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About The Corvallis gazette. (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1885)
S ((c) Corvallis Weekly Gazette. GAZETTE PCBS2SHING HOUSE, Pub. COBVAUjIS, OREGKEU- A Southern paper says that God 'is good to Pennsylvania, for when fhe whales ran saarce petroleum was discovered, and just as cheap South ern coal and good iron ore threatened to undersell the Pennsylvania names natural gas was foand. The contributions for the Grant monument at Riverside, New York, come in very -slowly. The aggregate is still less than one hundred thousand dollars. Thisiis somewhat diseourag Iwg as the original design was t4e' col lection of me million dollars. It is probable that thecity, State and Na tion will be called upon to lend & .help ing hand. Recent statistics show that last-year in the number of newspapers con veyed in domestic mails, the United States was first with 852,180,792; Germany next, with 439,089,800; France third, with 310,188,636; Great Britain fourth, with 152,7739, 100; while Italy follows with 99,509, 179. In the number of letters dis patched in international mails, the positions are reversed, Great Britain ranks first with 46,051,500, and the United States fifth with 22,569,120. Some remarkable remains of a mammoth have been discovered near Yreka, Cal., by some miners. They comprise a nammoth horn, jaw, teeth, vertebra and other bones. They were found 45 feet below the surface. iThe horn is fiye and a half feet long, in the shape of a eor horn, and is eight inches in diameter at base. The teeth and other bones are of mammoth size An animal built in proportion to them would weigh at least ten tons when alive. The teeth, horn, etc., give evidence that the animal wasr-of the bovine species. WATCHING AJTB WAITING. Mrs. Clara Vere Je Vere Has sadly come -again to' ttrwn, She thought to make a brilliant match And win her daeahter aauch renown. At men she smiled, fentu-hbeguiled They saw the sisaire and they retired, The belle ol full five-seasons past, She was not one ito ibeadmired. She made big eyes wnd -sweet replies. She wandered pensive by the sea, She lingered, hoping, at' the springs, But all the boys aid, "not for me." Mrs. Clara Verede 'Vere, But few rich suitors-are about, Your daughter give to some poor man Before her charms are quite played out. --Boston Budget. LOVE AND' FATE. It is stated upon good authority that the late stiffening of stocks were . enginered by the bulls for the purpose uf unloading nonj-paying dividend 66- . curities upon innocent parties in which they were partially successful. The names of a dozen or more stocks are given which pay little ol- nothing, but have been boomed up to 50 and - even above par. People are warned against the folly of reckless buying of stocks just because the market is going up. If you buy for investment, be sure that you will receive a fair interest on your money and investigate carefully the condition and prospects of the road of which you become a part owner. The German population of the Unit ed States is over 12,000,000 and these are German newspapers pfth lished in nearly every state and terri tory. The German Newspa-per Direct ory, published by Tobias Brothers of New York, containing a .complete list ol the newspapers published in the United States and Canada, shows a large number, with an extensive icircu lation in many instances. Massachu setts, Rhode Island and Connecticut are the, only New England states hav ing. any. Those having the largestcir .culations are published in New York, Pennsylvania and some of the western jstates. There are eighty religious newspapers in the list. The refusal of the Queen's Privy Council to interfere in Riel's case is not final nor decisive against him. They simply relegated the responsibilities of the case to the Canadian Govern ment, which will have to decide for it self whether Riel shall hang or not. Tnis question is now agitating all portions of the Dominion. If Riel is nung. he will be made a martyr to i-eedom by the French people of Can ada. If he is imprisoned for life at hard labor, he may be speedily forgot ten. Those who wish to save his life quote the example of the United States in allowing all the participators in the rebellion to escape the hangman, while a majority of the English speak ing people insist that Riel richly de serves to die on the gallows. From ah official report recently published it appears that the number of co-operative establishments now in operation in Germany is estimated to be about 3,900, or, to be exact, at the date of the publication, 3,?C2, against 3.088 the previous year. The membership of these associations ag gregates about 1,500,000. The busi ness transacted in 1884 reached the astonishing figures of $750,000,000. upon a working capital of $160,000, 000, $60,000,000 of which represent ed shares of stock, a reserve fund, and the balance borrowed capital. These are very encouraging statistics, and well worth the attention of our work ing people, who may be able, with the safeguards of stringent la ws in the man agement of these co-orjerative associa tions, to realise the practical solutipr 'of the labor problem. BY MA1HAN KOSfERO. Northern Budget. Two people, a lady and gentleman, ire walking together underneath the ;lms in an old yet beautiful garden. The August sunshine lies warm and Dright above them, the birds are sing ing in the branches over their heads and at their feet .are 'beds of fragrant, old-fashioned flowers. Behind them at some distance off stands a large brown house, whose gabled roof is half over-growm with! ivy, and upon whose imposing !blackioaken door is inscribed the name, Fim Lodge. Far away to the west die the purple Cat skills, to the south and east rise gently sloping hills, upon which peaceful flocks are straying. "It is a beautiful 'home, Professor. Are you not happy here?" The lady is watchinghisstrong.earn est face as she waste ihis answer. She is of medium height, slender, and not pretty. She has large, gray eyes. It has been noted by observers that the eyes of these tw rpeople, Professor Bettinger and his pupil, Madge Kirby. are exactly alike. She lis dressed in a Ehabby,gray gown which has for adorn ment only a bunch of wild, white dai 3ies at her throat. iCfce Professor speaks slowly: "It is a beautiful home. 'I have been happy here all my life until " He stops and is biting his lips while a slightly annoyed expression passes over his face. ' 'Until I came to disturb weur peace? ' ' Madge is speaking softly, sadly, and she timidly lays her hand upon his arm as if to plead for his forgiveness for some fancied wrong. "We have begn much together, pro fessor," she says. "I have grown to find my life brighter and more full of purpose since I knew you, :-so noble, so grand, so wise. I regret -that you have not been equally happy in my i presence. "1 did not, do not say se he is -peaking with some hidden agitation and his gaze rests a little yearumgly on ler face. "No, but it is so. I can see at more Clearly of late. You are nervous, ill at ease, often sad with me. Why? dear 'friend, is this? Do I tire you with my chatter, or is it -something entierly apart from me? Tell me i she is unconscious of the ear nest ;longing in her eyes as they eet ni8, -"what is it which troubles you? "Miss Kirby, Madge, 1 must not tell you cf my trouble. Dear, you haye no trouble; at least, thank God." He sees her start and blush. He is unconscious of that little tender word hehascpoken. It was in his heart, and he attend it unknowingly. There is a long silence between them. Then she speaks in a low tone: "Professor, I am going away to morrow. I received a letter this morning from my aunt, stating that she will accompany me from Elm Lodge to my future home. Soon I must part with you, with this dear pleasant summer home and all its memories, and forever." He is looking sadly down on her face. He thinks of the long bright days of happy companionship which they have enjoyed together, of the books they have read and written, of the pleasant strolls by the river, and it seems to him that a shadow has fallen over thebeauty of the afternoon, a shadow which lies between them and blots from each their wistful faces for ever. "Madge" he is looking into her eyes, "Oh, it seems so hard that we must part. You will not utterly for get not quite banish our happy sum mer irom out your me.' She answers fervently. "I will not do that, dear friend; I would not if I could." . It is perhaps well that she scarce ly understands her own feelings in the matter. She speaks at length of her plans for the future. She tells him about her betrothed hus band, of the gay life she expects to lead abroad. Of her ambitions and hopes. To all he listened quietly and with a grave almost indifferent air. Once he tells her to be good and true and earnest in her future life, as wife, mother and a Christian woman. The tenderness of his face haunts her long afterward, even now it saddens her strangely. "Will you sing to me, Professor?" she asks after they have retraced their steps and are seated in the vine cover ed porch, while the sunset fades over the hills. He has a deep mellow voice, and now as he sings a tender strain she is thrilled almost to tears. The Professor has a few pupils, young ladies of 16 and 20, who now, on hearing the well known baritone voice, come trooping out from the school room, with their lady teacher. The teacher is a tall, suberb looking woman, with brilliant black eyes and rosy cheeks. She is far handsomer than Madge Kirby, and rumor says she expects to marry Professor Bet tinger. It is this which he is singing: "Falling leaf and fading tree, Lines of white on a sullen sea, Shadows rising on you andbne, Shadows rising on you andme. Harti! a voice from the faraway, Lition .1 learn," it seems to say, "Jkll'tlni-to-morrows shall be netc-clay, AH thei4o-morrows shall bestotiay." The song is sad and Madame Merlyn says with scorn, it is absurd that he should treat themtosucha.-dolefulair. Only Miss Kirby understands -why he hasduotn it to-night and at Irei-re-quest. Her eyes say mutely to 'Mm: "You are going out of my life :forever, aawl'this. is good bye." When 1 darkness gathers 'over Elm Lodge the little household separate for the night and go to their chambers. Madge- only lingers behind the others, amd Professor Max gravely reminds ber, as -She stands outside in the night air, that she must care for iher health and. her roses. It is the last night she wilbever stand here thus with him, she tells her heart, and so,iputting at ilver hands, she aye soft ly, "Dear friend, I want to mtey to youdiow grateful I am for wour .kind ness to me, how much I esteem you; and -arid God bless you, Professor." She does not hear his reply, but goes sswiftly up the stairs and once in her room she falls on her knees and bursts into a passion of weeping, the bitter- estrShehas ever known. To-morrow skeiis going away, and in one week she is going to be married to a young man who ;has held her troth iforyears. Denvn under the stars the grave, 'king ly., :middle-aged man wafcks up and down on the terrace, striding with a strong man's fierce will to overcome his sorrow andgain peace aiad content for (She future. II. ItSe after midnight. Madge "Kirby, in her white night robes, -sits .at the qpen window of her -sleeping room, where after a long, sad vigil -she has fallen asleep. A baiilliant red light is playing about her faee, and it shines into her room and reddens the wll. There is a fire, a heat .com ing from somewhere. Suddenly a wild shout irises on the air. It is the .cry' of "fiise," '.from some one who stanBeon the la-.wt . It reaches the ears of all but those two who have slept so little during the- night,and who, at lastHaa-ve closed their eyes in a deep perhaps fa tal slumber Madge sleeps on, and down ix ihis own room the master -of: the braining house lies dreaming of ber. The lady teacher, with the other jbe pils, flock down the stairs and out hi-: to tle grounds. The roof is on are, and no hoinan power can save the old wooden (mansion from swift destruc tion. Now some one asks for the pro fessor. Amother says he is at work trying to check the flames. The men servants are busily employed .thus, and after little parley there is no fur ther question; for anybody. Suddenly the master 'feels a light touch on his brow. It thrills and awakens him. He looks up to find a sleder figure bend ipg above him. "Max! M-A awkn, farjGejd-sake, saVe yourself, ffmehbilse is birrnmg over us," Madge Kirby says in a hoarse strained voice. In an instaaet 'he is upon his feet, and wrapped &she is in his dressing gown, he clasps her in his strong arms and turns to the door. A furious crackling and roaring greets their ears. The roof is fall-rug in, and as they endeavor to pass into the hall a black cloud of smoke and fall ing cinders blinds and suffocates them. She lies agaiiast his breast, she feels his breath heavily on her cheek, she cannot see, can scarcely breathe. "Oh, my God!" he gasps, "can I not save you, Madge, my darling? My lit tle one must, we cue m tnis accurseu hole away from the pure'.air.of heav en?" It is only the moan ohis burst ing heart as he struggles to find some means of exit, hue has ceased to realize their peril. Insensibility has wrapped her like the robe of death. The hallway is a vast sea of flames. The chamber is filling with debris from above and he, clasping Ins burden to his breast, is striving to reach the burning window where, perhaps he may make a flying passage-way from their perilous position to terra firma. He is there, the window is all a mass of flames, and boldly, bravely, he steps with his bare feet upon the burn ing sill, and out into the night. With a feeling of great joy he finds himself on the vine covered roof of the porch. He had for gotton his sleeping room was directly over it. The cool vines to his blister ed and bleeding feet feel soft and grate ful. He pauses here not a moment, but clumsily lowers himself with his inanimate burden to the ground. ' Madge, mv darling, my own sweet love are you dead?" he moans, as he bathes her face and hands with water, after he had lain her on a bench in the garden. They are quite alone for the others have long departed forgetful of all save themselves. Alter a long time she revives and finds him kneeling thus calling fondly on her name. "Thank God that we are safe," is all she says, wearily closing her eyes once more, and in a child-like way drawing him down to her until her head can rest on his bo som. For a moment they re main thus, both filled with a new sweet peace, which in spite of the unpleasantness of the moment, makes the night like heaven to them. Then he says gently, "Little one, I must get you to a place of safety. Your gar ments are burned, and tattered as are mine. The morning will soon dawn and, Madge " He is growing embarrassed, and she laughs nervously. "And this is not exactly proper for you, my dear. You will get ill and cold." "But I cannot walk," she says petu lantly, "my strength is gone, and my feet are bare and blistered." Neither can he carry her. He is unable to walk far, and thus together they are fated to remain until succor arrives. When it is late into the morning and the first rosy flush kindles the sky, she lifts her face from his shoulder and smiling archly says: "Dear Professor, the world will nev er forgive me for this dreadful night. What, oh what shall I do?" He bends lower above her face. Scarred and burned as he is, for her sake, he is dearer to her than all the world. "Be my wife, little Madge, and let me shield you how nflttfae world." X love you so truly my darling." Her eyes shone into his. "My love my preserver, my king," he hears her whisper Jervently. "But lam poor, now dear," he adds a little sadly. My beautiful home is in ashes. I have nothing left but my self. I love you Madge and will work for you but porfhaps it is wrong for me to ask you to-come to me thus." "If you were a beggar in the streets and still be yourself I should love you and come to yens, now that I know you want me," she says fondly. After this of course,' is a carriage ar riving in which tbey are glad to accept shelter and Miss Kirby's aunt, a fash ionable lady wiho has come thus early to bear her away from Elm Lodge, is shocked to find that very respectable seminary for young ! ladies burned to the ground, aod her dear niece sitting blackened and Taut thinly clad on a garden seat with the' master of the Elm Lodge, also in the same predicament. "We are to be married as soon as we get comfortably dressed," smilingly observes Miss Kirby to her aunt. They are bowling over tne country road and the professor suggests that Mrs. Netherton, Madge's aunt shall drive them to & -relative's house when they may find some of the comforts of life. "Because I am to be married tc your dear little niece this morning," he says gently, boat with some amuse ment. "On the whole I am glad of it," says Mrs. Netherton and we think she is wise to make .the best of the mat ter. So you see MswSge-didnot marry hei absent lover, but ibecame the wife ol a man twenty years older than her self in whose kingly heart she found her earth a hcaveoa.of.love and joy. Maud S.'s Fastest Half Mile. From the Chicago Herald. Although the telegraph says that Maud S. made the fastest half mile or record during her trot against time at Narragansett Park, there is a tradi tion that has been accepted by horse men hereabouts that ;a faster half mile than 1:03 1-2 was ."trotted at Chicago five yettrs ago. Strange as it may appear, Maud S. herself partici- j 1 ; . i 4. Tf , .1. ,1 .1 t . lilltU 111 L. I H: L'U-ll. . M J BUC.UUU1U .... .consulted about the matter she would jprobably tell her present admirers ,-tohat one pleasant afternoon, note worthy in the trotting calendar as the ifiay when she first beat 2:11, she tsotted from the quarter ple to the tfcBee-quarter pole in 1:03 flat. That was. Sept. 18, 1880, and horsemen are fond of telling how the queen of the tKrfcrushed all records, and almost omt-stripped time itself, on the Chica go track that day. Two days before she had tried to beat 2:11 1-4, and failed 9sy a quarter of a second. But on thsi auspicious day she started on her joarney at a moderate gait, arriv ing at ibbe quarter pole in 34 3-4 sec onds. Then she straightened out for the liaflf, and sped down the back stretch lite a chestnut streak. The half-mile pole was reached in 303-4 seconds, and the spectators on tha grand stand could hardly believe theii stopwatches. On she went along the lower turn at an aniazingpace. When the three-quarter pole was. reached all the watches showed 1:37 3-4 from the start. If the first quarter be subtract ed from this it will show a faster hall mile than was made at Narragansett Park, or has ever been made anywhere else to wit, 1:03. Then she went on and completed the mile in 33 seconds The Top Rails Only. From the Lumpkin (Ga.) Independent. Noticing that Captain W. H. Harri son of the executive department has been relating some of his war tales to a Constitution reporter, we asked Sam Everett if he could not give us an in cident of his experience -ju the valley of Virginia. Sam said he wasn't much on yarns unless he had some of the old Thirty-first Georgia to laugh at them but he would venture to give us one. Gordon's division were encamped upon a thrifty farm that was fenced with pine rails, something unusual in that section of country. General Gordon knew that his men were obliged to have wood to cook with, so he issued an order for them to use only the top rails, and under penalty of severe pun ishment not to disturb any others Next morning when the general awoke not a rail was left to show where this fence had been, and the captains were ordered to report at once as to the dis obedience of the order. Among others, Captain Harrison of the Thirty-first handed in his report. It stated that he only allowed one man at a time tc go for rails, and that each one took a top rail, acting strictly in accordance with the general orders. Ofcoursethe last men to go found the top rails at the bottom. General Gordon made a soldierly bow and announced that thf investigation had ended. The Kiss Happened. At all the Saratoga hops the childrer are allowed to use the hop room froir 8 to 9. There can be no more beautiful picture than to see a hundred litth white angels flying around the ball room to the music of the waltz. Recently Mrs. Astor's little gr 1 Ethl( danced with Freddy Living stone, who, in the excess of his inno cent love and joy, put his arms around her neck and kissed her. This mad every one in the State's ball-roorr laugh. "Oh, Ethel. I'm ashamed to thinl you would let a boy kiss you," sale her mother. "Well, mamma, I couldn't help it,' said Ethel." "You couldn't help it?" exclaimec her mother. "No, mamma. You see, Freddy ant I were dancing the polka. Freddj had to stand up close to me, and al at once his lip slipped and the kisi h appened . ' ' Correspondence Missour Republican. FfiOZEN RUSSIA. Eton. Allonge Taft's Description of Life in tlte Czar's Country. Judge Alphonso Taft, of Ohio, Min ister to Russia, gives some interesting information about that country to an interviewer. About his late post at St. Petersburg as Minister to Russia, he said: "It is -a very pleasant place for dip lomatac service. The Czar and all his court are very civil, polite and cordial with the representatives of foreign countries. I was happy to find in the diplomatic representatives of other Governments at St. Petersburg men of cordiality and sociability, mak ing the residence there very agreeable The officials of Russia are wonderfully pleasant. The Czar is a man of ex I exceeding amiability and kindness I met him often at Petershoff, where he expressed the highest admiration for American enterprise, industry and invention. The Empress is a model of a wife, devoted to her family, and very usetul in court society. "Did you find the climate rigorous?' "The winter season, which is bv many considered oibjectionable, is the ?lory or the year m t. .Petersburg. did not find the weather so cold as I expected, and actually suffered less :rom that souaiee last winter than I nave fcoan the same causes in other jountries. Their houses are built air tight. The windows are all double. in winter they are all sealed. Provis ion is made forifresh air by ventilation in the windows. It don t come in un bidden. The manner of heating con tributes to oomfort. The furnace does not give out a great heat, but a zomfortaible one, while stoves are placed in all the rooms to supplement the furnace, so you can have the tem perature jnst as you desire it. There is no difficulity or trouble about ven tilation. Ihey provide wonderfully against the cold in their dress. You have a fur suit and overshoes to put on when you go out, and they are so perfect that you are as comfortable outdoors as in. You never go out or ;ome in without putting on or taking off your furs. Thus the weather has no impression on you. The people go to parties, receptions, balls and din ners regardless of rain, snow, sleet or zero. iou would think the horses would be unable to stand it in cold weather, but they do. Thev have no blankets for horses. The best an mals are black stallions. They will stay out in the cold all night. The drivers stay out, too. 1 The drivers are all bundled up so the cold can not touch thenf. X dojuo-t.tihujk, the . weatner is so mucn comer tnan our I winter as generally supposeaf. It ' is certainly more even, and gives less aiscomtort. "How about Nihilism?" "Very little appears on the surface in Russia as regards Nihilism. My im pression is that the government has been so persevering, and the police so skillful in detecting the projects of that kind, t hat t hey have pretty much annihilated Nihilhism. It may turn out differently, because the Nihilists are not likely to advertise publicly their purposes, if .any had been formed. The government has been exceedingly dilligent in lerretine out all their pro jects. I have seen., no Nihilists and have had no opportunity for coming at the precise objects entertained by them. Really St. Petersburg is about the worst place to go to learn about Nihilism. There is not much recogni tion in Russia of any other liberalism than Socialism and Nihilism. One hears nothingof Republicanism. It is not obnoxious to public opinion as Socialism and Nihilism, and the gov ernment has no occasion to talk about it. As the press is con trolled by the government there is no talk about it. This is some what true of the entirecontinent. The people of Europe are not generally hostile to Republicanism. The Govern ments have no motive to promote it. But it does not profit them to discuss it. They do not care to censure it, because it is not obnoxious. Their censure falls on Socialism and Nihil ism." "What of Russian civilization?" "It can be spoken of as improving. Can not say as to the general intelli gence among the people, but materially there is improvement and that will eventually bring the other. An era of material improvement began with the emancipation of the serfs. "The greatest attention is paid to the army and the improvements of the military force much more than to popular education. They have in stitutions for the education ol the children of the better classes, but with nothing like the advantages that are lavished in the schools of military ed ucation. They have a tremendous army. It is nearly as large as the armies of both Germany and Austria. All the Executive officers of the Em pire are connected with the army. Rus sia is paying more attention to naval armament, a significant fact when considered in the light of recent events and her great military force. As to advancement, I have heard since I landed here that the Czar has decided to grant a constitution to the country. I heard nothing of it before I left. I have been surprised that it has been so long deferred. The Constitution will probably give the country a Legis lature to enact the laws, subject to the approval of the Czar. At present the Czar is absolute for all Russia. It is the most absolute despotism in the world. The Czar has councilors who endeavor to make it a reasonable government, just as they do in other countries. A Constitution wouldmake a great change in that country, and a favorable one. "Tell me something of the country." "It is a vast and wonderful country. It has fertile as well as waste lands. The northern part is barren and in some parts uncultivated. From Wir ballen to St. Petersburg, a distance of five hundred miles, the coun try is monotonously dreary. In Central and Southern Russia the black lands are' fertile, and pro duce a wonderful growth of grain. These plains rival an American prai rie in productiveness. If we had not an advantage in so many railroads to collect and bring our grain to market cheaply, I think they would beat us. We have better transportation and communication in every way for our agriculturists. They have petroleum in greater abundance, I think, than we have. I think it is just as good as ours. But they are not as skillful yet in refining it. You can get it lor half the price. They put on a big tariff to keep ouis out. They burn petroleum and candles in the palaces and houses, and gas in the streets. The great light at the big balls is furnished" by a host of candles in great copper and brass chandeliers, those metals being cheap!: They not only protect petroleum, but all manufactured products, and are thereby getting a large manufacturing interest. "There is not much American capital in the country now. Formerly there was sonie trade at St. Petersburg, but now it is all gone. There is a large colony of Englishmen there, who have grown wealthy in trade, but the policy of the Government does not encourage them and their numbers are lessening, Wi nans, ot Baltimore, built the railroad from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and owned a large interest in it. But he sold out some time ago. He made a great deal of money in the transaction. The Russian Government is inflexibly set against the Jews. They will not let them trade there, unless they are citizens subject to the Czar. The Jews came to the United States and got out naturalization papers. Then they went back, began to trade, and soon owned whole towns. When called o to perform military service, they pro duced their papers." A Case of Mistaken Identity. I am not sure whether the partic ulars of a most remarkable case of doubtful identity have reached you by telegraph or mail. They are so peculiar and so important in their legal bearing as to deserve mention even at the risk of repetition. Adam W. Smith was tried at Fitch burg, the other day, for having obtain-, ed $500 at Worcester by pass ing a forged note. Ten unimpeachable citizens testified to his being the man who passed the note and two experts identilied as his writing the indorse ment on its back. But now came twice ten most respectable citizens of Dutchess County, N. Y., who swore he was in that vicinity driving a herd of cattle at the time the note was passed. His movements were all track ed out and his lodging places estab lished for every night. The alibi was throughly established and he was'a'3 quitted. It was clear that he had' p. double. It will be remen4bei"ed,' some that very respeptable witnesses testified on the :rial of Dr. Webster for the murder of Parkman that they saw the supposed victim in the streets of Boston after he was dead, accord ing to the theory of the prosecution. It was shown in rebuttal that Mr. George Bliss, of Springfield, closely resembled Dr. Parkman, and that he was in the city the day mentioned by the witnesses, and so the defendant was acquitted without impeachment of the veracity of the opposing testi mony. The mistake was one very like that just made and like that which has afforded Henry Irving one of the best o; jortunities for the display of his di;.::.atic powers. - ( t Shooting- Stars and Meteorites. From the Xew York Sun. Prof. Ball, the well-known astrono mer royal for Ireland, makes a concise distinction between shootingstarsand neteorites, which are popularly re garded as the same. In the case of the former Prof. Ball remarks one special point, namely, that certain great showers are periodical, and al ways come irom the same parts ot the heavens the inference from these re curring periods being that the orbit of the earth then cuts the orbit in which a mass of these is moving. With this fact of recurrence is another, viz, that certain comets are periodical, and. from a comparison of their supposed orbits with those oi croups ot these bodies, a connection between them is supposed, whatever may be the origin of comets, which is not yet known. Meteorites, on the contrary, remarks Dr. Ball, are never known to come from the direction of a comet path, and, if carefully examined, are seen to be frag ments of some rock or rocks, closely analogous, too. to our earth's volcan ic rocks. The professor thinks that, examining all the planets in turn, it seems improbable that the meteorites originate from any of them, it being much more likely that they were in former times of greater volcanic ac tivity driven up from the earth itself. uid thev again, alter the lapseoiages, meet the earth in its orbit. Where Public Schools Fail. From the Brooklyn Magazine. It is a curious fact that many city boys reach the end of the school course without being able to tell what a mon key wrench is or describe a cross-cut saw, or define tha uses of .a turning lathe, while a piston, a steam box or a throttle valve are all lar bevond then- ken. They can, however, tell the num ber of elementary sounds m the lan guage and the significance of the whole cluster of diacritical marks, all ot which soon fade out ot their minds. In the limited time that the state has the privilege ot teaching children m the Twelttti Ward, it seems absurd to proceed with them with the circumstance that marks the work in the schools on the Hill, where the clrildren will stay twice as long; yet this is the present system. To change it means the risk of a demagogic cry ol one school for the rich and another for the poor. Accordingly, the poor suffer. Some liberty should be allow ed to a principal to suit the education he directs to the necessity of those under his care, that the boy who must be bread-winning at twelve, shall not" be despoiled of valuable time m ascer taining to a shade the fourteensoundt of the vowel "a."