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About The Eugene City guard. (Eugene City, Or.) 1870-1899 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1890)
"7countrV road. ..lmt that tx-ni sbove 'h 4 . loud with luininur' aon .1.1 wly wlmts the ucsvy lout .mrn In the meilow land, with trny nn n(1 r,'u!, btt"4 . . b, the brook ttiut wind be twee The wltlowe bending low, . tbrwld of briKhteet "liver beta, Tbeniflertnder low. in,, thrushes on the wooded ledge lis, munlfl iweet snd dear; Ami M the rlvor'i reeded edge Th tllru' oall you near. Where purple blooms are sweet. And dandelions blink. Above hli mate's sate hid retreat ludlnK bobolink. And In the pasture on the bill. Where blackberries re free, the children 1) their basket nil, And houl In merry glee. The meek-eyed cuttle silent stand, And watch the happy throng, Whose laughter, In the summer land, gweeler than a song. Like gleams ot gold the star-flowers shine Among tbe grasses tall. Tint cluster by the oiamberlug vine That clothes the tumbling walL And here the brown song sparrow wakes lis low, melodious note. That on the brooding silence breaks. Like boms that sound remote. jjuw voices rise where bending grain In harvest splendor waits, And then a narrow stretch of plain H silent as the Fates. And so the winding roadway weaves Its charm, till at the last The hanging, moss grown farm house eaves Their shadows o'er It cast. ..Thomas a. Collier, In Youth's Companion. THE STOLEN FASSPOKTS. Inoldent of Military Life on tbe Russian Froutlor. i .u lust sitting down for a quiet svening by the stove, when an orderly ttrew the door open anu rusuou lnio me W"1' . . .. "Captain Kasha, a uispaicui - ne cneu, k.n.iinir ma one of those little official blue envelopes which I knew so well. I tore It open ana roaa trie contents: ....! a..k. rnmm.inil.r nf Vrnnlipr "TOljapmi" olui .. ciinn on the Vistula: Detain Ivan Urosky h1 Valdlmlr Program. They will reach you ihortly. u5...i.n. "A bad nigul tor travelers io uu on the road." I could not help thinking, for the rain was falling; in torronts. nder of the Russian fron tier station at Duma, which lies on the great highroad between Russia and the Austrian city of Cracow, and only a half mlle distant was the rlvor Vistula, i,(,.v, ai villus the dominions of tbe Km- peror Francis Joseph from the dominions of the tzar, it u-as mi dutv to examine the pasv ports of all travelers coming either way, and to scrutinize meir luggage, w k that no Russian products were smuggled Into Austria, or vice versa. For tho last few days there had been llftlo tn An. Warm weathor unusual at this time of the year had set in, and the roads v. ere In haa condition tor traveling. ThB dlsnateh I had lust received had been brought on horseback from the nearest telegraph station, nearly Ave miles distant, and from the signature at the bottom I knew it must ue a mat ter of some- importance, for Oeneral Jorka was the Minister of Police, and hie very name was a torrorto evil doors. I instructed my men to watch the roads with extra care. The evening wore on slowly, and at midnight no one had arrived. I came to the conclusion that the expoctod travelers had either been apprehended before they reached the frontier or had postponed thoir journey on account of bad weather, so I determined to go to bed and enjoy a good night's rest The wind and rain kept me awake a long while, an! just as I was about dropping off into slumber the sound of sleigh bells woke me up again, and in a moment or two a sharp tap at the door summoned me down-stairs. I dressed and went down. Two travelers were waiting to see me; two big, powerful fellows, wrapped up in furs and groat coats, which they kept closely buttoned, for the fire bad gone out I judged at once that those were tho men I wanted, for, though their furs and clothes gave evldenco of wealth and refinement, their faces hardly seemed to accord. But a surprise was in store for me. When they handed over their passports I found, to my consternation, that they bore the names of Alexis Zamoso and Serglus Melikoff, and were properly stamped and signed.' To bide my confusion I made some in quiries, and they very frankly Informed me that they were merchants of St. Petersburg who .wero going to Cracow on business. "Had they met any person on the road7" I inquired. "Yes," said the smooth-faced man, "they had passed two men early in the evening, but their horses seemed to be lame and they were moving very slow ly." I hesitated a moment and then ordered n examination to be made of their bagtrage, a proceeding to which they made no objection. Every thing in thelp valises, however, was all right, and their linen and toilet cases were stamped with their initials. 1 felt that I had no authority to de tain them, and yet I hated to see thorn go, for I had a presentlraont that all not right To add to my suspicions the man with the beard was nervous and agitated, a fact which he did bis utmost to conceal. I knew too well, however, what would be the result of a blunder committed through excess of authority, so I oewr mined to be on the safe side, and after a delay, which I stretched out as far as possible, I told them they were free to proceed. I escorted them to the door, where a W, one-seated sleigh awaited them, drawn by a pair of horses, which I saw at a glance had been hard driven. At the last moment I had half made ap my mind to detain tbem, hut with a hasty salute they stepped Into tbe alei.'a end drove rapidly eastward, where dawn was already dappling the sky- There was no uae of going back to bed. so I went in and stirred up the Ore, and sat down to smoke a cigar and wan lor daylight ,. f Now that it was too late, I felt sorry bad let the men go, for the more I thought over it, tbe more certain J ie that there was something wrong aoous them. It bad stopped raining and begun to blow up cold, and I saw that it would probably be a bosj day. I had already finished breakfast, when trampling of boraes and a UnkUn or i arew me to me aoor, ara : tn surprlso I saw bearing rapidly down upon theatutionasmalldetachniontof mount ed Cossacks, .urroundlmr a nlil.rh two men in It, who 1 mado sure were the Ttartlna f una 1 t- I I u wiiig ior, an opinion w hich seemed to be verified when they drew up, for the men were rather rough. looking fnllnu-a ,l .. v HltlA nuiu ut'uvy cioaKS of coarse material, and great astrachan caps that came forward over their cars. 1 was soon llndpeoivnii "Theso travelors claim to have been robbed, captain," said the Cossack oil!- ftPP Bllllltlni l.-IM ...II, . -.MV...g. 1U,y Wm (., y0 their story, and, meantime, we await your orders." The travolers hurried Inside, and I fol lowed With a slnlrlnir V,nr.l "We are victims of an Infamous out rage, sir," said one of them. "My name Is Alexis Zamoso, and this is my friend. Sergius Moilkoff. We were Journeying to Cracow, arid while pass ing mrougu the forest last evening two armed strangers in a sleigh over, took us, and overpowering us they took ail our possessions, made us give up our furs in exchange for these wretched garments, and then cutting our horse loose, they drove him off in the darkness and took flight On foot we made our way back to the nearest villago, and wore so fortunato as to fall in With thnA lir.iva a,i1,llaiu u'lm .. .H,V ........ v, , I. IIU piv cured us a horse and accompanied us Y...a ...... 1 n mug iar uu uur Ournty. With inward rage I listened to this strange tale, realizing only too clearly the mistake 1 bad made, and my feel ings may la imagined when the man handed mo two folded papers, saying: 'Tlinro. nil nra tho nnminn.la Ikn vil lains were so considerate to give us in exenange ior our own." T torn t.hftm nnon Thnv m-npa tnn.ln out to Ivan lirosky and Vladimir Pro- grain. 'Th rascals hava puiv-ineil!" T pried . 1 - - - - angrily. "They passed through not iwu nours ago, aim i uarea not aciain thorn." "And it Is too late to overtake them?" cried Alexis Zamoso. "Too late. They have crossed the Vistula an hour ago." "The Government shall atone for this," the two men cried out together. They would soe if travelers were to be robbed with impunity on the Czar's high read. 1 was vainly endeavoring to pacify them, when a soldier en to red the room. "Captain," ho said, "the Vistula has risen. The bridge was carried away at daybreak." "Those two travelers?" I demanded eagerly. "Did they get across in time?'' "Xo, Captain. Thoy stwtod for the upper bridge." "Then we'll have them yet!" I cried. "Call out the guards at once. Don't lose a second." I buckled on my sword, seized my cloak and hat and rushed to the door where my horse already awaited me. Mv own mon were mountlnir in haste. and the Cossacks sat motionless in their saddles. A moment more would have seen us off, when a solitary rider came In sight, far up the road, and presently reined up before us panting and breathless. "Orders from the Czar," he cried, vaulting from the saddle. "Have Ivan Brosky and Vladimir passed this sta tion?' I briefly explained the situation. "They must be arrested at all haz ards!" he cried. "They loft St Peters burg with forged passports. It was dis covered only yestorday." "And who are theso men?" I asked. "Thev are Shamorin and Kharkoff," replied the messengor, "the assassins of General Orley. It was of grave Importance, indeed, that they should be captured, and, mounting in baste, we dashed away at full .nne.l. leavinir the Czar's messen ger to enjoy the comforts of the station, for he had beon riding an mgut aim badly needed rest t Our course led eastward to the Vistula, and thence turned off to tho south, fol owing a rugged and little traveled road through the hills, which led eventually to another bridge over tho Vistula, some twenty milos further down the stream. It was bad enough for horsemen; for a sleigh it was terrible. I rodo In advance, side by side with Captain Karaiuan, the commander of the Cossacks Wo thundered at a headlong speed over the frozen ground, sure of our prey-for, on tho road before us, fast freezing up in the morning air, wore the tracks of hoofs and runners im printed in tho slush. At intervals through the hill gaps we caught sight of the Vistula, a turbid, yellow mass, swirling past with its burden of floating 1CVe must travel still faster. The upper bridge was a heavier more solid structure, little likely to be carried off by even such a flood as this. Ve must overtake them before they reach it We drove the spurs into our panting horses, and the forest and barren hill sides shot past us In one flying pano S.M we galloped like the .wind over the frozen ground, round.ng bond after hend, only to see the same empty glit tering ttretch of road fading in mock ery into tbe frosty atmosphere. Furlong after furlong, mile after mile, and still the, kept ahead with a speed that seemed incredible. "Look!" cried Captain Karaman. ,nder his frosted heard, "the track, a" still soft We .ball soon see hem. Straegling bouses came in sight, and , 3 ran to their doors in wonder inswept past like the whirlwind Uaraman'sCossacksof the VolgMo'' id." I. their great black cloak. ,d shakos; my dragoon a trine more "Iresques with their green uniforms and waving piun. We galloped throng- - itp nf Kapan-onij u" . ., ,ri,l-e-and, as we swept rouna u. urmut .. . ... bp saw a brow of a bill, " bUek reckon the frozen road. Fven as haraman pom-- - vanished over, bridge. We thundered Tan . . ...it los nl sight of it 0D but all the while gaining Sd ver, plainiymake out a sleigh d two horses. , With fierce joy . Iiareiy H--- rfit.nce , tween us. """-.. We were diminishing verj going down a g-t.e dpn,y Captam Karma "The brid ?e! Do Jou " . , , wli frossinz the road far aueaa o. u OMOf the tributary of the Vistu ............. . -- - - It was possible, 1 thought to overtake tho assassins before they could reach It; and even If we failed It mattered little, for the Vistula was still a mile or more away. We swept over tho ley ground at a dangerous speed, and I felt like shouting out with triumph, for the sleigh was running slower and slower, and the capture of the men seemed cet tain. I called them to surrender, but they made no reply, though they must have seen how hopeless their situation was. The bridge was now very close, and I saw at a glance it was giving way, for the stream was high and swollen, and t reat cakes of lee were crashing against the wooden piles. "Look out they are going to fire." cries Karaman, suddonly. And as he spoke tho smooth-faced man half rose in his seat and turning round pointed the gun directly at us. I heard tho report and felt the whiz of tho bullet past my ear. Then came a cuff of white smoke and a second shot; and with a cry of pain the Cossack behind me sprang up from his saddle and rolled down on the ley road, while his riderless horse reared with fright "The scoundrels!" hissed Karamna through his teeth. "If we only dared flro on thorn!" Hut this was exactly what we dared not do. They must be taken alive at all hazards. In the excitement I had forgotten all about the bridge, and clos ing up we dashed on in rapid pursuit I he assassins had nearly reached the edge of the stream now. The bearded man was plying the whip savagely, and his companion was standing, gun in hand, holding his flro apparently until we should come a little nearer. Faster and faster and now the stream was before us, a raging, roaring torrent. flashing by with a terrible velocity, and still the fugitives madly lashed their jaded horses. An instant moro and the panlo stricken brutes dashed upon the sway ing, trembling structure; and then, with a mighty crash and blinding cloud f spray and snow, bridge, sleigh and r'l crumbled Into the torrent, and with a terrihlo effort we checked our trembling horses on the verv brink. For a moment I could see nothing, and then Karaman pointed out the two assassins huddled together on a great cake of ice that was whirling rapidly down the stream. The horses and sleigh wore nowhere to be seen. A peasant was speedily found who led us through tho forest to the shores of the Vistula, at a point close to the mouth of the tributary stream. On the other side rose tbe Austrinn military station, but no trace of the assassins could be discovered; and from tho swollen condition of the river I be lieved It impossible that they could have been saved. Captain Karaman was of the same opinion, so we gave up the search and rodo back to the station. The Cossack who had boon shot was not fatally Injured, and gave promise of recovering in a few weeks 1 mado out my report and forwarded It to headquarters, and a fortnight later I was exonerated from all blame, much to my relief, for very unjust and arbi trary decisions are sometimes made In such cases. What thoir fato was I never certainly know. Long afterward, an Austrian, traveling to St Petersburg, informed , . f . . 1 l. . V.J me that Miamenn ana ivanrKou unu beon seen in Vienna, and were supposed to bo editing a revolutionist journal, but I have grave doubts of the Aus trian's veracity, and in my opinion, the two assassins perished In the icy waters of tho Vistula. Atlanta Constitution. Of Interest to Mitsont. The order of Froomasonry is said to have beon established by Solomon at tho time of building his temple. The ordor has boon dorived from many sources, but not till about 1717 did the socond stage of its history begin in London, which is, In fact tho home ot Masonry as now taught The first lodge In the United States was organ ized in 1729 and was then under me jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of En gland. The emblem of the ordor la most common use is tne squaro ana iue compass worn by members of the Blue Lodire. Besides this there are several dosigns worn by more advanced mem bers, among them a keystone ior mo Chapter degree and a Malteso cross for the Commandery. 1 here are aiso Hun dreds of men entitled to wear the Con sistory, or thirty-second degree badge. The eeneral doslirn ol tins emuiem is a cross on which rests a crowned double- headed eaglo, with the figures "3i on a smooth triangle on the breast Sb Louis Ropublic How Time Inrreates Values. Eminent Author You bought a M8 from me some ten years ago for twenty five dollars. Publisher Yes, sir; but we haven', printed it yet Eminent Author-Well, let me have it back, and I'll give you a hundred. I've got a reputation now, and doa't want to spoil It! Pu;k. Drath and Burial In China. When tho Chinese wish to declare the extreme vexatiousness of any piece of work they say: "It is more trouble than . funeral:" the obsequies of a arent beinz reckoned the most maddening offnir in human experience. Infants are buried summarily, without coffins, and the young are interred with few rites: but the funeral of the aged, of both sexes, are elaborate in proportion to tlia number of the descendants and to ti.(r wmltli. When a cluldless married m.m ill Ilia widow mav perform all ihA iliitim of a son toward him, mny re mnin in his house and may adopt cliildren to rear as his heirs and worshipers of the family manes. If his widow projioseo marrying again, young male relative mav, with the consent of senior members nf the clan, undertake the services ex pected from a son and inherit the estat of the aeceasea. When one is about to die he is re moved from his couch to a bench or to mat on the floor because of belief that he who dies in bed will carry the bedstead as a burden into the next world, it i. a.,hed in a new pot in warm water in which a bundle of incense sticks 1 mereed. After the washing the pot .nA tiut water are thrown away to gether. He U then arrayed in full suit of new clothing that he may appear in hades at his best He breathes his last in the main room, before the largest door of the house, that the departing soul may ;iv find iu wav out into the air. A sheet of spirit money, brown paper bav i rirh of eildinif on one surface, is the uDturned face, because it ie said that if the eyes are left uncovered tk. nM mav count the row. of tiles in th. rm,f and that in such case the family could never build a more spadfus domicile.-Adele 1L Fkld in Popular UTILITY OF TOADSTOOLS. African Warship Them and Asiatic 0t Drunk ou Thru. Tie Ostiaks. the Kamtchmiules and other inhabitants of Asiatic Kusmu find In one of the gild bearing family the manita uiuncuruis the rxhalirution and madness that more civilized nations de mand and receive of alcohol, und enjoy a narcotism from its extracts as seduct ive as that nf opium. The Fiji Islanders are indebted to toad stools strung ou a string for girdles, which alone prevent them from being classed among "tho poor and nuked," and their sole awthctic omiatiou lies in ornamenting their limited wurdrolie. The Fiji fishermen, oqieoiully, value them highly because they are water proof! Cerdier tells us that the negroes of the west of Africa exalt a certain kind of boletus to the sucrcdness of a god and bow down in worship before it. For this reason Afzcltus bus named this va riety bolwtus sacer. A French chemist h:ta extracted wax from tho milk giving kind, but has not stated the price of candles mmlo from it. Others of the delving fraternity have shown that toadstools may be used in iho manufacture of Prussian blue instead of blood, for like certain animal matter, they furnish prussic acid. As fungi, after the manner ot all animal life, breathe oxygen and throw oil raiUmio acid gas, their flesh partakes of animal rather than vegetable nature. In their decomiHisition they nro capital fertilizers of surrounding plants, and in seasons when they ure plentiful it will re pay the agriculturist to make uso of them as manure. According to Liniupus, tho Lnttt de lighted in the perfume of some siiccies and curried them um tli"ir persons so that they might be tho moro attractive. Linmeus exclaims: "O, Venus! thou that scarcely sulllcewt thyself in other coun tries wilh jewels, diamonds, precious stones, gold, purple, music und sKVtai'le, are here satudicd villi a simple toad stool!" A variety of boletus tulie bearing specios is powdered and used as a pro tector of clothing against insects. The agaricus musenrius constitute well kuown poison to the common housefly. It intoxicates tlieiu to such degreo that they can be swept up and destroyed. Certain tHilviKirei those large, dry, corky growths found Uxni logs and trees when proeily seasoned, sliced and beaten, engago largo manufactories in producing from them the punk of commerce, used by the surgeon for the arrest of hemorrhage, tho artist for Ins shading stump, and the 4 1 1 1 of July urchin for Ins pyrotechnic purposes. A siK-cies of ixilrporus is used in Italy as scrubbing brushes. In countries where flro producing is unknown or lalxirious and the luxury of lucifers denied, tho dried fungus enables tho tninsHiitation of lire from one place to another over great distances. The inhabitants of Frauconia use them in hammered slices instead of chamois skin for underclothing. Another polyporus takes its place among manufactures as the highly neces sary razor strop. Northern nations make. bottle stnpH-rs or them, as their corky nature suggests. Tho polyorus of the birch tree (polyporus betulinus) increases the delight of smokers by its delicate flavor when mixed with tobacco. Lip pincott's Magazine. Coolrot Town In the World. In tho PK-KIn Meteorologische Zeit- tchrift for June, Dr. llainui gives an in teresting ' account of Werchojansk (Siberia), deduced from several years observations. Tho town, which lies In tho valley of the Jana, about nine feet above tho level of the river, in latitudo 67 degs. 31 min. N., longltudo 133degs. 51 min. E., and at a height of about U50 feet above the sea, has the greatest win ter cold that is known to exist uon the globe. Monthly means of 58 degs. F. occur even in December, mean tem perature which has been observed no where else in tho polar regions; and minima of 78 dogs, are usual for the three winter months (Docemlier-I'ebru- arv). In tho year 1880 March also had n minimum 77 (legs., ana during mat year December and January never had a minimum nuove i u uegs., wnue in Jan uary, 1888, the temperature of 85 degs, was recorded. These extreme readings are hardly credible, yet the thermometers have been vended at the St. 1'etersuurg observutory. To add to tho misery of the inhabitants, at some seasons the houses are iniinduted by tho overflow of the river. The yearly range of cloud is characteristic of the climate; in the win tor season tho mean only amounts to alxwt threo-tentlia in each month. Nature. Th rotrolrnm Producing- Rtrsta. Oil producing strata do not always bo- long to the same geologicid jieriod. In Kentuckv ami Tennessee the petroleum Is furnished by the lower Silurian ; that is. bv tho most ancient stratmcu rocks. In Upper Canada it is found in tho lower Devonian, and in Pennsylvania in mo upper Devonian. The springsof western Vireinia How from the upper carooniier- ous struta. In Connecticut and isortii Carolina coal oil is found in tho trios, in Colorado and Utah in tho lignites of the cretaceous formation, while the oil pro ducing regions of California belong to the tertiary period. It is a remurkublo fnrt that most of the deposits of tho ancient world exist in comparatively re cent tertiary formations, as fur instance those of tho oil impregnated sands of Alsace, of the south of franco, ana or Abruzzia and Emilia in Italy. Thero are numerous deposits in Galicta and tho Danubian provinces similarly placeu whiln the strata that contain those of the Crimea, tho Caucasus and the island of Taman are of nearly the same geology ical enoch. It is a fact to be noted that the oils coming from the greatest depth are of the best quality, those produced from nearer the surface of the earth seeming to have lost some of their vola tile elcmentAnj'niiiCHrjri Chronicio. Ehutlv Concrete for PavrmrD-. An ingenious employe of a N'ew Jer sey concrete firm has invented a paving composition which has some very re markable features, llo claims that liii preparation, the composition of which he kee)S secret, is just as durablo as tone, but is soft and elastic to the tread, so that it is not only pleasant to walls upon but actually give tho foot an im pulse like tliat in a leaser degree, of course gained from springlmurd. Whether his invention bo a possibility or jiot, something of t!ie kind would cor Uinly be acceptable to tired townfolk whose feet aclieand blister as they stamp along on the hard and noisy pavement Chicago Kew. Tha snort IJUUnc Innltr. Attention is called to the fact that while inveutive genius has done so much for the comfort of long distance riders in tailwav car., it ha. done little or nothing for the comfort of short distance nders, who are much more numerous. Let the short dutance traveler raise Li voice la nrotest New York Tribune. TOO MUCH FLESH. A Qnvttton Which Trnuhlr III Fat World, What Itorlor Say. Probably no question of personal hygiene has occupii'd so much attention from laymen or luywomen as the ques tion how to avoid grow ing fat. Ikx-tors, we think, as a rule take little, interest in it as long ns it dues not result in some form of illness. Alnnit the Inconven ience of N'ing fat, there is generally lit tle use in consulting them. Until within uUhii twenty live years the fat eoplo, if we may u tho expression, he down under their fat. The opinion that fat insis was irremediable was in fact widely ditTuscd. Mrs. Fanny Keiulile used to say, in her grand manner, that "when there was a constitutional tendency to fat, no diet, nor exercise, nor sorrow would avail." Since she took this view, however, great change has conio over what we may call the fat world, rut people re fuse any longer to mxvpt their fatness as hopeless. Thev deny tlint anv tHirtion of the human family has U-on set njuirt by Nature as the prey of obesity. This great awakening win duo in a large de gree In the celebrated Hanting, an im- menselv fat man, w ho, bv gren'.Iy re ducing his weight by routining himself to nitrogenous food, filled all fat people with the anticipation of a U-iter day. Tens of thousands followed his example, and cut down their size immensely. Un fortunately ho died very soon lifter ho liceamo lean, and a jmnic spread through his followers. Distrust ubout the effect of his system on the general health be gan to gain ground. Many peoplo Buf fered severely in strength and spirits by following his regimen too strictly, und it 11 into more or less discredit. It would now be as hard to find an original out-and-out disciple of Hanting as of Pricss nitz, the hydropathist, or of Hahnemann, the lioniaiipathist. Hut many still fol low him in a slight degree, by eschewing butter, rating but littlo bread and pota toes anil sticking steadily to loan meat. If Ins teachings and example, hud had no effect at all, however, it would huve proved that the fat peoplo were It, en terprising and energetic than other civil ized men in our day ever are. They re fused to consider Hunting's failure lis final. They declined to accept tho doc tor's advice to "let well enough alone." Thev continued their demand that obes ity should bo treated as a disease, anil cure found for it. Accordingly every few years a new fut docfor uppears on tlu scene, and the quacks fill up tho In tervals wilh tho sale of moro or less deadly sjiecillcs. No great progress was made, however, until Uismarck tiecamo dissatisfied with his fat, and called for n physician who could relieve him of it. This physician npcared in the iorstm of a certain Dr. Schweniger, who cut down the chancellor' weight to such an extent that he had him nominated to profes sorship in the faculty of medicino in the llorhn university, and Insisted on lus ap pointment iu the teeth of tho opposition of the other doctors, who hud either never heard of Schweniger before, or heard what was bad. To tho argument that he had won no distinction iu tho profes sion, tho answer wus that ho had taken fifty or sixty ounda off the princes hugo frame, tsehweniger accordingly rapidly becamo an authority on fatness, and tho pamphlet containing his system is sold liv tens of thousands. The well known Dr. Yeo, of London, discusses this system in The Nineteenth Century. It ought to bo said en passant that Bchwemger s cure is claimed also ly Professor Oertol, of Munich, who says he discovered it, but this avails him littlo, because ho did not trout the chancellor. Schweniger maintains that the chief cause of fut among men, as among ani mals, is eating too much, no matter ol what, and drinking too much, even of water, at one's meals, but especially of wine, beer and spirits. The central principle of this system Is, that unless you live by muscular toil you must cut down tho quuntity you eat, and must drink but little, if any, with your meals. Of course ho has minor rules, and makes distinctions between different articles of food, but to him quantity is the great enemy of tho olieso. After him comes a certuin Ebstein, who also has his rh' :ii, which differs from both HantinV mid Bchweniger's, but all three agree I hat to bo lean you must greatly reduce your consumption of the carbo hydrates or starchy things. Germany is tho country where the most vigorous fight with fut is carried on, and where fat cures excite most in terest, owing, it is said, to the grout prevalence of obesity, a result in part of the consumption of beer, and in part, doubtless, of tho frequency and hearti ness of tho meals. Accordingly tho num ber of people who go to the various buths for simple corpulency is very largo. Ocrtel makes provision for this class by prescribing curefully graded walks, in which tho ascent will stimulate the heart's action and strengthen It. All the masters agree that it is mainly tlu-ough its effect on the heart that fat becomes dangerous. If you surround your heart thickly with fat you impede its working, and it graduully grows weaker, and then, soino fine day, w hen you have put a littlo moro fut on it and call on it for extra exertion, it stops short and down you go. Fat does not greatly troublo the young and active in any country. It is when, in nilddlo lifo, ex ercise begins to bo distasteful, but the appetite remains as good as ever, that it comes on peoplo like a strong man armed, and mules exertion, especially i' hot weather, very formidable. Hut the fat peoplo are aroused, and wo feel sure their number, in proportion to population, will hcreufter bo diuiinibhcd. New York Evening Post. An Amuaiiif Goom Utory. "When I was in Alubama, between Porter's Gap and Millerville," suid gentleman living in Atlanta, "I camo to a country place w here a man was driving ten or twelve geese from a branch toward cotton patch. 'For heaven's sake,' said I, 'what is it you have on tho necks of those guest? 'Those are gourds, full of water. I drive these geese into that cotton patch and keep them there all day weeding out tho cotton. There to no water in the cotton patch, and I have to give them water in this way to keep them thero.' 'Hut how do they get the water out of those gourds under their necks? 'They drink out of each other's munis. Each eourd has an opening in tho side so thut another goose can put his bill into the gourd and drink. If you will star here long enough you will see it yourself.' I waited there half day to see tliat performance, and finally I saw it. The geese did just as the man said tliey would. When a goose got thirttr he walked op to his neighbor and coolly drank out of the gourd on bis Deck. Atlanta Journal. A family in Whatcom, Wash., not lik ln the taste of the water they were draw . tTom ,i.eit ninetvfoot d-p well, sent man down to n.pect It depth. The we,j wa ,n jembly good condition, but dj ,n(ian vu Doillte(i out( ANCIENT TIMEPIECES. Hlttor of tha Gradual Ininmvrmrnl la Hi Work nf Mmlrrn Watrhra. The use of the watch has liecoine so common and people are so accustomed tJ take note of time by the pieces which they carry In their pockets Unit they are apt to forget how lecent an invention it is. The first w.-itcll was not twenty year, old when America wus discovered, The great muss of the human race never saw a watch, und if men have lived (as si scientists claim) for 100,000 years, then how singular tho fact that for 09,000 years of that time no one ever hud a watch. Of course the watch grew out of the precedent use of the clock, and it was about 000 years lietweon tho first clock and the first watch. That is as closely as one can estimate dates when the pre cise year of either Invention is unknown. The Invention of the clock is generally ascribed to (he monk licrtiert, w ho was afterward raised to tho tiara under tho name of Pope Sylvester II. Tho lir.st clocks were cumbrous things, calculated only to be hung to the wall ami worked with cords and weights. For long time they were only used in convents and monasteries, w here they helped to mnke miserable the lives of the inmates. Others say that tho invention of tho clock was duo to tho Saracens. Some lime in the Fourteenth century tho es capement was introduced in what is known as Do Wyck's clock. This al lowed of reduction in size, but it seems to have taken 150 years more for the idea to have cotton into men's minds that tho clock might be made small enough to carry in the pocket or to hang as an ornament uikiii tho jierson. The city of Nuremburg claims to have made the first n atch in 1177, and Peter Hell, of that city, made watches of steel as early as 1400. It Is certain that the first watches wero calhtl Nuremburg eggs, a fact that identities both the place of making and tho slmpo of tho watch. The works were inclosed in circular metal rases and were hung from the gir dle They generally suggested tho Idea of the egg. The first English watches had weights and were used as iKK'ket chx'k. Such early watches hud only one hand and re quired to be wound up twice day. The dials were of silver and brass, the cases had no crystals, but opened at tho back and front and were four or five Inches in diameter ubout the size of common dessert plate. Tho first great improvement of the watch the substitution of springs for weights was in 1850. These springs were not coiled, but were only straight pieces of steel. Soon afterward the fusee was invented, connected with a main spring in a barrel This wus fastened to ploco of catgut, which wus wound around a spiral grooved fusee in the shape of a cone. The last coils were around the small end of the cone, thus present ing in tho running of the watch tho least leverage to the greatest force of the spring. As the cone wus unwound the leverage changed in proportion to the force of the spring. This made it pos sible to attuin considerable accuracy in the running of the watch. A small linked chain was substituted for the catgut, and this style of chain remained until com paratively recent times. The spiral hair spring, which is so nocessury for equalis ing the motion, was invented aim at tached about the year 1058 by Dr. Hook. Lenirthetilnit or shortening the spring lessens or increases the vibrations and makes the regulation of the watch an easy matter. The cases of the early watches were mado for personnl adornment and were of all sorts and shapes. One that be longed to Lady Fitzgerald tells In curi ous way the classlo tale of Jupiter and Qanymede. The works are contained In the body of the eagle, which opons across the center and displays the dial plate richly engraved with scrolls and flowers. The silver gilt waton in tne lorm ot death's head was given to Mary, Queen of Scots, by her husband, the dauphin of France. It was lately in the posses sion of Sir John Lauder, and came to his family through Catherine Scton, to whom the unfortunate Mary gave it be fore her execution. There is a similar watch In Boston museum thut belonged to one of the Pil- trrlin fathers. It is of silver, In the form of death's head, opening at the under law. It has at the top small ring, ny means of wliicii it was aiiacnea to me . , , . girdle. Jewelers' Review. Sonif't Land and Peopl. The forest land In Norway is in extent as compared with the arable land as thlrtv to ono. Of course the exiiortation of timber is one of the chief resources of the country, but the woods are well pre served, forester resides in every district, and no waste or destruction'of such valu able possessions is allowed, us has un- fartmiatelv taken place in America. The land that is cultivated, except in fow favored spots, seems poor, and the people themselves have, evidently, few of tho luxuries of lifo. There are not many villages, Norway differing from Sweden in that respect; tho rarmliouses are scat tered, and the dwelling, of the peasant are usually small wooden huts, and often are ruinous. But, though poverty is great, there U no beggary. We have never uecn im portuned for alms, nor have fee been eX' pectcd for trilling services, as in Italy or ...... ... ii in . the rural district oi rjigianu. ine w tilo have a somewhat sad, or rather subdued look, such ossttlitudo often gives. Tho women, with handkerchiefs pinned over their heads, look at us with grave eves. The little white haired children never shout after the passing carriage, or play monkey tricks to earn a cent. They are gentle and quiet race, civil and pleasant spoken, but not lolly and taina- tive like the German. Their voices are of peculiar melody a musical rise and fall in the pronunciation of their words, which has been analyzed by the student of such peculiarities, and which it is im possible for stranger to imitate,--Cor. Ban Francisco Chronicle. A ropolar Bummer Fa hi on. That suitable garment for tropical, climate the light woolen shirt 1 fast making lulf popular in our tropical summer weather. Hut the mandate of fosliion still is that the woolen shirt is "not gentlemanly" In town or on the car the two place where it la most needed. A gentlemanly dress will never offend the sensibilities of other. A neat flannel shirt is certainly les offensive than the sweat soaked handkerchiefs with which the wearers of laundered linen try to bide the wilted rag tliat was once glossy and beat lucloaing collar. A car full of gentlemen with pocket tutndkercbief used a bibs is ridiculous eouuueutary on slavery to a foolish fau ion. New York Evening World. THE DREADED SIMOOM. II Gcnuralion and th Terrlbl IneldanU at It Career. Tho most remarkable of the hot wind U the Simoom (Kamhiili, snimin, shelook, etc.), the violent whirlwind, with or without sand, which ulTirts tho deserts of Africa and southwestern Asia. The j great heat of the soil passing Into the at- mospliere cause an appreciable expan , sion and lightening of the latter, resulting in the formal inn of small cyclonic dia ! tiirl-ances. Thesurroiindingatinnsphere, in the never censing natural struggle to 1 maintain an equilibrium, rushes in to fill I the space vacated by the expanded air, ami in its turn undergoes tho same pro I cess, until at hist thero is a powerful cur rent drawn into the vortex, frequently bringing wilh it quantities of loo-e sand, and the cyclone then becomes visible hugo columns of Kind whirling round ami moving forwurd at tho same time Tho nir, already very dry before tho simoom originated, now liecomes still more so from the presence of tho dense cloud of dust. Away goes the storm ucross the desert; at flittt it is seen as a low haze on the horizon, but quickly spreading tho cloud advances, sometimes slowly, sometime rapidly, the tall pillars lieing visible long way off darkening tho atmosphere, and bringing with them great destruction. In tbe whirl the wind blows with the forco of a hurricane, hills of sand are taken up. and are either scattered or are again gathered Into new hills wherever tho storm choose to depotdt them, so that the desert is dotted with frequently shifting sand ranges. Under these are buried whole caravans of traders, travel ers and even armies. The simoom is supposed to have annihilated tho armies of Sennacherib und of Cumbyses. So terribly dry is tho air in these storms that it is fatal to vegetation, while the density of tho dust cloud makes it almost impossible for human beings to breathe. 'Jliis gives riso to tho idea that the wind contained a deadly poison; hence the Arabic simoom, signifying a poisonous wind: but It is no more iniisonous than any oilier wind, its fata qualities being simply the excessive dryness and the quantity of lino sand with which it is loaded. Iho temperature or tne air nas lieen known to rise to I'i'i degs., and its desiccating effect is seen in dried up mouths and nostrils, In skin cracking, intense thirst, painful and difficult breath ing and Inability to sleep. Tho time oc cupied In iwssing a given ejiot varies be tween a few minutes and twenty or twenty-four hours, the blast leaving be hind it unmistakable evidence ot tne pain it has traveled. Tho hot parching air of tho simoom, almost as soon as tho breath is out of tho body and before decomposi tion has timo to set In, causes tho flesh to loso all it firmness and consistency, so that it drops or may be taken off the bones easily. A party of officers .leeping on tne rooi of Gen. Jacob', house at Jacolabad thu. recount their experience of tho simoom: "They wero awakened by a sensation ot suffocation and an exceedingly hot, op pressive feeling in tho air, while at the same time a powerful smell of sulphur pervaded the atmosphere. On the fol lowing morning a number of trees in the garden were found to tie withered in remarkabln manner, it wo as u a current of fire about twelve yards in breadth had passed through the gnrden in a straight lino, singeing and destroy ing every green thing in its course. En tering on ono sido and passing out on the other, its path was as defined the course of a river." l'algrnvo was overtaken by one of these scourges in northern Arabia. After soino preliminary remarks on the ad vance of the simoom, lie proceeds: "oo dark was tho atmosphere and so burning tho heat that it seemed that Hell Hud risen from tho earth or descended from abovo. Hut at tho moment when the worst of tho concentrated poison blast was coming round wo wero alrrndy pros trate, one and all within tho tout, with our heads well wrapped up, almost suf focated, indeed, but safe, while our camels lay without like dead, their lornr necks stretched out on the sand, await ing the passing of the galo. We remained thus for ten minutes, during which a still heat, like that of a red hot iron slowly passing over us, was alone to be felt. Then tho tent walls began again to flap In the returnuig gusts and announced that the worst ot the simoom had gone by. My comrade appeared more like corpses than living men, and so, I suppose, did L How ever, I could not forbear, in spite of warnings, to step out and look at the camels; they wero still lying flat, as though they had been dead, and tne air was yet darkish, but before long it brightened up to its usunl duzzling clear ness. During the whole time the simoom lusted the atmosphere was entirely free from sand or dust, so that I hardly know how to account for its singular obscur ity." ComhiU Magazine. The ClrmiMlml liutruuieul Earth. . Professor Oeorge Davidson, of the United State geographical survey, accompanied by several friends, visited the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, Saturday evening, by invi tation of Professor Iloldea The night was a splendid one for observation, but owing to the fact that 117 person were also on the mountain, it being visi tors' night, no length of time could be spent at the great telescope, a that Is al ways the great attraction for visitors. It was the first peep through the 80-Inch re fractor tliat Professor Davidson enjoyed since the completion of the observatory, tad to say that be was pleased with the experience la only half putting it. "Ye, sir," he said the other day, when spoken to about the matter, "it ia the greatest and grandest instrument on . earth. I aa not at liberty to divulge just now what I saw and what ha already been accomplished by the astron omers on Mount Hamilton. That glory Is for the astronomer themselves, and when they do make publio their discov eries, which I hope will be soon, it will astonish the astronomical world as much as any one else. Some of the discover ies they have made are, in fact, so novel and wonderful that Professor Uoldon and bis assistants are really timid about an nouncing them to the world until they are entirely satisfied that they really do exist and are not illusions of some sort, Im portant discoveries have been made in all of the departments nebula, double stars, planets, etc. and questions which have been subjects of doubt and specula tion for generations have been entirely put at rest and accounted for. The tele scope exceed if my most extravagant hope ana imaginations, and the ouly way to beat it is to build bigger one, put it on a higher mountain and in a clearer at mosphere, all of wldch would be a diffi cult combination to get together. "San Francisco Bulletin. The production of gold in California began In 1843, the yield that year being 19,000,000; in the year following, $10, 000,000, and $50,000,000 in 1850, The total gold product of tliat state to date ia estimated at $1,123,000,004 n., A