Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, November 23, 1876, Image 1

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/ ? v PORT ROYAL Standard and Commercial. VOL. IY. NO. 51. BEAUFORT, S. C., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1876. $2.00 Off AHL Single Copy 5 Cents. -v 1 * '-^ 1^*. I raahfnn yfniam To Old Friends. ft v Whore are they scattered now, The old, old friends ? One made her dwelling where the m&plee c glow, B Anl mighty stream* through solemn forest fl flow, *] Bat never from the pine crowned land of j now I A message sends. r Home meet me oft amid Life's common ways; And then, perchance, a word or smile declares That warm hearts throb beneath their load of cares; ( For love grows on, like wheat among the tares, c Till harvest days. ' But some are fall'n asleepa The words are sweet! \ Oh, friends at rest beneath the blessed sod, My feet still tread the weary road ye trod t Ere yet yonr loving souls went baok to God ! 8 When eha'l we meet? c Oh, thon divinest Friend, 1 When shall it be That I may know them in thaj|^armente t white ? a And see them witn a new and clearer eight, 1 Mine old familiar rrienda?made fair and 8 bright. 1 Like onto Thee! t ON THE VERGE OF DEATH. \ f A GYMNAST'S ADVENTURE. 1 F \ I had among my fellow students a ? special renown for my skill in every kind of gymnastios. Athletic exercise, c in the widest sense of the term, was to c me a pleasure to which I had surrender- t ed myself, body and soul, and in oonse- (: quence of which I possessed, although f not tail and strong, some muscle and a t high degree of confidence, while I had c acq aired, ia perilous situations, pres- f euoe of mind?all of which qualities v form even now a considerable portion of g my character. When at last my studies a were ended, and I had obtained a situa- j. tion as pastor in western Germany, I did ^ not give up my old inclination for gymAt./l tl\A?A 1WACI AATievlntmKla folb jiddbioo) auu i uci c if ao ia/judiuvi oi/iv v?ma ? ooo tine day over the circumstance that e the voucg clergyman of the church of St. Blasins had been seen hanging in his 3 g trden i y his legs, and in. this headlong t position caressiug bis little eon, who was c c. awliLg under bun on the ground. I. p j&csscd such an article of humanity, y. s.uce, on my accession to the pastorate, e I* had steered into the harbor of matri- 0 inony. But my favorite diversion, when I had ^ a few leisure hiurs, and the sun was not 4 too scorching, cousistecf in climbing to s a narrow projection on the lofty church n roof, and walking about there while I c smoked my cigar. * What a maguiflcent place this old * church roof was! Quite aDother world ^ thin that which lay far below me?a re- j g;c>u of rock and stone, without vegetation or water, except when it rained, and the gutters were filled, in which case _ this spt cial realm presented little attraction. It was a world where I had often ti indulged in star gazing. u I regarded this airy region as my Q special province, where I reigned in soli- v tary majesty over my subj ots, consisting a . of daws and swallows?often very noisy f, and intolerable ones. It excited in me a merry, perhaps somewhat boyish u feeling, as I thought what a look my ? superintendent would put on when he t heard of my excursions in the narrow, Q gloomy towers, between great grinning j, stone heads, fat cherubs, scaly dragons f and gutters of zinc, or on the pinnacles f of the towers, from which was presented a wide prospect over a picturesque D landscape. . , Sometimes I climbed down in the c broad guttor in the middle of the roof, (J from which nothing was to be seen u above but the blue heavens and the jswarming swallows, and below, the * broad paved church square, on which, a ^ hundred aud twenty feet beneath, the a Deople crept about like ants. It was daring one of these exearsions 0 that the event occurred which I will re- i late, and which thoroughly qjred me j, for several months of my desire for t roof climbing. t I most first inform you that, around ^ the outside of the cathedral, just where the roof terminated, ran a smooth pro- it jeoting edge, about a foot wide. Under c this, considerably lower, just above the j great entrance gate, was a huge stone K projection, which formerly supported a j, colossal figure ox St. Peter, holding a v great iron lantern. The statue had long c ago disappeared, and half of the lan- j tern was broken off, so that what was left had the appearance of an arm chair a without legs. t, Standing on the stone eaves one day, ^ above this relic of past centuries, the j? thought suddenly seized me that it would ^ be an amusement of a new and origiual ^ kind to swing mpself down and enjoy n my cigar in this fantastic arm chair. ^ Without hesitating a moment, I . turned around, kneeled down, seized t; the eaves with convulsive grasp, and the next instant was dangling in midair \} over the abyss, more than a hundred feet from the earth. u As I looked, in this situation, under me at the defective lantern, I found it- - A T L J: .*4 _ Ul&t A WJHS UUI< Uirounj^ UYCt IK 1UUCCU, j. it was two feet further from the wall than I had thought. e This circumstance, however, caused J( me little anxiety. Giving myself a swing, by which I easily pressed one L foot against the building, I sprang safe- a, ly into my resting place in the broken jj lantern. a, Here I sat a long time, smoking my cigar, drumming with my heels on the r< wall, and complacently enjoying the oocl of the evening and the magnificent prospect. The sun was setting before I thought n of undertaking my return, which I was r especially induced to do by the eight fj of one or two persons, who were stand- v. J I gazing up at me. \ three minutes before quite t! >ople ha l gathered abont h r the spectacle of a man h Peter's lantern. v thought I, "it is now b J Some one will find out b I then there will be a pretty 1 / J v ;oesip in the place." Brit I suddenly >ecame aware that return was not so asy. My seat was so constructed that I ould not lise in iry usual way. The ides of the lantern were of smooth iron, >nd so high that I could get no hold. Chere was nothing left me but to press ay hands upon the seat behind me, uise myself so, and draw my legs after ne until they could rest between my lands upon the lantern. Then I could ise to my full height, and turn around >n my own axis. This way of raising yourself every jymnast knows and practices, but every me knows, too, what an exertion of nuscular strength in hands and arms is leceesary in this procedure, and that my mistake would occasion a failure? lerhaps, too, a fall below. Now, there is a vast difference beween a bar erected on level ground, ~ ^ A*> fVin wo 11 A! Q kliU tui UVU 1B11VC1U Uli uiu nau v> u ihurch a hundred feet high, from which , fall upon the rough pavement must Lave an absolutely fatal effect. The more I considered my situation he less it pleased me, and there I sat ind smiled feebly at the multitude beow, which increased every moment, ahamed to cry for help, or make known ay fear. " Well," said I t? myself, "if I sit iere any#longer I shall lose every favorible chance to escape. It is ludicrous o become bewildered, like a child that ias gore astray in climbiDg, quite aside rom the astonishment that the story nust cause, if it comes to the ears of my >arishioners and supporters. Up, then! ! will close my eyes and act as if I rere performing on the soft turf of my garden." ^ In the space of a minute I stood on ay legs in the lantern, and wondered at ny foolish weakness, when I observed, o my terror, that I still had the most lifficult part of my undertaking to perorm. Raising my hands above my head o 3eize the smooth stone eaves, I be:ame aware that they were at least a oot and a half beyond my reach. In rain did I rise on my tiptoes and tretch out my arms convulsively; it eemed highly probable that I should lave to spend the night in this situaion. This was truly no avreeable oonsideraion ; for the seat was only just large nough for me to sit upright in it, and f I fell asleep, which was possible, I hQuld be precipitated headlong upon ho pavement. . Then they could collect ay bones the next morning. it this critical moment 1 was rejoiced >y the appearance of the sexton on the " *-- ? ???i ? ?j uvea, no nau misseu tut*, uuu uuu ome to seek me. "Silbermann," I cried, interrupting lis exclamations of astonishment, "1 m, as you see, in a peculiar dilemma, j ince r cannot reach the eaves. You aust help me. It is no use to bring a ope, since yon would not have room to -race yourself. If you bend down, howver, and reach me your hand, you can xert your entire strength, and raise me. fou are a powerful man, and I am not >erticularly heavy." " Oh, sir, I am sure that I cannot lift cu 1" he replied. " My good man, you must I" I assertd. "I cannot indeed pass the whole light in this situation, and, moreover, I aight ^ack up my bundle to-morrow oi mediately, when this stupid story beame known. Do not be foolish, thereore, and give me your hand." In reply the sexton crouched down Luwillingly, and stretched out his hand, rnich I firmly seized with both mine by he wrist, while I swung myself out into aidair. I felt one or two convulsive erks, and was drawn up about half a oot, but then at once let down again, le could not raise me. I looked up. Such a visage as met Ciy gaze, may I never in my life ^ee gain 1 It was palo as death; the proruding eyes stared with the expression >f measureless terror into the abyss beleath us and a cold sweat stood upon lis forehead. 44Let go!" he cried. ' Curses npon you, let go! You will ireak my arm ! I can hold on no longer, nd shall be dashed in pieces !" Qe wailed like a child, at this moment I extreme peril. My hair rose?my rain reeled. I expected myself every ustant to plunge below. My deRpera" ? ? y. MM AM/1 T mOQ f ion gave mo uuiuuerw, uiu x ??o umrised at the clearness and consistency rith which I spoke. 44 Silbermann," I said, 44 listen to me, nd cease this unreasonable Clamor. I an feel that you are gaining the counerpoise more and more every successive econd. If I let go of yon I shall persh; if not, we both will, and I assure on that 1 shall not let go, as long as I an hold on. ?ou had better, therefore, jaw me up at once." I saw that he set his teeth together, nd closed his eyes. Then followed a srrible exertion of strength, and I was neeling upon the eaves. The sexton ly beside me in a deep swoon. I now ore him carefully through the trapdoor d the vestry, and gave him water, so bat he soon recovered consciousness; ut neither of us has ever forgotten that erilous adventure upon the eaves of ic church roof. " il Jl 1 As lor myseir, tnree mourns pastseu uy cfore 1 again trod this almost fatal lace, and yon can easily imagipe that I voided St. Peter's lantern like fire. The sexton kept the secret, assuring iquisitive qaestioners that an eccentric laglishman, traveling through the oounry, had taken his seat in the lantern, nd this version of the story was curently believed. Although the gymnastic mania was ot entirely frightened out of me by this dventure, it only remained in a modi-1 ed form, and I have since confined my thlotic exploits to places less perilous lan the scene of those moments of ter3r. As Bishop Tuttle, of Montana^ was raking his annual visitation last July a uichman and his wife brought their rmily to be baptized. Among them as a fine baby boy of six months. I Vhen the bishop asked the names of lie chiidren the mother gave as the aby's name " Bishop Tuttle." The ishop mildly suggested his first name ;as Daniel, but the mother conld not ie driven from her resolution, and the aby was accordingly baptized Bishop tattle Curtis. Humorous Farm Notes. XOVZMHB. The beautiful, frolicksome grasshoppers have now crawled into their holes for winter. No more will we hear them i singing on the fences or in the verdant : trees. Not much any more. The bull- i frog's melodious voice is hushed and the mudturtle dove has hid herself in the i depths of the green waters. Woj-k on the farm now will not be so < heavy as some other months. Still, you i can put in time shelling your hay and buckwheat cakes and properly storing ' 'em away in the loft. I Toward the latter end of this month i Thanksgiving will threaten. It comes very hard on those not prepared for it. Sometimes occasionally. Now fatten your vegetables and store your poultry away in a warm, dry oellar, free from frost. For Thanksgiving dinner have turkey by all means. Early rose turkeys, crossed with Hartford prolific, fatten best and make the most savory pie. DECEMBER. This is the month of fnn and biled cider, and Christmas and mince pies and corn shnckings and sich. A reaper is a nice thing to shuck oorn with. I have i frequently started 'for home with my reaper on my back, went out to the crib and shucked several hundred bushels before breakfast. Look out for some snow this month, i Potato bugs won't tronble your vines : after the snow falls on 'em. The bugs | don't like snow. This is snow joke. Now kill your smoked hams and side < meat and butcher your dried beef. Christmas was discovered a great many years ago by a chap named Judas. The hop market will be lively this month. Now set out your winter wheat; mulch well, but do not prune too closely. Poets have called this month "gloomy, cold December;" but, then, that depends altogether upon the weather, you know. JANUARY. Now look for a " corner " in ioe, especially if your boots haven't got nails in 'em. At the front end of this month a new year comes in. So the almanac says. It's very easy to see where I left off my old boots, as I gaze with fond emotion on my new French calf box-toed ones, but this New Year business gits me rather badly. About this time newspaper offices look out for " Odes to the dying year." They are generally owed for, too. Fix up your fiahiDg lines and air your woolens and furs. Dig your winter apples and mow your cabbage. The Golden Sebright Bantam is, perI hnna. the best cabbaee crown, though some prefer the Chester White, as they don't eat near so much as other kinds and keep fatter on less feed. Hoe your squashes and examine your strawberry beds for grub worms. A grub hoe is the best thing to do it with. Gather your radishes and drain the water off your swamp land. If you haven't any swamp land to drain, drain the cider barrel or something else. A farm isn't worth a sou markee unless there is a drain on it. And the rosy (nosy) month of January is just the time to do this woik in. A Disgusted Widow. i Capt. W. has just returned from the Warm Springs. The captain is a ' widower. At the springs was a widow who rather set her cap for the captain/ The girls told him to look out, and the captain replied, well, he was ready. Sitting out on the portico one even- J ing, the cool breeze fanning like a tencent palmleaf, and thinking of his daugh- 1 tors far away at school, the widow moved 1 up close by and opened conversation. ' " I hear, captain, you have grown up j laughters." 1 "Yes, madam, I have." "How I should like to see their 1 pictures." 1 "I will show you a pioture of my .rU.lsini- -Innrtli" aoi/] fha nontnin hanr]. ' (UUOOV UaUgUWA y MMtv? ?**v vwywi.i.| ing her one. 1 "Oh, ouch a sweet faoe," said the j widow; "and such a fine eye. Isn't ' she called like you, captain?" , " I don't know, madam, that she is." : "It is a wonder to me, Captain W., } you do not get married." j "Well, ma'am, I never think of it; j for the woman I'd have might not have mo, and then, you k^ow, vice versa." " Yes, but what kind of a lady would J buit yon?" and the widow looked her * sweetest. ' It was right here that the captain's ] wonderful nerve never forsook him, but j settling his eye steadily at the widow'3, ] he hardened his heart and replied: j " Madam, she must be ninety-five years ' old to a second, and worth two hundred J thousand dollars." * " It is getting so chillly out here I j must go for my shawl," said the widow; ! and she looked frigid zones at the cap- : tain as she brushed him by with a toss of 1 her head. j Punctuate to Suit. * ( The following can be used for either a ? I friend or an enemy, according to the j \ way you punctuate it: E "He is an old-and experienced man in vioe an.t wickedness he is never found in opposing the works of iniquity he tik< 8 delight in the downfall of his neighbors he neVer rejoices in the prosperity of any of his fellow creatures he is always ready to assist in destroying the peace of society he takes no pleasure in serving the Lord he is uncom- j monly diligent in sowing discord among c I his friends and acquaintances he takes c ; no pride in laboring to promote the g : c uise of Curistianity he has not been e negligent iu endeavoring to stigmatize all public teachers he makes no efforts t to snbduo his evil passions he strives t | bar 1 to build up satan's kingdom he s | le nds no aid to the support of the On- b : pel among the heathen he contributes c largely to the evil adversity he pays t : great heed to the devil he will never go \ to heaven he mn?t go where he will re- f 1 ceive the just lecompense of reward." j Pa:isians dress their children in richer c [ materials than do the English women, j \ FARMING BY WHOLESALE. How Thlrtjr-Slx Thousand Acre* of WtaenC are Headed and Stored la Two Dlontha. Glen farm, on the Sacramento river, in California, contains fifty-six thousand acres, of which thirty-six thousand acres are sown with grain. The ranch is ran by laborers, and constitutes a little city of itself. When work is in full running order, say in July, it is oarried on from seven different points. At this time the working force is nine hundred people, and they have the latest improved .machinery to aid them. The grain is cut with headers, leaving the straw to be plowed in as manure. The headers used have sickle blades from twelve to sixteen feet long, and just above this knife is a revolving frame that catches the tops of the grain stalks and bends them over the blade. After the sickle has done its work, the heads of the grain, together with the portion of the stalk that has been cut off with them, fall to the rear upon a traveling belt some forty inohes broad, which, running up over a shoot projected from the left side of the header, carries the grain out of the header and tips it overboard into a header wagon, which is always in attendance. One working party consists of one separator, five or six headers, one engine, some twenty-five header wagons, seventy or eighty men, and the same number of horses and mules. Most oi the men are Americans, but there is a sprinkling of three or four other /aces; among them, strange to say, the Portuguese. The work is systematized thus: One of these working* parties places itself in a oertain position, and then cuts over an allotted section. For example: in case a mile square of grain is to be out and thrashed, the area is [divided, suppositious^, into nine equal parts, and the working force attacks each of these ir regular order, advancing from one tc another on successive days. Suppose that ugon one of the man) days of the harvest season you get oul of' bed at an unusually early hour, and again climb to the house top. You will sweep the horizon with youi glass. Hardly to be seen, even with that, are some curiously shaped dots, moving slowly hither and thither. The) seem to prawl like insects, some going north, some south, some east, and some west. After a while you will distinguish that nearly every one of these dots is ol a deep red color. A little later you recognize the awkward shape of the separators, and the broad topped fan uels of the engines. Throngs of people, most of them in wagons, yet some afoot, follow on behind. After a while all of these now widely separated groupt will come to a standstill. They have taken up their positions for the on slaught upon the grainfields as deliberately and with as muoh thought a* batteries take up positions for battle. When one of these corps approachee its station, a header, with its attendaul wagons, is sent forward to ont a clear place ior the center of the area to bt worked npon that day. The machine it pressed upon the wheat, devouring it ak it goes, and then, having accomplished a proper distance, turns and works in s circle, catting out a bare spot from three to five acres in extent. This if the point from which seventy acres oi wheat are to be hewed down, cast intc the thrasher, and sacked for market before sundown. Then the separator aud engine, and fill the teams, move forward up the laue, and into the circle. The first comes to a halt in the center, the second takes up its position in the rear, and the headers at once attaca the wheat; the first taking the first swath of the encircling grain, the next the se ond, a Little in the rear, and so on. . The belting between the engine and senarator is adjusted, and the engineer 3tarts his fires. The shoots that are to convey the grain from the canvas on the ground upon which it is pitched from the header wagons are attached, and the bag tillers bring up their sacks. All the lids that cover the inner works of the great machine are drawn over and all is made fast. The wheels are locked, as are those of the engine. Great care is taken to keep all things on as perfect level ae may be, to insure the proper economy ol foroe. They try the engine. It is all right, rhe separator clatters in tune, and nothing is amies. Now, then, for the grain ! tu a moment the wagons begin to unload. Hnge forkfuls are pitched upon the ground, from which-it is borne into the recesses of the separator. Then there ensues a strange combination of ;remendous noises?a sound of grinding, i sound of brushing, a sound of thumping, and a sound of roaring. The entire 'abrio shivers from top to bottom, and from out every crevice there pours a ;hin sheet of dust. The upper part Delches out the waste, hundreds of pounds and tons of chaff, and a stifling jloud follows it. In a second everything s on springs. The men who fill the Dags hang them at the edges of the roughs. The brown flood comes pourng down?a stream of clear kernels of vbeat?and the day's work fairly begins. Prom the largest separator in the field ;here run out six sacks, or eight hunIred pounds of grain, fit for market, sach minute. This machine, one day in iugust, 1874, thrashed five thousand ieven hundred and seventy-nine bushels, [ts owner calls it the Monitor. All the mgines have names as well?Gladiator, Phoenix, Mars, and the like. No one vould ever be mad enough to call one >? these Ceres, for instance. There is 10 suggestion of gentleness, or grace, or Doetry, in the whole field. All is ingervnA/tloiAn fnroo A ffl V of lUilfJl ^/ICVilOiUU) V&VIVA} AVAWf ? W-J ?idmiration rises to one's lips time and igain, bnt the sensation is the same that >ne feels npon witnessing a string of ten itrikes in a bowliDg alley, only a thouland times extended. It is great to see the headers keep ;heir circles of destruction, hewing down he fair expanse of bowing golden heads is a ship hews down the crested waves, ind to hear the smooth, nnending clickslack of their glistening sickles. Even he movements of the ungainly red ragons that wait npon them have an unfiling order that has a strange power to )lease. Mofct of the men are dressed in brown anvas jumpers and overalls, and wear >road brimmed hats of straw or felt, Not one of them is idle, nor seems to wish to be. Most of . them are driving. Some are pitching, a few are feeding the separator, a few more are filling, sewing ( and carrying away the bags, and some 1 are brushing away the heaps of chaff. 1 Early in the day there is plenty of talk and laughter, but later on, as the work 1 tells and the sun grows hot, the tongues 1 become silent, and the hubbub of the ' machines alone fills the air. > At noon a huge van is driven upon the j field, laden down with a dinner of meat, ; vegetables and pies, all well cooked and > very palatable. Farm hands, like fisher- 1 men, nowadays are epicures. This van 1 is so constructed that its sides form broad tables. The cooks who serve J stand in the body of the wagon, and the diners range themselves around the outi side. All are sheltered by a screen of ' wood or canvas overhead. > By nightfall all the seventy acres are i bare; that is, not a head of wheat is left, i A trampled stubble higher than one's ; knee remains to tell the tale, but all the beanty and worth have departed, and 1 i the place is desolate. To-morrow the i same scene * ill be enacted in another section of the same size, and a similar - bustle and nproar will ensue, and a similar pile of plethoric brown bags > piled very high will reward the labor of the day. It must he remembered that there are i six other corps, exactly like the one de! scribed, at work simultaneously upon \ the Glenn ranch. Seven throngs of men ; and two hundred and fifty machines will labor incessantly for over two months to deplete these vast fields of their splen> did yield. i _______________ i > A War Lasting One Hundred and Thirteen Year.-, , Isabella was the daughter of a French l king in the fourteenth oentury, and the ) wife of an English one, Edward II., who was deposed by his Parliament, and r murdered in a dungeon in Berkley . castle. This Isabella was perhaps the [ cause of more misery to both England and France than any woman who ever lived. She became the enemy of her spouse, returned to France and fomented a rebellion against him, kept the young prince (her son, who afterward became Edward Ilf.) away from his father, invaded England with an army, and assisted in defeating and deposing her husband the king. Edward III. claimed the throne of France as the grandson of the father of Isabella, which olaim was opposed by another scion of royalty. Then cornmenced a sanguinary war, which lasted one huudred and thirteen years, in which the Black Prinoe, son of Edward III., the Duke of Bedford, King John of France, Joan of Arc and many other historic personages figured conspicuously. The spirit in which it was prosecuted may be judged by that in which it was commenced. The knights and gentlemen of England assembled under the presidency of the crown, and bound themselves " to ravage and massacre without pity, to spare neither mill nor altar, nor pregnant ?o]ofiro nrtf frionrl " Frnm | WUUiUlty ill/1 H71HV1TV UV* | 1337 to 1450, with short intermissions, i was the deadly work prosecuted, sons ( and grandsons and great grandsons esi pousing and bequeathing the quarrels | of their progenitors. Nobles, ecclesiastics and common people shared alike the cruel destruction. At times France, I which was the theater of the war, be| came so impoverished that many of her . citizens starved to death, and the various provinces were so alienated tjiat | they almost ceased to be a nation. And , for what was this war of over a century's I duration waged ? Not for the good of the people, but for the ambition of would-be sovereigns. I Kings and dukes in those days claimed ! not only certain countries, but also the ( people who inhabited them. They arro( gated the right to force them from their ( homes and pit them against each other, , as at Crecy and Agincourt, until the J ground was soaked with blood and the . corpses were piled high on each other. Their motto was ' rule or ruin," and | while they did not always succeed in ruling, they never failed in ruining, j Since 1450 the race has made some ! progress in the right direction. The thirty years' war of the German reformation, and the wars of Napoleon from 1793 to 1815 were certainly long enough. But since then we recall no great war between so-called Christian nations which has continued longer than three or four years. For the Court to Decide. Somewhere about a score of years ago, while Neal Dow's law was in full force, an incident transpired in the court held in Paris, Me., worth recording. Judge X. was on the bench. He was a genial, jolly soul in society, but inclined to be a little testy sometimes in judicial harness. The case on trial was the State vs. a hotelkeeper, and the complaint was sale of liquor. One of the principal 1 witnesses was Biogulady obtuse. He did not like to lie, nor did he seem anxious to tell the whole truth. He confessed to having made a purchase, but 1 he could not tell what he purchased nor could he remember what he had asked for. At leDgth the county attorney asked him: 44 Did you drink any of it ?" 44 Not thar." ! 44 Well, did you drink it anywhere ?" 441 piust a* done it." 44How did it taste?" 441 couldn't say." 44 Yes, you can say. Certainly you \ J can tell me how it tasted." i( I At this point the court interposed. |, The question was deemed trifling and out of place. Why do you press it," the judge demanded. "Well, your honor," replied the at-1 torney, " it is very evident that the witness bought liquor of the defendant, and we want to know what description of liquor it was. As the witness refuses to tell me what it was, I thought if he would only tell how it tasted the court might be able to determine for,itself." The audible smile that followed, inside and outside the bar, told that the hit was understood and appreciated. . I A striving evening dress is one of j blaok and silver, trimmed with poppies, j a nero flrrrim* Albany de Fonmanquy the British oonsul at New Organs, ggkes as follows bo the RepubliqLr^jtMmt oity: On the seventh of <^top^lab9, the Brit^, ish steamship (*j?aught; 4,000 tdre/ sprung a leak which gained upon her so rapidly that by the next morning the water had extinguished her engine fires, leaving her a coffin for 601 humau be-' ings, sinking slowly bnt surely hr a heavy sea. In this condition, and while 150 miles from Boston harbor, * fire (which had been smoldering for some days, unknown) biutffcout, and doubled the chances for (jflh She was an iron ship, and soon iJWiaes became so hot that tLey hissed and steamed as she rolled, deeper and deeper. There was a race between,.strafed water^w; all those lives, apcT Jfo file best tljjRould the boats not be able W save a third of tmm from one death or the other. The American brig Minnie Schaefer, 198 tons, Captain John Wilson, saw the blazing sinking steamer, and bore down JflQer assistance. So slow anddriflyflMs the labor of get* ting thflfl^JPg0fcto and boats ti^pPtwo hnndr?fl^^^B transferr^Ro the brig befo?^HHP Then John Wilson said : "It l^Erior rible thing to see them going down and so many people yet on board the wreck, settling down and burning np. I will do all in my power to save them." He nobly kept his word. As good a sailor as he was a man, he came down to the leeward of the wreck, made fast to her, and before midnight the last man on her deck?the captain?had passed into the brig safely. Try to picture it. A great ocean steamer, with water pouring in from without to fill her up and fire roaring within to bnrn her down ; over four hundred lives in the balance. Any lurch she made might have been her last, and if she had rolled over and sunk?what hope lor the little brig ! She did not sink just then. John Wilson left her, a sheet of flame, and landed his priceless cargo safe at "generous Boston." In recognition of his courage, humanity and good seamanship the British government gave him a gold watch and chain. The company to which the Connaught belonged pre sented him witfl $1,500; Boston added a silver service and medals; testimonials and subscriptions in plenty came in. Nor were his crew forgotten in the genoral enthusiasm. Then came the war. Some sums granted to him were withdrawn ; property in which he had invested his money was destroyed. He is sixty-four years of age, is dieabled by tailing eyesight from following his profession ; his wife is a confirmed invalid ; all his testimonial gifts have been sold or left iu pledge for bread, and this once self-reliant and always^ brave and true man is utterly destitute. Shall we not Viiu Amn irhrdll And HftVS : piUa|/UXOQU JUAO VfVM *v I - ? . "This is a horrible affair, to see the sun going down upon the wreck with sp much good yet on board. We will do all in our power to help him." Before I make an appeal abroad for thisafHoted hero, it is only fair that his countrymen should be given the opportunity?I may almost say the privilege?of assisting him. What War Will Do. jr The leading journals of the United States figure that a general war in Enrope will make business lively on this side of the water. It will increase the price of grain, as the grain growing countries of the old world will be shut ont of foreigu markets. The New York Tribune says : In many branches of manufacture the disturbance in Europe would help us, either by preventing the shipment of surplus products here, or by increasing the demand for our products abroad. The iron, woolen, and j boot and shoe manufactures, with many , of minor importance, will be affected in ' g< eater or lesser degree. The surplus capital of Europe must turn more and more to seek security across the ooean, and United States bonds must advance. Other undoubted American securities will be sought, and many millions of foreign eapital will find safe employment here. These investments and loans will go far to stimulate our in dustry. There is reason to suppose that unsound concerns will escape loss through a geneipl and indiscriminate advanee of stocks and bonds. European investors have acquired a profound distrust of most American enterprises. They are no longer cheated by the tricks of speculators, which fix an artificial price on the stock board. Strong foreign demand for securities that are known to be of real value will only bring into clearer light the weakness of those which enjoy no confidence abroad. If France, Germany or England engages in the struggle, financial consequences of the gravest importance may result. If France, for example, should be compelled to unlock its immense storq of coin, if Germany should be forced to abandon for a time its changes in currency, if England should be threatened in India or met by a foe capable of disturbing its commerce by maritime warfare, the effects in this rountry might be indefinitely increased. Bat as matters stand, a prospect of war in Europe is a prospect of higher prices for breadstuffs and provisions, larger demand in sound American securities, lower gold, and improved business. New Use for a Head. Robert Meyer, the foreman of the | Grould & Carry mine at Virginia City, was struck by a descending cage. This accident was one of the strangest on record. Meyer was standing in the pump shaft, and was looking through into the south compartment of the main abaft, when a double decker cage and two cars descended and struck him on the head, and cut off his ear. Meyer's bead stopped the ckges in their deeoent by instantaneously oausing a slack in the jable, and adjusting the safety catches :o the guides. Everyone present at the < ;ime, and those c -nversant with the abaft, express the greatest surprise that lis neck was not broken instantaneousy. It can only be accounted for by the : *ct that the cages were descending very jlowly at the time. Meyer was badly rat not seriously hurt. i * IA9IUVU iivivm Sealskin is slowly losing ground. All new fans are of medinm size. Bibbed stockings are fashionable. r Isolds, as trimmings, are again oamin^ ' in vogne. Breakfast sqf&s of brigj^^fs are worn again. ' For will Jaetfised for dress trimmings in mid^?r Beads of silver or gold are the new necklaces in filigree work. . " lovisible setting " is now preferred for all jewels and gems. Myrtle green and sky bine are com* bined foi^vening dresses. Armhoks of waists and polonaises are corded again witn tine oora. China plates now have the monogram or initial letter in the center. seams of polonaises and basques*re corded with large oord. Leader belts pointed back and front, points laced, are quite new. J^RTstumes with baeqnoH having Loois All. skirts are stmggling into fashion. Presses are cut longer on the shoulders than they have been for some time heretofore. No suit is complete unless it has a large handsome pocket on one side of the overdress. Silk handkerchiefs, with the border and the inside of the same color, ace new and pretty. The hair is to be worn further off the forehead this season than for some time heretofore. Collars and cuffs made of linen, having a fluted raffle edged with black, are very stylish for second mourning. Bonnets made of white illusion, white Spanish lace, and delicately tinted flowers, are in favor for theaters and operas. Many of the winter cloaks have long pointed hoods, lined with plaited silk, ' and ornamented with a cord and tassels. Bonnets made of rich black lace and cardinal red silk, with feathers and flowers to match, are exceedingly pretty for evening wear. Instead of elastic for fastening on hats, small combs are used, which are fastened to the hat by means of a safety . pin attached to the o?mb. English and American Tramps. Our own English tramps, says George Augustus Bala, are idle, worthless and sometimes ruffianly "cadgers." Yet they are usually, arrant cowards, far more given to beating their womankind than to assaulting persons of their own sex, and destitute alike of the cunning *.nd the resolution necessary for the execution of a Mput up" robbery. English tramps form a mysteriously hereditary raoe of "gutter bloods." The grandest names aud titles die, Be Vere expires, Bohun fades out, Mortimer is but a noise, and " more and most Plantagenet vanishes ;" but the great tramp family lives on; it has thus continued in an unintermitting stream from oentury to century, and has so lived among us, and upon us, ever since the Beforma- tion. The English tramp has ever been a mere canting, whining, shuffling sneak. The American tramp seems to be cast in a far different mold. In caliber he belongs to the mighty and the strong. He is the horror of ldnely housewives whose husbands are out in the fields; and when he meets a little school maid carrying her dinner in a basket he bids the child, in a voice of timnder, " git out of that," and at once appropriates and devours the savory cakes, lu the State of Illinois alone there was recently, it is reported, an army of these stalwart mendicants five hundred strong roving in a body across tbo country, and defying the authorities to- disperse them. The American vagrant would, in fine, appear to be a combination of the English " casual" proper with the indigenous "loafer," "plug ugly," "blood tub," "shoulder hitter.'' and "dead rabbit." He is the rowdy en catnpagne, the "Bowery bhoy" writ large and ^ felonious; and the necessity which must soon arise for devising means to repress him will serve mournfully to convince onr cousins that they are no longer a new nation, and that they are beginning to be called upon for the income tax assessed on all established races. A Singular Case. At Montbeison, Franoe, not long ago, the magistrate was called upon to adjudge a somewhat singular case. Jean Marie Baron, aged thirty-seven, a wellto-do farmer of Ponclus, had for three or four vears entertained the hallucina tion that some of his neighbors, jealous of his prosperity, had combined to injure him by witchcraft. His cows fell sick, his wheat withered, ahd he himself had singular fits of oppression and despoudenoy at the sight of the . objectionable persons. He consulted several doctors, even going to Lyons for treatment, but as they all derided his story, he resolved to pat in practioe the remedy suggested by a village crone? namely, to draw blood from each of his persecutors. Accordingly, he armed himself with a number of stout pins with glass heads, hid himself near the parish church door on a procession day, when.the whole community would naturally anther there, and. falling suddenly upon his victims, planted a pin in each with remarkable vehemence. Mr. and Mrs. Reynaud and Miss Je&nette Badieu complained to the police of the assault. Baron declared, with an air of happiness, that he was guilty ; that he bore no ill will to the oomplainante; tuat he had to do what he had dene, and it proved effectual, as he and his cattle had recovered their health. The jndge endeavored to convince him that he had never been " possessed," but the prisoner retorted unanswerably that until he bad assaulted his tormentors he had suffered, whereas, from the very moment that he had drawn blood, he and his beloved cattle had enjoyed perfeet health, so that infallibly he must in the first place have been bewitched. He was sentenced to fifteen days' imprisonment, receiving his punishment gleefully, "since," he said, "that is not so much to undergo as the price of one's health and lock." # ? . ^ M