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THE GREENWOOD TRIBUNE. rmi.tshkd -weekly at Greenwood - S. C. Ixo year since 1S79 liad so small an amouut of sunshine in England as 1SSS. The German government has an agent in London to report on English manners ?not customs?but the manners of society. According to figures published dv the English Registrar General, the most healthful occupation is that of ministers r\f rf>lirrinn. In spite of tlie increased efficiency of the Fire Department made possible by the use of the tclegrapli, modern fires in England show a more destructive tendency and an increase in the percentage of lives lost. "Can any legislator of auy State" asks the New York Telegram, "beat the Kansas man who has introduced a bill appropriating a lot of money for drilling four deep holes in the ground 'to see what cun be found?' " The depo-it of nitrate of soda along the Peruvian coast is so great that centuries will be icquired to exhaust it. It is four or five feet thick for unmeasured miles, is broken out with crowbars, then g7?wnd and run in solution into vats of sea-water, when crystallization takes plate. The Kansas Senate has passed unani mou.?ly a bill to restrict the ownership of real estate in that state to American citizens and those who have lawfully declare ! their intention to bccome such, and to limit the quantity of land which corporations might hold or own to one sccuoii or Professor Jlulinll gives the following figures as to tlie a;?*c i:iiml>cr of children to a marriage in the chief countries of Europe: Ireland, 5.20; Russia, 4.S3; Spain, 4.05; Italy, -1.51; Scotland, 4.4G; Holland, -1.22; Sweeden, 4.12; Germany, 4.10; England, 4.OS; Austria, 4.04; Belgium, 4.01; Switzerland, 3.94; Hungary, 3.70; Denmark, 4.CI; France, 3.03. The baggage-men of the United States have passed resolutions about the necessity of the proper roping and strapping of what they call "frail trunks." "What the great array of travelers want to do now, suggests the San Francisco Chroni- j clc, b to adopt resolutions in regard to j the baggage-smasher whose ingenuity in wrecking strong as well as frail trunks increases with every season. The New York Historical society has just purchased from the Richmond (Va.) Whig Publishing company the files of the Richmond Whig and the Richmond Enquirer from 18W4 to 1SS8, inclusive, for about $2500. The volumes cover the history of the war of 1812-14, the Mexican war and the war of the states of the Union. No such opportunity for securing a current history of this United States has perhaps ever occurred. The Atlanta Constitution thinks that 4,the New York World is simply silly when it proposes to defend our harbor entrances by flooding the water with petroleum and igniting it, thus creating a sea of fire to envelop the enemy's fleet. The enemy would make false attacks until the petroleum was exhausted, and then go to work in earnest. No city i would care to keep on hand an unlimited supply of oil. It would bo dangerous." Henry Labouchcre, the editor of Lou- j don Truth, makes public a hitherto unpublished fact concerning the death of Napoleon III. lie says: "A correspondent writes to me to point out that in a li-1 which h:is been published of the sovereigns, ex-sovereigns and princes who have di* d mysteriously, the name of Napoleon III. has been included. The latter, though I bcli-jve the fact has never been publicly stated, died while under chloroform, which had been administered to hint when lie was about to undergo a painful operation. There is yet no public railroad in China. The single private track existing is a curiosity. The young Emperor of China an:uses himself now and then by whisking around his palace grounds in Pekin on it, an affair in miniature, and enjoys a monopoly of it. The French government has just made a very handsome present to Li Hung Chang in the shape of a complete railroad tram; but if the Chinese statesman makes ihc present available he will have to grade a road-bed and buy some rails, and thus, as France hopes, break the ice for the introduction ol' railroads. Luring the year fi''c persons died in Great Britain who left estates valued at moic than $0,000,0(10. The largest una tVrif. of Rriron ;le Stern, of London. who left a fortune of ?17,724,8S0. j TflE SINGULAR SAMOA?. j A people WHO hatte aroused PUBLIC INTEREST IN AMERICA. Handsome Men with Primitive Ideas as to ( loiliing'?Both Sexes Tattooed?Tiie Native Towns. I "The Sa:::oan luca," says a writer in j the C'MiwjiolUiiii, "are very fine speci| mens of the genus homo?tall, broad, j well-developed, and with prepossessing, line, agreeable features. They have the custom of applying lime to the hair, which makes them all red-headed. There are various shades, from auburn to a ; darker shade, which resembles sealskin. The hair is trimmed close on the crown of the head, leaving front, sides and back long, which, surmounting a really fine bronzed face, produces a handsome effect. In the matter of clothing they are quite primitive, as, for the most part, they wear nothing but a strip of cloth wound about the waist, falling half way to the knee. The original material used was tapa, and mauy use that now; but the majority have substituted calico, and, as would be expected, choose large ligures and brilliant colors. All the men are tattooed from waist to the knees, the pattern being identical and very elaborate. A few wear garI lands of flowers across the shoulders, I and some head dresses of leaves standing | up like feathers. These, we understand, j are chiefs. "The great majority of women wear nothing above the waist, and nothing below the knees. A few, perhaps from deference to foreigners' prejudice, peri h:im throucrh vanity, aitempt waists, but it is such a recent innovation that no well-defined fashion has been established, each aspirant to better things in the way of clothing following her own fancy or that of her particular set. The most pleasing, perhaps because the most simple, garment for upper -wear is a straight striped thin material with a hole cut in the center for the head, the ends hanging down over the bosom and back. "The women are tattooed, also, but in a more merciful manner than the men: that is, there is not so much of it, only ?mall figures some distance apart. Many, b-'.'-h men and women, have their names t.'.ttoocd on the forearm, the letters being the same as o:.rs. "The custom of putting lime on the I r.:;ir is not >o common among the women, but many do it. Wc learn that the change in color is only incidental, this ob.ect being cleanliness. Cocoanut oil is freely used, both upon the hair and [ body, and the odor of it pervades the j air. The people bathe a great deal and seem generally to be cleanly." Ilere is a neat description of an interview with Tnma?esc, the so-called usurper, whom the Germans are supporting: "While we were visiting one of the tents Tamasese approached. The family saluted him by crossing their arms upon their breasts, remaining in that attitude until he Had passed. He greeted us with 'Kalofai,' which greeting we returned, lie is a verj7 large man, but has a less intelligent face than many of the others. In his hand he carried a handkerchief with which he kept off the flies--theso injects are very numerous, small and pestiferous. His only companion was nis wue, wno wuircu it few steps behind, r-die was dressed in the prevailing style." The description of the native towns is full of interest: "As we passed the houses the inmates invited us to enter, and we visited a number of families. These houses, or huts, built of bamboo, are very well constructed, the frame-work is tied firmly together, and the mats and thatching which lorm the roofs are really artistically woven. There are no wa'ls, but when it becomes neccssaiy to shut out wind, rain or sun mats made of cocoanut leaves are let down. The floors are made of pebbles gathered from the I'eds of fresh water streams which come down from the mountains. There appears to be a number of people to each hut, and when needful to form rooms tapa scieens are hung up. They have no beds, but ?lwn on mats pnread nnon the floor. One would suppose these would make any tiling but downy couches, but the native? evidently tmd thrmi comfortable, for at any hour of the day some members of tin.; ;amily are sure to be found asleep, 'ilicir piliows?which consist of a length of bamboo supported at either end on legs ?form a part of the very meager furniture, the other part consisting of a strong box in which arc kept the finery and valuables lu the Taiuasese villages : we noticed that every hut had its riile or rifle.*, so that the men arc ready at any moment for a call to arms. The King's palac e differs from the huts only in size, and the possession of several Kuropeau | trunks" The following as to the betrothal of , "the belle of ;he islands," should inter1 est the ladies: ,;A few days since a very novel and i interesting entertainment?which we j were fortunate enough to witness?look . place on board the Ameri'nii mav-of-war j in ihc harbor. Asi, a native chief, visited | the .ship with his household, ami gave a : native dance and some plays on the I quarter-dc k. As: is a 1:1:111 ofherculean I build and line beating; ho has a strong j fact-, rules his people perfectly, and is an ideal ravage chief. Kaapia, hisdaughj ter, is ratlif;r petite, has a bright and j laughing lace, and is full of life and 1 grace, she is said to be the belle of the ; island, and has hud many chiefs as suit: ors, but until now no one has pleased 1 her father, wlio.se \v;l! is tn?: only one to ; be consulted in the matter. At la-t, ! however, a favored suitor lias appeared I who is soon to bring his present.-, to the ! chief. If ihey are accepted?for the j gifts constitute the proposal?the suit is ( I encouraged. (Jivinga daughter in mar- , riage here is somewhat iti the nature of a barter, and the number and value of ; the pre-ciits have often as much to do j with the decision, of paterfamilias as the ! character of the young man. The young woman is not- consulted as to her feelings 1 or wishes. When Faapia came on board ! the ship with her father, her costume ! was the usual tapa about the bod v. with a waist made of the same materia'. 1 s>ay made, bccamc it was shaped like a waist and sewed on a machine. Kven the Samoans have sewing machines, and 1 t...... n_fl.it* tvliii.li vnnc itv rlnfili. j work." Of 20,00? criminals arrested in Par's, | liVOOO had not attained the age of ' twenty. WISE WORDS. j A lie has no legs. One crime: begets anothei. Goodness is love in action. A stitch in time saves nine. As you brew, you must bake. Fame is the perfume of heroic deeds. Filence is the perfectest herald of joy. I cople show their dislike for others by I flattering them. Unselfish acts are as rare as icicles are ; in summer time. I Correct society is an equal service toward each other. | Censure is the tax a man pays the pubj lie for being eminent. They are never alone that are accom panied by noble thoughts. We are not rich or poor by what we possess, but by what we desire. lie who thinks his place below him, will certainly be below his place. MnrWntinn is the silken string run \ ning through the pearl chain of all vir: tues. Humility is a virtue all preacn, none | practice,and yet everybody is content to j bear. Beholding the bright countenance of ! Truth is th-j <|uiet and still air of dcI lightful studies. i Prosperity is the touch-stone of virI tue. It is less difficult to bear misfor! tunes than to remain uueorrupted by pleasure. New Chcmical Discoveries. It will be a long time before the farj mer finds himself supplanted by the ; chemical laboratory in the production ! of such commodities as sugar, tea, al o; hoi, drugs and dye stuffs, thoign sanj guinc chemists tell us that the recent triumphs of their s icn e indicate the ; probability that these and other articles : will some day be profitably produced ! from purely inorganic materials. Synthetic chemistry, or the forming of compounds by recombiuations of chemical elements, is making steady progress, and j has u:ready a acted agriculture, says the London Tit Hi's. : A ttealiou was recently called to the fact j that the cultivation of madder has been ! almost destroyed l>y the chemical d.s' covery that its identical coloring matter cm be cheaply procured from coal tar. The production of indigo is :d-o threatened by an artificial production whi< h the chouiists have discovered. A while ago 1: was found the cinchona tree could be prilitnbly planted in India, and a line new licld of industry w.i* believed to have opened for the farmers of that country. ! Scores of chemists, however,have been | at work upon the tyrithc:is of quinine, , and their researches have advan ed so j far that the prediction is now confidently made that the manufacture of the I principle of quinine will soon be a < omj men ial success, and that cinchona I planting will be omc a thing of the j past. These < ommer ial rcprodu tions I of the valuable principles inherent in J natural products arc often easier to han! die and utilize than the products from j which they have hitherto been derived, I and thus the tenden-y of manufactures j is to substitute artificial for natural ! sources of supply. The problem of sugar mrskiug from j inorgani" materials has engaged soma j chemists for a number of years. The j synthesis of glucose by Fischer and Tafel is said to promise an ample supply of this commodity without the aid of grapes or star h. Two years ago some German chemists announ- ed that they had produced saccharose, the equivalent of (ane sugar, by passing an ele trie current through a mixture of stanh,sul phnric a-id nnd writer. Nothing has yet been heard of the < ommer ial rahie of this new* produc t, and there is no rea| son to think it will prove a dangerous rival to the sweets we derive from the cane and the beet. Some sugar growers, however, have been propherying for years that something would happen to ruin the sugar industry, and their alarm rereives a fresh impetus at every new discovery like that of Remsen's saccharine, an exceedingly sweet article produced from coal tar. The day may coinc when processes of sugar making by the use of inorganic materials will seriously affect the sugar planter, but there is no reason ! as yet to believe that his industry will soon be imperiled. A Wooden Iter's Enterprise. A strange financier, who lives in a forest, has just been discovered in the Department of the Seine-i t-Oise, France, lie is a man named Vaillant, and lately ' put in a claim for over $-10(1,000 which i lin nlloan.l had been donosited with 51. Bex, the official stock broker of 1'aris who recently committed suicide. (>uc 1 i of the official Trustees in the "Hex bank- j I rupicy," a M. -Moreau, went clown to see ! the rustic financier, ami found him in n ] i kind of log cabin, surrounded b}' l;ooks j ; and pipers, nor only of a Jinaueial but ! j of a philosophical, literary and scicntilic ' character. Among the documents in his | possession was a number of printed prospeciuse?, ready for distribution, iu'which | Vailbnt olVcrcd to transact legal and monetary business or householders iu j town ::::d country. This cxiaordinary I , Arc:??l??11 man of business was arrested j by the gendarmes, ami has now been tran.-fcrred from his rural rendezvous to Ma/as Prison. lie was, by calling, a woodcutter, with a tusle for books, and : passed among the peasants as a man of j light, leading, and learning. It is be- I lievt.'vl that, either through ignorance or intention, he joined a band of ''long linn" sharpers, who prevailed upon him to dabblu in finances for their own prolit. ?London J' U'jrtqjh. (Jims Tliat. Siio'?t Thirtoen .Uilos. Two monster Kussianguns have hf*cn I sent to Scbastopol for the purpose of be! ing placed in the new iron, lad Sinope, ' ami although some of the details must ! he inaccurate, the official description is 1 too interesting to be ignored. They are ! twelve-inch piocc-% weighing fifty tons, j and throwing projectiles of nearly halt' a : ton. Tim powder-, harge i3 - pounds, I and ths initial vcloi ity HO'JU metres : tiw. ri.cf in o n!' tlu> cnnnnn'.s J W11UU mv * V w. . ? - ..... ranges is said to be twenty versts, or over thirteen miles. As a consequence the lire of the suns can only he directed by the map, the oh ectllrcd at being out of sight. Two men. however,suliice for each :;un, as they are worked by hy] draulic machinery. 'LASTOTTHE BUFFALO. A 2EAGNIFICENT A27I2IAL NOW j ALMOST EXTINCT. The Indian and the "white Blan Joined Hands in the Slaughter cf the EufFalo. Dr. "William F. Carver is probably responsible lor the death of more bison than any other one man. For a number of years ho hunted them on the plains, j and in shooting them he developed that I wonderful skill in handling lirearms i which has made him the best all-round shot in the world. To a Kansas City Times representative he told the followj ing stoiy of the bison, and how they i were formerly hunted by the Indians, i AV*1\t? 4-lw. n-liifnej | LilCJU UY tliV- "niuo . "Before the invasion of civilization' tlie Indian relied almost entirely upon the bison for his subsistence. The red man, although daring in his attempts to hill game, was yet the complete slave of the'medicine man.' How did he rule them ? I will tell you. When the Indian's supply of builalo nvat began to give out, or the season came to lay in ! the winter rations, the medicine man 1 was notified, and he ordered a builalo i dance. It t'le tribe was a large one the festivities would oiteu last for weeks, and all sorts of can-cans would Vio in.liilwul -in At thn clnse of the feast the medicine man would gather all kinds of herbs, roots, 'leaves and grasses find retire to his tont. Exactly what his process of preparing the medicine was no white man has ever found out; but the faith in him was so strong that even the most powerful chief would not be followed by a dozen braves if the medicine was wrong. From time to time the medicine man would come to the door of the tent and announce to the waiting chiefs what the mixture indicated. "Upon the final announcement that the medicine was right, the whole camp would be broken up and the tribe would I start in full force upon the hunt. A I few sharp-sighted old scouts would be. j in tho van and keep tin trP-o posted us ! to the location ami number of bison by [ riding in circles of dliferent sixes and ; points of interseetiov. When a suitable ; herd was found, t!:o warriors would \ i stop, mount their favorite hunting! | horses and prepare f-.r the slaughter. 1 i The bow was made o." hiekory ooil, ; about four l'eet !:? :. .% covered v.iih a; 1 paste made of the boiled sinews of a; bison, and still" euoagh to serve as a j | jumping pole. Notwithstanding this I I strength, the Indian would bond the j ' bow almost double before sending the. arrow to the winds. It v. as strung wii.li the cord which runs from tho top of a bison's hump to his tail, this cord being 1 first wrapped with small strings of sinews. The arr nv was from thirty t:> thirty-six inches in length, almost tho j size of a lead pencil, tipped with several feathers and having the familiar tlint head tied on the front end. From the ; head grooves are cut in the arrow, so as to let the blood flow lively. The great warriors sometimes had arrows made of j I bone, and in later days tho white men | taught the Indian.; tj ussteel arrow; i heads. ...... ..... . ! l)lc the hunters se k s.<;i!c e ml place for ' rest and the squaws hike charge of the game. They skin tic animals, cut the I llcsh into strips and Jiang them in the ! sun to dry. When the most became' crisp enough to break it v>;is p.'ac< d in a rawhide pouch, covered all over with tallow and put away for winter use. In ; that condition the meat is very good t*> eat, but when boiled for a short time it, absorbs the water and rot.irns to its for-! mer size and tosies almost lika freoii meat. The squaws also tan tlie hides or dress them up to be traded. Tlio fur' dealers would get them for a few pieces : of common jewelry worth possibly CO cents. "As the Indians hunted them, the race of bison would probably have lasted i forever, but about lotJG the white men ! turned their attention to the shaggy monsters of the plains. Large Eastern firms organized hunting parties and paid the shooters ?2.50 i'or each bison whero ho lay dead on the plains. I then went to Southern Nebraska and became a professional hunter. The bison consisted of two large divisions, the one living in the south and the otfier in the north. Their only common feeding ground was along the Republican River and its branches in Nebraska. The Indiaus were well aware of that fact and I lincJiln +,i-ilir>s lin.vo had maiiv a fiu'llt for that territory. It was not until 1873 | ! that the Government put an end to this ] I by sending llio Pawnees south and the i I Sioux to their northern reservations, j Prior to that time we had to do all of j ; our hunting at the risk of being scalped ; at any time. | "Our favorite grm was an army model j of [-the Soringiicld rifle, 45-calibrc and; loaded v.itli iiiwty grains of powder. ! J T!>e whites pa'terni-d after the Indians j 'and hunt; d on hoi\s<back. Having | wagons to haul our game, wo did not; i care to Viivlc' them as the Indians did. "When a herd v. as located wo would mount our best horses and as quietly as possible approach the herd from the leei ward side. As soon as they saw us tho fun would liegiu. Although of a low lmild, the bison will make a very interesting race with a horse for ten miles. Vt'o v.vuhl press up on tho right flank i of lh<- herd and ride so close to tho ani| Dials that our .trims would touch the side when tired. The mo-t deadly shot was j to tiro quartering through the hmg i r.o that the animal would bleed to death, j In tliis way wo would follow the herd as ; long as our hones could stand it. On i mm .a' fit. in niim T killml 1 I;] liison. j nono of which were more than 100 yards i apart. In riding back an awful sight ! was presented to theeyo. The trail was marked by dead and dying animals. An ; occasional big bull would have a broken I bark so that lie could only got up on his \ fore logs, and nothing could look more ; furious than his shaking head with coal i blank eyes glaring in a death stare from j his shaggy front. AVe received our pay | for the animals d ad on the plains and I wagons followed us up, quartered the - ' ' l--' 1 <1 I ll 1 +..1 | UlUItmiS IllHl Iiu; r>uuiuu tuiu itixI low to K:i<t"ni markets. | "About li-7i 1 ho liitle Imnt in.<7 bnpran. Prior to this j im Iii 1 lo or iso attention was paid the >kins, but wliou t!ic iloni i> IK I for tlirm eivated a hi^h prico the meat was hViowmI t<> rot upon the plains, ami this magnificent race was ex tin guishod simply that extravagant tastes might bo satisfied. With tin? improve- ! men Is in firearms an entirely different ; mode of hunting was adonfed. The . Springfield army gun w..s su.vrrc.Vd i by a Sharp SO-caliber an i loji [? ! with i 110 grains of p:?wd?r. hunter n-vd j his lnn^o osily in ii:idi:?;.' a herd. Ti.is j d<>?e, we would t:> t w leeward side so that the rent of tin- p.nvd r and report would not reach t!.e animals, and find a suitable shelter about 1,00:) yards distant ! from them. I have killed them at a dis- ; tance of a mile. Hunting in this way we had to be very particular and watch . the herd closely. Like a herd of cattle, j the bison are always on the go and are apt to walk out of rille range in a short i time. In moving, however, tliey always j have a leader, and the trick was to kill j any one that started to load the others I off. By thus killing the leaders we j could often shoot for nn hour from be- I hind one clump of grass. When they \ had moved out of range the skinners ; iji ?? i WUILIU. CULlie Up, UUb tUU llJLU.tJ in i/?j.v> UJ.U1- i nary way for skinning, tie the animal's ! head to a stake, hitch a team of horses j to the hide and jerk it off". No one will i ever know what immense numbers of ! bisnn were killed by these hide hunters, i but to my certain knowledge 3,000,000 | hides were shipped from the banks of | the Frenchman River in one winter, j The hide hunters, by a system of fires, ' kept the bison from the streams until ] many of them perished and thousands ; of others wore easily killed. At the , olos:> of that winter a man could go i along the banks of the Frenchman fori lifty miles by simply jumping from the I carcass of one bison to that of another. 1 Considering facts of this kind, it is not j surprising that a small tame herd and a few old circus animals represent the great herds which, less than a quarter of ' a century ago, blackened miles of prai- j ries as a thunder cloud darkens the sky." The Lord and the Nimble Gossoon. Here is a scene wliioh I witnessed, J says a writer in the Brooklyn Oitizen, when I was a boy, in Phenix Park, Dublin. There was a grand review, I and Lord Cardigan and his dragoons I were there. In those days the old musket known as Brown Bess was in use, and it used to kick so that it was a ! very common practice for the soldiers ut | a review not to fire. They pretended ! to load, but instead of doing so, dropped j the cartridges on the grass. After tlie j review was over the young fellows went round and gathered up tho cartridges. J On tho day 1 refer to the review was | partly over, and Lord Cardigan was i walking up and down, lashing his boot | with a riding whip. The brother of the j old lady you have just seen was then a | stalwart young chap, and he was hunt-i iiitf for cartridges. Walking along with | his head down, looking for the cartridges, j he went unwittingly in tho direction ! from which Lord Cardigan was approach- i iug. ile saw a cartridge on the grass. | At the same moment Lord Cardigan j espied it, made a quick ttep toward it, and picked it up with his left hand just as the young fellow was preparing to grab it. Lord C'ardigafri smiled. Tho boy was somewhat taken aback, but when Lord Cardigan held out the cartridge toward him his countenance brightened, and he readied o it his hand i to ia!:e it. At that moment Lord Car- I ditrail brought his whip down upon tho j hand of the b.iy, who doubled himself j up and howled with pain. Lord Cardigan passed on. Vengeance was burning in tiie boy's soul, and, quickly turning, he raised his foot and adminis- J t;'fed a terrine kick to ins loniMup. t Utterly astonished, Lord Cardigan wheeled round, 'nut the boy was a dozen I yards a-vay, with his thumb to His no-;e. His lordship started in pursuit, but tlio j 1><>y was r?.-ady, and yelling out, "who j stole the lady I " lie started on a gallop. Lord Cardigan called a dragoon and bade hi-u follow and capturo the offender. The dragoon put spurs to his horse, but the boy nimbly scaled a fence, and, before disappearing from view, again p!ru:ed his thumb to his nose and twirled his fingers insultingly at the dragoon as he drew rein at the fence. Ducks in a Cyclone Pit. Captain Tngraham is a well known citizen of a thriving littlo town on tho Huntsville branch of tho Birmingham Mineral. Conductor Smith, of the Village Springs accommodation, tells in the Birmingham, Ala., Ifcics tho following story on tho captain: Tiie captain lias a ueep cvuiouu [ut us a place of refuge in time of dangerous storms. The pit lias a trap door which opens when touched, and closes itself. Three weeks ago the captain purchased seven ducks and two chickens and placed them in his yard. The next day they were nowhere to l.o found. A careful search for the missing fowls failed to j give tiny clew as to their whereabouts, j and, thinking they had been stolen, nothing more was thought about the ! matter. Just nineteen days after the fowls disappeared the eaptain had occasion to open his cyclone pit. The first thing that met his gaxe were the seven ducks and two liens. They had stepped on tho trap door and h :d be?n dumped into tii9 jut, the door closing behind them. The wonderful fact of it is that although they had been in the pit nine- j teen davs without food or water they j ^ - XI... r i ,..r I wore aavc. aiht uiu mnn ?<. !? u moved from the pit it was noticed that j they walked very awkwurdly. A careful j examination revealed the fact that they i wore all as blind as bats. Wliy the Emperor 7/rote for Money. ! In 1883, durin g a tour in Europe, Dom Pedro IX., the r?>r of Brazil, spent some time at Cunncs. It is said that the editor of a Freneh scientific magazine waited on his Maje !y one morning and begged him to wriif a series of papers on Brazil for Jiis . i<xlic:il. The Emperor was quite. wi.i ng to comply with the request, but a-ked what he would bo paid for the article^. On the editor naming the priee whieli ho was in the l a'- t of paving, Dom ' 1 *' 1 VI | l'euro sam mar ;i v-o-.uu uu ?u,? ..v..,. and then went <<n t> tell why ho had j raised tlio quc-t.'t'i < !'pnyniont. "You' see," ]ioiviu:i']:< I, "i -.vniildgludly write for nothing, bi.t I.sim not at liberty to do .c(?, :is o\'(T s'lici' t began writing I have given ev.-p j>e: :iy i liave earned by my brain to a.i o :?! :i n asylum in my capital" (Itio de Jam aoj.?Little Folks. / OIL OX TROUBLED Yf ATEItS. Two Experiments by which raany lives were Saved. Lieutenant Y.r. II. Beohlercxitvibntes v t;> the Cm hi;/ an ? .': of the ercpeiini''!:ts made with oil in r mg'.i water. We quote tin1 following awmnt of two rescues: "The captain of the ship 3Iiivth:i Cobb, Ion led wi!h petroleum, fell in with a sinking vessel d:;"iug a heavy gale: in the North Atlantic iu December, 186(5. Ti c signal mad said the vessel was sinking and t'.;a:nll her boats had been st >v.<. The Martha Cobb hud lost her large boats, her bulwarks washed out, and decks swept in the same storm; the only boat left was a small sixteen-foot dingey, which could not possibly live in the sen \ hat was then running. The captain says he was puzzled and lay by for some hours hoping that the gale would moderate; but as wne r^n nn^ooyonon Ivf.fpr U'Pfttll UUCJ.O nua uu l(|-,|',v'wluuwv ?????? ? er and night coming on, he decided to make an attempt to rescue the crew of the sinking vessel. The Martha Cobb had a cargo of petroleum, some of which leaked, and the captain had noticed that the sea in the wake of the ship was much smoother when the pumps were worked, "Ho signaled to the other wsel to haul by the wind while he luffed to get to windward, and at the same time started the pumps; but the ship drifted faster than the oil, and while the oil made the sea comparatively smooth to windward, it did not cover the sea leeward. He then ran down across the other vessel's stern, hauled up close under her lee, and started the pumps again; at the same time also he emptied a fivegallon can of fish oil down the scuppers. The effect was magical. In twenty minutes the sea between and around the vessels was broken down. The long ^ heavy swell remained, but the combers ^ and breaking seas were all gone. The little dingey with tliree men had no difficulty in pulling to windward and the crew were saved. The boat was deeply loaded and did not ship any water, although the sea was breaking fiercely outside of the 'charmed' space in which the vessels lay on oiled seas. "In June, 188-3, the British ship Slivemore took fire and had to be abandoned when eight hundred miles north-east of the Seychelle Islands, Indian Ocean. The people took to the boats and made for Seychelle Islands. The third day after leaving tho vessel a cyclone came up, and no one believed that tho boats would live through it. Before they left the ship the boats had been supplied with oil for just such an emergency. Each boat got out a drag made of spars and oars lashed together, for what is known as a sea-anchor. Oakum saturated with parafline was stulled in long stockings hung over the bows of the boats. Before the oil was used tho boats had been several times nearly filled with water and tho occupants had to bail for their lives; but when oil was applied no farther trouble was experienced. An oil-slick formed around the boats, which rode in perfect safety on tremendous swells which took the place of the previously breaking seas. Little if any water came over the sides of the beats, and the occupants could lie down and sleep. Tho boats eventually reached the islands, but every soul would have perished except for t he forethought of Captain Conby, the captain o? the Slivomore." Brigades ir. a Snowball Fight. *Meeting with one of the followers of troii. Lieo yesterday, ana vmue wniumng tho little hoys snowball tlte passers, we ask i; he over saw anything like it. Tlio >'?' s.)ldier said: "I was in tho Army of Northern Virginia. I< -u may not believe it, but those that wore at Guinea's station, near Fredericksburg, will know that I tell the truth when I Bay I have seen 10,000 snowballs in the air, at ono time. We wero in camp at Guinea's, station, south of Fredericksburg, in the winter of 1863. A great many had built little huts to keep them warm, but the majority depended on log tires to keep them from freeing. Theiv came on a snow storm, and it was not many hours before the earth was covered a foot deep. The jii/or boys would hug the tire and wish, they were back at home. Occasionally a song would break the monotony while the snow was falling thick and fast. Next morning the boys, who had only snatchod a few hours' sleep, and were ready for anything, even to marching: up to the mouth of a ten-inch Colum* biad, commenced snowballing. It Srsfc started in Company A. Second Georgia Regiment, who turned loose on the fllwifol-oo "Rivwrn "The fight with snowballs was very desperate, and each one who engaged in it fought with the same vigor that he fought the Yankers. One of the two companies surrendered and then joined the victorious company, and the two attacked the next company. This captured, the balauee of the regiment was attacked and captured. Then the Second Georgia attacked the Fifteenth, Georgia, which they captured, and with . this additional force the Seventeeth and 1 Twentieth had to succumb. These four ^ regiments next attacked Gen. Anderson's brigade with snowballs, and a desperate light ensued. The Seventh and Eighth Georgia had never been known to lower their Hag to the enemy, but they had to lay down their arms to thesnowballers. They were at last conquered, and joined with Toomb's brigade, who started the battle. They next tackled two more brigades of Gen. Longstreet's corps, and the fight went on until the whole Army of Northern Virginia; was more or less engaged. Some of tliff parties engaged did not get to their ?iixiw f,n- fwmlnvs."?Athena(G<i..)Ban no' 'Watchman. A Left-Handed Violinist. The "Bostonians," an opera company now at Maeauley's, have a ouriosily. It is a left-handed violinist, a member of the orchestra. So far as I remember, he is the only ''southpaw" fiddler overseen in this city. He looks a little awkward, and at first you wonder if he is really playing, and presently discover that he is ii skillful musician and is one of the leaders of the accompanists. He a I tracts considerable attention iror.i mo ironc rows. Tin4 arrangement of thostrings on liis violin is the reverse of the ordinary way, the (r string heing on the right,' oti\ ]>nt he gets there just the same.? Louisville (A'y.) 1'oat. S /