The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, March 10, 1887, Image 7
r
PRODUCTS OF THE PINE.
SCENES IN A NORTH CAROLINA
TURPENTINE FOREST.
How the Turpentine is Obtained
? -v - m ? ?r
ironi uiu irees?rruicss i??
tillation?Utilizing Pine Leaves.
The turpentine or long leaf pine region
of North Carolina lies east of theCreat
Pee Dee River, which crosses the State
near its centre and is the dividing line
between the hill country -ud the low- 1
lands or 9andy section. A large body of
long leaf pines is called a "flat," and
one could not well imagine a more desolate
place than one of these Hats. It s
covers probably 500 acres?sometimes
more?and one may traverse its entire
length and breadth without seeing so 1
much as a daisy or bluebell, the most
common of flowers, to relieve the rao- i
notony of pines. It is literally a forest
of pines, which rear their giant forms ]
fortv, sixty, a hundred feet high. The j
^ i *; ;?U1_ ?? or. :
truuKs are mvuriuuijr a > ck> ,
arrow" and free from limb or branch un- i t
til within about fifteen feet of the top, h
where the limbs branch out and give the
top the appearance of an expanded um- j J
brella. j i
Every turpentine forest, no matter t
how large, is divided up into crops of !
8,0JO and 10,000 trees. The first step , c
in working a virgin forest is the hqxin?r t
of the trees. For this purpose an axe, e
much longer and narrower than the ordinary
"club axe," is used, and it occu- ,j
pies the time of two men for a week or
ten days in boxing a crop. The box is ^
cut on the side of the tree most exposed
to the sun and about two feet from the :
ground. It is eight to ten inches across j
the face and about four inches deep,
shaped somewhat like the buckets on a | t
grain elevator. .Each box holds from a c
pint to a quart of turpentine. After the c
trees have all been boxed they are left 1
alone for about a week, at the expiration a
of which time the ground has all to be c
gone over again. This time the boxes I a
are "cornered," that is, two or three i
more chips are taken from the corners ?
of the boxes, thus exposing a little more i
broken surface to tne acuou 01 me sun,
for, it must be understood, no turpentine 3
exudes from the tree except where , i
the bark is removed. Now begins the j f
work in earnest. At intervals of one : i
week the crop has to be gone over 1
and each tree "chipped" or "hacked." [1
This process consists of beginning at i
the upper edge of the box and at each j
round taking off a strip of bark about j
three inches in width, inclining from the J
outer edge of the tree and converging in i
the centre. As the bark is removed the ; 1
tnrpentine spontaneously exudes from 1
the tree and runs down into the boxes <
which were first cut near the bottom of ]
the tree. When the tree has been hacked '
as high up as it can be reached, then ! i
comes the more laborious worhof "pull- j |
ing." This is virtually the same as i
hacking, the difference being that an <
oval-shaped tool is used, to which is at- j <
tached a handle ten or twelve leet in I
length. The "pulling" is continued un- j i
til the tree is stripped of its bark up j <
about twenty feot, which is as high as it1 <
can be successfully worked.
Dnrlnrr nil this nrocessof hackinir and ! i
palling the boxes have tobc dipped reg- 1j
ularly about once a week. Barrels are
placed through the forest at convenient ; i
intervals, and the ''dippers," provided
with buckets and small* vessels fur dip- |
ping the turpent:ne out of the boxes, go
through the forest and collect the tur- j,
pentine which has accumulated in the j j
boxes and empty it into fhe barrels. ,
After a forest has been worked over ,
one time and all the turpentine has been ]
procured from the first boxing it is again
gone over and back boxed?that is, the
other side of the tree is boxed and it is |
worked just as in the lirst instance. From ,
thjs working as good a yield is often obItained
as from the first, though the j (
turpentine is not always of as good
quality. After the tree has been worked j
the second time they are no longer of any |
value as turpentine producers, but are I
then cut down and coverted into lumber
and shingles. When a forest of long
leaf pine is cut down and destroyed the
growth which follows it is invariably the
short leaf pine, which does not produce
turpentine indeed, it is fit for nothing
but fence rails and fire wood.
HH The process of converting crude tur tfjT
pentine into spirits and resin is an interHp
esting one, and yet it is difficult of lucid
Jgf description. A still consists simply of a
large copper vessel and a ''worm." The
vessel or pot is built up in strong masonry.
with a furnace underneath. By
the side of this a tankF built, in which is
placed the "worm.'' a spiral-shaped coil j
of p'ping. and the tank is tilled with 1
-water. The pot or still is then filled i
with crude turpentine and a "cap" is ;
placed over the top of the still. From !
the cap a copper pipe runs to and c?m 1
nects witn me worm in me ranis, care j
being taken that no crevice is left through
which the steam can escape. A tire is ;
then built in the furnace under the still
and the turpentine is soon boijing. The
steam generated by the boiling turpentine,
having no other means of escape,
passes through the copper piping attached
to the ''cap,"and from thereinto
the worm in the tank. The worm, b.-ing I
kept constantly coveied with cool water, I
condenses the steam and it passes out of
the worm into a tank provided for the
purpose, a ad is then ready to be barreled
and shipped. During the process
of boiling care must be taken to keep a
good fire, for if it is allowed to die down
the turpentine will boil over. If the j
least particle of it comes in contact with
the fire there is no extinguishing it.
When a "run"' has been made and1
all tho spirits extracted from the turpentine,
what is left in the still is called !
rosin. That is. it is the crude turpentine
from which thb spirits have been
extracted. This rosin is taken from the
still and nut into barrels for shipment.
It is also called pitch, and is used prin- j
cipally for calking ships and vessels.
Kven the straw (or leaf) of the long !
fi*d. Within the '
factory h^s been j
?r mattresses the j
iperior to shucks j
ad for this, and ,
it promises to be one *a* I
dnstries of North C'aroh'aMyjy j
Tar is also a product ofgpP *0no
pine and the best payintaSpl$j|y ^6
products, because no ',u^
little labor are required jMBpftnufacture.
Only the fattest or ptib^rP01"^0113
of the pine is U9ed for pose. ?
Philadelphia Times.
wisE^yoiiD^r
Silence is the sanctuary of
Evil is in antagonism witKTpjfJp0^?
Hopc.^folding her wings,
Our action must clothe 8:1
immortality, loathsome or glo^u^^
The world is a comedy towtrap^T, 0
thiuk, a tragedy to those who^jjrcjp?'
Give what you have. To <Qg3r.08c
it may be better than you darff&^r*11**
A face that cannot sn^leraij?
bud that blossoms and dies 9Bpc? "
Good manhers is the art oFja>. ^
hose people easy with whom
One of the illusions is that thwwir^T
lour is not the critical, deciat^h?^
A'rite it on your heart that every dp J* 13
he best day in the year. $36? m*
3Ioney and time are the heai%fct
lens of life and the unhappi(^.o?.'-a^ :
"" 'aio ...v, who have aiQ^v 0 i
iither than they know how to "ubfef
Keep your boy heart np j^^Mp$?d. |
rhc chances come later to yWp&in to
>thers. Yours may be -.'.duller '
orenoon and the more brftnHlNsjjung. !
CnTQ r
Coal tar, since it was disc^^W^to be i
he source of an almost unlimited variety
>f those very beautiful colors known genirally
under the name of "aniline dye?,"
las yielded so many strange and new :
mbstances under the searching scrutiny !
?f the numerous investigators whose j
ittention these brilliant colors hare |
ittracted?much in the same way as the ,
jaudy flower attracts the busy bee?that
10 one is surprised to hear "that another :
ivonderful discovery is announced. And
r'et who would have deamed of obtain- 1
ngsuuar from a substance so uninviting
is coal tar? and such sugar too! Noth- j
ng shown at the recent Edinburgh Ex- j
libition by the Greenock sugar manufac:urers?excellent
though their exhibits
it the further end of the main hall were :
?could equal it.
Here are some of its properties. It is
i white crystalline powder, easily soluble
n warm water, and it possesses 200 times
he sweetening power of the best cane or
jeet-root sugar. .One part of this saccharine
dissolved in 10,000 parts of water
produces a solution of a distinctly sweet
taste. All its known combinations have
i sweet taste. A substance to wbicn tne
name i,de\tro-saccharine" has been given
is prepared by adding ODe part of saccharine
to between 1,000 and 2,000 parts
of glucose, and is said to be scarcely distinguishable
in ta*te from ordinary sugar;
moreover, it is cheaper than real sugar
even at the present high price of saccharine,
namely, 30s. a pound. The
bitterest quinine solution, or acid drink,
is rendered so sweet by the addition of a
small portion of saccharino that not the
least trace of the bitter principle of the
acid can be tasted. ? Chamfers's Journal.
People Wliese Breath Catches Fire.
We had occasion in a recent number,
savs Science, to refer to a remarkable case
* * -?- i *t- -t ?
in wntcn ine urcuiu oi uu imutmuai, v>
rather the eructations from his stomach,
took tire when brought in contact with a
lighted match. This case, which was reported
in the Medical Record. has called
forth communications from physicians
by which it would appear that the phenomenon
is not such rare one as was at
first supposed. In one case of disordered
digestion the patient emitted inflammable
gas from the mouth, which, upon analysis,
was found to be largely composed
of marsh gas. In another case the gas
was sulphuretted hydrogen.
A case is reported in tho British MedU
cal Journal, in which, while blowing out
a match, the patient's breath caught fire
o nniaa liL-o fho rpnnrt of a nistol.
WILLI a UVtOw ituv WMW ? ? J y
which was loud enough to awaken his
wife. One evening, while a confirmed
dyspeptic was lighting his pipe, an eruc- ]
tation of gas from his stomach occurred, !
and the ignited gas burned his moustache
and lips. In Ewald's book on digestion,
the analysis of the gas in one of these
cases was carbonic acid, 20.57; hydrogen,
20.57; carburetted hydrogen, 10.75;
oxygen, 0.72; nitrogen, 41.sulphu- '
retted hydrogen, a trace. The origin of
these gasses is undoubtedly, thejpndigosted
food, which in theser<?a*;?Dder- j
goes decomposition.
The fox was regarded by thf^octc^ti |
as the most cunning of all
his standing is still reported
?'??' i>? a a1 There nil b various
species of foxes,nouc of which w^FfShse
a spring chicken, if the priceian'C. too
steep. They might as well have btien made
so that they could climb tree^ but^as
they weren't they take it out in running
loose over a large extent of couq^^BS
eats most everything which com^tftt-hiS^
way in the shape of meat, and can go oflj
on a visit ahead of a dog faster than
other animal carrying a feather-daatdrj
after him. While he makes his burro?t!
in the ground, and puts two elbowg??K
it to keep oul farmers' pitch-fnrlS^,'he.
knows every hollow log, stone-he&piod
brush-pile for ten miles aroundjj^Hc
would live to be fifty years old'^&be
could, but between dog9, traps.' gajiwjfc'
hunters and the rheumatism his^ji^^^
is ^euuiuiij i;ub suuib an\x ***,?
to a tin-peddler for a dish-pan
pie-tins. ? Detroit Free Press. Jm|
Ice Worms. |ia?
The ice gathered in many poi^Ht&9
been found to be filled with smt^Varticlcs
resembling little worms, ^Rch
have coine to be called ice worm* A
gentleman who found the -i^anm his
pond affected in this wayj^BjHKj&a investigation.
lie says' tta^Ssgg^ was
filled with little wrigglepicSSc^hese
wore shedding their skins. Tfi&Sfe skins
floated to the surface and &dfexs?&ft to the
bottom of the ice, and, as it frtaze from
the bottom, filled it with 50W loo' ed
like great numbers oi ^^^pmovr^s.?
made in Norway, chfi^Cor brnament
FARM AND GARDEN.
Keep an Account.
The habit of keeping accurate accounts
is a very important one. and any man
who schools himself to it will tind it
greatly to his advantage in many ways.
It is wonderful how many good farmers
and reputable citizens go' through the
year, and year after year, without keeping
an account of the money they receive
or ooonrl of tho orr>r?? thev harvest, of
"f'V*.-, ""w V4 w ? "J 1 the
liye stock that are dropped, of the
butter and eggs " traded at the store.
The fact comes out so often in lawsuits
that we must believe it general. It is
very easy to make a change, and it will
take only a few minutes every evening to
keep the record, Such memoranda, if
they are only such, are often of the greatest
value in llxing dates, in refreshing
the memory and in settling disputes,
aside from their legitimate use.? Wisconsin
Agriculturalist.
Plowing Under Corn.
In the Ohio Farmer, Mr. Waldo F
Brown discusses the question: Shall we
plow under clover? Ilesays: "Farmers
living near a city or large town, where
there is a demand for clover hay and a
cash market, and at such a distance that
they can make a round trip in a day, can
afford to cut and take it to market; but
tlw* man ramfrnm mfirlrpf. milQt. till?ft
into consideration the two facts, that
farm produce of all kinds is selling low,
and cattle exceptionally so, and farm
labor is as high as it was when we averaged
from thirty to fifty per cent, more
for what we sold. How much can we
make to pay $1 a day for farm help and
Bell two year-old cattle?nice, smooth,
well-bred cattle at that?at from $3 to
$3..r>0 per 100! And these have been
the best prices obtainable in our markets
this fall, and are now, and how much
can be qiade to feed cattle another year,
for an advance of less than a cent per
pound? I know that there are thousands
of farmers who winter cattle, and who
could not sell them in the spring for $3
a head more than they would have
brought in the fall. .1 have adopted these
rules on my farm. First, to sow clover
with all small grain, and I average about
twenty-five acres a year with but sixty
acres ot plowed land, second, never to
pasture the clover at all, but to let it
make its full growth, from harvest to
cold weather. If the land is to be put
in corn or potatoes the next season, all
this growth is allowed to stand till
spring, when it is turned under or burned
and the ashes plowed down. If the field
is to be cut down for seed the next year,
it is not sale to allow too heavy a
growth, as it may smother out the crop,
so in this case we cut it about the time
it begins to show blossoms and allow it
to lie on the ground, and the next growth
grows through it. Third, I sow the
mammoth clover for seed, because?1st.
I do net wish any clover "hay. 2d. It
jicius iuujc dui u nuu llsuic uauiiu w vu
used a< a fertilizer. I'd. As it seeds in
the first crop it is ready to cut early in
Augu t, when there is little risk of bad
weather for curing and threshing, and
when the hullers are nut pushed with
work, and the crop is taken off early
enough to give time to prepare the land
for wheat, and seed it in good time, for
I do not allow the crop to stand a second
year.
"I do not assert that a crop of clover
that grows between wheat harvest and
frost in the. fall to its full development,
is of as mueh value as a fertilizer, as if
it were left to make a spring growth and
be turned under the next June, although
T urn hut littlr. rl itfi-rf>nri? lint in fine.
case the co>t is only seed and sowing,
and in the other we must add a year's
rent of the land. I think a fall growth
of clover for nlowing down is always
profitable, while to lo?e a season's cultivation
of the land to grow the crop might
not be. Of one thing I am sure, I am
keeDing my land in better condition
under my present plan of plowing down
clover, than when I bought manure at
the village, and it cost me, counting a
hand and team as worth $2.50 per day,
over $15 an acre to manure my land. I
shall continue to grow clover for the
express purpose of plowing it under on
one-third or more of my plow land until
I find it unp ofitable, and I think that
will be as long as I live."
Farm and Garden Notes.
It is said that if apples be fed to cows
the flow of milk will be diminished.
I ay in your stock of seeds for spring
early. Every preparation should be made
before the busy seuson opens.
A common noe, siraigntenea out oj a
blacksmith, makes a cheap and excellent
implement for chopping roots for stock.
There is annually a large amount of
bogus butter made in the churn, owing
to lack of bkill. care and proper temperature
in churning.
"Whether prices be up or down, prime
mutton sheep a>e always salable, and at
good prices. The markets are never supplied
with choice mutton.
"White clover is valuable as a pasture
grass, unci will yield a fair crop of hay
under fair circumstances; it is a valuable
food for milch cow and young
stock.
> Kentucky blue grass does best on
limestone soil, and is not a success upon
i^pitber kinds of land. "When in land
jSnpted to it it will drive out other yeggs',
Short-legged fowl fatten quickly;
"long-legs are hard to fatten. Those that
;*re first hatched fatten quickest in a
,brood. Sell as soon as the chickens can
Lj)e got in condition.
Sudden changes of the weather cause
'^disease among fowl much sooner than
long continued cold or warm weather.
-Roup, a very contagious disease, is usually
due to dampness.
It is not best to utilize trees as supports
for gi ape vines. Not only doe;
, the vine completely shade the tree, but
I it becomes difficult to gather the grapes,
while pruning is almost impossible.
There is much discussion about the
necessity and benefits from tree plant
j ivg in many sections ot tne country, n
is not too late even now to save a sup
ply of seeds of some kinds of foresl
! trees.
A Missouri breeder says that he made
his Cotswolds yield thirteen pounds oJ
wool with shelter, against eleven whet
unsheltered, and fed one bushel of corr
and one of oats per day to forty-eighl
head.
It is said that when a horse strays of]
I he is usually found wanderinsr in the di
rection the wind is blowing, thus turning
his back to th: wind, but with sheep
the contrary is the case, as sheep face
the storm.
Don't forget, in cold weather, to drop
into your fowls' drink, occasionally, a
little cayenne pepper. This is very excellent,
in its way, for warming the craw
when the thermometer is running down
toward zero.
Try cutting clover into short lengths,
steeping it over night in hot water and
| feeding to the hogs. It makes a cheap
food, but one of the best, not only assisting
them in growth, but greatly pro
| moting health.
All the plans for next season should be
arranged now. Have everything in
readiness to begin work when the busy
season comes, as no time can then be
spared to those matters which may be
overlookod now.
Professor E. "VV. Stewart, in the Country
Gentleman, says that the margin in
feeding, even most skillful, will not stand
the additional profits of local feed merchants,
and advises feeders to unite and
i buy at wholesale.
The Journal of Aqriculture says that
l the most successful shepherd of the |
future will have his mutton on the
market as rcgulalry and in as good condition
as his wool. This same man will
make both products as good as possible.
Straight backs, broad loius and round
bodies-indicate valuable qualities Jn
sheep, 4^1 it is only by the use of rams
of the muttcn breeds that such can be
obtained. By grading up annually it
requires but a short time to entirely
change a flock.
A stone fence only wants binding
crosswise, it does not fall down lengthwise.
A crooked rail should never be
put in the fence near the bottom. A
crooked rail, like a crooked man, makes
more trouble than it is worth; better
make wood of it.
In the cow stable or dairy house there
must be no smoking, no filtn nor odors
of any kind. Cold milk is a rapid absorbent
of gases and odors, and the
quality of the butter from milk largely
depends upon the time it is drawn from
the cow to being cooled.
Lime-impregnated wood, it is said,
will withstand the action of the weather
for a very much longer period of time.
The process is very simple, and is certainly
worth trying. The timbers or
boards are cut into the exact form required
for use, and then stored in a pit
or tank and thoroughly saturated with a
solution of lime.
At the inclement season we may avoid,
or at least mitigate, the prevalence of
roup among the fowl stock by providing
them with comfortable shelter and
proper care. Good ventilation, fresh
water daily, at least one feed of cooked
vegetables, a supply of green focd of
some sort, and full feeding ol sound
grain in alternation are requisites for
their health and thrift.
The poach seems to exhaust the soil
with remarkable prodigality. The crop
in Delaware is now said to be becoming
Eoorer every year, and the past season
as made it apparent that soils which
formerly grew superior peaches, have
lately shown a lack of potency for the
production of the crop in its old-time excellence.
There muy be other causes, but
the vitality seems to be rapidly exhausted
from the soil bv this fruit.
Where only one or two cows are kept
in winter, especially if nearly dry and
led on hay, cream, accumulates slowly
and is liable to spoil before it can be
churned. The bitter taste found in winter
butter may be the result of rag weed
or other weeds in the hay. Cornstalks
arc better feed for cows than the best of
i hay. Clover in nutritive value is richer
than the grasses, but even when green it
is not good for butter or milk.
Steers and milch cows should never be
kept in the same pasture, says the Texas
Stockman. liaising beef requires skill.
The first requisite is rapid growth of the
frame, and in the younger days of the
animal too much consideration cannot be
given to thismatter. Steers when growing
convert all their food in the direction
of b ilding up the body. There
n.rp times when thev must receive special
attention,different to that given to "cows,
for success depends upon how the cattle
are managed.
A ration of cornmeai twice a day with
! other feed will make the milk much
j richer, and with most cows will make
the butter of better color. Winter butter
at its best is apt to be too white. It
is not a fraud on consumers to use coloring
matter on well made, sweet winter
butter. The improvement in appearance
makes the butter really more palatable.
Good farmers u-e artificial coloring in
the winter when they only make what
they use on their own tables. If properly
made, winter butter is as good as the
best grass butter.
With a rapidly increasing population
there will be danger of excessive dearness
of meat, such as prevails in the
densely populated countries of Europe,
and ftoW this we' can only be saved by
1 such improvement in breeds of stock as
| will produce beef at less cost. On cheap
lands, the Shorthorns, aiming at nee:
production almost exclusively, have been
best adapted to this end. But in the
older sections of the country, where la
bor and skill combined to offset the increased
price of land, the Hol>teins,
bred for milk and butter as well as beef,
will certainly have the preference.
Antiquity of Gingerbread.
It will surprise housekeepers to learn
that our homely everyday luxury?gin,
gerbrcad?has been used since the four.teen
century. It was mado then and
sold in Paris?so Monteil affirms in his
"Ilistoire des Francais." It was then
prepared with rye-meal, made into a
dough, and ginger and other spices, with
sugar or honey, were kneaded into it. It
! was introduced into England by the
' court of Henry IV. for their festivals,
and soon brought into general use. Since
then it has retained its popularity and
5 contributed much to the "pleasures and
" enjoyments of young and old. A great
1 change,of course, was alter a while made
" in its composition, and particularly after
- it was introduced into th'13 country.
Honey, being more exponsive than moJ
lasses, was less used, and the darker color
f hidden under some other ingredient, or
1 gilded. "To take the gilt off the gin1
gcrbread," was a common proverb, and
t in the old country booths, glittering
... j?: : : ,?
| wuu ineir ruue ucvn.cs iu jjiugci mcou,
[ I arc still seen iu many country towns to
. | this day.
I
*
r
<
1
SOLDIERING ON SKATES.
A MILITAKY RESOURCES MPLOrED
IN NORWAY.
The Norwegian Snow Skates Utilized
in Military Movements?How
the Skating Soldiers Operated.
Norway, during a considerable part of
the year, is co^ethd with snow; and her
winters, which ih other countries are of
snore aurutDjn, extena 10 nve or six
months, an in tto' most northern parts
to a much longejr period. During this
time it is impossible to leave the beaten
roads, for the purpose at least of travelling;
and when fresh snow happens to
fail, even the communication by means
of them is stopped till the sledging is
able to be continued by means of a machine,
which, being dragged by horses
along the road, restores the former track,
by cleaning away the snow in part and
flattening and levelling the remainder.
The thinness, however, of the population,
widely scattered oyer such an immense
extent of country, renders it in
i many places impossible to keep the roads
| open by these means. It was natural,
' then, that the Morwegiau should devise
i bo.ue mode by which to leave his hut,
generally far removed from roads, and
I traverse the forests in various directions
j with sufficient celerity to follow the
chase, his favorite occupation, h'or this
purpose he devised the skies, or snow
I skates, which consist of two thin, narrow
! pieces of fir, of unequal lengths, the foremost
part being pointed and turned upward.
The *onsjest, which measures
about seven feet, is used on the left foot;
and the other, which is about two feet
shorter on the right. The latter is called
aander. from the foot beini? used more
I than the left, particularly" in turning.
I Both skates are about three inches in
' width, and an inch in thickness in the
centre, where the foot is placed, which is
| tirmly bound to the skic by loops at the
side made of willow or fibres of fir roots,
| to which are fastened leather thongs.
The skies are smeared with tar and pitch,
I and the under side is hollowed in the
centre into a groove to prevent their slipping
laterally, and to enable the skielber,
or skater, to keep a straight course.
Notwithstanding tho obstacles which
the nature of the country, particularly
during winter, would seem to throw in
the way of an invading enemy. Norway
has often been attacked during this season;
and as the use of the skie had been
i known to the natives from the earliest
times, it was natural to think of forming
a military corps of skaters and furnishing
riflemen with the skie, in the use of
which the mountaineers display such astonishing
ease and celerity. Luring the
former wars with Sweden all the Norwegian
light troop3 have occasionally
made use of skies; a certain portion,
- ? +1 i: i i
i However, 01 mem were mure pttrnuuiunj
I trained to the use of these kinds of
skates, under the denomination of the
skielovere, signifying literally skate runners.
Previous to the union between
Norway and Sweden there existed in
Norway regiments of skaters?one in the
district of Drontheim, and the other in
j that of Aggerhuus. The above event,
however, having caused a considerable
I reduction of the Norwegian army, the
' number of the skating soldiers was also
: reduced. The uniform of the regiment
j was green, like that of the other rifle
j corps, though the men, upon ordinary
; occasions, also wore an undress jacket of
j a coarser kind of cloth, the color of
which was gray; and they were likewise
' provided with a peculior kind of gaiters,
' in order tc protect their feet the more
! effectually from the snow. The arms of
! the skielober were a rifle, to . which
j was attached a broad leathern strap
'passing over the'shoulder, and a short
sword. He carried with him. besides, a
i staff (skiestoken), seven feet in length,
and rather more than an inch in diame[
ter. This, which was held in the right
| hand, was armed at one end with an iron
: spike, and above it was placed a circular
niece of wood. The use of the former
! was to penetrate the frozen snow, and
of the latter to prevent the staff sinking
in, giving thus a firm support to the
bearer. The skicstok, or skicstav, as it
was called, was likewise, as has been be;
fore observed, of considerable use to the
; skielober, in enabling him to moderate
! his speed, make sudden wheels, and preserve
the necessary balance during the
descent of steep declivities. The skieloberc
to the skate exercise united that of
the ordinary chasseurs, or light troops,
of which it constituted a part, and it
I performed all the duties, differing from
! them only by marching on skates, which
I ??if o T7nt*n rvrnnf fllinprinplfr Thfl
1 gtt?o 11/ o. in, --( J- I
! skielobere moved with singular agility,
I and from the depth of snow were safe
j from pursuit of cavalry or infantry. On
i the other hand, they could attack the
\ enemy's columns on march, and harass
; them incessantly on both sides of the
' road, without incurring any danger to
j themselves. Cannon shot produced lic!
tie effect directed against them, dispersed
j as they were at the distance of 200 or
i yuO paces, and their movements were so
rapid that at the very instant you would
expect to see them a second time they
had already disappeared, to appear again
I in a quarter where you were net in the
j least aware of them.
The real superiority of the skating
soldiers, however, was chiefly shown
when the enemy halted after a long
march. Whatever precautions might
then bo taken, they were in constant
danger from troops which had no occasion
for path or road,and traversed with
indifference marshes, lakes, rivers and
mountains. Even in those parts where i
the ice is too feeble to bear the weight of
a man, the skielober glides safely over
by the mere rapidity of his motion. No
corps, therefore, could be so proper to
reconnoitre in winter, to give information
of the movements of an enemy, and
| to perform, in fact the functions of a
courier. Their provisions and baggage
were transported on light wooden
sledges (skiekjelke), which one man
nlone drew with ease, by the help of a
! leathern strap passed over the right
J shoulder. These were also extremely
serviceable in conveying such as might
be severely wounded. The Norwegian
skieloberc were, on many occasions, extremely
serviceable in preserving the
communication between distant corps, in
surprising small detachments of the
enemy, and harras-ing their march,
whether when advancing or retreating.
?London standard.
A citizen of Illinois has invented a machine
to trim hedges for which he has
I been offered $16,000.
> *
SELECT SIFTINGS. '
The Lawrence was the flag-ship of
Commodore Perry's squadron on Lake*
Erie in 1813.
In the seventh century pens were first
made from quills, and glass was manufactured
in England.
Seven years ago a fire broke out in a
deep mine near Vienna City, Nev., and
it has been burning ever since.
Tho Roman Empire may be said to begin
with the year B. C. 27, when Octavius
assumed the title of Augustus.
Up to the present time sixty-one species
of lilies have become known, according
to an English botanist, Air. H.
Elwes.
During the eleventh century musical
notes were invented, windmills were
first used, and clocks with wheels were
introduced. /
A big gopher snake was killed recently
at Datona, Fla., in whose stomach was
found a three-foot rattlesnake, still alive.
The gopher was over six feet in length.
The "freedom of the city" was formerly
an honor of substantial advantage
to the one upon whom it was conferred.
At the present day it is little more than
an empty compliment.
The Pinta was one of the three little
vessels with which Columbus set sail for
America from Palos, Spain, on the 2d of
August, 1402. The Pinta was commanded
by a famous Spanish navigator, _
Alonzo Pmzon.
The present cost of operating the railroads
of the country with steam power
is in round numbers $502,000,000 per
annum; but to carry on the same amount ,
of work with men and horses would cost
the country $11,803,500,000.
An Indianapolis family were troubled
with diphtheria for several weeks. During
the illness of the children they played
much with a pet parrot, which they
handled considerably. After they got
well the bird became ill, and in a few
days died, showing all symptoms of
diphtheria.
Coal miners frequently find curious
formations in a vein of coal. An Annot
(Penn.) miner took out a piece of sulphur
a few days ago which was a perfectly
formed ear of corn, toe Kernels ana rows
being very distinct. It was under twenty
feet of solid rock and in the middle of
the coal vein.
The period commonly known as "The
Dark Ages" embraces the first six centuries
of the Middle Ages, that ie, from
the close of the fifth to the close of the
eleventh century. The Middle Ages
comprise the 1,000 years commencing
with the close of the fifth and ending
with the close of the fifteenth centuries.
Whispering Stones.
Among the first curiosities shown the
visitors to the Capitol are the whispering
stones in the statuary Hall, which
used to be the old House of Representatives.
There ore several sets of these
stones, and a person standing on one can
hear a second pereon whisper, if that
person is on the corresponding stone on
the other side of the hall. One of the
most curious of these stones is the long
distance one. The stone is near the
north door of the hall, while -the person ?*.
who talks must stand on the threshold
of the doorway of the south entrance,
^ r- -a. A
some twenty ieet ?w?jf. xluj vug omuuing
on the stone near the north door can
hear the familiar whispers uttered on the
doorsteps of the south door. The other
day a bride and groom were among the
visitors. They were from New York,
and one of the groom's friends was
showing them around. ' Of course, he
was explaining the whispering stones to
them. The bride was on the north stono
and the friend stood upon the steps of
the south door. He was whispering to
her several little things of interest about
the hall. She had her back toward him.
A page from the house came along and
got interested in the conversation. Suddenly
he thought he, too, would talk to
the bride, and when the friend stopped
for an instant, the page said :
"Say, old girl, how old are you, anyhow?"
As quick as lightning, the bride hopped
off the whispering stone. Her face was
crimson with blushes, and she took her
husband's arm and walked off. The
friend had heard the page's remark, and
saw its result, but before he could grab
the boy, the naughty page had fled. He
followed his friend and his young bride,
and tried his best to explain matters,but
somenow the bride doubted his story.?
Baltimore American. ,
Presidents Witn roor memories.
Franklin Pierce and William Henry
ITarrison bad miserable memories, says
the Nashville (Tenn.) American. It ii
said that on one occasion a member ol
the former's cabinet presented his daughter
to bitn. A moment after an attache
of the English diplomatic corps requested
an introduction to the lady. Pierce
turned, looked at her, offered his hand
and stammered an apology while he
asked her name. She was completely
confused, and the officer who had seen
the first introduction was at a loss for
words. The situation was exceedingly
unpleasant. At a reception at the White
House Harrison was the centre of a coterie
of beautiful women and courtly
men, exchanging the civilities of the
hour, and in a high feather with himseli
and the world. A tall gentleman, wearing
side whiskers, with aquiline features,
clad in the mode of the miniature court
which surrounds a president, approached
him, extending his hand. The group
parted before the visitor who, with a
calm dignity, advanced. "General, I
greet and congratulate you," the stranger
said. "I do not know you, sir," replied
Harrison. "I was your chief of staff,
sir, during the Indian wars," responded
the intruder as he majestically confronted
his whilom chieftain. In a moment
the President recognized his old comrade
in arms. Though apologies for his forgetfulness
were profuse, yet, it is said,
his aid never forgot the slight.
Persian Thievery.
I had ridden some ten miles out to a
village, and feeling fatigued gave my
horse to a native whilst I entered a gar*
den for half an hour's rest. On remount
* Li.l. L.i
ing I noticed tne anunai?wmcu nau
been shod the previous day?was going
a little lame, but thought this was caused
by the stony character of the road. On
reaching home I examined his feet, when
lo! a miracle. The new shoes had
changed into old and broken ones.?
Detroit Free Prezs.