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lewis m. qbist, proprietor. J An Independent Journal: For the Promotion of the Political, Social, Agricultural and Commercial Interests of the South. |i2 pee annum, m advance. VOL. 4. ~ YORKVILLE, S. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 1858. NO. 14. Cljotcf |)octri). THE SPIRIT QUENCHED. "Ephraim is joined to his idols, let hint alone.'' There is a time, we know not when, A point we know not where. That marks the destiny of men To glory or despair. There is a line by us unseen, That crosses every path ; The hidden boundary between God's patience and his wrath. To pass that limit is to die, To die as if by stealth; It does not quench the beaming eye, Or pale the glow of health. The conscience may be still at ease, The spirits light and gay; That which is pleasing still may please, And care be thrust away. But on that forehead God has set Indelibly a mark, Unseen by man, for man as yet Is blind and in the dark. And yet the doomed man's path below May bloom, as Eden bloomed; He did not, does not, will not know, Or feel that he is doomed. He knows, he feels that all is well, And eYery fear is calmed ; He lives, he dies, he wakc9 in hell, Not only doomed but damned. 0 where is this mysterious bourne, By which our path is crossed ; Beyond which, God himself hath sworn, That he who goes is lost! How far may we go on in sin? How long will God forbear ? Where does hope end and where begin The confines of despair ? % Cjmllittg KiSlKliiiL I was travelling with Bent's train from Independence to Santa Fe. One evening after ? 1 1 II the wagons naa corraciea, ana my animai naa got some rest and a bite of corn, I leaped into the saddle, and set out to see if I could find something fresh for my own supper. It was a rolling prairie, and the camp was soon hidden from my sight?as it lay in a hollow between two swells. Trusting to the sky i for my direction, therefore, I continued on. ( After riding about a mile, I should think, j I came upon buffalo signs. It was not the first time for me, and I saw at a glance that i the sigDS was fresh. There was several state wallows; and I could tell by the tracks, in i the dusk there had been nothing but bulls in i that quarter. A cow track would have i pleased me better; but, after all, thought I, i a fresh bull's tongue for a change is better 1 than salt bacon; so I followed the trail in | hopes of getting one. Shortly after I came i to a place where the ground was ploughed up, as if a drove of hogs had been rooting it. < Here there had been a terrible fight among ( the bulls?it was the rutting season, when i such conflicts occur. This augured well.? i Perhaps there are cows in the neighborhood, reasoned I, as I gave the spur to my horse, and followed the trail, with more spirit. I had ridden full five miles from camp when my attention was attracted by an odd noise ahead of me. There was a ridge in front that prevented me from seeing what produced the noise ; but I knew not what it was?it was the bellowing of a buffalo-bull. At intervals, there were quick shocks, as of two hard substances coming in violent con onf TtrifVi oooK nf-Vior T mnnntarl tVio rirtoro with caution, and looked over its crest. There was a valley beyond, a cloud of dust was rising out of its bottom, and in the midst of this I could distinguish two huge forms? dark and hirsute I saw at once that they were a pair of buffalo bulls engaged in a fierce fight. They were alone; there were no others in sight, either in the valley or on the prairie beyond. I did not halt longer than to see that the cap was on my rifle, and to cock the piece.? Occupied as the animals were, I did not imagine they would heed me; or if they should attempt flight, I knew I could easily overtake one or the other; so, without further hesitation or precaution, I rode towards them. Contrary to my expectation, they Both winded me, and started off. The wind was blowing freshly towards them, and the sun had thrown my shadow between them, so as to draw their attention. They did not run, however, as if badly scared; on the contrary, they went off, apparently indignant at being disturbed in their fight; and every now and then both came round with short turnings, snorted, and struck the prairie with their hoofs in a violent and angry manner. Once or twice, I fancied they were going to charge back upon me; and had I been otherwise than well mounted, I should have been very chary of risking such an encounter.? A more formidable pair of antagonists, as far s-s appearance went could not have beer, well conceived. Their huge size, their shaggy fronts, and fierce glaring eyeballs, gave them a wild and malicious seeming, which was heightened by their bellowing, and the threatening attitudes in which they continually placed themselves. Feeling quite safe in my saddle, I galloped up to the nearest, and sent my bullet into his ribs. It did tlie work, lie fell ou his knees?rose again?spread out his legs, as if to prevent a second fall?rocked from side to side like a cradle?again came to his knees; and, after remaining in this position for some minutes, with the blood running from his nostrils, rolled quietly over ou his shoulder, and lay dead. I watched these manoeuvres with interest, and permitted the second bull to make his escape; aside-glance had shown me the latter disappearing over the crest of the swell. I did not care to follow him, as my horse was somewhat jaded, and I knew it would cost me a sharp gallop to come up with him again; so I thought no more of him at the time but alighted and prepared to deal with the one already slain. There stood a solita ry tree near the spot?it was a stunted elm. There were others upon the prairie, but they were distant; this one was not twenty yards from the carcass. I led my horse up to it, and taking the trail rope from the horn of the saddle, made oueend fast to the bit-ring, and the other to the tree. I then went back, drew my knife, and proceeded to cut the buffalo. I had hardly wetted my blade, when a noise from behind caused me leap to an upright attitude, and look around; at the first glance, I comprehended all. A huge dark object was passing the crest of the ridge, and rushing down the hill towards the spot where I stood. It was the buffalo-bull, the same that had just left mc. The sight, at first though rather pleased me than otherwise. Although I did not want any more meat, I should have the triuamh of carrying two 1 V ' tongues instead of one to the camp. I therefore hurriedly sheathed my knife, aod laid hold of my rifle, which, according to custom, I had taken the precaution to reload. I hesitated a moment whether to run to my horse and mount him, or to fire from where I stood; that question, however, was settled by the buffalo. The tree and the horse were to one side of the direction in which he was running, but being attracted by the loud snorting of the latter, which had begun to pitch and plunge violently, and deeming it perhaps a challenge he suddenly swerved his course, and ran full tilt upon the horse. The latter shot out instantly to the full length of the trail-rope?a heavy "pluck" sounded in my ears, and the next instant 1 saw my horse part from the tree, and scour off over the prairie, as if there had been a thistle under his tail. I had knotted the rope negligently upon the bit-ring, and the knot had como undone. I was chagrined, but not alarmed as yet. My horse would no doubt follow back his own trail, and at the worst I should only have to walk to the camp. I should have the satisfaction of punishing the buffalo for the trick he had served me ; and with this design, I turned towards him. I saw that he had not / -n ? j - i L..I ? ? iuuuweu lUtJ UUISC UUt was a^aiu ucauiug himself in my direction. Now, for the first time, it occurred to me that I was in something of a scrape. The bull was coming furiously on. Should uiy shot miss, or even should it only wound him, how was I to escape ? I knew that he could overtake uie in three minutes' stretch; I knew that well. I had not much time for reflection?not a moment in fact; the infuriated animal was within ten paces of me; I raised my rifle, limed at his four shoulder, and fired. I saw that I had hit him ; but, to my dismay, he neither fell nor stumbled, but continued to charge forward more furiously than ever.? To reload was impossible. My pistols had gone off with my hoise and holsters. Even to reach the tree was impossible; the bull was between it and me. Right in the opposite direction was the ouly thing that held out the prospect of five minutes'safety; I turned aud ran. I can run as fast as most men ; and upon that occasion I did my best. It would have put "Gildersleve" into a white sweat to have distanced me; but I had not been two minutes at it, when I felt conscious that the buffalo gained upon me, and was almost treading upon my heels. I knew it only by my ears?I dared cot spare time to look back. At this moment, an object appeared before me, that promised, one way or other, to interrupt the chase ; it was a ditch or gully, that intersected my path at right angles. It was several feet in depth, dry at the bottom, and with perpendicular sides. I was almost upon its edge before I noticed it, but the ?. :i -...? J.? T u LLlUUll'Ul 11 I'UUIC UL1UU1 Illy vJCj A art>Y tiirtt it offered the means of a temporary safety at least. If I could only leap this gully, I felt satisfied that the buffalo could not. It was a sharp leap?at least seventeen feet from cheek to cheek ; but I had done more than that in my time; and, without halting in my gait, I ran forward to the edge, and sprang over. I alighted cleverly upon the opposite bank, where I stopped, and turned round to watch my pursuer. I now ascertained how near my end had been; the bull was already up to the gully. Had I not made my leap at the instant I did, I should have been, by that time dancing upon his horns. lie himself had balked at the leap; the deep chasm-like cleft had cowed him.? He saw that he could not clear it; aud now stood upon the opposite bank with head lowered, and spread nostrils, his tail lashing his smooth flanks, while his glaring black eyes expressed the full measure of his baffled rage. I remarked that my shot had taken effect in his shoulder, as the blood trickled from his long hair. I had almost begun to congratulate myself on having escaped, when a hurried glance to the right, and another to the left, cut short my happiness. I saw that on both sides at a distance of less than fifty paces, the gully shallowed out into the plain, where it ended at either end it was, of course, passable. The bull observed this almost at the same time as myself; and suddenly turning away from the brink, he ran along the edge of the chasm, evidently with the inteution of turning it. In less thau a minute's time we were once more on the same side, and my situation appeared as terrible as ever; but stepping back for a short run, I leaped the chasm, and again we stood on opposite sides. During all these tnanoiuvres I had held on to my rifle ; and seeing now that I might have time to load it, I commeoced feeling for uiy powder horn. To uiy astonishment, I could uot lay my ha mis upon it ; I looked down to my breast for the sliog?it was not there; belt aud bullet pouch too?all were gone ! I remembered lifting theiu over my head, when I set about cutting the dead bull. They were lying by the carcass. This discovery was a uew source of chagrin; but for my negligence, I could now have mastered my autagouist. To reach the ammunition would be impossible; I should be overtaken before 1 had got half way to it. 1 was not allowed much time to indulge in my regrets; the b;:ii im-l again turned the ditch, ar.dwas uiii'c upon the same side with me, and I was i-.iinpelled to take another leap. I really >!< nut remember how often I sprang backwards and forwards across that chasm ; I should think a score of times at least; I became wearied with the exercise. The leap was just as qiuch as I could do at my best; and as I was growing weaker at each fresh spring, I became satisfied that I should soon leap short, and crush myself against the steep rocky sides of the chasm. Should I fall to the bottom, my pursuer could easily reach me by entering at cither end, and I began to dread such a finale. The vengeful brute showed no symptoms of retiring; on the contrary, numerous disappointments seemed only to render him more determined in his resentment. An idea now suggested itself to my mind. I had looked all round to see if there might not be something that offered a better security. There were trees, but thev were too distant; the only one near was that to which my horse had been tied. It was a small one, and like all of its species (it was a cottonwood,) there were no branches near the root. I knew that 1 could clamber up it by embracing the trunk, which was not over ten inches in diameter. Could I only succeed in reaching it, it would at least shelter me better than the ditch, of which I was getting heartily tired. But the question was, could I reach it before the bull ? It was about three hundred yards off. By proper manoeuvring, I should have a start of fifty. Even with that, it would be a "close shave;" and it proved so. I arrived at the tree, and sprang up like a mountebank; but the hot breath of the buffalo steamed after me as I ascenced, and the concussion of his heavy skull against the trunk almost shook me back upon his horns. After a severe effort, I succeeded in lodging myself among the branches. I was now safe from all immediate danger, but how was the affair to end ? I knew from the experience of others, that my enemy, might stay for hours by the tree?perhaps for days. Hours would be enough. I could not stand it long. I hungered, but a worse onnofi'fo fnrfnrnrl mn fTiirof Tint, filln. blWV IVi UU1VU UiV VUitWVi AWV uvv w?j the dust, the violent exercise of the past hour, all contributed to make me thirsty.? Even then, I would have risked life for a draught of water. What would it come to should I not be relieved? I had but one hope?that my companions would come to my relief; but I knew that would oot be before morning. They would miss me of course. Perhaps my horse would return to camp?that would send them out in search of me?but uot before night had fallen. In the darkness, they could not follow my trail. Could they do so in the light? This last question, which I put to myself, startled me. I was just in a condition to look upon the dark side of everything, and it now occurred to tue that they might not be able to find inc! There were many possibilities that they might not. There were numerous horsetrails on the prairie, where Indians had passed. I saw this when tracking the buffalo. Besides, it might rain in the night, and obliterate them all?my own with the rest. A circle of ten miles diameter is a large tract. It was a rolling prairie, full of inequalities, ridges with valleys between. The tree upon which I was perched stood in the bottom of one of the valleys?it could not be seen from any point over 300 yards distant. Those searching for me might pass within hail, without perceiving either the tree or the valley. I remained for a long time busied with such gloomy thoughts and forebodings.? Night was coming on, but the fierce and obstinate brute showed no disposition to raise the siege. He remained watchful as ever, wallrinfrrnnnd and round at intervals, lashincr " B ' o his tail, and uttering that snorting sound so well known to the prairie-hunter, and which so much resembles the snuffing of hogs when suddenly alarmed. While watching his various manoeuvres, an object on the ground drew my attention ?it was the trail-rope left by my horse. One end was fastened round the trunk by a firm knot?the other lay far out upon the prairie, where it had been dragged. My attention had been drawn to it by the bull himself, which in crossing had noticed, and now and then pawed it with his hoofs. All at once a bright idea flashed upon me ?a sudden hope arose within mc?a plan of escape presented itself, so feasible and possible, that I leaped in my perch as the thought struck me. The first step was to get possession of the rope. This was not such an easy matter.? The rope was fastened around the tree, but the knot had slipped down the trunk and lay upoD the ground. I dared not descend for it. Necessity soon suggested a plan. My "picker"?a piece of straight wire with a ring-end?hung from one of my vest buttons. This I took hold of, and bent into the shape of a grappling-hook. I had no cord, but my knife was still safe in its sheath; and drawing this, I cut several thongs from the skirts of my buckskin shirt, and knotted them together until they formed a stri ng long enough to reach the ground. To one end I attached the picker, and then letting it down, I commenced angling for the rope. After a few transverse drags, the hook caught the latter, and I pulled it up into the tree, ta king the whole of it until I held the loose end in my hands. The other I permitted to remain as it was, I saw it was securely knotted around the trunk, and that was just what I wanted. It was my intention to lasso the bull; and for that purpose I proceeded to make a running uoose on the end of the trail-rope. This I executed with great care and with all my skill. I could depend upon the rope, it was raw hide, and a better was never twisted ; but I knew that if anything should chance to slip at a critical moment, it might cost me my life. With this knowledge, therefore, I spliced the eye, and made the knot as firm as possible, and then the loop was reeved through, and the thing was ready. I could throw a lasso tolerably well, but the branches prevented mc from winding it. It was necessary, therefore, to get the animal in a certain position under the tree, which, by shouts and other demonstrations, I at length succeeded in effecting. The moment of success had arrived. He stood almost directly below me. The noose was shot down ?I had the gratification to sec it settle around his neck; and with a quick jerk I tightened it. The rope ran beautifully through the eye, until both the eye and loop were buried beneath the shaggy hair of the animal's neck. It embraced his throat at the right place; I felt confident that it would hold. The moment the bull felt the jerk upon Vito Vio Hnoliorl mnrllv mit. frnm the Li I o llii UM Vj MV V4MUMV V* VV>? tree, and then commenced running in circles around it. Contrary to my intention, the rope had slipped from my hands at the firat drag upon it. My position was rather an unsteady one, for the branches were slender, and I could not manage matters as well as I could have wished. But I now felt confident enough. The bull was tethered, and it only remained for me to get out beyond the length of the tether, and take to my heels. My gun lay on one side, near the tree, where I had dropped it in my race : this, of course, I meant to carry off with me. I waited, therefore, until the animal, in one of his circles, had got round to the opposite side, and then slipping down the trunk, I sprang out, picked up my rifle, and ran. I knew the trail-rope to be about 20 yards in length, but | ran 100 at least before making halt. I had even thoughts of continuing on, as I still could not help some misgivings about the rope. The bull was one of the largest and strongest I had ever seen. The rope might break, the knot upon the tree might give way, or the noose might slip over his head. Curiosity, however, or rather a desire to be assured of my safety, prompted me to look around, when, to my joy, I beheld the huge monster stretched upon the plain. I could seethe rope, as taut as a bow-string; and the tongue protruding from the animal's jaws, showed me that he was strangling himself as fast as I could desire. At the sight, the idea of buffalo-tongue for supper returned in all its vigor; and it now occurred to me that I should cat that very tongue, and no other. I immediately turned in my tracks, ran towards my powder and balls?which, in my eagerness to escape I had forgotten all about?seized the horn and pouch, poured in a charge, rammed down a bullet, and then stealing nimbly up bellied the struggling bull, I placed the muzzle within three feet of his brisket* aod fired. He gave a death-kick or two, and then lay quiet: it was all over with him. I had the tongue from between his teeth in a twinkling; and proceeding to the other bull, I finished the operations I had commenced upon him. I was too tired to think of carrying a very heavy, load; so I contented myself with the tongues, and slinging these over the barrel of my rifle, I shouldered it, and commenced groping my way bagk to camp. The moon had risen, ana i had no difficulty in following my own trail; but before I had got half-way, I met several of my companions. My horse had got back a little before sunset. His appearance had \>f course produced alarm, and half the camp had turned out in search of me.? Several who had a relish for fresh meat, galloped back to strip the two bulls of the remaining titbits; but before midnight all had returned; and to the accompaniment of the hump-ribs spurting in the cheerful blaze, I recounted to my companions the details of my adventure. pistellaneoits^ea^itg THE TRIAL IN DARLINGTON. The Darlington Family Friend publishes an extended account of the recent sad disturbance in Darlington, of which we have already, in correspondence and in other forms, given reports. We give the Friend's article entire: On last Wednesday, a scene, unparalleled in the history of criminal jurisprudence, was witnessed in our court room. On that day, fifty-four highly respectable citizens of our district, including grey-haired old men as well as tender youths, were arraigned, charged with the murder of Caleb Freeman and Abe Windham. There were two indictments, but by agreement and with the consent of the Court, they were tried together. The prisoners selected the following gentlemen, from among those presented, who constituted the jury. Hon. I. D. Wilson, Foreman, Col F. W. Cooper, W. II. Ilcaron, Dr. T. A. Dargan, Col. Samuel II. Wilds, Geo. I. W. McCall, Robert E. DuRose, Oliver C. Coggeshall, D. Sidney Law, W. C. Brunson, Jas. S. McCall, Sr., and J. W. Lee. Well might his Honor remark, as he did in his charges, that never before had he seen so intelligent a jury empanneled.? Thus did the prisoners declare their desire, to be tried by men whose feelings could not influence them, unless their judgments were convinced. On Wednesday afternoon, the State began to develop the case. We will not notice the testimony ot the ainerent witnesses, either for the prosecution or defence, but will coutcnt ourself with stating briefly the circumstances of the case as obtained from reliable aud uncontradicted testimony. The grog-shop of Ack Winkham, at which the fight took place, was proved to have been a pest to the community; it was a retail establishment, miscalled by some a grocery, and negroes seem to have constituted his principal customers. Some of the sufferers from his nefarious traffic, uot all members of the Vigilant Society, had waited upon and requested him to desist from retailing aud negro trading, telling him at the same time that they could not and would not longer endure it. He promised to do so. Shortly after this, however, perhaps on Monday before the Thursday on which the homicides were committed, three barrels of ? bald face" were delivered at Curtersville for him. As soon as this was known, some of the citizens of his neighborhood assembled for the purpose of waiting on him and spilling the liquor. This was on Wednesday, the 3d iust. Windham having been notified of their intentions, assembled his friends to defend his rights (?); the consequence was that the other party had to desist By the next morning, however, the members of the different Vigilant Societies and others had assembled, to the number of seventy-five or eighty, many of whom were 1 _ _ J1 J.J A. it- ..I A armeu, anu proceeaea 10 uie snup. upon the day before, they found the Windham family with some of their friends, prepared to defend the whiskey; they were well armed. The Vigilant party was under the command of General Carter, and his orders, | proved to have been frequently repeated within the hearing of the Windham's, were, 'Don't fire a gun unless you are fired upon ; or strike a blow unless you are struck; if assailed, defend yourselves.' Before the Vigilant party reached the shop, it was halted, and two of the elder gentlemen were sent to inform the Windhams of their intention ; they expostulated in vain, and were called away by their friends, who, seeing evidences of hostility on the side of the Windhams, called out to them to "stand aside, for if the opposite party fired, they would return it." The Vigilant party approached the shop, which they partly surrounded. A company, commanded by Captain Giles Carter, being in the road immediately in front of and facing the shop door, before which the Windhams ' iU ?^.C aUa Vi r?! 1 o n f norftr VYCIU SltlUUUJ^;, ULllt?Jd Ul tliu T i^uciuw f"*V were nearer the house aud in a very few paces of the door. While in this position, Gen. Carter informed the Windham party that his intention was "not to injure any of them, unless they began the attack ; that the party had come to empty Ack Windham's whiskey, and they intended to do it." At this time Ack Windham told his party to come away and let them have the whiskey, and he would law them; this they refused to do, swearing that they would die rather than give it up. While they were parleying thus, Caleb Freeman, whom it was proved had sworn to kill Giles Carter upon the first opportunity, stepped off from his company, and exclaiming, "I see you, Giles Carter; you are the first man I intend to kill," fired, the shot passing through his coat and striking Samuel Robinson, wounding him severely; be endeavored to fire a second time, and while in the act of doing so, he was shot, and falling, discharged his gun in the air.? As soon as the first gun was fired, General Carter gave the command, "Take them, men," and a rush was instantly made upon them. Mr. A. N. Stuckey grasped one of the Windhams around the body, aud while holding him, Abe Windham rushed upon him from behind, and plunged his knife into him twice, but before he could inflict a third blow, he received one over the head with a gun or stick, from which he died.? The Windhams were soon overpowered, the fight not lasting, according to the testimony, over a minute. Ack Windham was tied, and required to tell where the whiskey was, for on opening the shop it was found to be empty; he gave them his rvih her snrinc if. wns there.? ? ? ? J '?J--o -- ITcrc was found a barrel, with a few gallons in it, and this was, he said, all that remained of the three barrels hauled from Cartersville three days before. Where was the balance ? The testimony closed on Friday afternoon, when the argument was commenced by Mr. Richardson for the State. He was followed by Messrs. Spain and Inglis for the prisoners, when the Court adjourned. On Saturday morning, the argument was resumed by Mr. J. A. Dargan, followed by Col. Moses, for the prisoners, who was succeeded by Solicitor Mclver. The names of the several speakers is a sufficient proof of the great ability with which this great case was argued. The Judge having charged the jury, they retired to their room about 3 o'clock p. ra., from which they returned, after a short absence, having found, in both cases, a verdict of "not guilty." Thus ended the most interesting case ever tried on the criminal side of the court.? From its commencement to its close the court room was densely crowded, within and without the bar. Every place was occupied. We acknowledge oursclf highly gratified at the result. We believe it will have a salutary effect, not only in our community, but throughout the State. Our statement, condensed as it is, is of caurse imperfect; at the same time it is correct We have only undertaken to give the main points in the case, as made by the testimony, and we think all who heard the trial will say we have done so. Mohammed Pasha.?Leo, the corresrmnrlont, of the Charleston Courier savs : " The Turk has at last been released from his New York troubles, and is, no doubt, glad to get a short respite; but it seems the poor fellow has jumped from the frying-pan in to the fire, for he is now in the custody of the representatives of the entire people, and will, of course, have no mercy shown him, for he will be subjected to another course of banqueting, parade, photographing, &c. His reception in Washington was not of a very pleasing nature, for he had scarcely been housed at Willard's, ere some curious persons resolved upon examining the contents of his baggage, and even appropriating to their own use sundry articles of value. New York, with all its rascality, can at least say, we did not rob poor Mahommed, while he was among us. "Were the Admiral to prepare a journal of his travels in America, he could furnish some very startling accounts of what he had experienced. Such as being forced to sit and have his photograph taken like a culI prit for the rogue's gallery; being fed on bam contrary to his religious persuasions, : the ham being administered under the guise 1 of sandwiches; and again obliged to swallow i huge doses of common American manufac- i tured wines; and, to cap the climax, having i his valise cut into fragments while in a ho- 1 tel bearing an irreproachable reputation at ! the seat of the General Governmen " HOOP SKIRTS. The term " Crinoline," although properly belonging only to skirts manufactured of hair and thread, is now commonly used to desiguate all classes and conditions of ex- , pensive female undergarments, of whatever material. In this couutry, the genuine article is not frequently met with, a cheaper substitute, in which hoops are made to give the desired amplitude of pcrphcry, being better suited to the means cf our fair com- , munity at large. These hoop sKirts were first brought into favor in New Yo:k, through the enterprise of two young dry ( goods dealers of that city, who, some half dozen years ago, set their wits to work to take advantage of the growing demand for crinoline. Many methods for supplying this popular demand has been advised?the original crinoline being far too expensive to be indulged in by the many?but the substitutes invented and manufactured by these two dealers were the only ones that at all satisfied the public want; even their first attempt was only partially successful, the article still being too dear for the mass of wearers, but in good time they hit upon the idea of the skeleton skirt, constructed of hoop, which, although at first derided and plentifully abused, rolled itself rapidly ihto universal favor, and its inventors and proprietors into a fortune. It is believed to be a fact, that the hoop skirt was made by the firm in question, then Canal-street, New Ynrlr. about si* vears af?o. Since that time, the hoop skirt, like all modern institutions, has undergone various changes and improvements, until at last the principle of construction seems to have become finally established. The "crinoline" of the present day is no crinoline at all, but a number of steel hoops of different degrees of circumference, large near the hem of the skirt, and decreasing in regular gradation as they approach the waist, which are held in place by strips of tape, forming the skeleton, or, a somewhat more elegant style, are inserted in light muslin, scientifically cut and fashioned into the true symmetrical form.? Great difficulty was at first experiencedthere are difficulties to be overcome in all inventions?in obtaining proper material for the hoops themselves. Rattan proved to be clumsy, stiff and unmanageable; whalebone was found excellent in warm weather, but liable to snap short in winter; gutta percha, which can be applied to almost any use, failed in this connection; brass wire, coiled around cord was tried, but was too expensive; flat bands of brass had their turn, but did not possess the necessary elasticity, and inconvenienced the wearer; finally steel was looked up-.n as a dernier resort, but was thought entirely too costly. It was nevertheless used, at first by flattening round steel wire, which failed to give satis faction, on account of its liability to break, except where it was so large as to be heavy and too expensive. The method at last adopted, and which is now in use, is this: English sheet-steel, that comes four and a half to eight feet long, in bands about eight inches wide, is cut into ribands by steam-driven shears. These ribands arc tempered and straightened, and afterwards smoothed and polished by the following ingenious process: They are put into a long cylinder with a quantity of old broken glass, and the cylinder set revolving for some hours. When opened it is found that the glass is an ground into sman cuDes, and the rough edges of the steel rounded and made smooth. Last of all the ribands are passed between large, heavy rollers, which set the temper and leave them so that they will always return to their place when bent. After these preparations they are only to be made ready for the skeleton pattern, by being covered with cotton thread braided over the steel. Some statistics of the extent of business of these two manufacturers before mentioned, and the amount of material used by their employees, cannot fail to be of interest. In the department where the skirts are wrought together and finished, (the steel work is a separate affair, and is carried on in Connecticut, where sixty hands are employed,) they give occupation to four hundred persons, nearly the whole of them American girls, one hundred and eighty of whom are at work upon sewing machines which, with the hand sewing, use up every month two thousand dozen spools of cotton thread. An average of three thousand skirts are manufactured every day, at prices varying from 50 cents to 86 a piece, and comprising more than fifty patterns. The latest style is worth describing?it will be of profound interest ** mTrcfatnAtialn l'nonm. co iemiume, anuuu^u tujrowviiwu?y *MWU?prebensible to masculine, readers. It is a skeleton made of thirteen and a half yards of inch-wide tape, and three yards of narrow tape and some strips of muslin, and three and a half yards of corset lacing, with fifty-one metal clasps, slides, tubes, eyelets and hooks, and seven steel hoops, measuring fifty-four feet in length, covered with braid; with three bustle hoops of 1 whalebone, eight and a half feet long, cloth ( covered?the steel hoops being made to expand by slides, to suit the most expansive ideas; and yet the whole fabric weighs but twelve ounces and although it will keep its i place, it can be folded up small enough to i put in a carpet-bag or band-box without in- j jury. The retiil price of this article is a- ] bout $3. I We have stated that 3000 skirts are made ] each day, on an average. This is equal to < 75,000 a month or 900,000 a year. Of the ] materials used we will now give a few de- ] tails. In the first place, there is the plain i muslin. One Rhode Island cotton factory < (supplies, of one particular kind of eloth, j 2000 pieces per month?say 80,000 yards. Of all other kinds, about 70,000 yards are used. Half a million yardsof tape are also used up every month; 225,000 yards of twenty strand jute cord; 10,000 yards of hair-cloth; 2000 dozen spools of cotton; 2,800,000 eyelets, slides, clasps, tubes, books, &c. Although steel has been found to be the most suitable material for hoops, yet others have not been altogether put out of the question, because rattan and whalebone are not only still used to a large extent in cheap skirts for all the hoops, but they form a part of the material of nearly all of the steclhooped skirts. The manufacturers of whom we have been speaking will use up in the course of the present year, two thousand two hundred miles of hoops. The consumption, in feet in a month, of the various materials is as follows: 700,000 feetofsteel riband, 200,000 feet of round rattan, 100,000 feet of round oil-boiled whalebone?a million feet?which will give for the year within a fraction of 2257* miles of hoops.? Boston Courier. Life at Salt Lake.?Under this head, the California State Journal publishes an interesting article containing information furnished by a geutleman who has just returned from Salt Lake. We give an extract : uur lniorroanr states tint the rcmoos Echo Canon is well fortified, hnt the want of artillery among the Mormons rcudcr the fortifications much less formidable. There are deep and wide canals cut across the canon iD a great many places, and at some of these points there pre gulches running a short distance into the mountain from the end of the canal. Heavy stone forts are built in the gulches which command the passage of the canals, but iu these arc nothing but small arms The Mormons depend much upon rolling heavy rocks upon the troops from the mountain upon each side of the canon, the sides of which are some three hundred feet in height, and are of solid rock. The canon itself, averages from one hundred to two hundred feet in> width. A8 the rock rolling is a piece of sport not confined to one party, the American commanders may choose to play at the same game. We understand that the terrors of the pass referred to, are much exaggerated, and that the troops now at Utah could and would get through were it not for the snow. Our informant gives us some amusing instances of the working of the "peculiar system." He was present at a trial in one of the Wards of Salt Lake City, each of which has a Bishop of the Church. A complaint was made before the Bishop's Court, and the woman who appeared as plaintiff was the spiritual wife No. 2 of a man who had five wiv$3, and she was about thirty years of age. She complained that LaaJ Lrtw fiimiln anAnf oil nf kia artQfA tut; 11CUU Ul uci laiunj on vi uio o|/miv time with wife No. 5, and had not visited her room for three weeks. The husband made no defence, and the Bishop, by request of the jury, gave her a divorce in about twenty minutes. The same woman was married to aonther brother of the Church as his No. 2, in less than one week, she herself doing the courting. At the house where our hero boarded, there was a young girl of seventeen, and as he expressed it, she was "a real beauty." A young fellow of twenty-three was courting her, and his rival was one of the "apostles," a man of fifty. The old fellow represented to her that if she become his wife (his twelfth) she would be sure of salvation, as she would have a "head" that had been in the church twenty years, and had been fully tried, and that if she married the young man there was no certainty that he would not apostatize and go to California, and she would lose her crown of glory in heaven. The arguments of the old fogy were backed by her parentr, and the young lover lost his bride, who was duly "sealed" to the apostle. It is said that this is a common occurrence. Small Talk.?But of all the expedients to make the heart lean, the brain gauzy, and to thin life down into the consistency of a cambric handkerchief, the most successful is the little talk and tattle which, in sorue charmed circles, is courteously styled conversation. liow human beings can live on such meagre fare?how continue existence in such a famine of topics and on such a short allowance of sense?is a great question, if philosophy could oDly search it out. All we know is, that such men and women there are, who will go on from fifteen to fourscore, and never a hint on their tombstones, that they died at last of consumption of the head and marasmus of the heart! The whole universe of God, spreading out its splendors and terrors, pleading for their attention, and they wonder "where Mrs. Somebody got that divine ribbon to her bonnet ?" The whole world of literature, through its thousand trumps of fame, adjuring them to regard its garnered stores of emotion and thought, and they think, "It's high time, if John intends to marry Sarah, for him to pop the questionI" >Y tien, to D6 sure, tuia uiypciy ko o^/ivvu with a little envy and malice, and prepares its small dishes of scandal and nice bits of detraction, it becomes endowed with a slight venomous vitality, which does pretty well, in the absence of soul, to carry on the machinery of living, if not the reality of life. E. P. "Whipple. The Ass.?We all talk of the ass as the most stupid of the field, yet if any one shnts up a donkey in the same enclosure with half 3, dozen horses of the finest blood, and the party escape it is infallibly the poor donkey hat has led the way. It is he alone that penetrated the seoret of the bolt and latch. Often have we stood at the other side of the hedge, contemplating a whole troop of blood mares and their offspring patiently waiting, while the donkey was snuffing over a piece . jf work to which all bat he felt themselves incompetent.