple1 to a complex structure through the course of j ages, but the Onoelea is surely not among these facts. NAKROW-QAUOB PROtUtKSK. i The BaOutau Age has the following figures on j the progress of narrow-gauge railroads, which j it a matter of interest ir many counties 61 this I State: Narrow-gauge building on this continent may be said to have begun in l871kohlyitx years ago, and its progress may be Doted as! follows: 1871. miles of narrow .gauge built, 170 1872, 450 miles; 1H7;., 555 miles: IS74, 010 miles; 1876, 585 milei) 1876, 500 miles.. Total j in operation in America, 3,167 miles. These figures are nearly correct, though, probably, I not entirely complete. Thia show an addition ' of G(!il miles of narrow-gauge track in twenty one States-more than one-fifth the total number' of miles of railway constructed in the country' during the year, according to most authorities, j ror a mtvm praoucauv oi recent introduction and which instill considered by many of doubt ful economy apJ .yfiicieney, this certainly is a very oniAuraW) the, and indicates 'that, in spito of the assertions of some that narrow gauge roads will not and must not be built, they have been and will continue to bu built. The thirty-three roads whose extensions are noted above have now a total length of nearly 1,000 milts, and this is less than one-third of the total narrow-gauge mileage now in operation in America. The number of narrow-gauge mads in operation In America is over 100, beatdee an Indefinite number projected. ThkMoiiai, Vaixkuf PHYSICAL STHKNOTH. The American scholar and thinker is by rule a dyspeptic, He is a raor-faeed, lantern-jawed, thin, nervous man. This is partly the effect of climate, and partly that of diet "and regimen. In the old days of bran bread, and prayers before daylight iu the colleges, and long morn ing walks before breakfast, and suit idal, con sumptive habits, it required a pretty tough man to live through his studied at all. " We are now doing this thing better, but we have not reached the highest outcome of the change, and shall not reach it, probably, for several gen erations, Hut we have COma to the recognition of the fact that it docs not tougheu a man to reduce his diet, to cut short his Bleep, to take long walks on an empty stomach, and to indulge' in cold baths when there is no welhaapportad vitality to respond to them. We have come to the conviction that, for a useful public life, brains are of very little account if there are no muscles to do their bidding. In short, we bare learned that without physical vitality the pro foundoat learning, the most charming talents, and the best accomplishments are of little use to a public man In whatever field of professional life he may be engaged. Scnlmrr'a Monthly, Tug RiaBt KlND of a Wm A farmer was once blessed with a good-natured, contented wife; hut it not being in the nature of man to Iw satisfied, he one day laid to a neighlsir he rcaiiy wisiiou tie emiM liear Ins wile scut., once POISONOUS INDIA-ROBBER TOYS. A. F. Taylor, Ph. D.( of Andover, Mass., aids the following note to the Journal of Cfomlefry; Prof, B. Tollens. in the Journal of the BrU Chemical Society, of November 13th, 1870, colls attention to the tajuriousneu of many of the articles manufactured from caout chouc, which, among other impurities, contain a very large per cent of zinc oxide. In the rubber nipples of milk bottles for children, this has often been found to be the case, and so much attention has been balled to this fact that the manufacture of these nipples containing zinc uahic iinn 10 a great exieni ivaM'tl But more recently suspicions have been I steadily will often succeed in inducing sleep; SLEF.PLESSN BSS. It la a familiar fact to medical men. says the Journal oj'Chrmi-tiy, that thousands sutler from wakefulness who are otherwise in good health. Mtui - ., . . .... ,1 souuiii ie w asnea as nine as possm ...... . ui u.e.n una neeome, a uauu. ana , tiah( afu.r w cmH AM wi,H.(l ith lllUll .'inn .:..! vi uuii, pot a lew resort) Soporific drags, and the taste for opium is thus often initiated. Others find alcoholic liijuors occasionally effectual, and there can be no doubt that iu this way the foundation of Intemperate indulgence in these liquors has Wen laid. Many people, however, have found a way of going to sleep without resort to such dangerous mens- ures. For instance, looking at a fixed DOUlt aroused concerning the quality of children's toys, dolls, annuals, etc., made from rubber. One case, in which a child, having one of these dolls, had had it for some time in Ita mnnth. grew sick, and the doll, laid in vinegar, became wvmvu wis? an incrustation (WltnoUl tlouot zinc acetate), led to direct investigation. In 0.7325 gramme of such a doll, 0.4445 gramme zinc oxide was found, or 60.58. Another portion gave, after being subjected to a red heat, 68,34 gramme of ash, yellow while hot, white on cooling. In the ashlvesidcs the zinc were traces of lime, iron and phosphoric acid. From another doll which had been warranted ''harmless," 5768 of ash were obtained, con sisting almost wholly of zinc oxide. It is but at all Improbable that the sickness of the child, particularly the severe vomiting, was COOKING PISH. The following hints on this subject an taken from an article by the culinary correspondent of the IauuIou A'irieultHral Qa tt : Fish should le washed as little as possible, and white isn, alter Ix'ing cleaned and wiped w itli a damp loth, should have the stomach slutted w ith salt for an hour or two before cooking, Fish should be put on in cold water, so that the inner part may be snthciently done, and also it is loss lia ble to break. This rule holds good, except for very small Rah, or for sohnou tailed in slices, when hotting water should be used. The time w ill depend on the kind and size of the fish, but it may le easily known when it i ready by drawing up the fish-plate and trying ii it' will separata from the bone. Here," as in other things, practice is better than all the directions that can be given, as so much depends on the strength of the tire and the size of the fish. A little salt and vinegar should always be put into the water, and some prefer the Rah. taulod in what is called a court bouillon, and this is how it is done: Lay the Rah in the fish-kettle with uough cold water to cover it, add It gloss of tor tlie novelty ot the thing. Whereupon, his UoatioU of the report on t he . i.-.gr.ud.ical and ' . f vmiia.tJ.iuna uaiffhhnr m vise, nm tn on to Am 1 2 . n nul to li y . .. i .... ,,,,,, . Sort, of ,.r:,, . ii iiv, f if it is too dark to do this, closing the eves and in i i mud nation watehinir attentively tho stream of air entering and leaving the nostrils. An other plan has recently been proposed by Dr. Cooke, w ho tells us thai in many cases of steep lesaueas U U ouh lu-cvMMU't to breathe. erv slowly and quietly for a few minutes to secure refreshiiiL' slaan 11, t Km l. , tlmt mul mbmh .1... pend on hypsnBmia of the brain, and that In wine or vinegar, aorae alioed oarrot and onions, this sluw broathina the blood uintdv ! UmmiaH pepper, salt and a laurtd leaf, a bunch of nars- sutlicicntly to make an iiupivssion." Certainly, "'V- f;1!t of sweet herbs, or some ol the when the mind is uncontrollably active, and so wnt powdered and tied uji in a muslin lag. prevents sleep, persons whose observation was Th"se seasonings impart a line llavor to most worth trusting have testified that the breathing boiled Rah, excepting salmon, and lor ircsh-water was l(uiek and short, and they have found they llsU il ilt OOnaldorod very useful for getting rid lKcainc more disHsed to sleep by breathing the muddy taste they often have, slowly. This supports Dr. Cooke's practice, Frying lisb may be fairly well done by juit but at other times his plan quite failed It is ptttwig auflioient fat iu the pan to prevent it sticking, and cooking it till of a tine brown col or: but thi' artistic mode of frvinn fish is what is called the wet process, which may bo simply described as boiling it in fat There are diller ont opinions ai lo w hat kind of fat answers lost, UUt all agree that butter should never be used, as the expense is great, and the color never tn go.nl. Lard is considered by many to be the best frying inediuroi but Oarame, the great French cook, gives the preference to beef fat not, however, the dripping from the roast, but i, Ui I made by Belting beef suet instead of the fat of the pig. W hat we recommend to fami lies as best and most economical is clarified dripping, that is. the fat front the joints while roasting, poured into boiling w atcr, and ivuioved in a OUke when cold. Hut whatever the medium, the great point is to have the fa) at U proper temperature before the article to be fried is Hit in. The skillful cook can see the blue smoke rising just at the boiling NOint, and then she knows it li time to put in licrtish; but for those w ho are only acquiring expericni e, it is safer to throw in a bit ot bread) and it it takes a line color iu a minute or so, then the fat is lint enough, and the Rah may be put in. This is the cardinal point of successful frying. As Brlllat'SavaHn ays: "It all deponui on the surprise," that is, on the fat being hot enough, or otherwise the fish will be tublM and greasy instead of crisp and appetizing. Another point to be attended to is that the tat be deep enough I in the pan to cover the fish, which should ho put into a wire basket that will easily lit into the pan of fat, and then no turning is rwjuitl d. The fame fat will do again and again for 90 times, if necessary ; all that is Deeded i" to si rain it into boiling water; when cold take it oil in a cake, w ipe oil' the water on the under side, and putiffby for use, oi course only to fry , fish again. j MOMMM COHVIRTKD Wto PAINT, Few person! are aware that Veritable Egyptian ninm , inies are ground up into paints. Hut in this country and in tiurope muramlei are used for this purpose the asplialtuiu with which they are impregnated being ol a quality suHtriorto that which can elsewhere Iw attained, and pro ducing a jHipular brownish tint when made into paint, which is prized by distinguished urtista both of this and other countries. The ancient , Egyptians, when they put away (heir dead, wrapped in clothes saturated With Mphaltom, butued, as it were, better than they knew, and could never have realized the fact that ago after they had been laid iu the tomlut and pyramids along the Nile, their dust would Is used in painting pictures in a world then undis covered, ami by artists whose languages were to them unknown. That a Portion of one of the I'haioahs, or a I'otiphar, or even of the historic Mrs. I'otiphar, may even now lie on the canvass ' of a Vernet a Mulail, or a Church, who may question? Vatkinglon QattUt, PttKLKD PlOlt- "Tickled figs!" 1 think I 1 hear Some leader exclaim, with a sneer of incrw i dulity.) "W ho ever saw plenedfigll never heard id such a thing!" Herhaps not, my dear sir Of madam) but pickled ligs are among our i ooioes t ami rarest nouinera tanie nuunes, and it some Underwood from Itostoii, or other imr vcyorof tOOthaomc delicacies, W ere to OOffll lierv and put those delirious sweet pickles up ill the tasteful style of Northeiu manufacturers, and ship then! to the North and Kiwi and West, it w ould in a few yean reoulra bundreds of acrea of lig tretw to supply the demand for the law fruit -Florida htnU'Trmkat, '. ' BgaggSg1g1gg1ga SPflBa'TanriBLaa JMBhuwBaHal HiSPawSRaaunM THK MOUNTAIN of THK HOLV (TtOSS. caused by the line oxide, and it is to Iw wished , cei tainh Worth any one's while whotaoOM' that the manufacture sntl sale of such arm ies lionallv aleenlaes to give it a trial. Iu doing so containing sine oxide could be prohibited. they should breathe very .piietly. rather deeply, land at long intervals, but not long enough to 8CKNKRY IN COLORADO cause tin- least feeling of uneasiness. Inline, J - jlt,y Hi,i,i imitate a m-ihoii sbeping, and do it VmImuhhJ. .......... . t.f. ti i st.-ft.lih for several inilillti's. le,deMniiefs aXOBPt under the In.- t of a physician. The other methisls .., ,, u , , t , i t ' i i Ami. ink coloi-, acconlmg to .Mr. .IonviiIi m, ,,.,,,l Ibor. B 1 Hf.y Md by U)r. MdeWUln, 1h. .. k,7. vuI. ,.,,,, j hois, b, .( to bU,ud U mm hni for Untlng photognplu, and lik.wUt i Ji- Mill r,u,. gwfiw) tdrio. ihonU b. promiiU, , ,, J ,,,, , ui IflHO n ii In an To I it' wood aodiStaWofonolud .tick;, whidi 10!0T "V 01 1 ri""'- " wo ruiuly main bar Moron aa be o,ml,l ""? natural ry ii to many dinii--. Accirdiinjly, th farmer oollactad a plaeM in Colorado, Thoia rsportt are m wall load of imMtllUhaped, eraokod, crotchety arrlttan. and the lmallllaa all AmtOM Uk an mile.. ala that were ever knr,wn under the Bl 1 1. J.,.n -J l . 11.. " linn U the well kietwn iit.taldblv id the offue.1. TttU dappled ut iti plaoa, takinn . , . . " .nura.-1 , n ... K .. . - l.,it,f,il mil,, I wain, arti.t. who de-ire h can that hia nooM ahcald have acceaa t nil !"(, "at it la uini.t a. ..! aa a tn, t th. 1 j K ,, ,,m.r ,,. hluei.h. -niiaueu. J id their work t wold en yu iriiv or siiKike cubufd clas. .. as ri tirutectinii tllLlii. other woi si. Day after day passed without a I oountry, to read the ruporta. ot mpumt. ai leturu ttm pile was constimci. Tht. rmarsctarUtic feature of tin- Mount of the "Weil, wife, asid she farmer, "1 an going after , f, , . , . . morewl; Til get another load just such as 1 H'dy ( ross, as shown in the engraving u the (.-.t last time." h, yes, Jao..b, " she repl.ed; ' vertlcai -f" 1lt,1 wilt k ... ifLTLni frt, m..h . r.-.L.-i I a croas of snow, w inch may U- seen at adis- i". . J "" V- ,.. ,,f .V) or Si line:, from .itb.T tuont.t to. I pe,-iks. Ihis is ftiriued bv ft vertical lisiun- erotchety wood as you bnmght before, does lie irouu.l tile ptt so nicely. A luid'.F-sroM'KST of the Kwjlith Mccha. use of blue chimney or at least of aUmt l,rou feet high, with a sort of b'ri.uta ladas for the reOeetioo ol the Ugbt, ootortd a sUspa, pn-luowl by the hn;akiiig down of the light Uttmawioc bjtS. A near approach to day ide of the mountain, on which the mow is Jlfht f" ' pr'liHsl by a lsjtioleuiii bums for weak eyes, against the iinphasant effecU of r,IKAr4 ANM pOTAID 1'Asilty. Six utnnl red, orange and yUUOW light n tin- same mJHj w(tato,-s, boiled and mashed mealy and principle the trying r.-l.th yellow light of can- wllU!, i,e taa-cup of sweet cream, half tea- dies, lamps and gu on normal tyea as wefl m nHHIhfu f h, and flour enough to make it suy ween ones, can be plssaanUj inotinlss by the iL.,..i1..r .m,,i r,,n not w.,rU n..,i i.-il. little as j"- -ii!. , ami roll thicker than lOT O04B moii jtastry. ' Yaui Tr.. -It is a common but injurious practice for women to take a cup of hot tea on an empty etaraaeb when tired and twhauittfl An rgg broken into a weak cup of u-a, well Iteatui. and mixed with a glass of cold sweet milk, is much less injurious, ami really uouriah- DtLlooeaCou tinu Cake. One auart of I uow bittr; they mere k the . . of )Uv, but the) t v-,ded only tliat which is -- to them U- ci-niml; two parU of sweet milk; two heaped m answer to a qnostion as ti the Itest means of i.j ailli rL.)1Ullll( tmru ((f U;M aU the vwr , Ump with a round wn k and a light blue .1 keap.nnthf leet dry-in winter, says- "A simple jg fa kUllim, r tll0 lB V(!ry nwyof twu the nual h-uglh, the latter c plan would!, oil having a isur of ahoes imvir. j dimmi-ht, m MJA, by the melting of the .uow tfi 9 isthdeum b with hearty a pure white lUme. loonier tin-maker to put t-tw,vn me so.es willdl hj., awl)IIUlUt,;(i in th ,;1,,lJrt.J inew tt i giuia percna as mica u a No wet nr .lamp will ever g. t through. 1 have ' Mhxsa distinctly More your own mind the adopted this plan for MM yeara. h'onnerly I -lT AXU HoKBiiW OV OaflUmV. Ohfldm well known fact that chd-treu delight as mm h hau both wet and cold tet continuaJly, which sweeten latent, nut lliey tnake mitlortnoes more hi i . n iti'i, tlieir : .. tln-ir Inol... pro even worste.1 rt.ra:kingH tailed to USp warm; imw uuwrr; mej lucre so uic can Iwearcott'in all the winter, and ntiver hsTe ' mitigate the rx-membraiice eold fauu" $049 of death. lxrj : mited to their OUBijeiuei ami adapted to teaspooiiluU of cream-y last J two e'ga. Itake their trength Dmm trimiltm)f 'ha-hinj. in a quick ovn.