YOUTH AND AGK.
When I wu young there teemed to he
No pleasure in the world for me :
My fellows found It everywhere,
Wss none ao poor but bed hie share
, 4 ... They took mine, too t
I sought in Tain ; it was my fate
To be too early, or too late ;
TTT ! 'h8ro- the bird wee flown
And why f and to what eoldea sons T
If youth bnt knew I
Why art thou, Yorth, so swift, so slow t
way dost thoa let thy pleasures bo ?
All that thy grasp thy hands let fall :
Toe best they do not grasp at all,
. Do not pursue I
what tingles in my blood like wine
Those tender eyes that torn ta mine.
The soft tears in my eyes that start
Tell me, what does it mean, my heart ?
If yonth but knew I
Now I iu old there seems to be ;
No pleasure in the world for me
But Tain regrets for what is past,
Because I did not hold it fast,
Because It flew I ,
That youth is weak, and age is strong,
Should be the burden of my song.
And might be in my happier hours.
If autumn leaves were summer flowers.
I ' If age could do I
Hock not my sighs, and my white hair,
O Youth so foolish and so fair I
Remember, life is not all June ; "
The lean and slippered pantaloon
Awaits thee too I
Be wise, delay not, oh. mske haste I
Go, steal your arm around her waist :
The rosebud mouth begins to blow
Stoop down and kiss It so, boy, sol
If sgeeould dot
Dum vivtmus, the wise men ssy,
And you can do it as well as they;
So live and love, then, while yon can.
Nor sigh, like m, when yon sre a man.
" If youth but knew 1"
Far better be where Folly dwells.
And shake him' with your Jangling bells.
Than hear belated Wisdom come.
And beat upon the muffled drum,
If age could do V
1 R. IT. Stoddard, in Atlantic MmtXtg.
THE HAUNTED
SHIP.
I shipped in the Norway, for the pas
sage iroin uronstaat to Mull, and an'
other Englishman, who went by the
name of Jack Hastings; joined her at
the same time. He and I had lodged
together on shore, and beoome some
what acquainted before we became
shipmates. He was a man of consider
able information, and, from his talk,
had seen his f share of the world, bnt
was not mufch of a sailor, as I had
already surmised from the cut of his
jib.
We found Capt. Phelps, of the Nor-
t, a Tartar in the worst sense of the
1 ; and the voyage was anything but
Basant one, especially to Hastings,
had shipped for able seaman's
es, and his deficiencies were soon
apparent, especially to a captain who
had a hawk's eye for the weak points in
a man, that he might come down on
him. As I had a strong feeling of re
spect for the young man, I stood his
friend whenever I could, by trying to
do more than my own share of duty,
and covering up his shortcomings ; but
I couldn't always be at hand, of course.
One night, when it was blowing
quite fresh, and I was at the wheel, the
captain was up, and had all hands put
ting reefs ia the topsails. The men
had lain down on deck, and were man
ning the halyards to hoist away, when
poor Hastings, instead of the reef
tackle, let go the weather foretopsail
brace, and away went the yard fore and
aft. However, by luffing up smartly,
we managed to get it checked in again
without carrying away anything. But
Capt. Phelps, frothing at the mouth,
vowed he would tan the clumsy lubber's
hide that did it, and would " ride him
down like a main-tack." He rushed at
' Hastings with a piece of ratline-stuff,
and brought it down once, with a ter
rific cut, over his neck and shoulders.
As he raised it again to repeat the
blow, while all hands stood looking on.
hushed into silence, a voice from aloft
roared out, " Hold your hand !
The sound, which was wonderfully
loud and clear, seemed to come down
out of the maintop. The captain fell
back aft, so as to look up, bnt could see
nothing.
1 " Aloft there ! " he yelled, in a rage.
jjio answer.
" Maintop there !
Halloa,! was answered, spitefully.
uome down on deck !
"Come up here, and see how you
like it I
The captain's rage was now fearful
to behold.
"Who's, aleft there? Who is it.
Mr. Raynor?" he demanded of the
. mate.
"Nobody that 1 know of, sir, an
swered the officer. "They're all here
in sieht."
The men looked from one to another,
but the number was correct. The sec
ond mate, without waiting for orders,
sprang up aloft and looked over the
too-rim. then made the circuit of it.
looking all round the mast-head, and
reported himself alone. The captain
Juhm tiia vwvui'a An1 onI nartf WaIayv
UUpvU UIO vV asu ncu sWAWTT
his mind in a strange chaos of rage and
fear : and Hastings escaped further
baatma? for that night.
But a few days were sruncient ior tne
. . . . . . t -r i .
one on board but Captain Phelps. The
more superstitious part of our crew
would rather hfve borne his tyrannical
treatment man nave lived in a haunted
ship, while some of Jus welcomed a
firm friend in this unaccountable
spiritual presence, or whatever it
might be.
The captain's angry passions were to
some extent checked by it; though,
now and then, they broke forth so sud
denly that tne object of h)S fury re
ceived a blow before it could interfere.
We had arrived within aoouple of days'
sail oi tne ingusn cost, when, becom
ing exasperated at some blunder of
Hastings , he hurled a belaying-pin,
which struck him on the head. The
poor fellow suddenly clapped both
hands to the spot, with a wild yell, and
ruBhed into the forecastle. The cap
tain, after having thrown the missile,
appeared, as I thought, surprised at not
hearing anything, and I noticed him
glance nervously aloft, lint, still hear
ing nothing, he recovered his courage,
and ordered Mr. Raynor to "call that
man on deck again."
The mate, getting no answer to his
call, went below, and found Hastings
delirious. He reported that he believed
the man to be in a critical condition,
and the captain directed him to do
whatever he thought best for his relief.
I think Captain Phelps, like some other
hard cases that I have sailed with, did
cot dare to venture into the forecastle
himself, for fear he might never get out
again alive. J
Tnat night, it became necessary to
call all -hands out to reef again ; and
while we were on the yards, a thrilling
cry arose from the bows, such as might
well have been raised by a maniac A
human form was seen by several of us
erect on the rail, near the fore-swifter.
and then a loud splash was heard in the
water under our lee.
Mr. Raynor and the captain, who
were on deck, rushed to the side ; a hat
was Been for a moment, bobbing up on
the crest of a sea, and the same dread
ful yell of insanity was repeated, even
more shrill than before. Captain Phelps
echoed the cry, but faintly, and fell in
sensible to the deck.
Mr. Raynor hailed us on the top-sail
yard with a voice like a trumpet-blast
"Lay down from aloft ! Clear away the
small boat!
we thought the mate was quite as
mad as the poor suicide ; and so he was,
lor tne moment, liy the time we
reached the deck, he was ready to
countermand the order. Everything
was hidden in darkness, the wind and
sea fast increasing : and it was hardly
possible, even then, for the clumsy lit
tle boat to live. The captain, still nn-
conscious was carried below, with many
a muttered wish that he might never
come up again ; and bitter were the
oaths of vengeance, mingled with kind
words and tears for our departed mess
mate, that went round our wakeful
little circle during the stormy, dismal
night.
When the Hull pilot boarded us,
forty-eight hours afterward, Captain
Phelps was at his post, trying to look
like himself, but still pale and trem
bling. The mate had told us that he
should have him arrested as soon as
we arrived in port. But I think he
must have relented, and connived at
his escape, for he was missing before
the ship was fairy secured. I don't
think he was ever brought to justice,
though I did not wait to see. I was
glad enough to shake the dust of the
Norway off my feet, and to forget, if
possible, the history of the voyage.
lint j. often found myself, while on
subsequent voyages, puzzling my brain
to account for the strange phenomena
of which I have spoken. Five years
passed away, and I was none the wiser
in that respect, when I found myself in
liiverpooi, where x arrived from a
South American voyage, and been paid
off with fifty pounds a considerable
sum for me to have in possession at one
tune.
Strolling along the streets at early
evening, ready for anything in the way
of amusement that might turn up, my
attention was caught by a poster, an
nouncing the performance of Profes
sor Holbrook, the unrivaled and world
renowned ventriloquist. " I bad never
seen a performance of that sort: but
after reading the bill, 1 resolved to go.
I was just in time when I reached the
hall of exhibition : and takinsr a ticket.
I entered, and took a seat. I thought
the Professor s entertainment the most
wonderful thing I had ever witnessed
or heard. After a variety of sounds
and voices had been imitated with mar
velous skill, he informed us that he
would hold a conversation with an
imaginary person up the chimney.
when the responsive " Ha, na l came
down, I was startled to such a degree
as to rise from my seat. It was the
precise!
that I acquit myself better on this stage
than l did on board the Norway."
And that's the only haunted ship that
ever I was in. I've heard of others.
but probably those cases might all be
explained in some similar way.
j I
Man and Dog Both Saved. (
The other day a young man named
Benjamin Machamer, one of the best
hunters in Northumberland county,
made a remarkable escape from a well
into 'which he fell. This well is in the
lower part of the town of Trevorton,
near the old round-house. So long a
time has elapsed since it has been in
use that its existence was almost for
gotten. It is about eight feet wide and
eighteen feet deep, and at the present
time contains ten feet of water. It was
covered with plank the day in question.
Machamer started out in pursuit oi
game, accompanied by his dog, a valu
able setter. His path lay near the old
well, into which his dog had the mis
fortune to fall, through a hole caused
by the decaying planks. The dog was
highly prized by Mr. Machamer, who,
in attempting to rescue it, fell in him
self. In an ordinary sized well the
situation would have been dangerous,
and in this case it was extremely so, as
the unusual width of the well prevented
him from bracing himself against the
side. The only possible way for him
to get out was to climb up one side, and
as the wall was very closely built, this
was a difficult feat. But it was a strug
gle for life, and Machamer, being a
young man of powerful strength and
great energy, resolved to try. , He suc
ceeded in almost reaching the top, only
to lose his hold, and fall back. Again
and again he climbed up the side of the
wall, and each time fell back! into the
cold water beneath. Every time he fell
back the half-strangled dog would
Bpring upon his shoulders, thus bear
ing him down and keeping him under
water. In spite of this .difficulty, how
ever, he would succeed in regaining the
wall. At one time he lecame faint
from the effect of the impure air. He
had found a small stick floating on the
water, which he inserted in the wall and
placed one foot upon it, then put both
hands in another aperture, thinking
that if he did swoon he might possibly
hang there until he returned to con
sciousness. The faintness, however,
passed awny, and he again attempted to
reach the top. Finding that his wet
clothes greatly impeded his progress,
he succeeded in divesting himself of his
coat and boots, one of which he threw
out, leaving the other with the coat to
sink to the bottom. Thirteen times he
climbed up the side of the well, and
thirteen times he fell back into the
well. His perseverance surpassed that
of the traditional spider, for he had
great odds to contend with. -, At last,
almost worn out, he made a final effort
and reached the top. He didn't wait
for the dog, but started for home imme
diately, and told his story. His father
and another gentleman returned: at
once and rescued the dog. Mr. Mac
hamer states that he was in the well an
hour. The escape was; wonderful.
Pottsville (Penn.) Miners' Journal.
. A Large Tea-Kettle. i ;
For some weeks Boston has been all
agog over the size of a huge tea-kettle
in front of a tea-store in that city. Two
prizes had been offered for the nearest
estimates of its capacity, and the Yan
kee citizens have consequently been
guessing " ever since. Twelve hun
dred guesses were made and recorded,
there being 120 of ten gallons or less,
and five ef over 3,U0U gallons. .; These
figures show a wide divergence in opin
ion. The average guess of the first
thousand was 114 gallons, and the last
thousand about 181 gallons. At noon
New Year's day this kettle was publicly
measured, in the presence of o.UOU or
6,000 persons, Mr. William F. Reed,
the official Sealer of Weights and Meas
ures for the city, filling the kettle with
water by using a five gallon measure,
under the supervision of Hon. Henry
Baldwin, Judge of the Municipal Court
in the Brighton District. The thing,
therefore, had a sort of official indorse
ment. The progress of the filling was
scored upon a blackboard by Mr. Reed's
sou. The work proceeded thus as rap
idly as possible until the kettle was
nearly full, when smaller measures were
successively substituted. The excite
ment grew intense as the end ap
proached, and at 1:05 o'clock the great
problem was settled by the recording
that the kettle contained just : 227 gal
lons, 2 quars, 1 pint, and 3 gills. The
prizes were a chest o tea for the nearest
guess, and twenty-five pounds of coffee
for the next best. I The nearest guess
was 227 gallons. 2 quarts, and 1 pint,
wine measure, or within 3 gills of the
exact quantity. This guess was made
by eight different persons, and the
chest of tea was divided among them.
name voice, in Dreciserv tne same
captain to forget his fears, and I myself peculiar tones that I had heard so many The second nearest guess was 227 gal
was the next victim of his wrath. He times from the Norway's mairftop ! Ions, 3 quarts, and 1 pint, 1 or within
A miiiiiw utter, sue riuimsor. liavixil? i u kujb oi we wiiouw wuin. ,.s.uu
finished his part, came forward to the 1 auantitv was guessed by five persons,
front of the stage ; and spite of his I and among them was the coffee divided.
flowing beard and other disguises, I
recognized one whom I had supposed to
be dead hve years before.
Jack .Hastings, said 1 aloud, for-1
getting in my excitement where I was.
Bit aown i Jtrus mm out v criea
a dozen voices at once,
I subsided, of course, but not before
I had received a sign of recognition
from the ventriloquist. When the per
formance was over he beckoned to me,
and in the privacy of his own room,
grasped my hand with a hearty pres
sure. . ,
" Hastings." I asked, " how,' ia the
name of miracles were you saved ?"
" Saved I Where y
" When you jumped overboard, rav
ing mad."
He laughed his own natural, hearty
lantth: net the unearthly one which
he sent down from chimneys and mast
heads. ': -v-v..
"I never jumped overboard, Ashton,'
said he, "and I never was any more
mad than X am at tnis moment, it was
only a plan to frighten old Phelps, and
I think it succeeded but too well. If
he bad been ' tried for his life, and I
had thought him in danger, I should
have appeared m court, ana ingntenea
ma we. xuc ne
had ordered me to make a lanyard-knot
in the end of an old, fagged rope, to be
used for a lashing somewhere. I did so,
and returned it to him, telling him I
hatl made the best job of it that I could.
" Well, if that's your best," said he,
" you're as much of a lubber as your
partner Hastings. Fll dock you both
to or'narv seaman's pay."
In Tain I remonstrated, saying that
the rope was too much worn and fagged
to make a neat piece of work.
" Faccred. is it ? Well, Til finish it
up over your lubberly back 1"
No vou won't! sang out a voice
fmni tmhind the loner-boat.
He rushed round in the direction of
utmil but there was no one there.
"Who was that that spoke?" he
cried. " If I knew who he was, I'd out
his heart out !" ; j
it a. t ha f , would ye?" was an
swered, derisively from the main-top.
it was bread daylight, and all could
see that there was no one up there. I
was quite as much startled and mysti
fied as my tyrant could possibly be;
hnt the, diversion served as good a pur-
nvu m on the previous occasion, for
he did not attack me again. Had he
done so, I meant to resist, and grapple
with him, if it cost me my life. i
That night ' the captain's slumbers
we fn tihe sidelight ia him again to save his life, E
?V"T rzJT lit. fwwfi nnnld not be feund, and X have never
Tva by theate heard of him since. My madness was
XUC vmj , . VvV TTaBfa-nm. 1 sill . ft ham.
Stwlw
tion of it, m emea IWnd kr concealed till the
astonishment and fear, when he rushed
on the deck and looked vainly over the
quarter in search of the cause. .
H Prom that day he was harassed and
persecuted at every iarn -ar
-.:ti. - which crave nam no
TofU Whether on deck or
i :i a aamns from it. and
ZZ'?Z SSr he bSi to abuse or and large towns
the fore-peak, and lay concealed till the
night after tne snip arnveo, wnen x
trtl ont. and went ashore. ; Of course
rjnderstand the cries you heard V
Certainly; and the other strange
sounds on board. Your ventriloquism
.r!ns the whole matter.": - - "
X perxormeu 1 uub
id larae towns in England before I
bnt I was then dissipated
HUT WUW - . J .t .
swear , an ww !ioTiuvarkbTy in my habits, and squandered all that I
J0!? lSSSSfSSL mSl While on: one of yBprees,I
ran in his W on erery such occasion,
aeemiES to oorae from ojerheao.
- .. -n-j. . .M.mf?itati0ns ever
troubled us ia the frecaat.e, nor did
h r.uhly voice ever address any
shipped, and went to sea ;jand that ia
hVm found me in Cronstadt. But I
a,-nAA t Vtmvtk rAtnrned I have doss well.
and saved money and you must allow
Mrs. Beecher in Court, i
During some parts ef ex-Judge Mor
ns' address to the jury, in tne opening
of the Beecher trial to-day, the pastor
held his face toward the floor. It was
flushed, bnt otherwise did not express
emotion. Mrs. Beecher sat steadily
looking at the speaker. Her face was
cast down, and her eyes, directed up
ward under her sharply-cut brows, gave
her a peculiar aspect suggestive of
mingled anger and watchfulness. ; The
corners of her mouth drawn down add
to her sternness. Once, when the
speaker stated that his client could not,
of oourse, produce direct evidence to
prove his charges, Mrs. Beecher turned
toward ner bus band witn a smiie, out
soon resumed her look of bitterness.
During the entire speech Beecher looked
very serious, jror most part oi tne
time he sat as it loosing out oi tne win
dow at the left of the Judge's bench.
He had in his hand a book, which was
occasionally consulted, and onee he
called his wife's attention, to some
memorandum - in it. She ' smiled and
whispered in. his ear. Occasionally a
cynical look Btole over Mrs. Beecher's
face. Tne omy time ueecner aiiowea
his expression to change was when
Morris referred to Tuton as not having
been moved bv a spirit of revenge.
Then a faint smile stole over his face.
New York Car. Chicago Times, j f
Con. Ethan Amour, of Revolutionary
fame, though roughly reared, was very
courteous by nature, and made every
possible effort to improve . his manners
by observing those . of other people.
when he was a prisoner ox war in iew
York city on parole, he was invited into
the best society ox tne city, ana on one
occasion attended a large and fashion
able dinner party. Olives were passed
around during the feast, and, following
the general examples1 vol, Alien took
one. He was unable to overcome tne
disgust it caused his palate, and taking
the half-chewed fruit in his hand, said,
with a low bow to his hostess, "Madame,
with your permission, 111 put that t
thing on the table," : . .'.
All Sorts.
Is Australia inoculation of cattle is
now regularly practiced for the preven
tion of pleuro-pneumonia.
D fa now Rush, of McLeod county.
Minn., has been fined $12.60 for flog
ging a grown-up daugnter.
Thb horse shambles of Paris supplied
the public during the third quarter of
the past year with 630,000 pounds of
meat, the result of the slaughter of
1,555 horses, mules and asses.
A IjOWBxvn, Mass., architect has de
signed a New England building for the
Centennial with a tower six hundred
feet high. His lofty aspirations recall
the Tower of BabeL
Nebraska has 1,345 school-houses,
valued at SI. 300. 000. an increase of 800
school-houses and $600,000 in value in
two years. The number of pupils is
72,991, and of teachers, S.auu.
A dumb barber in a new Jersey town
is getting all the custom, and has been
obliged to hire tour mute assistants.
Burbers who are not " dumb " should
cut this out and paste it on their coat
sleeve.
Fobty-two million passengers were
carried over Massachusetts railroads
the past vear. and onlv one person
killed and seven injured, except by the
personal carelessness of the victim of
the accident. '
A hen in Lancaster, Pa., laid a curi
ous double egg the other day. Each of
the component parts was perfectly
snaped, and tne pointed end ox one was
joined to the blunt end ox the other by
a small ligature.
There is a Chinese cat in Athol,
Mass., that has an extra olaw to each
foot, resembling a thumb, and it goes
about opening and shutting doors by
taking hold and turning the round
knobs attached to them.
New York arrested 84,821 of her
people last year, of whom 24,608 were
of the gentle sex. Of the 60,000 who
were walked up for drunkenness in its
various branches, the gentle sex also
contributed one-third.
Statisticians declare a marked differ
ence between Jews and Christians as to
longevity,' " In one hundred Christians
fifty die Before the age of fifty-seven,
and with Jews the same proportion
reaohes Beyond sixty-seven.
The leaders of fashion say that an'
nonncinr engagements in the advertis
ing columns of the press is soon to be
the proper thing in nigh life. Why not,
when they axe sure to be found out and
talked over in a public way by news
i payer reporters ?
Two i little daughters of Charles
Rogers, of Utica. N. Y., were sitting by
the stove in tne Kitcnen ox tneir House
recently, and the dress of the younger,
who is eight years old, took nre. Her
sister, aged twelve years, carried the
little one into the yard, rolled her in the
snow, and saved her life.
In Albany a few nights ago, a party
was giyen by Hirastus uorning, wmcn
cost $6,500, and a statistical Jenkins
who was present says the silks, laces
and diamonds present were valued at
$2,000,000, while the real estate and
bonds represented'could not have been
less than su.uuu.uuu.
SxAUj-pox has been very prevalent
in Montreal the past year, there being
661 deaths from that disease in nine
months. A Montreal paper calls on the
Catholic clergy to advocate vaccination,
in opposition to the French doctors,
who oppose it. The death-rate of Mon
treal is twice as heavy as that of
Xiondon.
Death was the result of a foolish
wager in Paris, recently. A young man
made a bet that he would smoke twelve
cigars, one after another. At the end
of the eighth he began to feel unwelL
and when he had finished the ninth he
was attacked with giddiness and shiver-
ings. Me refused to leave off smoking,
but went home in charge of some
friends. A medical man was called in,
who could not. however, help him, and
he died during the night.
An Agricultural Editor.
There is yet living in this State, and
now publishing a paying paper, an
editor who once looked hard times in
the face so constantly that a silver
quarter looked as big to him as the side
of a house. He" published a small pa
per, in a small town, and although he
paid but ten shillings per week for
board, and hired a boy to help him at a
shilling per day, there were weeks when
he couldn't "payoff" unless the boy
would accept of an order on a foreign
advertiser.
One day a subscriber, riding along
the highway, saw the editor ho
corn in a field, and he pulled up and
snouted :
" Hello, there ! I haven't had my pa
per for three weeks."
" Haven t issued any. was the reply.
"And you won't get out any this
week?"
, "No."
" And next week ?"
"Guess not."
" Well, when are you going to print
another edition ?" . .
The editor took a piece of red chalk
from his pocket, made some figures on
the top rail, and finally answered : '
" WelL if the weather holds good.
and 1 don't fall sick, and Jim pays me
the cash when I get through with his
corn, I guess I can get out a paper
about three weeks from to-morrow, but
it may be a week or two longer 1"
JJetrott tree Press. j
The Soldier.
The recent German proposition to
call out the landsturm, which has
hitherto corresponded in Germany to
the French levee en masse, increases
the available resources of the empire to
the extent of 175,000 men. None of
these will be over 42 years of a?e, and
the majority will have passed through
the reserve, and the landwehr. Having
attained a veteran experience of the
trials and discomforts of military ser
vice, they thought they had reason to
expect exemption from them in the fu
ture, but their hopes seem doomed to
disappointment. When this measure be
comes law, the German army will have
the astonishing total of from 1,700,000
to 1,800,000 men, all accustomed, by
regular periodical training, to the duties
of the soldier. On the 9th of last month,
the conseils de revision of France be
gan their examination of. persons sub
ject to military duty in the territorial
army, so-called a sort of landwehr
under the new law. devised after the
German plan. These comprise all men
between twenty-nine and forty years of
age. and they amount in total to the
vast figure of 2,400,000 men. ' More
than half of these, of course, will be
found unfit for service ; and the French
are not so amenable to military dis
cipline as the Germans, it is safe to
infer that the experience so far will be
continued, and, in spite of pains and
penalties threatened, only a fraction of
those who are liable, will put in an ap
pearance before the oonseils. The ac
tive army of Jfranoe, we may add, is at
such a low ebb that it would be hard
for the War Minister to place more than
200,000 men in the field at short notice.
France may love war and she certainly
hates Germany but she does not take
kindly to the Prussian military system.
The French army on a war footing on
paper, besides the territorial army
above referred to, amounts to 689,000
men, beside the reserve of each. The
active army of Austria numbers 897,000
men, besides seven annual contingents
and a landwehr. The nominal effective
force of the Italian army was on the 1st
of January, ef this year, 737,514 men,
of whom 392,994 had received a com
plete military education, 247,937 were
T . 4.1 i i a a ry mnn a
unpenecny metructeu, sua m,060 to
tally untaught. Russia is now busily
engaged in following the general move
ment. The country has been divided
into f ourteen military circumscriptions,
and the work of enrolling: those liable
to military duty is rapidly going for
ward. Its completion will give Russia
the largest military force and reserve
in Europe. Add to these enormous
figures the men actually on service with
the navies of Europe England, 68,264,
(including naval reserve); Russia 36,
000; France, 33,570; Turkey, 21,000;
Spain, 14,000 ; Germany, 12,450 ; Aus
tria, 11,530 ; Italy, 11,200 ; Holland,
6,260 ; Denmark, 4,800 ; Norway, 3,500:
Portugal, 3.3UU. 1'Jnrope, it will be
seen, from these figures, begins the
new year with a larger number of
armed men than she has had at any
previous epoch.
Glancing at these figures, the reader
may gather some comfort in comparing
our situation with that of the old world.
Our little army of 25,000 men, and the
militia of the States, numbering 153,
000, represent all the military service
we are called on to render. New York
Times.
A Rattlesnake Eaten.
The Rochester Express says : "A
scientific gentleman of this city, and a
great gourmand (we are not permitted
to give his name, but he is well-known
here), has demonstrated that rattlesnake
is a safe, and, he says, extremely pala
table, article of food. Some time ago
he received a rather startling present
by express from a gentleman in the
South. On removing the covering.
large and very powerful rattlesnake, four
or five feet in length, and about as thick
around as the largest part of a man s
arm, was discovered in a cage of wicker-
work. He was very lively, and his age.
as indicated by the number of his rat
tles, was nine years. After keeping
him some time he was killed, skinned
and cooked, and the gentleman and
several of his friends, including three
or four ladies, made a hearty dinner off
the nesn, wmcn, tney say, tastes very
much like tnat of the common eel."
Transit of Yenus.
Judging from the mail reports
of
the observations of the recent transit
of Venus, at least one important and
interesting contribution to science has
been made rather, one error corrected.
This was the " black drop " phenom
enon. In previous observations the
disk of Yenus was noticed to be appar
ently elongated towards the edge of
the sun s diskrat the moment of oon
tact, even as when one barely touehes
the surface of a bowl of water with a
finger tip, then raises it Blightly above
the surface, a connecting drop appears
between the flesh and the water. All
the reports thus far received unite in
declaring that no such phenomenon
was observed last month, so that the
black drop " is to be considered but
an optical delusion which better in
strumsnts and more accurate observa
tions have corrected.
How Wman Headed the Table.
A writer says ; " In Elizabethan En
gland, when gallimawfreys had given
way to the substantial fare of our later
cookery, it was the . custom at private
dinners to place the principal joints
and masses of meat at the upper end of
the table, above the salt, so that the
chief guests could see clearly the best
of the good cheer, and also appropri
ate the choicest outs before the infe
rior folk below the joint of honor were
served. Fashion having thus decided
that the carving should be done on
the table,' the ladies were invited to
the head of the table, not out of gal
lantry, but in order that they should
do the work which could no longer be
executed conveniently by professional
carvers. It may cost the reader a
struggle to admit that our ancestors
had no more chivalrous purpose in
view when they promoted woman to her
proper place at the festal board, but
there is no doubt as to the fact. : The
new ordering of places was the result
of masculine selfishness and insolence,
rather than masculine gallantry. ; Just
as in mediaeval society the lady of the
house rendered service to her guests
by discharging the functions of a gen
tle serving woman, in preparing dishes
for their enjoyment, and even in bring
ing them to table with her own hands,
so in Elizabethan life she went up to
the top of her table and seated herself
among the first guests, in order that
she might serve them as a carver. At
the same time, the number of great
pieces' requiring several carvers she
brought other ministering ladies to the
upper end of the table where the grand
joints were exhibited. Having ' been -thus
called to the top of the table for
her lord's convenience instead of her
own dignity, the mistress of the house
soon made it a point of honor to occupy
the place, which had in the first in
stance been conceded to her as a ser
vant rather than, as principal lady. Ere
long, with her characteristic cleverness
in making the best of things, and stat
ing her own case in the way most agree
able to her self-love, she regarded her
carver's stool as a throne of state, and
affected to preside over the company,
though the terms of her commission
only authorized her to help them to
food." : j
Railroads In China.
Two very curious articles have been
published by a Shanghai native news
paper, the ZZifei-.Pao, protesting against
the construction of railways in the Chi
nese empire. The Jiwti-i'ao is oi
opinion that the existence of railways
in Europe is too recent to admit of a
judgment being formed as to their
practical utility, and, moreover, that
there is not sufficient business in China
to render them profitable. The Chinese
journal goes on to say tbat " tea and
silk are the principal objects of com
merce, and these have mtnerto been
forwarded to the treaty ports by river
steamboats. A substitution of railways
for steamboats would not effect any sav
ing in point of time, and could not,
therefore, even from the point of view
taken by the foreigners themselves, be
of any service to China. Admitting
that a little time was gained, the Chi
nese would not be benefited, xor tne
goods would not be exported more
rapidly. Thus the railways would only
lead to an accumulation in the ports of
vast quantities of goods which, as they
could not be snipped oh all at once,
wonld fall considerably in price." The
Mwei-Pao also says : " The accidents
on the railway lines are very numerous
caused by collisions, by the engine
or tenders taking fire, by the trains
running off the lines, or by the bridges
giving way and the trains being precipi
tated into the rivers below. In other
cases the carriages are injured by the
great speed at which they are hurried
along, and the accidents are so numer
ous that it is often impossible to as
certain the exact number of dead and
wounded. All the foreign journals are
full of details concerning these acci
dents. Bat, admitting that most of
these casualties are preventable, and
the trains follow their regular course,
they travel quicker than the thorough
bred horse, and the people walking on
the lines would have no time to get out
of their way. From this cause alone
the number of fatal accidents would be
enormous. In all countries where rail
ways exist they are considered a very
dangerous' mode of locomotion, and be
yond those who have very urgent busi
ness to transact, no one thinks of using
them."
staring eyes. The crowd instinctively
instituted a comparison between her
aad Mrs. Beecher, and the result was?
favorable to Mrs. Til ton. It was ap
parent that they were opposite in char
acter. On one side was a weak, timid,,
sentimental woman; on the other, ex
positive, determined and, even in hez
old age, a handsome woman. Mrs.
Beecher was cool and self-possessed
throughout the proceedings, notwith
standing the bitter attacks trpon her
husband's honor. Mrs. Til ton was evi
dently nervous and embarrassed. Mrs.
Beecher has a classical face, full of
force and -expression. Mrs. Tilton's
face is of the eommonplace type.
Oar Railway System.
The past year baa not added largely
to the length of the railroads in thus
country. This was mainly owing to the
fact that on account of the depression'
in business and the legislation by most
of the Western Legislatures, but few
new roads were built. Much has been
done, however, toward the improvement
of existing roads, and in making ready
for the traffie anticipated when the
financial and business affairs return to
their normal condition. The American
Railroad Journal gives the following
as a near approximation to the actual
present status of our railroad system z
BAitaoass nf ras numD ktatks jas. 1, 1875.
BtaUt, ttc.
Maine
New Hampshire.
Vermont.
Massachusetts . . .
Rhode Island...
Connecticut
New Enelaud States
New York
Kew Jersey.
Pennsylvania. ....
Delaware.
Maryland and Diet, of Col.
West Virginia...
Middle States '.
Virginia
Mortn t;rouna . .
Month Carolina .,
Georgia.
Florida
Southeastern States.
Alabama
Mississippi............
Iioniaisna
Texas
Arkansas
Tennessee.... .... .....
kentneky .............
Gulf ft Botbw'sfra States.
Ohio
Michigan
Indiana -
Illinois
Wisconsin
Miles.
1,073.97
8S.40
939.70
3,681.62
246.61
1,178.11
7,118.44
7,615.48
2,514.40
8,428.05
8(l9.e
1,H'25.59
679.04
21,873.65
1.713.9S
1,488.96!
1.4H1.4S
2,410.70
488.71
7,683.75
2 024.80
1,141.24
657.28!
1,827.65
8U4.71
1,808.80
l,61s.2t
9,783.68
S.4SM.6S
3,903.84
4,878.06
8,242.fc5
2,651.90
Interior (East) States. . . .
Minnesota
Dakota Territory.
Iowa
Nebraska......
Wyoming Territory.
Missouri
Kansas
Colorado Territory
Indian Territory...
Interior (West) States, etc.
California
Ksrads....
Utah
Orsxon
Washington Territory....;..
Pacific Slope, States, etc.
Coat o roadm
equipment
ttc.
41 ,022,71
101,76,308U
2H,031,671.'
156.324,108'
448,222,701
6,168,371
67,318,219.
61,807,801
fl,133,071,O45
74,361, raff.
40.019,68V
39,01 8,955-69,101,818-17,691,66
24,763.29
3,227.81
131.14
4,811.4.11
1,898.30
4S8.D4
3,521.01
2,480.8)'
735.2SI
879.85
16.S.61
1,972.251
. BS4.23
696.51
896.69
170.70
8.790 30
230,192, 83ft
70,895,633
43,001 ,79
30,117.002
67,318,901
48,752,7181
68,81,5SCi
62,728,51
866,134,013
281,715,921
173,8l7,2t
"190,307,17
358,718 91S
96,311,717
tl,100.871,037I
6,059.671
142,819,75
63.727,833.
27.240,66?
141,791,312t
74.617.8BCi
80,993,100
17,698, aav
t 689,660,(127
. 8,U2,ttl8 :
63,722 ,719
41,308,222-:
t '219,966.373:
snrcaai. uciBTCunoi bx skotioss.
. ., StttilM. - i Miles. eqvipmmt.
, turtle.
New England States 7,118.44$ 289,031,7I'
MiddleBtstes. , 21,872.65 1,183,071,04s-
Boatheastern States 7.683 75 230,192,836:
Onlf and Soathwearfn States 9,783,68 866,134,(113":
Interior (East) States 24,763.29 1.100,871,037
Interior (West) States. 16,638.61 689,660,62
Peoino Slope, States, etc... 8,790.80 219,966,272;
Grand total' Jan. i, 1875.. 90,060.62 $3,928,926,400'
' Grand total Jan. 1,1874.. 87,886.89 8,72B,418,00
Increase 1m lST!.... ........ 2,681.23 t 203,613,39V.
Sheridan ia the Botunda,
Gen. PhiL Sheridan appeared in the
rotunda of the St. Charles during the
hour appointed for the meeting of the
Western men. During the coarse of
the eveninsr the General made - two ap
pearances there. He was in . citizen's
dress, and wore a auk hat. - As - far as
observed, no citizen entered into con
versation with him, and yet ne was
keenly observed, with many suppressed
manifestations oi tne excitement tne
populace felt on account of tne pan ne
had taken in the affairs of Ixynisiana.
Later in the eveninsr Gen. Sheridan re
appeared in the rotunda, and - walked
around with an air of nonchalance that
was quite refreshing. This time- he
was oIosLt followed bv a crowd, whom
he did not appear to notice, smoking
his cigar with pretty much tne same
demeanor that is supposed to charac
terize his master at Washington. . The
popular indications, however, were
more marked than, before ; ana, as lie
walked leisurely along, there were
heard the murmurs of suppressed rage,
which ooeasionallv found vent ia a hiss.
-W7i Til " i J: . Jl t
x mauv. cne Iltue ueneru uisapunrcu.
aad-quiet reigned in: Warsaw. .ZVeto
orisons Time.
-.--f . ... ; " f i M i r iir
Thb Railroad Gazette says there
: was less railroad eonstrootion dene in
this country last year than ia any year
since the war.
Transporting Cattle Congressman
Wilson's Flan. ,
At the next meeting of the House
Committee on Agriculture, it is stated
that Mr. Wilson, the Iowa farmer Con
gressman, who, during the Summer,
has given the subject of the transporta
tion of cattle from the West to the
East much attention, . will submit his
reports. It will, oppese all the hills
now before Congress, which look to
remedying the existing . system - by
means of larger cars and lighter loads
in them. It will reoommend that : in
stead of the transportation on the hoof.
of cattle irom tne West to tne . East,
that a method be devised for slaughter
ing at the West and transporting in
carcass. . Mr. Wilson is of the opinion
that this is the only remedy, as Texas
cattle particularly, and many others.
cannot be even loaded in cars, without
resorting to block and tackle. -. . .
Subs Ctjbb fob Fbost-Bitb.--A mix
ture of equal parts of chloroform.
balsam oopaiva, and tincture capsicum.
is almost as near a specific for frost
bites and chilblains as is sulphur for
the itch. . Tne above oan be bad ox any
druggist, snouia do laoeiea ior " exter
nal use." and kept closely corked.
for use : Prepare a pledget of cotton
or lint of proper size, shake the mixture
well, saturate tne pledget, place it on
affected parts ; then cover with a piece
of thin manilla paper, well oiled, and
over that a bandage One application
is usually sufficient, but may be repeat
ed ii necessary. jnatanapoits journal.
Supsbiob ytasr. Pare, boil and
mash twelve potatoes ; then stir in one
cup of white sugar ; whenoold. add one
quart ox cold water ; one-half mat of
fresh yeast... Keep in a warm place
twelve Hours, or cntu It is thoroughly
raisao, wnen is wiu De ready lor use.
tWAV viu ueiore using.
A Rich Angel Entertained Unaware?,
A f ew evenings since there dropped
into an up-town hotel, a man about five
feet eight, witn neavy cnin-wnia&ers.
and with rather a seedy and patched
suit, but clean, lie wanted i lodging
for the night, and inquired of the
landlord if he could "bunk " with him.
The landlord, not liking his condition
and appearance, told him " he guessed
not." The stranger took a seat and
entered into conversation with some of
the boarders. The landlord discover
ing during the evening that he was an
educated man, remembered the saying
of V entertaining angels unawares," told
him he might stay if he paid in advance.
The stranger at once took out about $10
in currency, and tendered a $5 bill for
the payment. The landlord soon after
took mm to oed, and leit mm in ms
room, but stationed mmseii wnerene
could see the occupant of the room.
The stranger, after taking his boots off,
got ' down on his knees m front of the
bed anl delivered the Lord's Prayer
in a most impressive manner, after
which he prayed for all the inmates of
11 . . . j a . -
tne nouse, ior ma menus .ana ior ms
enemies, that they might be preserved
from all dancer and that they might be
happy. He then arose and commenced
undressing, in the meanwhile talking
to Himself and making, expressions
aloud like the following : " What a
fool I have been ;" " Some thieves might
have picked me up ;" " I wonder if I
KA it 4-liAn lofrirr 1a l.n. willa
J 6V t . mw. , -f . v p-
of bank bills from different parts of his
person, wmcn he put under ms pillow
and then got into bed. The landlord
says he never heard the lord's Prayer
repeated in a more impressive manner.
lne stranger is a neavy lumoex dea
from the upper Hudson. , Troy Pr i
' If es dames Beecher and Tilton.
(From a, Report of the Tilton-Beeener Trial. i. ,
Mr. ' Tilton oast a quick, nervous
glance toward the door, and saw two
ladies and Edward J. Ovington cross
ing the threshold. One of these ladies
was Elizabeth R. Tilton ; the other was
her friend. Anna M. Hicks. Mrs. Til
ton was attired in a black silk dress
and dark velvet cloak, with a black vel
vet hat ornamented by . an ostrich
feather. She removed her veil and
danced for a moment at her husband.
Mr. Tilton returned the. look; and then
whispered softly to Messrs. Beach and
Follerton. The lawyers simply smiled
and made no answer. Ucs, Tilton for
Of ' the increase " of main ' and
branch line was added by New.'
England, 79.08 ; the Middle States,.
406.54 ; the Southeast States, 68.32 r
the Gulf and Southwest States.
236.40 ; the Interior (E.) States, 687. 76 r
the Interior fW.) States, 138.60, and-,
the Pacific Slope States, 296.90. Ofic
the increase of second, etc.j track, aboufc
one-half is due to the New York Cen
tral and Hudson River railroad thirds
and fourth tracks between Albany a&dt
Rochester. The Erie, the Pennsylvania
the Philadelphia and Reading, and the
Baltimore and Ohio railroads have also
added largely to their auxiliary tracks,,
sidings, eta. The roads of the interior -States
have done comparatively little inr
this regard. The additional cost of
railroads in the United States adds up
$202,613,891. About two-thirds of this
sum has probably been expended on.
new works, and the remainder ia the
improvement of the tracks, eqcipmenfr-,,
buildings, etc. Most of the great roads'
have largely re laid their tracks with,
steel rails. In the tables given above
we make the total length of track laid!
down 90,050.62 miles, of which 77,206. 2
miles are main and branch lines, and
13,84484 miles second, third, and
lourtn tracxs and sidings. The aver
age cost of all tne railroads of the-
United States, obtained by dividing the-
total cost by the sum of tracks laid, ia
$43,630 per mile, or if divided by the-
sum of ail the main and branch lineat 1
only, it is $51,556 per mile. . ;
a time was the central figure of attrao.
eon. Bbe was very pale, and ner man
ner was that ox a tiraiOL any woman.
who felt ill at ease , under hundreds cl
'? ; . "Deeelvedthe Dog.
If we may believe our foreign critic
and commentators, Americans are fair
game for artist and artisan, and very
easuy brought down. - The latest joke
against us comes from Paris by way off
England and is after the style of
j&euxis, his cheat. A French animal;
painter, poor in every sense of the
word, roast about desperately for av.
patron, and after total failure, hap
pened to recall the story of the . elever
Z. He immediately began a deeply pa
thetic and tragic picture, " The death
of the Poodle," and every mornttg
took his dog into the studio, and platt
ing the unhappy - creature before the.
painting, administered . a stout whiix-
ping. Picture nmshed rich American
invited to studio dog come in sees
" Death of Poodle "remembers stripes
howls tumultaoualy rich American
strikes attitudu Ha I deceived dog
how true, how-beautiful 1 "buys pic
taroiat gorgeous price -is happy.
Artist is happy t Dog is happy I New
A Warn marble
placed over the grave of William H.
BewaroV in the Fort Hill Cemetery, at
Auburn. , It i ia described aa an im
mense, ftuelyMMulptured table, laid en-
wretj over vae semt, raised at the beaux
aboutthreo feet higher than the sur
face of the plana, in the form of a cin
erary urn, twined with ivy. and sur-
mounted with a cross wreathed with the
leaves of the oak' and the laureL The
face of tho table bears the words,
"ilJiaiaill. Btward. Born May 16,
1800 Died Oct. 10, 1872." And the.
base of the ura bears the inscription
which, in his life time, he said was the
cnly epitaph ho was ambitious to de
serve: Um W VsadvL":- ? rv-... .
i RroKczs Jxras Cads. One eup white
stajpur, one ettp flour, three . eggs, tw
tablespooBfuls of swee milk. ue fte.
tnMxmiul of sakaratus or soda and two
oi eream tartar. . Bake fifteen minutes.
aA nil wMlo n I'