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jBjTjfcltljJ TT > "J ' -y ' V- r --- .. SIX GIB HAUoOLErX. *T XIS. NAPOLEON B. MOVANGB. Would that each aching, throbbing breait, Each sleepless and work-weary brain. Could here be brought to mark this re6t? XhiB long oblivion to pain. The trouble-waves born of to-day. The fresh-sprung urief, however deep, Appear to slowly ebb awav Beside this everlasting sltep. Lit* loving arms, preen tendrils clirg About the ancient mausoleum, Till. here, life seems juipetiml spring, And death a haif-forgoiten dream. A thousand years I A thousand years I Since care cou!<l vex tlio oue below ; Done with life's follies, with its tear?, Ten centuries or laoro ago. Ay. this is rest, a sleep. ind?ed I "No trivial lapse, to wake a^ain With but a heavier dread of need, With but a keener sense of pain. A thousand years ! A thousand years I Nor Htimmoncd once to wake aiid wtep; No clamorous wants, no haunting fears; Av, this is rest?a welcome sleep! New YIBK C;TV. THE MYSTiMS CONNER J>CCCCCCOC An Exciting Story of the War of 1812. BY JOHN R. MUSICS. CHAPTER I. AN ADVEXTUEE ON THE ROAD. menage to get more aWSS *"er wkicb menaces 'VVC "3QUSt ECa^e sJSS^Sd&^t The enemy threat ~ en the village Uy . (? lan<l and t?y Bea." 1 "So I've henrn, > ?^TM D'n" ^ut then, we're doin' ^-v\wall we kin. There's one thing /?&]] I'm -quite certnin on, Cap'n, there'll be ftm when we git there. My father fit 'em at Lexington an' Bunker Hill, nn' his son's not goin' to back out 1 i Ysaflk neow-" i The parties to the above dia' 1 log*36 were *wo horsemen ridMp))J ing steed6 which by their lagi\ag| ging motions evinced hard ^vx?travel. The first speaker wore the uniform of an American infantry officer, while his companion's dress was half military and half civilian. It was the last *^9& day8 of August in the year 1814. V?sjf The second war with Great ffjiy Britain had reached the climax. J? Only a few days before Washing^ ton City had been captured and most of the public buildings burned. The news" spread like wildtrre, and thousands of Americans who had been ' 11 ne tn thd rpRiilt of the careies" an ? ? ? ? war, now sprang to the defense of their country. Heretofore the war had been chieflv on the northern border, but now hostilities had commenced on the oast, and the whole Atlantic coast 6eemed in a defenseless condition. Militia companies were hurriedly nised and sea-port towns hastily fortified. The "whole Atlantic coast was in a state of excitement, and preparations for defense irere made at every sea-port village. TLe G*st Bpe&ker. was C'apt. Griffith Alton, of the United States'volunteer service, who bad been dispatched with a single attendant, Sergeant Simon Kinman, "a downEast Yankee," to take command of the hastily collected militia at the email seaport town of Manoa. Manoa was situated m a convenient harbor, which wa6 landlocked and surrounded by high cliffs, promontories, end peaks. It was on a rocky portion of^the main coast north of Belfast, and its inhabitants once had hopes of its growing to a f ouxishing city. But its harbor was not safe at all periods of the year, and, it being off the main line of land travel, it has at this day dwindled down to an insignificant fisherman's hamlet. At the time''>f which we write, however, it was flourishing little village, and, having "tome excellent farming lands near it, was v of no little importance. Captain Alton had asked to be sent to the defense of Manoa, for it was his bome. His pirents were bolh buried there, and the girl who had promised to become his wife litcd in the large 6tone house on the hill, at the north side of the village. Her father was an old retired sea captain, who by economy had managed to lay by a fortune, and Ola was his only child". Her mother was dead. Perhaps Captain Altou's an xietv was not a little increased by the rumors which reached his ears that Major Bridges, of the English army, in command of five hundred British soldiers, was advancing on Mnnoa. Major Bridges was an unsucceBSsful rival of Captain Alton's for the hand of the fair Ola. He had met her three summers before our etory opens in New York, and Dressed his suit until rejected, when the British officer flew into a passion and used such threats as would have oo?t him his commission had it been known by his superiors. Capt. Alton and he had met once on the field of honor, and the Major was wounded in the right arm. He had mado 60 many threats against the beautiful but spirited American girl, that Capt. Alton had some serious apprehensions when he learned that the Major was near Manca with a cons'derable land force, and a British man-of-war hod been sent to co-operate with him. The country through which the Captain and his single attendant were riding was broken and wooded. In places, fields had been made by clearing the timber and breaking the ground. Hou-es had been built, and civilization appeared; but for :;I most of the way they were in a thi.k ?tod. "How far are we from town naow?" tbfi Yankee asked. "It must be ten or fifteen milea." Simon whistled 6oftly to himself, while his keen blue eyes roamed about the forest. Simon was atypical Yankee,tall,with large Komnn nose, angular features and lantern jaws. His long legs come down bel/tnr Ka nvr-/\ V\ n vn/ln <V TT IUO U1 IUQ DUi iCI UUiCO Lie 1UUC, The Captain wore a 6word and brace of pistols in his belt, with holsters at his saddle, and his attendant, in addition to his pistols, carried a long riile. Simon declared that he was "jest itching for a fight with them darned rod coats, an' ye bet I'll make it lively for tome o' them when it does commence." "If we can only reach there in time to get tne men organized- nna prepnreu, said Captain Alton, "I have no fears of a fight, especially if they have aims." "Haven't they got grins? I heard that two hundred muskets had been shipped there, with all the accoutrements and ammunition. Then thev have a long braes twenty-four- counter and four or five smaller pieces.' _ ""Well, naow, what more d'ye .want, Cap'n? "Why we Tim clean eout ttie British army with 'em." Captain Alton smiled at the sanguine Yankee's answer, and said: "No, no, Simon. We have only raw *oi-iiers to fight British veterans. I think the chances are against us unless we have time to organize and fortify and our troops." life ..... :m Is-r.e TanteS tapped bis long-barreled rifle which lnv across the pommel of his saddle, and said: "It won't be gool for 6ome of'em, Oap'u, ef thov should come there arter I git there. It'll be a pretty kittle o' fish they'll find." r. e must try and get there before they do, Simon, or all toasting will le in vain." "I know it, Cnp'n. but I'm gettin a'most plaguy hungry," returned the lank Sergeant* Simon was a voracious eater, and his strong appetite got him into innumerable scrapes during his array life, causing him to be reduced to the rr.nks a dozen times, to r>e promoted at tlie next engagen:ent on account of his valor. It was past noon. Simon had for some | time been casting anxious glances at the sun, and then turning his eyes over the country. There was a long line of hilla | otf of which the timber had b<*en cut, I! . u-orA Rpvfirfi! nelds in I which the corn was in roasting-eaie. The Captain maile no answer to the last suggestion of Simon, but rode along the dusty road in silence. "I say, Cap'n, aren't them bouses we see nhead on the leftV" Simon asked. "Yes." "Don't ye suppose we could git snthin' to eat there?" "We might." "Well, Cap'n if we could git our horses fed 'n rest 'em a few minutes while we tane In some vittles oursoives, 1 in:nK we'd git to that teown a great deel sooner. " The reasoning of the Yankee was sensi? Me, and the Captain was not long in making up his mind to adopt it. They were approaching the residence of a wealthy farmer. Hi6 large stone mansion house, built in the Queen Elizabeth style of architecture, was surrounded by a stone wall, with half a dozen Louses" in the rear for servants. There was a large shed at the road-side wWh n frnnnli fnr foAtlincr Rtoek. and a "llu " V1 w"o" o 7 ' I well with an old-fashioned windlass. Our horsemen rode their fteeds to the i front gate, and wero greeted by two or three lond-mouthed dogs. The farmer i came out in his shirt-sleeves. He was ' considerably frightened at first, but when j he discovered that they were Americans i and not British, he was considerably re- | lieved. "Oh, ye aren't Britishers, ar' ve?" he | gasped, as_if he yet half doubted his eyes. "No, sir" we are Americans," Captain Alton answered. "Have you seen any British soldiers about here?" "No," be answered shaking his head. "Ain't seen none, but they do say as how they are all over the country." "Havo you heard from Manoa to-day?" "No, but yesterday I heard they were terribly ocart 'cause a British man o' war was comin' to bombard 'em out o' town." "Have they been threatened with land forces?" "Dun know, but some 'un 6aid that red coats war seen at Belfast a day or two ago, an' that aint fur from Manoa." Before the Captain had opportunity to ask any further questions, Simon, whose keen appetite lost none of its edge by the information, put in: "I say, meister, cru ye gin us suthin' to eat? I'm 60 pesky hungry that I wouldn't relish a scrimmage naow, even if the red coats were right before me." "Well, yes, I reckin' we can give ye a bite to eav," answered the farmer, who was too mach alarmed to have refused, even if he had had an inclination to do so. "And our hosses too; kin ye give 'em hay or oats?" "Yes, dismount and tie them under that shed, while I go in the honse an' hev the women folks prepar' a snack fur ye." "Will we find oats nerer asseti oimon, who, dismounting, led his horse to the shed. "I -will send a boy with oats." Tha Captain dismounted and lei his horse also to the shed, and made him fast to a post nt the side of the feed-box. "Simon." said the Captain to the Yankee,"ju6t loosen the saddle, but don't take it off." "Why?" "The enemy may be much nearer than we think, and we may be forced to mount in a hurry." "Why, they ain't nearer 'n Belfast." "They were seen in Belfast yesterday," said the Captain, "and we do not know when straggling troops may come this way." "Well, I guess that's so, Cap'n," said Simon, loosening his saddle girth. "I thought the boss would oool better bv T ? ?. > IUK1U 11 IPU, UUl X l uv, ?, I The boy came at this moment with the ! oats. He was about thirteen years of age, ; and a bright boy, despite the fact that his uncultivated mind was a garden overrun with weeds. "Ain't you fellers afraid of the redcoats?" he asked. "No," the Captain answered. "They say they're round right close : now." "Have you seen any?." the Captain ! asked. "No; but Budd Smith said he 6aw five ! or six gallopin' by his honsc." "When?"* "T'-day." "Where does Buud Smith live?" " 'Bout a mile down the road that gcee roun' the field." "Does your futher know this?" the Cap- , tain asked, somewhat anxiously. "No; I reckon not. I never told him." This somewhnt relieved the Captain cf a suspicion which was lurking in his mind that the farmer might be playing the traitor. The Captain and the Yankee exchanged glances. Perhaps it was more on account of the peril threatening Manoa than personal danger that increased Captain Alton's uneasiue?s. "T rlnn't know that We OUL'lit to Wait here, Simon," lie said. " 'Twon't do any barm, an' I am a'moet dead for Butliin' to eat," answered the Yankee. "But tbe enemy are scattered nil over the country, and "dangers thicken about us every moment. We should haste to Manoa with all speed." "We kin go a ^ood deal faster, Cap'n', an" git there a good deal sooner by heven' full stomachs." The horses were already crunching their oats, and our anxious Captain, seeing that Simon was determined to eai beforo he left, at last con rented, though with great reluctance. Tbey went to tbe farm-house, and were conducted to the front room to wait a few moments until their dinner was ready for them. Simon carried his ritle, and the Captain also keyit fcls arms at hand, ready for an attack shouh! one be made. Capta'n Alton asked ibe farmer if be had j seen any red coats himself. "No, I've seen none, an' goodness I knows I hope I won't. But I hear so j much 'bout cm, sir, that I think they must be gittin' ihick as hopp. Them Brilish'll never stop till tbey git tbe voke on our necks agin, see 'fthej' don't. Tbey have gone and burnt Washington City, and next they'll burn Baltimore and oven Manoa." The Captain took amore hopeful view of thiogs, i.nd thought that the people of the Uni'ed States were petting waked up, and would now throw all tl.eirforcoR into the work, and snati-h victory from defeat. l>inner was announced and the tired so', diers followed the fanner to the tiir.ingfnnm como In wnit nil thfi tilllltt I and as l>otb the Captain ami tbe >ergeant were decidedly hungry, they a!e ravenously. Besides bein^ hungry, tie Captain was in a hurry, and nervous haste pot the belter of table etiquette. They had just pushed 1 ack their ehnire from the table when tbe lio~, who hid remained in tee front ya-d, rnshed into the diLing-i^cm crying: "TLey're eomin', theyre!" " iiU. Vilf'l I uD V/ilj'Kl J JJ* PUUUU^ ?<) bis I'eel and instinctively laying Lis hand on bis sword. %. "The red coa<s, on horsrlaek?comin' earin' ("own the lane at ajjallqp.'* _ ? I -TVa-M, nr.ow, T>y the JfiinpTE Moses, i it's abeout lime I was gittin' my artillery i for ba kin'." said the Yankee, seizing Lis < lovg rifle. "Jest show 'em to me, boy, 'n 1 I'll be gawl darned if they doan't think ( a thunder storm's come." "Wait, Simo.n," Raid the Captain to the i Se:geant. Then turuing to the frightened farmer who wa6 wringing hie handa and gioaning: "They'll have the yoke on our necks," the young Captain s.iid. "Is there away out at the rear?" "Yes." "Showus out." They passed through a narrow hall to the rear kitchen door, and were in the back vjird. "Now, Simon, don't be too rash/' cautioned the Captain.. It was well to ffo so, for Simon wa * llKe an impatient war steed, ready for the fray. The Cnptain left Simon behind the house and crept around the corner to see how many red coats there were, and what they were doing. They were six in number and had drawn rein at the stiles. "They're Yankee 'orses," he heard one trooper, who seemed to be leader, say, "an1 we'll find the howners in the onse." Bill, you stny here with the hanimals and tha rest o' us will charge in on 'em, and take 'em at dinner." The Captain had the advantnge of ;oiu6 trellis vines, and there was little danger of his being discovered. He beckoned Simon to his 6ide and whispered to the farmer to go to_the front door and let in rhe troopers. The l.armir went to the dcor. - - 1? J Witb swords arawn ana pisicts cociieu the dragoons made a dash aero6B the lawD to the front door. One man was 6ent nrcund to the right and one to the left oi the house. "Now, Simon,' whispered tho Captain, when he beurd the order given, "jou imist knock tLo man who comes ground this way senseless, but don't fire a shot." Simon understood the Captain and clubbed his gun. In a few moments the quick step of tho tiooper fell on his ear, and just as he came arocrd the corner a qv.\rV, 6uro blov from the clubbed gun laid tho English dragoon senseless on the ground. The Americans sprang from behind the house and ran down toward the stiles. The man who had been left in charge ol the horses was watching the road to 6ee if the Americans in the neighborhood were rising up against them, and did not see Canta n Alton and hr6 companion un til (hey were half way between the house ami the Btyle. This discovery was followed by a shout, and raising a holtter, he lired. "See hyar, Cap'n, I'm not goin' to stand tha-at," yelled Simon, whose hat-crown had been perforated by the bullet. Quick as thought the Yankee Sergeant raised his rifle to his face, and taking a hasty aim. pulled the trigger. The sharp crack of the rifle was accompanied by a yell of agony. The hcrnee tho trooper was holding, including the one on which he was sitting, began rearing nnd plujging until they broko away. The dragooiTat wftom Simon had fired, reeled a moment in his naddle, and then, aB his ho.r6e thundered away after the other animals, he fell forward on hi? steed's neck, and finally rolled otf hit back, falling limp and lifeless in tin dusty road. Before the echoes of the shot had ceased to reverberate among the treetops, or the smoke had passed away, our American friends had leaped the fence and were at their horses. The dragoons, hearing the firing, of course hastened to the front door. At first only a c Laos ol smoke, dust, snorting and running horses could be seen, but the officer in charge oi the Bquad discovered the Americans through the cr&cks in the shed, just hi th^y?mounted their horses. There they go. Ihere they go!" he cried, firing a pi6toL 1 he ball buried itFolf in the shed, and the Americans galloped down the road. They were screened by the shed, until they were so far away that the fusees of tho cliagoons were not dangerous. "They're on foot "'now, Cap'n," said Simon, with a ha, ha, as they galloped away, "an' 1 guess we'll be abie to keep out V their way." Their horses having been somewhat refreshed by the short rest, and strengthened by the feed of oats nnd hay, were enabled to go at a much livelier pace than before. The frightened horses of the troopei-6 kept before them for two or three miles, and then turned off into tho forest, 60 that the Americans knew there was no danger of their enemy getting mounts 600n. CHAPTER II. THE STOKY?A MIDNIGHT ALAEW. It will be necessary to precede Captain A linn ?:.d hi* attendant two hours iu our story nn<l reach the little seaport town of Manoa before they do. Mauoa, as we have seen, was a Nourishing little village at the time of which we write. It was wedged in between two high blufi'b' of hills which were dotted with cedars, or.ks and other forest trees. Its harbor was a email bay?too small, in fact, to Le a Bate naruor at an seasons, huu us > shores were rocky. The scenery was picturesque, and, to the lover cf the wild i in nature, beautiful, llanoa creek emptied into the bay on thei south bide of town. The bouses were built ot Btoneorwood, and 6onie were good substantial build>ing3. The chief dwell ng-bouse stood on au eminence in the north part of the village?in fact, almost beyond the village limits. It was a large, substantial dwelling. two and a half stories in height, and built of the gray granite indigenous to Manoa. This was the home of Captain John Gatvell, an old retired seaman, the father of tl.e yoting worn m to whom Captain Alton was betrothed. Un the evening of the day on which the events lecorded in our last chapter occuned, Mr.noa presented quite nn animated scene. Loup lines of earthworks were tnrowu up r.uout tno enure Tillage. Between three and four hundred men anil large boys, including many negroes as weli as whites, were still busy with picks, shovels, spades, and all kinds of implements. making the embankment higher. The works were constructed with little regard to laws of military (ngineering, but were much better than no ueiense. Considering tho fact that they worked without auy recognized leader, those men were doing remarkably well. There was a lack of order and organization, but the picks, and shovels, and spades kept diligently picking and digging away, heaving up 6and and gravel into large ridges, which were fast becoming breastworks. On the side next to the ocean, the grojed being lower, the earthworks had leen raised eight or ten feet high. Several pieces of artillery, ranging from nine to leu-pounders, were w thin the works, and a long twenty-four brass piece was mounted on a gun-Cktriape near the highest part of the works. Order, 6kill, and discipline alone were lacking. The men bad strength, courage and coolness. The sun was just descending over the western hills when two men mounted on iaded horses rode down the broad thorGugLfare which'lea to the village. The picket, instead of halting them, as a ivel!-trnined soldior should have done, set up a shout of joy and waved his straw hat in the air. The west embankment was immediately covered with excited men, shouting and buzzahing, as Captain Alton and his single attendant rode down the hill through a gup into the works. They all recogn^ed the Capta'n, for these defenders of Manoa we:e either villagers or fanners of the surrounding country who h::d known Ur:ft:th Alton from boyhood. They regarded him as a prodigy and thought him to be one of the most remnrkable military men of the age. Be had always been a favorite, nnd now tboy jooked v.pon him as a deliverer from tba clutches of an euemy whos? cruelty nnd powers had been magnified a thousand fold. "liev. Uritf, old boy, .here you jirel" ' n-f :y'' - "vv_- r >; *" * .? < ronrocT Jock IlalcheT, the "honest blacksmith, rushing forward and seizing the young Captain's hand as he entered the i/orks. "1 knowed ye'd come, hey; I did, old feller. We're "all light now. boys, we've got plenty gUns, cannons, an' C-riff to show us bow to use 'em." "Hurrah fnr Griff," yelled Henry Small, the Tillage carpenter, taking off his bat and flinging it into the air. Even Tommy Unfiles, the genteel little tailor who had never liked Griffith Alton since he had succeeded in winning the affections of the girl on wbom Tommy bad set his heart, came forward to grasp the band of the young Captain. "Here ho is, sword, pistols, an' all, be " veiled Si Cole, the shoemaker, grasping the baud of the new commander. Griffith knew they had little time for rejoicing and congratulations. He demanded 6ilence. and as soon as he could get them quiet made a short speech, hastily mapping out a plan of defense. The British were near Belfast, and their light horee were even then scouring the country to keep volunteers from coming to aid in the defense. 'i'iroa ns ne was, ne organized tnem into companies, and selected the coolest, be6t men for officers of each company. He even inspected their arms, had each officer make a list of his men, and set Simon to drilling one of the companies, while a second company he had rest, and a third to labor on the works. With remarkable rapidity he surveyed and sketched the walls with his eyes, and mapped out the necessary height and breadth of the works. He then gave the work into the hands of Sam Perry, a stone mason, and A1 Jon^s, a bricklayer, instructing them what was to be done. "When ye goin' to git them cannons ready for shootin', Griff?" asked Jack Hatchet, the blacksmith. "They say's how that ship's leen in sight atimeor two. Could see'r from off the cope, 'n the's gittin' ready to blow us to etarnisy." "We can't mount the cannon bofore morning." the young officer answered. "The works are not ready." "But she'll be blazin' away at us by that 1 "No she won't, Jack. The breeze is from the land, and she can't warp in here in twelve hours, for this harbor is not the easiest in the world to enter. Besides, flon't you see tno 8Kiea are lowering ana we re going to have a blow? Yon enn depend on it, Jack, that ship will put out tc sea where she can stand a gale." "Wall, guessyer right." "There is no danger from a land attaci either, for I learned an hour ago that Bridges is twelve miles beyond Belfast.' "Why, Griff. I heard that the redcoats war alf over the country." "They are only small predatory bnnds, or scouting parties, sent out to reconnoitre, and harass the farmers so as tc prevent their concentrating." "Tin* nnr foiinwc nr*? comin' in." said the blacksmith; "we'll lick 'em, now thai you've got here." Night came on. Dark clouds whick had been hovering about the horizon began to spread over the sky, and the wind in low wails soughed through the treotops. It threatened tobe a terrible night The 6ea was already lda6hing in foan crested waves against the iock bounti shore. After partaking of a supper at thehous< where he hnd established his headquarters Captain Alton lett Simon in charge, anc hastened to the large house which stood on the hillside. "It won't do," he said 6hnkiug his head "That house will be too conspicuous i mark for them to remain there during th< siege. "t He reached the frontdoor, and his ham was extended to the bell-knob, when th? door was thrown open and a bright, fairy like creature threw her arms about hii neck and pressed her kisses' upon hii check. "Oh, Griffith. Griffith! I am so glr.i you have come," she said. "Papa is S( despondent to-night, and I am sure you; coming will rouse his spirits.K f 10 BE CONTINUED.! The Cowboy's Day is Gouc. I met a cowboy yo9tordfty who was returning from the Western plains to his icrae in Ohio. lie was sad and hii \ee bore a doleful expression aa he narratted the memories of happy ranct life never to be again. "The plains,'1 said he, "are nothing like they used tc hp Instead nf herds of buffalo and cat tie they now have 'boomers' scrub stock and scalawag dogs, and instead of cowboys, ae in the past, the inhabitants are settlers who have during the past tweutj years 'squatted' in nearly every State an? Territory west of the Missouri J^iver. Sc long as t'aey kept out of the grazing country we didn't mind them, but sincc there has been such a demand for mor< land for settlers those fellows h.kve crowded their society upon us until w< had either to fight, get out or accepl them as neighbors. "I guess the general run of my kind oi fellows would much prefer the first proposition. but it doesn't "pay. As foi the last, it doesn't go at nil. I know w< are rough fellows, and maybe we don'l seem any better in the eyes of the worlc than 'boomers' but that sort of calcula^ tion is agin' us. I guess no fellow evei made s success ef 'cow punching' who was lazy, and I know I never met anji fellow on the range who'd live in a schooner' and starve his family soonei than work. A good many of us coulo1 get little herds and keep at the business if it wasn't for the 'boomers,' but as they're coming we're going. I don'l think you'll find many of the old cowboys on the range after this year, and next year you won't know by visitiug what was once cattle-range country thai there was such a set as genuine cowboys." Kan fits Citi/ TitnoThe Buffalo (N. Y.) Fire Department has lately received a novel fire engine, which has excited much interest in that city. The carriage is constructed entirely of papier mache, all the different parts of the body, wheel-, poles and the rest being finished in the best possible manner. While the durability and powers of resistance possessed by this material are fully as great a9 those of wood, the weight is, of course, much less. Tue number of males and femalei is ~.1x.rv.?4 on/1 nvArfi.nm liffl fcj tX UyJ U C Cl|UUI ?iJV4 Viiv* ? ... about thirty-three years: one-fourth of the inhabitants die before they reach their fiftieth year. Of 1,033 persons only one reaches the age of one hundred years; of every hundred only six reach the age of sixty-five, and not one in 500 live to see their eightieth year. There is a married man in Atlanta, Ga., -who wears eye glasses with a gold rim. His wife wears eye glasess, too, and the two pairs are just alike. They are the parents of three children, the youngest being ten years of age. and ear-h of the children is near lighted. They wear eye glasses, too. A 3Taine girl", finding ft inconvenient to carry chewing gum with her, established stations in various parts of the town, where she sticks her quids. One is in a dry-goods store, one in the church choir, one in her own dining-room, one at a school, and 60 on. i.'.'T K. \ . . ' 7 ' ; * -V* ' -'yf '... : ' \ '' . /; "*' MUSHROOMS. ' i m AN INDUSTRY CAPABLE OP HUGE DEVELOP3IENT. The Natnral and the Artificial Crops ?How Mushrooms Are Raised in France?Mammoth Mushroom Caves. Let us have home grown mushrooms; they will be infinitely better and far cheaper than the leathery ones we have been getting from France for the past half ceutury. mis is tne cry 01 leading restaurant men all over the country, and it is the cry of all who know what a good mushroom is. These squid colored things that people eat every day in the restaurants are uot the sweet, wholesome product of our own soil, but they have been taken out of t'ic tins which come by the hundreds of thousands evciy week from the caves and cellars of Paris and its suburbs. AN ARTIFICIAL MUSHUOOM CAVE. Yet our own country is abounding \vith underground places where there is Neither wind, sun nor rain to hamper artificial production, and no country intb< world has such facilities for mushroom cellars as we have everywhere in this broad land. This is the statement, in substance, ol a dozen large mushroom dealers in Ne^\ York, Boston and Chicago. A large number of persons who ordei stewed mushrooms, mushroom sauce and other dishes made of the fungus believe they are eating what has grown in opec pastures. Let me tell them about this. There is a natural mushroom cro{ i every year, just as there is an annual croj of flowers and grasses. The mushroon season commences about the first week ir * August and continues till the last weel J in September, and in certain seasons well on into October. The whole face of th< continent is then covered with plants ol i the mushroom family. mo3t of then woodeD, insipid and sickening, many ol them deadly poisonous. All the plants of this interesting fam ily, pretty nearly, which are unfit to ea are called toadstool*, from the old super stition that in silent places, when thi moon shone bright, the fairies came ii the form of toads and sat round about 01 these fungi till the dawn. It is very dif Xivu.u w* <"^r "J - ? the difference between some toadstool and the wholesome plant. But the dif fercnce is as marked in structure ant other respects as it is in taste. j The true mushroom, that which reache j our market before the dew is yet dr s upon it, is known as the Agaricus cam { petris. It abounds everywhere in open > wind swept pastures, but as a rule i ( thrives only in ground run over by horses ? cattle and sheep, the fertilizers fron . these animals being the best knowi medium for the development of the mush j room spawn, or seed. Many plants al ^ most like the Agaricus grow under th shade of trees and other umbrageou ! places, but many of these are very un wholesome and even deadly. , For the genuine plaut select one whos , gills or under radii do not join the sten . ?that is, do not grow to it?but leave : J well defined space all around betweei t their points and the stalk of the plant All the worthless and poisonous funtr: : that rescin' the Agaricus. have the sil; | growing fast to the stem. Moreover, th , bulk of wholesome mushrooms are , , beautiful, fresh salmon pink in the gills | this color changing to a dusk raadde j brown. One other point, the skin i tough and defiuite and peels easily , which, as far as I know, is uot the cas with the harmful sorts. But no on keening these facts in mind will eve I gather a poisonous plant by mistake. srrsnr.ooM cellar. There is a common belief that ou mushroom springs into existence iu i eimrle night. It doesn't. It takes somi j weeks' underground growth before ii j bursts through the sod. The broaden ing out of the umbrella cap, or efflores cence, is due to air, difference of tem perature and light. The artificially pro^ duced mushroom does not spread in thii , [ way. I But the process of breaking through the ground is wouderfuily swift. Ir the heart of Evangeline's Land this sum nier and along the higher ground of the Delaware "I have watched by lanterr light the fungus actually making its way up through the sod. Its coming is manifested by the snapping or move, nt ol blades cf grass or weeds lyinp in its way. This is why people who al sucset mark a piece of ground that ha< not a fungus upon it are so surprised tc find it white with mushrooms at sunrise, i During August and September mush' [ room gathering is a very important industry through the United States and Canada. A farmer owning fertile pastures has the crop removed every morning by nine to ten o'clock, carrying home the gleanings in a bushel basket. But when the pastures are free there i? great rivalry among the fungus gatherers, and it has come to be a custom in many regions for the pickers to sally out with lanterns before the dawn. And e - < .:' / : -r wlerd sight it 13 to see half a score of lights bobbing about like wilUo'-the. wisp3 over the lonesome uplands. Tne mushrooms are all taken to the lailroad station, where they are sold for thirty to forty cents a bushel to a middleman, who hustles them off to a hundred markets. They are shipped to Nc.v York from every point for hundreds of miles around, and in season become n freight just as regular as milk is. But they perish very soon, wilting in the sue or heat as rapidly as a flower. As a rule it is only the perfect ones that arc bought for market, the shabby, broken or bug eaten one3 being retained by the gatherers to stew and put in ketchup for domestic use. Hundreds of thousands of bushels arrive in the large markets every day, New York receiving by far the larger share They arrive in a good state of preservation, and the restaurant men pay for them only from fifty cents to seventy* five dents a bushel. They are light, course, and do not weigh much, in bulk. While the plant can be obtained in this way there is not a canned mushroom eaten, and people wonder how it is that these big, sprawling mushrooms are so much sweeter, softer and better flavored tnan tne small, tougn, greenisnyellow ones. But mushrooms in season brought from the fields sometimes become a drug in the market, though the best connoisseur of this luxury, a larg< cafe proprietor, told me: "For the past six years the natural crop has been more or less a failure. Too much wet weather for some weeks and too mufch dry weather for others ] take to be the cause. As a consequent all food purveyors have been obliged tc open French tins in August and Septem ber?something quite unheard of somi years ago." Those who prized the luxury of mi}.sh rooms forty or fifty years back grumblec that they could not get them at an; season of the year, and this stimulatec importation from the caves and cellar; lying outside of Paris, and also set ou ' own people thinking about raising th< 1 plunt artificially. A MCSIIR001I COUSE. ' 1 > '? 1 i Numbers bad cellars attached to pri vate gardens, but only a few succeede > in raising mushrooms. Lack of attec > Nion. to temperature, improper manage 1 inent of the beds, the use of inferia 1 spawn and other mistakes were fatal i Then some market gardeners in Lon, I Island, Staten Island, Manhattan Islam j and other points adjacent to New Yorh [ as well as near Boston, Philadelphia an i Washington, began hollowing out cav? f and building dark places to raise th fungus. A few succeeded, and the rest, becom t ing disheartened by constant failure abandoned the project. The truth i e they had not the knowledge nor the pa i tience. They could! easily have imports 1 expert mushroom gardeners froi - France, instead of learning from the ira t perfect and very meagre literature, pic s torial and otherwise, belonging to th - subject. I may add here that all th 1 drawings to be found in the America Encyclopaedia and the other three o s four publications on the subject are to b y traced back to a stupid, inadequate an - inaccurate work printed about fort , years ago. t From that time on artificial mushroor , raising has been carried on almost ove ii the entire Union with varying success i The clumsy, thriftless and ill informe - have gone out of the business, but th careful and industrious ones have mad ? plenty of money. 3 Said another restaurant man to me o - this point: "Why, some of them ai I fairly coining cash out of this thing, an c no wonder. They know that the infer i ority of imported mushrooms leads us t a pay exorbitant prices for all that we ca x | get taken fresh from the beds. Wehav actually to pay froui $1.40 to $1.50 i | pound for these homo grown mushrooa just as soon as the natural season closes, e "Do you get artificially grown mual 3 rooms from American garueners all <n t year r~und except in August and Sep r ! teml^?" I asked another expert ii 9 I mut/flrooms who keeps a large restauran } in Liberty street. q "Xo. That is the stupid and aston e ishing part of it. It almost forces on r to the belief that there is no. brains cm ployed in the domestic business. Foral - their huge profits our mushroom men ar tnnicJ. Vo you Know cnai just as suui a; summer comes they close up their eel lars, caves, dark houses and mushrooc gardens and do not start them goin; again till October. They do this yea after year in spite of the short natura crop of the six years just past. The, ought to run them at their fullest capnc ity the year round, and if they have ai oversupply in August and September the Cftuld can them, as they do in Fran/1"From various other competent sourcq ' confirmation was obtained of these state mcnts. The facts generally, as I gathe them from all reliable sources, aro _ There are, round about New York, Bos r ton. Philadelphia, Chicago aud all th i large cities, several market gardeners en i gaged in the artificial production. Then t is a general understanding among then to shut dcwii at a certaiu season, bu when they are running they get closi upon $1.50 a pouud lor all they pro duce. A more plentiful supply wouk j bring down prices, aad thu3 they stanc together to maintain what is practicall; t a monopoly. , ] But look at the magnitude of an in dustry of this kind if properly devel I .....1 If TTrin nllrktPf.rl hnf n nmind O ? U|ICU. It JWII HIIVITVU WMV ~ r , mushrooms a day to every fifty or sixt; , persons, anil that is so low an estimate a 5 to be almost ridiculous, it would repre . sent a produeiion of 1,000,000 i day, o r 365,000,000 pounds in a year, which a I fifty cents a pound, would mean $182, . 500,000 paid to the mushroom garden > crs iu a year. Who will say, then, thii is an industry that the people should no . hear about aad that should remain in thi hands of a few covetous persons? t That all who read this and who an interested in the subject may have cl^s - views about the methods of raising,., ' f.ve at some length the methods foun< the best by experts: In Paris thousands of persons are em ployed in the subterranean places. Hen they work the twenty-four hours througl at a depth of from sixty to 160 feet, thi light being so regulated and subdued a not to interfere in any way with tnfl^B growth. A temperature of about; sixtyfl^M live degrees Fahrenheit is considered tna ^ ! best. Stable manure is obtained from. ,> the tortuous passageways of these caved-: ~ and the spawn is introduced into it, thd. '* whole being compacted and then madd. - ready for fertilizing purposes. In England the spawn is mixed with ; ! l fertilizer, usually from the horse, ari<J ; then made into blocks which are called L bricks. These bricks are capable of being moved about and even shipped across > the ocean, and when portions of it ar& i'i bcie and there introduced into the mush^ , room beds they soon begin to develop' > and germinate. In the French caves, however, spawn is put into foam like flakes or ; leaves, it being then known as micelliuffi^ The French raisers also useless manure VvT than they do in England, and this, aoa > cording to some authorities, accounts fo^ ^ the inferiority of the Parisian plants, ' '' Moreover, the burface of each bed it covered with about an inch of fine white >> *; stony soil. Moisture is indispensable to the may fsd forming the bed, and this is regulated Uyj -: /< ; artificial means, the water being brought i from the surface. Above all, unifona ity of temperature is kept up. The different galleries bear cropB in l succession, the spawn being introduced '"-ii . into one series of beds while the crop i* \ i being removed from another. The work . is thoroughly systematized, ^ind the samp - ' rule prevails on this side. Thus one J [ proprietor is able to send to the surface or out of his cellars in one dav nrnna fi j weighing from fifty pounds to three f I [ thousand pounds. These are at once , j > either prepared for the near market . in ^ % , Europe or sent to the canning establish- " . ments, and in this country they are sent y 3 to customers or handed over to tliff ? middleman. Imagine a range of beds, like that in ; 1 the greatest of the French caves, extendf ">l j ing for fully twenty miles of row upon ; V" J row of beds. v j The Parisian caves not alone supply ;; r the city itself, but forward vast quantt- '. * 3 ties to almost every city in Europe. Tho -iamount of capital invested in the indos? ? fwr id nrvf wofw V\nf fVia nim ti '-.J uj u uvu ftij ?iv;af) uau iuc i^buiu ia J astonishingly large. In Paris itself every #1 ore almost, in any kind of cafe, may r/en eating mushrooms, the price being within the range even of the peasant's purse. } MUSHllOOMS GROWING OH A SHELF. ' ? ' CI mi . p a ..J i_ u . 1 - .'"C ine iungi proauceu in inosc ptace, m e I have said, do not spread or assume the umbrella shape, but are gathered while / in button form. Ia the natural fields tW jj, mushroom springs very rapidly into the ' extended form. The hole remaining when the plant far removed is filled with fine earth. Tf& yJ beds bear from six to eight months, then Hi ? the exhausted materially taken away and J" sold for manure to the market gardener^. There are no draughts in the cares, and t ? the temperature can be thus easily 0 tained at a uniform point. - ' Q French experts lay much streess on the . r value of virgin or fresh spawn, for experience has shown them that spawn" taken constantly from bearingJseds loses. ^ 1 its potency for reproduction. The beds c \ produce in about six weeks after the in-. &| ^ troduction of the spawn, which sets aside . ;>? i: the theory that the mushroom grows to - j-;, ' its full size in a few hour3.?New York >% d Herald. a - - \ /jSL ? Magnetizing a Enife. -M-iM Take a pocket or table knife and lay n As blade flat upon the back of a fire ? xhovel, as shown in the figure. "With (S pair of tongs held firmly in the hand rub ' l" the blade yigorously and always in^he samo direction,' from point to base. Torn . \$| a the blade over now op then, ;o that the e friction may be applied to both. Afior a a rubbing of from forty to fifty seconds t-. 1/ . J the blade will be magnetized and be capable of lifting a needle with which it is placed in contact, point to point. The . magnetization will last a long time, says t La Nature, This experiment, r.-bich if pot put down in works on physics, is ' ! . very interesting and worthy of study^ o We have found that the point of a knife - magnetized in this way constitutes the 2 forth Pole. * t Considerate. / I WW ?Wt Bessie Bummer?"There's no reasoq - why both of us should get -wet, Mr.' i Buckhorn.Puck. i mm i There are more holidays in Honolulu 3 than in any other city in tho world. ? * j