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About The Oregon scout. (Union, Union County, Or.) 188?-1918 | View Entire Issue (May 18, 1888)
IN PURSUIT OF GAME. Twos the fall of th year, and the woods wore scro; Tho dead loaves rustlod o'or hill and hollow; And the birds wcro talilnj tholr southward flight, And calling tholr feathery mates to follow, I saw tho meadow-lark flying low, I heard tho rustle of quail nnd pheasant, And said to tho maid my heart held dear: "There's plenty of gamo around at prosent." I was given to sport of nnothor soft, And had llttlo skill witlia gun or rlflo, And to tell tho truth, was a modest youth. With dangerous weapons not wont to triflo; And 1 naked her whon was the proper time Togo for ducks, or for qu ill and phoasant. And she said with n pout, as It quite put out: "For bagging jatno Micro's no time lllto t:io present." A hint that she did not chnnco to sco I took from tho maid I had longhcen wooing, And I said in her ear: "I am fond of deer, And other gamo isn't worth pursuing, Bo tell me the time that will hrlng mo luck'" Sho answered mo with a smilo most ploas nnt; "For tho capturo of cither deer or duck, You'll find, I think, no tlmo llko the present." I spanned her waist with my arm In hnsto, And kissed hor lips in n fervent fashion, And then and there, in tho crisp clear air, In words that wcro fow, declared my passion: And ns blushes dyed her cheeks, sho sighed. And said, with a frown that was evanescent: "You might have chosen somo other tlmo;'' I answered: "Thuro's no tlmo llko tho prcs cnt." Josephine rollaril, in X. Y. Ledger. SOME PAKODOXES. Propositions or Quorios ot a Puz zling Oharaotor. Thorn exists, flouting nbont tho world in n verbal form, and occasion nlly oven appearing In print, a certain class of Propositions or Quorios, of which thu object is to puzzle tho Mils of tho unwary listonor, or to beguile III hi into giving nn absurd reply. Miiny of these urn very old, nnd nomo nr. i oxcallcnt. Inslnnoos will readily occur. Who, for example, bus nol, nt somu porlod of his existo 10 t. boon asked tlio following qiiostion: "If a gooso weighs ton pounds rind balf lis own weight, what Is tho woight of tho gooso?" And who has not boon totnptod to reply on tho instant, iifloon pouiidsP tho correct answer boing. of courso, twenty pounds. In deed, It is astonishing wiiat a very simple qtiory will soniotimos catch a wise innti napping. Evon tho follow ing have bjon known to succood: 'How many days would it tako to out up a pioco of cloth lifty yards long, ono yard bolng out oil' ovory dayP" Oi' again: "A snail climbing up a post twenty foot high, nseonds 11 vo foot ovory day and slips down four foot ovory night How long will tho snail tnko to road, tlio top of tho postP" Or again: "A wise man having a window ono yard high and ono yard wide, and re quiring more light, enlarged his win dow to twico lis fornior sio; yol I lie window win still only ono yard nlgl; and ono yard wide. How was this donoP" Tills is a catch question in goomotry, ns tho preceding wero catch questions in nrl'hniotle the window bolng diamond-shaped nt, first, and afterwards made square. As lo the two former, porhnps it is scarcely nocessnry seri ously to point out timt tlio answer to tlio His' is not lifly days, but forty nine; and to the second not twenty days, but sixtoon i-ineo tho snail who gains ono foot each day for Iifloon days, climbs on l ho sixteenth day tc tho top of tho pole, and thoro remains. Such examples aro plontlful, and oc casionally both curious and amusing. But I ho purpose of (ho following papet is to Illustrate a class of problems of rather a dill'eront kind. Thoro are certain problems whioh nro In no way catch questions (my problem involv ing ti more verbal quibble is of course out of court by lis own Innate vile noss), and which, though at lirst sight extroinoly pimple, often icqulro con siderable ingenuity to arrive at a cor rect result. Tako for example tho fol lowing: "A man walks round a polo, on tho top of which is a monkey. As tho man moves, tho nionkoy turns round 011 the top of the polo so as still lo keep face to ftico with tlio man. Query: When tho man has gono round tho polo, has lie, or has ho not, liono round tho monkey P" Tlio answer which will occur nt -first light to most parsons Is that tho man has not gono round tho monkey, rtlneo ho Iiiib novel boon behind It. The cor rect answer, howovor, as decided by Knowledge, in tho pngos of which this momentous question litis boon tuguod, Is that thu man has gono round tho monkey In going round tho polo. Thu following has not, so far ns tho writer is aware, hlthorto apponrod in print: "A train standing 011 an in cline Is Just kept stationary by an en gine winch Is not sufllolonlly powerful to draw It up tho incline A second engine, of tho same powor as tho first. Is then brought up to nsslst by push ing tho train from behind, and tho two engines together tnko thu train up thu Incline. Suppose tho enrringos to bo linked together by looso chains, so that whon thoungluoin front Is acting tho chains aro stretched and tho buf fers between tho oarrlngos nro sepa rated, then, whon tho train is moving under tho 110. Ion of two engines tho billions must bu either together or apart, H7uVA nr thtyl If thuv nro apart, thu onglno behind tho train ia evidently doing no work. If they are togothor, then tlio onglno in front U doing none. Hut nolther engine alone onii inovo thu train. Why, then, does tho train move?" Tho following wiui onoo asked nt a university wlno-piu'ty by 11 now well known soiilor win igler: "Suppose three miukcs, each of which la swal lowing niio: hor by tho tall so that tho tkreo form a olrclo then, iu tho v al lowing procoss contlnuos, tho circlo evldcnlly grows smaller and smaller. Now, If thoy thus continue to swallow each othor, wh'it will eventually become of the snakes' ' Of course, it is clonr that cithor tho flwnllowing process must stop soine whorc, or that tho snakes will vnnish down oacli othors's throats. At what point, thon, will tho swallowing consn? If tho render finds himsolf rendy on the spot with a cloar nnd prcciso an swer to tills question ho will havo proved himself of a readier wit thnn tho guost of tho nbove-montloncd wine-party. A little consideration, however, will probably bo sufliciont lo cloar up tho mystery, nnd, llko tho preceding enigma of tho railway, tho problom mav safely bo left to tho ex amination of the Ingenious. "Which, of nny given momont, is moving forward fastest, tho top of a coach-whool or tlio bottom?" To this npparontly very simplo question nino por.sons out of ton, asked at random, will givo an incorrect reply. For at first sight it appears evident that both tho top and bottom of tho whoel must of nocossity bo moving forward nt tho siimo rate, namoly, tho speed at which tho carringo Is travoling. B it n iitllo thought will show that this is far from being tho case. A point on tho bot tom of tho whool is, iu fact, by tlio di rection of its motion round tho axis, moving backwnrd, In an opposllo di rection to that in which tho carriago is progressing, and is consequently stationary in space; whilo a point on tho top of tho whool is moving for ward, with tho doublo volocity of its own motion round tho axis and tho speed nt which tho carriago moves. Tho following paradox, which has given riso to much discussion, is some what akin to tho preceding: "How can a ship sail fnstor thnn tho wind?" Every yachtsman knows that a ship can sail fastor than tlio wind; that is to say, if tlio wind is blowing ton knots an hour, a ship may bo making twolvo or Iifloon knots an hour. Now, it is obvious that if tho ship is sailing straight boforo tho wind it can not, at tlio utmost, travol fastor than thr wind itsolf Is blowing as a matter of fact, it will travel much more slowly. If, on tho other hand, tho ship is sail ing at nnnnglowith tho wind, itsooms at first sight that tlio wind must, act with loss effect than before, and tlio ship in consoquenco snil morn slowly sun. lint, ns n mm tor 01 met, tno snip not only sails more quickly than bo foro, but more quickly thnn tlio wind itsolf is blowing. This is a paradox which fow, ovon of tlioso who aro woll ncqualntod by exporioHco with tho fact, havo found thomsolvcs ablo to explain. Lot us considor tho difllculty in tho light of tlio following exporimont: Flaco a ball at ono side of a billiard tablo. and with thu long cuo hold lengthwise, from end to end of tho tablo, push tho ball across tlio cloth. Tho cuo hero reprosonts tho wind, and tho ball tho ship sailing directly boforo It; only as thoro is hero no wasto of onorgy, whioh iu tlio caso of tho wind and ship is vory groat, tlio ball, of course, travels at tho same rato as tho cuo evidently it can not possibly travol fastor. Now, supposo a groovo to bo cut diagonally across tho tablo, from ono cornor pockot to tho othor, in which tho ball may roll. If tho bull bo now placed nt ono end of tho groovo. and thu cuu hold horizontally nnd moved forward ns boforo, tho ball will travol along the groovo (and along tlio cuo) in tlio same tlmo as tho cuo takos to movo across tho table. This is tho caso of tho ship sailing at an nnglo with tlio direction of the wind. Tho groovo is considerably longer than tlio width of tho table, moro than doublo ns long, In fact Tho ball, therefore trnvols much fast or llinn tho cuo which impels it, sinco It covers more than doublo tho dis tance in tho same tlmo. It hi in precise ly tho samo nuinuor that n tacking ship is enabled to sail fnstor thnn tho wind. Tho forogoing mystorlos of motion bring to mind tho famous paradox of Zono, by which ho sought to provo that nil motion is impossible. "A body," thus argues the ingenious philoso pher, "must movo olthor In tho plnoo whoro It is, or in tho plnoo whore ii is not. Now, n body hi tho plnoo whoro it is is stationary, and can not bo in motion; nor, obviously, can it bo in motion in tho plaou whoro it is not. Thoruforo, it can not move at all." It was of this paradox It wns snld, sol vltur nmbulnndo "It Is solvod by walk ing." A moro practical solution could hardly bi required. Another paradox familiar to tho Gicoks that of Achillea and tho tor toise is well known. Achilles (tho swift-footed) allows tho tortoise a hundred yards start, and runs ton yards while tho tortoiso runs one. Now, whon Achilles has run a hun dred yards tho tortoiso has run ton yards, nnd is, therefore, still that ills taiico ahoad. Whon Achillos has run those tun yards, tho tortoiso has run ono yard. Whon Aohlllus has run tho ono yard; tho tortoiso has run ono tenth of a yard. And whon Achillos has run thu ono-tontli of a yard the tortoiso has run ono-hundredth. It is only necessary to continue tho sanio procosa of reasoning to prove that Achilles can never ovorlako tho tor toise. A much bottor paradox, " though' somewhat ot tho samo kind, runs as follows: "A man, who owes a shll ling, proceeds to pay it at thu rato oi sixpence thu first day, threepence tho next day, throc-halfponco tho next, thro farthings tho noxt. nnd so on paving each day half tho amount he paid thu day boforo. Supposing him to bu furnished with counters of small value, o as to bo nolo readily to pay fractions of a penny, how long wouln it lake hi 11 to pay tho shilling?" The answer Is. that ho would newer pav it. It is truo that ho will pay oloyen-ponce-farlliing in four days. Hut tho remaining threo farthings ho can never pay. This paradox varies from tho pro coiling in n iu important particular, and dcsTvos to bo catlod n better pnradox for this reason, that wo know that Achillo, in spitoof nil rensotting, mill cortninly ovcrtnko tlio tortoise. B it il is mnthcmaticnlly domonstrnblo that tin debtor, under such circum stances, can novor pay his shir ing, oven thou 'h ho should bo onduoii, 'liko Titlionus, with the gift of immor tality. Tlio following is a really excellent paradox: "A train starts daily from Sail Francisco to Now York, anil 0110 daily from Now York to San Francisco, t ho journey lasting sovon days. How n.a-ry trains will a traveler moot in j'inriiovingfroiii San Francisco to Now York?" It appoars obvious at tho first glanco that tho travelor must moot seven trains, and this is tlio answer which will h i givon by nino pooplo out of Ian to whom t he question is now. Tlio fuel is overlooked that every day dur ing tho j nirnoy a fresh train h start ing from the othor cud. whilo there nro seven on tlio way to begin with. Tho iravelor will therefore "moot not seven trains, but fourteen. 'J ho following propisition is botli curiiius in itsolf. nnd ndm'ls of son o interesting variation! in tlio applica tion of tho principle on which it do ponds! "If there aro more people in tho world than any ono person has hairs upon ids head, I lion thoro must exist, at least Uo poisons who possess identically tho samo number of hairs, lo a hair." If (ho reader fails to porcoivo at on co tho nocessitv of this conclusion, lot him first consider, as a simpler caso, instead of tho hairs on a man's hoad, tiie number of tooth in his jaw. Lot him supposo thirty-four persons to bo nssemhlod in ono room; thou tho full number of tooth in a man's jaw boing thirty-two, it is easily soon that oven supposing ono momborof tho parly so unfortunato ns to havo no tooth nt all there must bo at loost two persons presont possessed of identically the samo number of teoth. Tlio applica tion of this cxnmplo to tho proposi tion in question isquifco evident. It is, in fao', moroly a mattor of larger numbers. Now, to apply this principle toother casos. it lias been asserted, lor ex ample, that in a field of grass thoro can not bo found two blades in all ro spects identical. It. will bo soon, how ever, that if tho blades of grass aro moro numerous than tho difleroncos between tlioni porcoptiblo lo tho oye, then thoro must bo at loast two blados exactly alike, or at loast not lo bo dis tinguished from encli othor by in spo clion. Temple liar. m THE GREEDY BOERS. Homo of tlio DlHcniirncluir KoHult of the Ti'iiiiKVfiul Itiilinlllim. Somo think that thoy aro excellent pioneers in a now country. Thoy ad vanoo Into nativo torritorios, kiUing tho pooplo by thousands, enslaving women nnd children, robbing tlioni of nil tholr lands and cattlo, and occupy ing thoir country, with no ultorior benefit to thomsulvus or othors, but moroly as a Hold for further cruelties and spoliation of nativo races, so that llio country may bo cloarod of thorn, but not for ciyU'zation or improving tlio country, bocauso thoy loavo a dark spot whorever they sottlo from tlio ruthless cruoltios thoy porpotrato upon unoffending and inuocont pooplo. Aro thoy, thon, good pionoors? All tho sophistry In tho world can not mnko it right. To niurdor, enslave and rob inuocont human be ings living on thoir own lands, who havo dono no harm, and havo as much right to livo and enjoy tholr own as any othor pooplo, blaok or white, that 1 hey should bo so ruthlessly troated by moil who profoss Christianity and to bo a God-foaring pooplo is nn anomaly, and can not bo tolorato l by a just and upright pooplo llko tho Brit ish Nation. Tho English pooplo havo hlthorto boon looked upon as friends and protoctors (of tho na tives), and as ono of thorn I felt proud of my country. But sluco tho Trans vaal rebellion an I Its rotrocosslon, an Englishman Is ashamed to travol iu tlio country, to bo subject to tlio taunts of the chiefs and people at the boasted honor of England. Twenty-Jive Years in a Wcujoi). by Andrew A. Anderson. 1 A' First-Class Agent. St. Paul Citizon So you nro an In dian agent? Indian Agent Yo?, sir. "Hard to got along with thorn, ain't UP" O. no; not if you know how to handle thorn." "Yon don't givo thorn whisky, I sup poso?" "Not a drop. 1 do all the drinking on tho reservation." SU Paul Qtobe. Fill your life so full of holpful thoughts and deeds for othors that thoro will bo no room loft for selfish or sinful thoughts or deeds of any kind. Serve faithfully your country and tho people with whom you live, help your brother, and roiuomber ho is most vour brother who most noods your help, nnd that in helping othors you aro best helping yourself. SL Andrew's Cross. Somu public lecturers o 1 subjoefs relating to thu hlghur lore charge an exorbitant pt iee; but, when thoy can't get iu they gonorally consout to tako a lower hire. MONtY FOH EVERYBODY. Vnlue of the Principal Coins of Different Nations. Austria-Hungary issues a florin or guiltier equal to 100 kretizers, nn 8 ilorin silver piece. Tlio florin is worth ibout 40 cents of our money. Tin Netherlands count tho same, only they count their kreuzers cents nnd their florins guilders, 'and they issue 10 gihlcrgohl pieces. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway havo a decimal currency, 100 being equal to one krone, worth nbouf 27 cents. Germans count 100 pfeniiings.to a mark, which is worth about 25 cents, and issue thalcrs (3 marks), 5, 10, and 20 mark gold pieces. France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and H'Miniania use fractionally the same currency of 100 centimes to the franc, worth about 1 9 cents; but tho Italians call their francs liroa, tho Roumanians lei, and tho Swiss call their centimes rnppcn, and havo ton rappen coins called batzen, Greeks count 100 leptn to tho drachma, worth about 16 cents. The Servians use tlio French currency, but call the francs dinars and issue a gold milan, worth 20 francs, a siiver para worth 20 centimes, and copper and nickel coins of 20. 19, and 5 centimes. The Spanish coins arc 1 real, worth 100 centimes; 1 peseta, worth 1 reals; and 1 oscuili, worth ten reals; the real js worth a littlo loss than 5 cents. The Portuguese chief coin is tlio milrcis. or 1,000 reis, worth about $1. The Russians count by rubies. One hundred kopecks make a silver ruble, which is worth about 75 cents; thoy issue now a great deal of paper money in denominations of 1, 3, 5, 10. 25 and 100 rubles. The largo coins of Turkey aro tlio lira, or gold medjidio, worth about $1.37; tho piastre, of which it takes 100 to make a lira; and tlio beeklik and altiiik 105 to make tlio lira. They keep their largo accounts by tlio "purse." equal to 5 liras. Tlio Egypt ians have dimes, ten of which makes a piastre, worth 5 conts. Algeria has a pretty gold coin called a sequin, worth n littlo moro than $2, and a mon.ou nah, worth about 1J conts. Morocco issues a blanked or muzooua, which iu equal to G floos, wortli about one-fifth of A cent; an ounce, or okia, equal to 4 blankcels, ami a mitkal, equal to 10 ounces. In Tunis 10 karnubs make 1 piastre, which .s worth about 10 conts. In China tlio unit is tlio Haikwan taol. worth about SI. 25. It is equal to 10 mace, or 100 candereons, or 1,000 cash. Persia issues a silvery kran, worth about 15 oont.s, copper and silver shalil, and a gold toman, worth about $1.75. Tho curront coins of India aro a pie, worth about a quartorof a cont; a pice, equal to 3 pies; 1 anna, equal to 4 pice: 1 rupee, equal to 1G annas, and 1 gold molnir, equal to 15 rupees. Tho molnir is worth about $7.25. Tho Japanese count 1 yon equal to 100 son; the yen is wortli about 75 cents. Tlio South American countries gonorally count by dollars, somo times called polsos or soles. Tho Australian and South Africnn colonics use tho British cur rency. A'. )'. Commercial Advertiser. MENDING BROKEN LEGS. Major Alvortl (Jv- a I'nite orTivo Out. of His Own ICxpitrlmtnp. Eve rj' owner of domestic animals oc casionally experiences losses from ac cidental injuries to them , and this is especially true of brecdors who havo animals running together in numbers, iu yards or pastures. Broken logs aro not. uncommon witli horses and cattlo of various ages, and tho quostion al ways arisesas to the best courso to pur sue. Tlio provident disposition is to regard a biokon log as iucurablo (and this in spite of abundant evidence to tho contrary), and to condemn tlio un fortunate animal at onco to death. There aro cases, undoubtedly, in which this is tlio bottor courso, as whoro tho ago or small valuoof tho animal will not warrant tlio expenditure of money and valuable timo upon it. But in other cases it pays well to mend the broken lor. II.,,. Too often, howovor, particularly when young animals aro killed as soon as broken legs aro discovered, it is true, ovon if votorinary skill can not bo ob tained, nature and common sense may bo combined to bring about substantial recovery. A few cases in my experi ence, to which havo boon added tlio ob servation or account of others similar, lead mo to believe that whoro horses and cattle havo broken logs, and aro of sulUcient value to warrant some ex penditure of timo and labor, and not too old, an etl'ort should bo made to save them. Where possible it !s doubtless truo economy to em ploy tho best veterinary assistance in such cases. Country doctors, in general practice, aro protty good com parative anatomists, and aro usually found willing to apply thoir surgical skill to injured animals. The animals themselves will gonorally do much to arils recovery, if only placed under -miblo conditions nnd reasonably od by their owners. u years ago a two-year-old colt, others in an outlying pasture, was und with a foro leg broken above the ituco and hanging limp ami useless. It was early dune, hot weather fast com ing 011; tho animal, although fairly gentle, had novor been accustomed to itall or harness. I knew it was useless to attempt putting it iu a sling, or ad justing a splint and bandage if loft in pasture. There was a small lot avail able, with excellent grazing, water nnd shade. In this tho colt wns placed, simply watched, given n littlo extra nourishment in thu form of oats, and left to his fate. The log hung in such a way that tlio bone wns in a natural position, and the muscles wore used to keep the foot clear of thu ground. Tho animal moved about on three legs for a mouth, took good care of tho 0110 in jured, 1. net 1 rto i.ol tnlnk it nticinptcd to lie down during this time. Then it began to put its foot to the ground and gradually to use tho leg. By tho time pasturage failed in tlio fall it had a sub stantially sound leg again, and was n useful animal for years. When trot ting it showed slight lameness, proba bly due to a little shortening of the in jured leg, but in field work and for all ordinary farm purposes it proved a thoroughly serviceable horse. A valuable heifer just a year old had ono hind leg very badly broken, includ ing an ugly flosh wound, while unload, ing from a wagon. 'Phis leg was set put in a stiff plaster bandage for weeks, the animal kept in a box stall, lying down-most of tlio time. After a Ion," and varied experience with surgical as sistance, making a case of much inter est, but which can not now lie de scribed iu detail, the animal recovered to such an extent, that, although she lias an awkward leg, sho is a good cow and a regular and profitable breeder. Within a few weeks a thrifty cnif. running in a covered yard, showed great lameness, and on cxamiuatioi the bone of a foreleg was found broken between the knee and thf ankle, h was evidently caused by a blow, from. I fear, a brutal attendant, now dis charged. The ago and condition c' tlio animal were like those of the colt, so 110 attempt was made to sling it and use a bandage. The calf has been given a comfortable and e-afo place, fed well, and simple applications have been made to reduce inflammation and keep tlio log in a favorable condition. It lias been impossible for the creature to keep its foot cntirolv clear of tin ground, and this hts retarded the healing; but it is now using tho leg, and whilo there has been a bony growth, which will enlarge the leg and bo a blemish, I do not anticipate much permanent lameness, and expect to sec tlio little fellow beeomo a sound, ser viceable bull. Major II. E. Alvord, in Cultivator. COMBUSTIBILITY OF IROhl. Condition Under Which the Metal AMU Kuril Itctullly. Combustibility is not gonorally con sidered ono of the properties of iron, yet that metal will under proper condi tions burn readib'. The iaie Prof. Magnus, of Berlin, Germany, devised tho following method of showing the combustibility of iron: A mass of iron filings is approached by a magnet of con siderable power, and a quantity there of is permitted to adhere to it. This loose, spongy tuft of iron powder con tains a large quantity of air imprisoned betweon its particles, and is, therefore, and because of its extremely commin uted condition, well adapted to mani fest its combustibility. The. flame of an ordinary spirjt lamp or Bunseu burner readily sots tiro to tho finely di vided iron, which continues to burn brilliantly and freely. By waving the magnet to and fro tlio showers of sparks sent off produco a striking and brilliant oflect. Tho assertion that iron is moro com bustible than gunpowder, has its origin in tlio following exporimont, which is nlso a very striking one: A littlo alco hol is poured into a saucer and ignited. A mixture of gunpowder and iron fil ings is allowed to fall 111 small quanti ties at a timo into the flamo of tho burn ing alcohol, when it will bo observed that tho iron witl tako liro in its pas sago through tho flame, while tlio gun powder will fall through it anil col lect beneath tlio liquid alcohol below unconsuined. This, however, is a scientific trick, and tlio experi ment hardly justifies tlio sweeping assertion that iron is moro combustible than gunpowder. The ignition of the iron under tlio forogoing circumstances is duo to tlio fact that tlio metal pai ti des, being admirablo conductors of heat, are ablo to absorb sufliciont heat during thoir passage through the flame and thoy aro consequently raised to tho ignition point. Tlio particles of the gunpowder, however, aro very poor conductors of boat, comparatively speaking, and during the exceedingly brief time consumed in their passage through the flamo thoy do not become heated appreciably, or certainly not to, their point of ignition. Under ordinary circumstances, gunpowdor is vastly more inflammable than iron. Another method of exhibiting the combustibility of iron, which would appear to justify tlio assertion that it is really more combustible than gun powder is tho following: Place in a re factory tube of Bohemian glass a quan tity of dry, freshly-precipitated hy dra toil forrio oxide. Heat this oxide to bright redness, and pass a current of hydrogen through tho tube. The hydrogen will deprive tho oxido of its oxygen, and reduce tho mass to tho metallic state. If, when tho reduction appears to bo finished, tho tube is re moved from tho flamo and Its contents permitted to fall out into, tlio air, it will tako lire' spontaneously and burn to oxido again. This experiment indi cates that pure iron in a state of the extremest subdivision is ono of the most combustible substancos known more so oven than gunpowder and other explosive substances, which re quire tlio application of considerable boat or of a spark to ignito them. Iron Age. . Minister "1 was sorry to sco you skating Ust Sunday. 1 suppose you know whoro all bad boys go thnt go (katng on Sunday, don't you?" Tom my "Yos, sir down on the river, just above tho dam." Bacchus is tho nnino of a clergy, man who is pronuhing on tumporauoe in Delaware, a Stato said to be addicted to poach brandy. " PERSONAL AND LITERARY. Amelia B. Edwards, the novelist, writes "Ph. D." and "LL. D." after her name. General Toombs, of Georgia, often boasted that during his eighteen years in the United States Congress he never obtained a dollar as an appropriation 'or his district. The Astors pay 1,000 a year for a special guard of their houses, which, although containing tempting riches, havo never been entered by persons with burglarious intent. Tiio Queen of Spain is taking sing ing lessons front M. Napoleon Verger, probably the baritono who formed such a delightful momborof one of Nilsson's former concert troupes. General Albert Piko has a largo and valuable collection of tobacco pipes, gathered during many years. Among them is what is accounted tho largest meerschaum in the world. Looking the other day at a portrait of the late Jjistice Clifford, in which that jurist's characteristic lingo neck cloth was faithfully portrayed, "Tlio last time I saw Clifford," said Senator Evarts, "was when I was making my argument before the PUcctoral Com mission. Bight in tlio middle of it I looked up at him, and could not help saving to myself: 'Mens conscia nock tie'.'" Janitor Baker, of the Wilmington Bank, is ninety-six years old, has held tho place sixty-six years and is wortli $20,000. His wife is living, at tlio age of ninoty-two, and all of their twonty ono children are living except one. Throe of them are ministers, and one, Rev. Alexander Baker, now stowanl on a Southern steamboat, is sevonty sixyears old, and says thnt he traveled over 45,000 miles, including journoys in England, Germany, France, Scot land, and two years in Africa as mis sionarv. Charles S. Francis, one of tho pioneer publishers and booksellers of New York, died at Tarry town recent ly. Mr. Francis was born in Boston iu 1805. He wont to Now York in 182G, and continued in business until 1877. Ho published most of Audubon's works on natural history. The most impor tant of those was "The Birds of Amer ica." It contained 435 plates of birds. The latter was shown in their natural size and colors. Ho also published the works of William Ellory Channing and the sermons and books of Rev. Henry W. Bellows. Tho will of tlio famous George Ma son, of Gunston Hall, Fairfax County, Va., was recorded in tlio clerk's oflico of that county October 7, 1792. To ward the conclusion of it ho says: "I recommend it to my sons, from my ex perience in life, to prefer tho happi ness and independence of a private station to the troubles and vexations of public business; but if cither thoir own inclinations or the necessity of tho times should engage them in public afl'airs, I charge tlioni, on a father's blessing, never to let the motive of private interest or ambition induco them to betray, nor tlio terrors of pov erty and disgraco nor the fear of danger or deatli dotor them from as serting the liberty of thoir country and endeavoring to transmit to their pos terity those sacred rights to which themselves were born." HUMOROUS. There was recently arrested out West a tramp named Samuel Tired. Ho was born that way. Drake's Mag azine. Couldn't Havo Boon Worse-costcr. A cultured younn lady from Worcester, Wns admiring a lurce gnme rorcester, When the Aldornoy bull liooked her squarely and full Inhorbustlo, and skyward did borcester. New Haven News. "If tliero is any thing that 1 do admire," remarked Mr. Blossom's wife, as ho was putting on his necktie, "it's a sober tint," and Blossom looked in tho glass at his noso and wondered if his wife was a sarcastic woman. Washington Critic. A suicide who killed himself with a revolver said in ids farewell p.oto: "I know it was foolish to commit suicido, but please sco that I got credit with tlio public for knowing that it was loaded. Merchant Traveler. Husband "Tho photographor is ready to tako your picture, I guess." Photographer "Yes, all ready; now look pleasant." Wifo (boforo tho camera) "My doar, I think you'd better go into tho othor room." Chi cago Tribune. "Do not swear," says a truly good writer, "where your "boy can hoar you." That is excellent advice for tho old man. Now wo will givo the boys somo equally as good "Novor swear where your father can hour you." Burdette. "Say, pa, tho paper tolls about olephants used at Rangoon for hand ling lumber. .1 think thoy ought to uso them 0 vory whoro?" "What for, Johnny?" "Because, pa, thoy aro lumbering things anyway and have a real lumbering gato." Boston Budget. Zeko (breaking wood)--"My mam my gibs mo a ponny cbory day fcr choppiu' dis wood." Abo (onviomly) "Am dat so? An' wot do yo' buy wid dat cont?" Zeke "Oh, 1 doan bny nothin', causo mammy am savin' dom for mo to buy a now ox whon dis hoah ono gits played out." Harper's Young People. Several young men wore sitting togothor on a bonch in Fairmount Park, whon a young lady happened to ap proach. Ono "real sweet" dude, see ing, as ho thought, tho young lady looking at him. said: "Well, MIsa, do you want to eat mop" "No." sho ro yllcd, "I never eat greens." 'Ait. tfeuu News.