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.