nmumo n r kiiat by
COLL. OX.3E"V3a:.
. ALBANY,
3 'WMMttBBBM
OREGON.
WORLD OF SCIENCE.
MEOICUE.
wnajLDoirif a r typhoid ram.
Dr. Pilcher, Passed Assistant Bur
geon in the Navy; says that in from
twenty-four to forty-eight hours after
the first administration o belladonna
in typhoid fever, delirium,, ooma and
,' ubsultus vanish, and are suooeeded by
calmness and clearness of the intellect,
by natural sleep, and complete control
of all the voluntary muscles ; diarrhea
Is checked, and healthy and consistent
evacuations are established.
" ' KltT.T.ATWKKA TO CHECK SWEATING.
Dr. Sydney Ringer finds that bella
donna or atropia can prevent or check
. sweating, whether this be due to ex
ternal warmth or to disease. When it
is the result of disease the subcutaneous
injection, of , one-two-hundredth of a
grain of atropia is generally sufficient to
arrest it for one night. The dose does
not dilate the pupils, but it produces
dryness of the fauces. Stramonium has
a similar effect. Belladonna also arrests
the secretion of the mammary glands.
; ,', ANNUAL DKATH-BATES.
; From the general statistics of civil
ised countries it is found that the an
nual death-rate per thousand persons,
taking all ages, sexes and conditions,
is never less than twelve. The number
dying in New York city in the last week
of July,1874, was at the rate of forty-four
out of a thousand; but, taking the year
round, the average death-rate of New
York city may be set . down at about
thirty, showing that three persons die
where one ought to; three graves are
dug where only one should be ; two
persons out of three die prematurely ;
would not die if proper care were
taken ; and proper care means to live
cleanly, eat regularly , work with a
ateady industry, and get all the sleep
the system will take.
PRACTICAL ADVICE in CASS OF POISONING.
If possible, have the stomach-pump
applie d, then let the patient drink freely
and use the stomach-pump again, so as
to wash out the poison as muoh as pos
sible. If a stomach-pump is not at
hand give the patient ground mustard
and salt dissolved in water to produce
vomitin g. We mention this as these ar
ticles are almost always on hand in
every house. Then give the white of a
few eggs. In regard to speoial anti
dotes : For acid poisons give as
quickly as possible large draughts
of chalk, magnesia, or a cream made of
soap and water; for alkaline poisons,
such as Bed a, potash, or ammonia, give
lemon-juice with water and sugar, and
if this cannot be had, give vinegar;
olive oil, also, will relieve such cases.
For arsenic the hydrated sesquioxid of
iron is the special antidote, in doses
some thirty times larger than the
amount of poison taken ; for baryta
give sulphate ef magnesia or soda ;
for; antimony or tartar emetic, powdered
Peruvian bark or the infusion of the
same is the specific antidote. For cor
xosive sublimate the hydrated proto
- sulphuret of iron is the antidote if ad'
ministered within twenty minutes ; if
later, give unboiled white of eggs, then
warm water. For salts of copper (ver
digris, blue vitriol, etc.), sugar and
white of eggs. For nitrate of silver the
aame.'j For Paris-green (arsenite of
copper) peroxid of iron and sugar mixed
with: white of egg. For phosphorus,
ditto and also lime-water. ' For sul
phate of zinc (white vitriol), solution
of carbonate of soda, cream, but
ter and chalk. For salts of lead
nith&rs-a. white and red suerar of lead.
Gunlalrd's extract), ' give sulphate of
xaagnesia, of potash, or of soda or phos
phate of soda ; for lead-poisoring of
long standing, iodide - of potassium,
five grains three times a day. For
opium and morphine, tincture of green
m . ' - . - - ; .
joeueDore, or, , pmvenaiea ipecacuanna.
For pruasio acid diluted ammonia and
inhaling it fumes, or carbonate of pot
ash with sulphate of iron. For strich
nine and nux vomica no antidote known ;
rely on stomach-pump and emetics.
For poisonous mushrooms take tannic
acid. For poison ivy or sumach, paint
-with tincture of lobelia or extract of
gelaemium. For carbolic acid, olive or
almond oil with castor oil or saeharate
of limi (made of one part slacked quick
lime, third of white sugar, and eight of
-water)." For carbonic aeid gas, fresh
sir and cold water, friction, artificial
respiration.:. For ehlorin gas, fresh air,
inhale vapor of ' warm water, wine,
ether, or ammonia. For s sting of s
wrap or a bee, rub with an onion. For
Irises of insects, wash with borax solu
tion. ,For ordinary snake bites, wash
-with liquid ammonia. For rattlesnake
bites, suck or cup the wound so as to
extract the poison as much as possible,
then give iodide of potassium, four
grains ; corrosive sublimate, two grains;
-water, a teaspoonf ul ; bromin, five
drachms ; ten drops of this mixture in
'two tablespoonfuls of brandy or wine is
the dose,,whioh is repeated if alarming
arymptoms show themselves. '.Dr. Ham
mond testifies in regard to e the reliabil
ity of this mixture, as tried on a recent
expedition in the Rocky Monntadns.
For hydrophobia, no positive antidote
laowu as yet ; suck or cup the, bitten
part, 'then cut it out all around; and
scarify with nitrate of silver. Mr. J.W.
Woolaton, of FhOadfeSpUL, reoommends,
according to his experience, to give
elecampane root well boiled in milk;
two days after one and a half ounces
ef the same, aud again two days later
two ounces. Dr. Garneehan, of New
Hark, rtousimeuds the calabar "bean,
and all unite in reoommending to pro
mote profuse perspiration and ease of
mind.
MECHANICS AMI) EKQ1SEEBS.
TPNNKL T7NDZB NIAGARA FALLS.
There is a project talked of for cut
ting a tunnel under Niagara Falls. Mr
William Wallace, an engineer, who has
made a preliminary survey of the Falls,
says that no insuperable difficulties,
either of a material or financial descrip
tion, need be feared. The length of
the tunnel proper from shore to shore
is about 1,000 yards, while the cuttings
on both banks will extend to nearly
thrice that distance. Mr. Wallace de
clines to give any estimate of the cost
of this undertaking.
ait explosive fish.
A machine of the torpedo class has
been constructed for the British navy
which will move at a speed of nine
knots an hour for three hundred yards,
and at a lower' speed for a mile. It
will maintain any direction impressed
upon it, and it can be launched either
from a boat or an iron-clad, by night or
by day. In short, it is a kind of ex
plosive fish, which, in obedience to its
masters, will swim for a mile toward any
adversary at which it may be directed,
and will strike a dangerous if net a
fatal blow. -.'
TOBPEDOES AND TORPEDO BOATS.
The British government is interest
ing itself greatly in regard to torpedoes
and torpedo boats. An automatic tor
pedo boat, invented by Yon Sckeliha,
is now being experimented with, and
the inventor claims its superiority to
others on the following grounds : "1.
The motive power by which my torpedo
boat is propelled is gradually generated
in the boat itself while running, thereby
obviating the necessity of a large
reservoir subjected to high pressure,
which must of necessity increase the
size and weight of the boat, and con
sequently render it less manageable.
2. The screw, being apt to foul in nets
or rope obstructions, is replaced by a
more suitable propeller. 3. The boat
carries a battery of twelve heavily
charged torpedoes, which, when the
boat approaches the enemy, may be
discharged one after the other at the
will of the operator, by which the
chances of success are increased twelve
fold. 4. I use a cable' consisting of
three wires, by means of which the pro
pelling engine is started and stopped,
the boat is steered, its course is changed
from going ahead to going astern and
vice versa, and the torpedoes contained
in the battery are started; Although
the original cost of my beat is a little
in excess of that of other offensive tor
pedoes, X venture to say it offers many
more chances of success, and that, hav
ing succeeded or failed in attick, it
still remains under full command' of
the operator, and can therefore be used
again." ' y
TUB JfUWKJBAIi FNSTJOMATXO RAILBOAD.
A pneumatic subterraneous railroad.
similar to that of which a short section
was made under Broadway by way of
experiment, is to be constructed in
Vienna, not for the transportation of
live freight, but of the corpses of de
ceased from the city to the cemeteries.
From the cellars of centrally located
chapels in the city, tunnels, two, three,
and four miles long, will run to the
different cemeteries outside the city.
The tunnels are to be only large enough
to pass the coffins lengthwise which will
be placed on a small platform-car mov
ing on rails, while the blast of air sends
the corpses off to the cemetery at a rate
of velocity equal to forty or more miles
per hour. ( This does away 'with the
tedious and time-robbing funeral pro
cessions. All the procession that takes
place is in the city, from the house to
the ohapel ; then, as soon ca the f oneral
service is ended, the coffin is lowered
down in the cellar by means of in ele
vator, the friends go home while the
body is labeled for its destination, and
goes where the grave is situated. We
must confess it takes away much of the
poetry of burial, the assembling of
the friends around the grave, etc., but
then the world is progressing, time is
becoming more and more precious, and
we can no longer afford to lose time with
Blow . funerals ; and if the living , are
clamorous for qmck transportation j why
not give this privilege to the dead also.
ASTttOSOHY. . , J .
NEW THSOBT OF COMET TAILS.
MV- A. Barthelmy, in France, pub
lishes a new -. theory of comet tails,
which is ingenious and curious, if very
improbable. As the tail, is a gaseous
substance of extreme lightness, he con
siders it a kind of smoke lighter than
the inter-planetary medium, and which
for this reason is driven from the sun,
as ordinary smoke is driven from the
earth, being lighter than our atmos
phere, which is attracted more' and
drives ' the S smoke . upward. This
smoy tail will then incline more and
more in proportion to the resistance of
the ambient medium, and the greater
velocity of the comet itself; it will in
crease in " size when nearing the sun
and coming in a medium of greater
density, which he assumes to be found
in approaching - the sun, , : This theory
does not account at all for the velocity
with which the tail sweeps around in
space when the comet in its perihelion
passes nearest to the sun. , ; "
ANOTKEB XABOS TEXXSOOFX.
Governments that build monitors at
a oost of a million dollars apiece, and
spend a hundred thousand dollars over
and over again for experiments with
heavy ordnance, think they do much
when they appropriate $20,000 or $30,-
000 to an institute of learning, or for
the purpose of paying the expense of
some scientific expedition: and' no
doubt the United States government'
thinks it s dangerous precedent to have
appropriated $50,000 for the purpose
of procuring a twenty-seven inch re-
fractor for the astronomical telescope
now in course of construction by the
Messrs. Clark, of Cambridgeport, Mass.
Why should not our government, while
spending millions of treasure for war
preparations, appropriate a million dol
lars for a telescope ? We have the men
who can make it ; it is only a question
of money; and instead of giving $50,
000, which is a small step in the right
direction, we should give twenty' times
that amount, another million to build
the observatory in Colorado," in the
center ef our continent, in the almost
rainless region beyond the Mississippi.
There is not the least doubt that the
discoveries which would be made by
our astronomers with such a telescope
would place all former discoveries of
Herschel, Rosse, and whoever it may
be, far in the shade. ; ' "
It is encouraging that the 27-inch
telescope of Clark is a success. He is
now making larger ones. A 'wealthy
capitalist of San Francisco has given
$700,000 for the construction of an ob
servatory and telescope which is to be
considerably larger than any . thus far
in existence, while au '. expert astrono
mer has been sent to Germany to find
out where the best glass can be cast for
the purpose, so as to have it as perfect
as possible, regardless of expense. '
Lastly, we read the report thet a 78
inch telescope has for some time past
been in course of manufacture at the
Paris observatory. It was oommenoed
in 1865 by M. Leon Foncault, but the
death ef that savant and the events of
1870 and 1871 interrupted this work,
which was subsequently resumed under
the direction of M. Wolf. The power
of the new instrument will exceed all
the largest thus far known ; its length
will be 49 feet, and its diameter 6 feet
6 inches, while the dimensions of Her
schel's were only 40 by 5 feet. The
mirror will be of glass, the surface be
ing faced with gold or silver. It will
of course be provided with a movable
staircase. New York Graphic. j
NATURAL HISTORY.
HABITS OF CKTACEA.
Close observation for years may be
required before a single new fact
regarding the habits of whales or seals
can be obtained. Even to delineate
accurately the forms of the larger
cetaceans is extremely difficult, for
usually only a small section of the
middle part of the animal is above the
water, and when decomposition causes
the body to rise, it has become quite
distorted. A consideration of facts
such as these will explain how it is that
so little has been contributed to the
natural history of mammals by practical
whalers. j -
1 - BLIND ANIMALS. j
1 A priori, it appears to be evident
that for the first development of the
senses in animals, it is necessary to be
under the influence of the stimulus
given by the objects for the I eroeption
of which the senses are intended. It
may be doubtful if this natural con
clusion is absolutely true for all the
senses, or can be proved experiment
ally ; but certain it is that lor the eye
it is correct. Animals developed in
caves, under absolute exclusion from
daylight, have no eyes. Thus we
find that the fish found in the rivers in
the Mammoth Cave have only rudiment
ary eyes, undeveloped through want of
the stimulus of light. We hold that
these fishes . are simply derived
from the : fish eggs reaching the
waters of the cave from Green river
outside, which has a direct subterrane
ous connection with the Lethe river , in
the cave. Such of the embryo that
have vitality enough to develop into
fishes, notwithstanding the low tem
perature of fifty-nine degrees Fahren
heit and the absolute darkness, do so,
and the result is a single species of fish
which differs only from a correspond
ing species outside by a difference in
color, inferior size, and their rudiment
ary eyes. This view is verified by the
testimony of the, hotel-keeper at the
cave, who states that if caught young
and kept in an aquarium exposed to
light they after awhile acquire eyes. j
: The fishes occasionally thrown up by
artesian wells of great depth, of which
Grenele, Paris, has given many exam
ples, are always eyeless.
. The proteus, an animal of the lizard
species,' found by Sir Humphrey Davy
in an Italian cave, and which' appears
to propagate there, is totally eyeless ;
while Tomson, who accompanied the
cruise of the Challenger, found that
while the stalk-eyed crustaceans have
well developed, eyes in shallow water.
when caught in depths of 1,000 or 2,000
feet they are totally blind. They have
still the eye-stalks, but in place of
eyes , have rounded calcareous termina
tions of them In specimens raised
from 3,000 to 4,000 feet deep the eye-
stalks have lost their special character,
terminating in a strong point, serving
evidently another purpose in place of an
eye." ' .:'-.ii':s.i-:,-fV;.'
A yotjno girl, who had an offer of
marriage wnion sue wisned to accept,
submitted the matter to her father, who
advised her against it, and fortified his
opinion with the familiar quotation,
" They ; who marry do well, but they
who do not do better." "Well, "re
sponded the damsel, " I . love to do
well; let those do better who can. '
Mb. Fbactc Jones, of . Portsmouth,
N. H-. has had his life insured for
$200,000. " This is said to be the largest
life insurance carried by any individual
in New .England, except Charles C.
Storrow, of Lawrence, who is insured
for $250,000. i
Pbxmus Wilson killed his wife in
Liberty county, Ga., kst . week, by
tripping her up and placing his knees
on her, He is ninety years old. and
she but a few years his junior. F
HOW TOUR BURGLAR WORKS
Bis Tools and Bis Obstacles How to
GUABD AOATNST THEM.
, ' Many people, when they lock their
doors at night, have a habit of leaving
the s key in the lock, under the im
pression that it will prevent any person
using a pick or skeleton key to open the
door, and so it will. But in this case
the thief uses neither of those instru
ments.. He introduces into tha key
hole a very strong, thougn light for
ceps, and, seizing the extremity of the
key, opens the door with a single turn
of his wrist. Then, if you leave a key
in the look, let it be one that does not
open the door.
; There is but little difference between
the tools of a first-class burglar and
those of an honest locksmith, for the
latter is often called upon to pick locks
and open safes when keys are lost and
time is pressing. There are some in
struments, of course, such as a dark
lantern and a revolver not required by
the honest tradesman in his business,
that are all important to the professional
burglar. A first -class outfit comprises
a; dark-lantern, a large pruning-knife,
useful in cutting out door-pannels ; i
palette-knife, thin and pliant, for open
ing windows by insertion between the
sashes so as to push back the spring
fastening ; a jimmy or small crowbar
about a foot in length, and splayed cr
crow-footed at one end ; skeleton keys
with wards at each end, called " double-
enders;" wires to lift lock-tumblers.
and a center-pit. This is a complete
set of ordinary tools, and may be car
ried with ease in a small carpet-bag.
Hall door-locks are large, massive
and usually take a very large and ap
parently complex warded key ; but the
burglar is well aware that many of
these wards are superfluous. If he
wants to make a key for such a lock he
cuts out a blank key in tin, one side of
which he covers with wax. Wards being
simply obstructions fixed in the locks,
he has only carefully to insert the blank
and turn it gently to receive . an im
pression of them on the wax. From
this impression a key is easily forged
out of strong iron wire. Of course it
is much simpler than the original.
Sometimes doors are opened with the
pick-lock, which acts by working out
side the wards, reaching the bolt in
that way ; but it requires more dex
terity than the other, and is successful
only in the hands of the practical thief.
.The success of the burglar when
operating on warded locks, caused them
at length to be discarded from banks
and money-houses, in favor of the lever
or tumbler-look, and the thief's skeleton
keys found themselves bent to no effect
in endeavoring to open them. So the
locksmith had to be ciroumvented by
fresh means, and the jack-in-the-box
was invented. Its object was to force
the lock off or to rend the case so that
the bolts might be drawn back. This
was accomplished by inserting a T
shaped bolt of iron in the lock, and
then, by means of the jack (an adapta
tion of the principle of the lever and
screw), rending open the lock. This
plan was prevented by introducing very
small keys, and placing the tumblers,
etc. , above the key-hole. Having been
defeated for a long while at the safe
lock, they at length discovered a new
plan, which was to attack the hinges,
pressing them off by means of power
ful levers. . In this manner the safe of
a large firm in London was opened,
and an immense quantity of valuables
stolen. The firm brought an action
against the safemakers who had sold
them the safe as thief-proof, to recover
damages, and for the defense, the bur
glar who had been captured and sen
tenced, was placed on the stand, and
deposed that there was no safe made
that would resist an attack properly
made on its hinges. After this trial the
safemakers countersunk their hinges,
and at the present time we may safely
say that the thief has the worst of the i
battle. ' . - :
(After the lock has been overcome the i
burglar has often to remove door-bolts.
To do this it is sometimes necessary to
out out one of the panels. This used to
be effected by means of a fine saw. Now.
an instrument, called the panel-cutter
is; used. : A strong stem with gimlet
point is thrust into the center of the
panel. Through this stem slides a
cross-bar, carrying at one . extremity a
sharp-cutting tool, . which can be ad
justed to move at any required radius.
At the head of the stem is a double -
armed
lever, which works the whole
machine.
This instrument will make a
hole in a few, minutes large enough to
admit the bursrlar'a arm or the hoHv rf
a imall boy, and the door is quickly
unfastened. "' The only safeguards ' are
to have the door lined with sheet-iron
orj studded with nails irregularly dis
posed. - : -
- Everybody knows that the ' thief sel
dom if ever breaks into a house on ' all
the particulars concerning which he is
not well posted. He knows how many
people live in the house, and the-rooms
they sleep in, and the hours they retire
to rest. Women ' and ' children' watch
during the day, and the house-breaker
himself by night, and this watch will
be! kept up for days and nights until
a4 necessary information has been
obtained. -.. ' '
The burglars, who generally go in
threes, select the time when the police
officer hss just passed on his weary
round, to commence operations. If you
have a watch dog, it is drugged ; if you
haves corrupt servant he has been,
perhaps, bribed. A mold has been
taken of . your house-key ; a panel is
removed, or perhaps entrance is effected
through the windows opening on your
veranda. The burglar, who has pulled
oni tnloJc stockings over nis , Doote,
moves rapidly ' and without noise.
Plate and money are his two great de
sires, but he will take almost anj thing
rather than go empty-handed. So clev
erly managed is the whole affair that
the police officer may pass a door out of
which a panel has been replaced by
a sheet of painted or grained paper,
provided for that purpose. Outside a
comrade is on guard, and the burglars
are careful not to leave the house until
the signal that the coast is clear. Im
mediately on reaching their quarters
the thieves change their clothes. The
next thing is to get rid of the plunder,
than which nothing is easier if it be
plate. Jewels are readily disposed of,
but not so profitably for the robbers.
San Francisco Call.
BISMARCK COJfFRONTIXa HIS ENE
MIES.
This is how Bismarck looked when
his meeting enemies in debate in the
German Parliament : " His gigantic
frame fairly trembled with passion ; his
gray eyes flashed, and his heavy mus
tache bristled ; a paper he took up dur
ing his first speech, for purpose of ref
erence, vibrated visibly in the passion
ate grasp of his sinewy hands, and ever
and anon his closely-buttoned uniform
became tense almost to splitting across
his huge chest, as he set back his
shoulders and threw up his head, re
garding his foes with that implacable
glance which never fails to shake the
strongest nerves, when he darts it at an
object of his hatred or contempt. : In
the course of an experience neither
brief nor ordinary, I have seen many
remarkable men at moments when they
have been expected to labor under ex
citement of the most vehement descrip
tion ; but I have never yet witnessed
the consciousness of unbounded power
expressed in the physique and bearing
of a human being as I saw it in Prince
Bismarck. As he stood forward facing
the House, the natural sternness of his
aspect accented by the natural rigidity
of his military tournure, he looked to me
like the incarnation of an ungovernable
will; like a colossus, unquestionably
capable , of bearing upon his mighty
shoulders cares and responsiblities that
would crush a common mortal into pow
der. , OUR PRODUCTIVE GROWTH.
Every man must take peculiar pride
in contemplating the vastness of the
productive industry of the Western
States. Its increase is So wonderful
that a frequent examination of the fig
ures is necessary to its complete com
prehension. In the year 1872 the States of Michi
gan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Min
Besota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and
Nebraska, produced, of cereals, 1,029,
000,000 bushels, or about 62 per cent,
of all the grain produced in the United
States in that year. Of this, ever 156,
000,000 bushels were of wheat,! of
which, these States consumed only
about 86,000,000, leaving some 70,000,
000 bushels for export from these
States. They produced, also, in that
year, 700,000,000 bushels of corn. The
Western and Northwestern States ship
ped to market, the same year, 213,000,-
000 bushels of wheat, of which over
74,400,000 went to foreign countries,
over 41,000.000 to trie JNew .England,
and the balance to the Gulf States, i
The year 1873 saw an increased acre
age, and 1874 surpassed all tne preced
ing by far, both in the number of hew
acres brought under tillage, and in the
aggregate yield of most of the cereals,
and this in spite of droughts and insect
depredations, which in quite extended
localities destroyed all vegetation.
Prairie Farmer. 1
KAR-RINOS. j
An unfortunate child died, not long
since, under circumstances which are
worthy the attention of women. About
three weeks previous to her death the
little girl underwent the operation of
having her ears pierced with a stocking
needle. After the ears were pierced,
two ear-rings belonging to her mother
were put in them. A few days later a
blister came behind one ear ; then i the
jaws began to swell ; worse symptoms
ensued, and in a few days she died.
The medical evidence was to the effect
that death resulted from exhaustion
consequent upon the intense inflamma
tion caused by the piercing of the ears,
and the jury rendered a verdict accord
ingly. Of course, if women choose to
have their ears pierced, it would be
impertinence on the part of man to re
monstrate against the self-inflicted tor
ture ; but there can be no harm in sug
gesting that children might be allowed
to reach years of discretion before they
are called upon to follow the example of
their elders and betters in this respect.
BOSS TWEED. ' j '
A New York letter says : " So much
has been said in the . daily papers of
the luxurious surroundings, elegant
suppers, and refined living generally,
of Wm. M. Tweed, the fallen Tammany
chieftain, that the Grand Jury, in mak
ing their ' annual tour of inspection
on " the Island," asked to be permitted
to see for themselves how Tweed was
treated, his mode of .life, etc. - They
found him living in a little seven-by-nine
room, with a strip of rag-carpet
in front of the iron .bedstead, a few
books on a pine wash stand, and some
strips of green cambric tacked up to
the white-washed wall. A small, prison
barred window looked out upon the
ice-bound river and the leafless trees in
the distance. . His suit of clothes was
the ordinary coarse, pray, prison-garb ;
and, on inquiry, he answered them that
" he wanted for nothing, made no com
plaint, and that they had gtten him
quite as low now as they wanted him."
What a fall was there I from the proud
leadership of old Tammany days, with
the millions, the diamonds, the winea,
and the profusion of other and happier
times ! . . . t .. i
AO-
VIDENT.
A Michigan romance this time. He
was a middle-aged gentleman and he was
traveling on a railroad in the interior
of the Wolverine State. He was pot tly
and well-fed in appearance, and the fob
which swung from his vest swung clear
at the ends, so round and protuberant
was that portion of his body which
would have been described by Shakes
peare as " With fat capon lined." He
didn't look sentimental or at all the
kind of a man to be easily affected by
lovely woman. He looked, in fact, as
though a square meal of the particular
dish he' liked most would tempt him
more than Venus without her girdle on.
Some of the Michigan railroads ar3 new
affairs, and the one on which this sleek
middle-aged man was riding was one of
thelatest. The train broke down, and
for two or three hours ' the passengers
were left . to their own resources for
amusement. Time hung heavy with
our middle-aged man, and he strolled
off to the nearest farm-house, thinking
that a better place to wait in than the
smoking-car. The hours dragged them
selves away, the train was repaired, and
the locomotive screeched out a warn
ing to the loiterers outside to resume
their seats in the cars, but the portly,
middle-aged man didn't appear. He
saw the train start, evidently, for he
stood with a woman on the steps of the
farm-house, but he didn't appear at all
interested, and he was left behind. The
secret of the old gentleman's apathy on
the subject of rapid transportation
finally came ont in the local paper pub
lished in the village close by the scene
of the railroad accident. In the farm
house where the portly old gentleman
stopped he met a woman whom he had
not seen for years, but who, when he
last saw her, was queen of hearts with
him. It was the old story of misunder
standing, mutual obstinacy and a broken
engagement. The old flame was re
kindled in the heart above the portly
stomach when the middle-aged man saw
his long-lost love, and, as she was a
widow, the encounter resulted in a
wedding. And a wedding is a better
thing than a funeral, for a railroad ac
cident to produce.
A GHOSTLY RIDER. f
In the rural districts of Pennsylvania
the peddler is not deemed the nuisance
he is in the city, where small merchants
of every class weary the door-bell, but
is treated as a man and a brother. His
wares are looked upon as desirable, and
his company is frequently not less ap
preciated. It was this feeling of hos
pitality toward peddlers which recently
put Mr. Esheltaub.of Albany township,
in a condition of bewilderment. A
traveling peddler called at the house of
Mr. Esheltaub, his goods were exam
ined, praised, and some of them pur
chased, and then the peddler . was invi
ted to remain all night. The peddler
stayed, and was assigned to a bed in
the garret. The family retired as usual,
and nothing remarkable occurred until
about midnight, when the. farmer was
awakened by a terrible commotion in
the paddock. The dogs were yelping
and barking, and there was a constant
sound as of the beating of horsey' feet
upon the ground. Mr. Esheltaub and
his hired man arose and went to the
Lroom ot tne peddler, but found there
only the man's pack and clothes and an
open window. Then they went forth to
find the cause of the mysterious sounds
outside and were astonished. In the
paddock a horse was rushing wildly up
and down, pursued by the dogs, and
upon the horse's back was the phantom
rider ! Clad all in white, perfectly im
movable, with pallid face, and seated
firmly upon the crazed horse was a
figure which, to the two men who were
lookers-on, seemed anything but hu
man. Finally, the hired man got his
courage up to the sticking point, and
waylaying the flying steed, seized the
swinging bridle as the herse and rider
dashed by. Then came a revelation.
The mysterious rider was found to be
the peddler, clothed in shirt and draw
ers, and in a complete state of somnam
bulism. Cold as was the weather, he
was in a violent perspiration, and when,
finally, with difficulty awakened, found
himself tolerably comfortable. Mr.
Esheltaub doesn't wast to entertain any
more peddlers. He is permanently
down on this Godiva business, since his
horse has got the heaves.
A "ROSE-BUD DIMMER PARTY." j
On Christmas Eve, a lady of Knicker
bocker lineage, . and. of prominence
among the exclusive fashionable of New
York, gave a " rose-bud dinner party."
A rose-bud dinner party is a compari
tively novel entertainment here, and
was introduced at Newport three sum
mers ago, by Madama.de Noailles, wife
of the French Ambassador at Washing
ton. The title of the affair is derived
from from the fact that the dinner is
given in honor of two or more young
ladies who have not made their debut
in society. It is something of a " com
ing out party,", only instead of the
guest dancing they eat. On the ooca
sion of which we write' four demoiselles
were honored four ot the prettiest in
all this great oity, according to rumor.
Eighteen sat down i to dinner nine
ladies (four of them "rose-bud ) and
nine gentleman. Delmonioo . provided
the meal. It was an elaborate one, and
Jenkins, who hired himself to Del'
monioo as waiter in order to get an ac
count of the , party, swears the bill of
his employer, was seventy-five hundred
dollars and odd cents. The dining
room was transformed ' into a veritable
bower of roses, and the whole house
was redolent with perfume. There was
musio by Lander, and the menu was
engraved on blue velvet in letters of
gold. The four ' heroines of the hour "
were beautifully attired, and were the
recipients of oompliments innumerable.
TRJt RESULT Or A RAILROAD
The dinner was a great success, and
fashionables will probably talk about
it for nine days to come. New York
Zietter.
LOOKING
FOR THE LEGISLATURE
A PlCTUHE
That Mat Intebkst oca Embbyo,
STATK'KCN.
Yesterday noon a man about sixty-five
years of ago eameipstafrB",,tfifl, the
local room of this paper, jurd ip quired r-
" Is this whar the Lfgfslashur is ?"
" No, sir," - replied HBFSporter u
" the Legislature is in session at Lan
sing." Way off there, eh 1" continued the
man, as he sat down, laid his cane
across the table, and took off his mit
tens. .
" Yes, trains run twice a day. Pretty
good crowd out there by this time."
" I don't care about the crowd," said
the old man, "I want a law a new
law!" t"
Eh?"
" Yes, Bir, I want a new law suthin'
to protect old men like me."
"What's the matter how do yon
want to be proteote'd?" '
" My name's Horner," replied the
man, as he ; slowly Jumbled inside his
coat. " My name's" Horner, and I'm an
old fooll . What do you think I did
three months ago?. -Went and married
a girl nineteen years old, and red
headed at that ! Yes, went and deeded
her a farm, and gin her six hundred
dollars cash and married her !"
" And do you not live happy ?'
''Happy ! Young man, let me show
you suthin' here, look at that!!"
And he unrelled-a pieoe of brown
paper and displayed" a handfpl of gray
hairs, some of which were bloodstained.
---Pulled right out of my scalp only
three days ago !" he, wekt on. " And
see this 'ere leg !" mm
He palled up his pants sod exhibited
a black and blue spot just ;, above the
shin.
"Struck there with a flat-iron !' he
explained ;' "-meant to hit .me on the
chist and kill me at once, but I dodged.
And see here!" V
He opened his coat and vest and re
vealed the fact that he had no shirt ou,
and consequently nothing on which to
button a collar: '
"Tore it off'n me two weeks ago 1"
he whispered, " and she burned up my
other one. . I've bin around4 this way
for a fortnight, almost dying by
inches !"
"Well, she must be a regular wild
cat," said the reporter. .
"Young man, if . IwaitS sit here
and tell ye how that woman conducts,
herself ye'd have -fo hold yer ha'r
down I" exclaimed the old man, striking
his leg. "No one, knowshow she's
heaved flat-irons at me, hit me with
.clubs, throwed water over me in bed,
pulled hair, jawed around and brought
my gray hairs in sorrow to rthe grave t.
Why, what do you think shev called me
this-very morning i
"A cundorango, perhaps."
" Wuss'n that, boy far,3"ar wuss i
she called me an Apollo !"
"Possible!" : C
" Yes, she did ! Think of that, will
ye think of a man of my age, who has
always paid his debts and been honest,
be in' set down with pirates4"
" It's bad !" sighed the reporter, as a
long pause ensued. ' '" ,
. "It's awful the-awfulest kind of
awful !" replied Horner. " Xve got to.
stand it, but I want a law to protect,
other old men. I want a law to f nrbid
any man over sixty, from nrttrryin a
girl who isn't over twenty."
" That might be a wise law,!?
" I can't go to Lansin"," he 'went on,
" but you kin help me. Put'Tt in your
paper git up an excitement .about it.
Will you do this ? Look at at me, boy
look me all over ! See how I've suffered h
See how hot my head is !"
" Til help you allXcan."
"Do ! Write to him ! Write to him
five times a day I In goiii' .home to
meet her, and be pounded aiound and
sassed and jawed, but if I know you're
gettin a law through,- I'll go to the
grave feel in good !'
And he put on his mittens, took up.
his cane, and was gone. Detroit Free
Press. ' ' , '-m .
Thb English Spakbow. These little
foreigners, instead of being satisfied
with the great boon that has been con
ferred on them by being madenatural-'
ized citizens, have had the presumption
and indiscretion to wage war against,
our native birds almost to extinction.
As a consequence ' they hare raised
about their little heads a very large
hornet's nest of native American feel
ing, which bids fair, unless they change
their tactics, to lead to their extermina
tion. . Already the cry is raised against,
them, and we should: not be surprised
before long to see their destruction as
assiduously prosecuted :s their intro
duction and protection was advocated.
That they are pugnacious little vaga
bonds we can testify to", for immediate-,
ly opposite our house is a pigeon cot,
and in the trees in the street are.
numerous little houses of these 'dimin
utive gamecocks. Daily, there is a war
between the sparrows" and pigeons for
the oats found in the manuie dropped .
by horses passing through the street,
always resulting in a victory for the.
former. No sooner does a pigeon
alight and commence feeding than the
sparrows, sometimes singly, st other
times in a body, go for him. And often
the unfortunate pigeon will be followed,
by some member of the family more
pugnacions than the others to his very
oet. Turfr Field ana Farm.
A snrouiiABe blindness prevails among -the
salmon in York river, which flows,
into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, so that,
the fishermen can .drop down in a birch
bark canoe right over the fish, and whip.
them out with a gaff.