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THE * V OL. I DARLINGTON, S*. C., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1891. NO. 30. CHURCHES. Presbyterian Church.—Rev. J. 6. Law, Pastor; Preaching every Habbath at 11} a. m. and 8 p. m. Sabbath School at 10 a. m , Prayer Meeting every Wednesday afternoon at 5 o'clock. Methodist Church. - Rev. J. A. Rice, Pastor; Preaching every Sunday at llj a. m. and 8 p. m., Sabbath School at 5 p. m., Prayer )Iieling every Thursday at 8 p. m. Baptist Church.—fev. G. B. Moore, Paster; Preaching every Sunday at 114 a. m and 8:30 p. m.. Prayer Meeting every Tuesday at 8 p. m. Episcopal, Cuapei,.—Rev. W. A. Guerry, Rector; II. T. Thompson, Lay Reader. Preaching 3rd Sunday at 8:30 p. m., Lay Reading every Sunday morn ing at 11 o'clock, Sabbath School every Sunday afternom at 5 o’clock. Macedonia Baptist Church.—Rev I. P. Breckmgton, Pastor; Preacbirg every Sunday at 11 a. m. and 8:30 p. m. Sabbath School at 8:30 p. m., Prayer Meeting every Tuesday evening at 8:30 o’clock. COUNTY OFI’ICERS. Sheriff.—W. P. Cole. Clerk of Court —W. A. Parrot. Treasurer.—J. E Bass. Auditor.—W. II. Lawrence. Probate Judge.—T. H. Spain. Coroner.—U. G. Parnell. School Commissioner.—W. H. Evans. County Commissioners.—C. B.King, W. W. McKinzie, A. A. Gandy. Professional (Garbs. W F. DARGAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW. Darlington, C. H., 8. C. Office over Blackwell Brothers’ store. E. KEITH DARGAN, ATTORNEY AT •LAW, Darlington, 8. C. N ETTLES & NETTLES, ATTORNEYS AT LAW, Darlington, C. H., 8. C. Will practice in nil State and Federal Courts. Careful attention will bj given to all business entrusted to us. P. BISHOP PARROTT, stenographer and t y p e writer, legal and other copying solicited. Testimony leported in short hand, and type written transcript of same fur nished at reasonable rates. Good spelling, correct punctuation and neat work guarantee 1. Office with Ncttlea & Nettles. 0 P DARGAN, ATTORNEY AT : LAW AND TRIAL JUSTICE, Darlington, S. C. Practices in the United States Court and in the 4:h and Mb circuits. Prompt attention to all business entrusted to me. Office, Ward's Lane, next to the Dar lington Herald office DARLINGTON MARBLE WORKS. DARLINGTON MARBLE WORKS. DARLINGTON MARBLE WORKS. -ALL KINDS OF— MARBLE JIONUMENT8, MARBLE MONUMENTS, Tablets and Grave Stones furnished at Short Notice, and as Cheap as can be Purchased Else where. Designs and Prices Furnished on Applicaiion. NT All Wo k Delivered Free on Lino of C. A D. R. R. DARLINGTON MARBLE WORKS, DARLINGTON MARBLE WORKS, DARLINGTON, 8. C. FIRE! FIRE ! I Represent Twelve of tbc most Reliable Ftre Insurance Compa nies in the World—Among them, the Liverpool and Lon don and Globe, of England, the Largest Fire Campany in thn World; and the vElna, of Hart ford, the Largest of all Ameri- .can Fire Companies. fT Prompt Attention to Business and Sitisfaction Guaranteed. F. E. NORMENT, DARLINGTON, S. C. Office between Edwards, Normeot & Co., and Joy & Bandera’. £ A DREAM OF THE SEA* A farmer lad in his prairie home Lay dreamiug of the sea; He ne’er had seen it, but well he knew Its pictured image and heavenly hue; And he dreamed he swept o’er its waters blue, With the winds a blowing free, With the winds so fresh and free. Ho woke! and he said “The day will come When that shall be truth to me;” But as years swept by him he always found That his feet were clogged and his hands were bound, Till at last he lay in a narrow mould. Afar from the sobbing sea, The sorrowing, sobbing sea. Ob, many there are on tho plains to-night That dream of a voyage to be. And have said in their souls, “The day will come When my bark shall sweep through the drift* of foam.” But their eyes grow dim and their lips grow dumb, Afar from the tossing sea, Tho turbulent, tossing sea. —Albert Bigelow Paine. A MIDNIGHT SPELL. BY M. I.OKING GUILD. The low range of sand hills over which Browning Carter was walking was softly lit by the full, summer moon. From his position the young man could over look the level green country at his right, and the quiet sea at bis left. It was evident, however, that he saw neither. In his eyes was tho far-away look of expectation, and, as ho moved along in buoyant ccstacy he was quite unconscious of the slipping sand and tangled dune grass. Presently he came to a break in the hills, a sort of gullcy which the sea had once cut. Hero the coarse dune grasa had reluctantly given place to a finer species, and, in the centre of the hollow stood a solitary tree. Its twisted, etorm- whipped arms looked gaunt and appeal ing in the flood of moonlight. At eight of the tree the young man made a low exclamation and quickened hisalrcndy swift pace. As he approached, ho scanned closely the scantily leaved branches. It was not till quite near them that he was certain of their species. He heaved a sigh of deep satisfac tion. “An oak I I thought so.” There was a strange excitement in his manner, and his hand trembled as he took out his watch. “A quarter of twelve. Ten minutes to wait. The incantation takes but five.” Rather impatiently the young man sat down at the foot of the old oak, and took from his pocket a small, calf- bound volume, very old and very musty. He had recently found it among a lot of old books which had been left him by bis great-uncle,, a man of much mystical learning, who, in earlier times, would doubtless have sufiered under the accusation of witchcraft. Carter, at the time of his uncle’s death, had rather wondered at the odd bequest. But the elder Carter had evidently seen in the nervous, sensitive temperament of tne young man that which would make him a fit disciple ot theosophy. The package of books, however, re mained untouched until one afternoon, Carter, from sheer laziness, was seized with a desire to examine the box. Rather to his own astonishment, he found him self attracted by the mystical medley which he met; and presently went to work to study conscientiously that which had found so great a place in his uncle’s life. In such reading he had spent tho last six months, until his somewhat poetical character became more than ever im practical, and ho longed to grasp the occult powers of which he read. lu this mood he first opened the little calf-hound book. An introduction in English announced that it was a collection of incantations from different tongues, whereby the spirits of the dead, and even of the liv ing, might he controlled. The book was in manuscript, and, oddly enough, these incantations were written in English characters, although the words were all strange. To-night Browning Carter had come, under the mystical shadow of the oak, that he might try Ac power of the spell which was to show him the spiritual form of the woman he should love. With much painstaking he had learned to repent tbc words, which meant nothing to him. It had also given him some trouble to master the musical into nations on whose vibrations so much de pended. When his watch pointed to five min utes to twelve he rose. A quiver of ex citement ran over him. He took up his position tome twenty feet away from the tree. Keeping time to the lovely rhythmic chant, he began to move slowly •round the tree in gradually decreasing eirdes. The stillness was the tremulous one of • summer night; save for the weird chanting there was not a distinguishable sound. Even the soft lapping of the sea wet unheard in the little hollow. Slowly Carter turned around the tree, each time coming nearer to the rugged trunk, until ho was so close to it that he brushed it as he went around. In the distance a village clock slowly struck twelve. The chant grew softer and •lower, and, at the last stroke, ceased. Carter leaned dicaily against the old tree. I For the first time, looking between the dunes, he noticed the sea. Suddenly an odd, numb sensation crept over him. Out on the quiet moonlight water a figure was moving. Slender and white- robed, it seemed to be walking upon the water. Slowly it advanced, with an un naturally steady motion. Browning Carter leaned heavily against the supporting oak. Nearer and nearer came the slender, white figure, and the young man could see that It was a woman's and that over its shoulders hung long, dark hair. She moved slowly across the white sand of the beach and entered the little hollow. Fo:- a moment she paused, while the heart of the watcher beat wildly. Closer then the figure came, aud as it came he saw that the dark hair framed an intense white face and dark, wide-open eyes. When' but a few feet away, she turned her head, and the young man felt a wave of sadness roll over him. On the white face was a look of intense anguish. Then the figure moved on, past the gaunt oak and out of the little hollow. Suddenly she disappeared, and Carter, with quivering limbs, sank to the ground. He would have followed her; hut the twenty-four hours’ fast, with which ho had prepared himself for his experience, told on him, and he was unable to move. After some time his strength came back, and he rose and walked to where the figure had vanished. He saw only a sudden fall of the ground, and beyond, a cottage built by some summer rcsideut. All the world seemed sleeping. A few days later Carter was snatched from his dreamy life by a party of young fellows who had come down from the city, bent on making the most of their vacation. Their gaiety grated on the nerves of the mystic, who had been somewhat unmanned by his midnight ex perience. Courtesy, however, forced him to lend himself to all their plans and to enter into all their boating, sail ing and fishing parties. On one of these he was presented to a Miss Tremaine. Whether she were pretty or not Carter could not tell; for she wore a veil, thick enough to conceal her features. But she had a low, pleas ant voice, and a wonderfully easy, un affected manner. To Carter’s remark that she had been in none of the other sailing parties, she answered that her health had not per mitted it. He hoped it had been a merely passing Indisposition. “Yes; only a cold.” The young man noticed a tinge of con straint in Miss Tremaine’s answer, and that she immediately left the subject. The party had started out in the after noon, for its members wished to sail home by moonlight. The supper on board was a merry one, and Carter was surprised at the heartiness with which be joined in the general gayety. “It really is better for me,” he de cided mentally, “to see more of people.” As the moon rose the party grew quieter; even the songs became less rol licking. Suddenly the gay little dam sel to whom Carter was talking saw his face change, while he stopped in the middle of his sentence. ‘,Why, what is it?” she asked. But Carter did not hear her. He was looking across the boat to where sat Miss Tremaine. She bad taken off her thick veil, and the face on which the moon ihone was the face of his vision. Unconscious of everything else, Carter rose abruptly and left his little compan ion. Miss Tremaine was sitting rather apart from the others. As Carter approached ihe smiled up at him and moved a little, in mute offering of the scat beside her. As if in a dream, the young man took it. ft did not occur to him to talk; he meralya looked at the white face which he had seen under such strange circumstances. Presently he became aware that Miss Tremaine had been talking to him, and that she was waiting for an answer. But what could he say? He had heard noth- ing. : “I—I beg your pardon,” he stam mered. Miss Tremaine laughed easily. “You have not heard one word I said.” Tho merry laugh broke the spell that . lay over him. “Excuse me; but you will think me very rude, but your face reminded mo of one I had seen lie fore, and iwtr watching it.” “So I perceived.” Seeing the young man’s evident con fusion, she laughed again, and good- naturedly helped him out of difficulties. “I wonder if you have as much trou ble as I, in locating people. If you do, I am sorry for you.” But, during the whole of the conver sation, which lasted until the landing, Carter was conscious of an odd sensation of unreality. After this the meetings of the two were frequent. They found much in common to discuss, and they also found that long walks together on the hard sand of the beach were very favorable to an interchange of experiences. One afternoon, late in October, tho two were standing together at the en trance to the oak-tree hollow. “Hove you noticed,’ asked Mias Tre maine, pointing out on the sea, “that there’s a sand-bar which runs out quite a long distance? At low tide one can walk away out on it. I used to have such horrid dreams about it when I first cams down.” “What were they?” asked Carter with a sudden hoarseness in his voice. “I dont like to remember them 01 talk about them; only I seemed to be always walking out on that bar, and the water would seem to come up, up, and It would he so cold, so cold. It isn’t much to tell, but you know how it is in dreams; there was always such a horrid sensation about it.” Carter was silent, and, after a little, Miss Tremaine continued. “And, do you know, I became very much frightened about myself, tho dream so often. And know, that once or twice I must have walked in my sleep and gone out therein reality. Just think how horrible 1” “What did you do about it?” her com panion asked, mechanically. “I spoke to tho doctor; and he gave me something quieting. I suppose I was a little unstrung by my brother’s death. Why, Mr. Carterl What is the matter?” For the young man’s face was white. A moment he paused, looking at hot with his grey eyes large from disappoint ment. Then impulsively he began and told her all of his discovery of tho little hook; of his midnight incantation, and what he had considered its result. Hi recalled their subsequent meeting, and told how lie had felt when she unveiled her face and he had seen the one whom he believed to be the destined companion of his life. Toward the end his voici faltered. “I believed so firmly that wc wen meant for each other that I felt sure that some time you must love me. But now that I know it was all a mistake; that it was not your spirit, I .” With a sob he turned away his head. Almost immediately a soft hand was slipped into his. “But it was not all a mistake,” said Eunice Tremaine.—Drake'1 Magazine. FARM ANB H6USEH0LD. nos BEST COWS FOB A CHEESE DAISY. The Holstein breed is no doubt the, best for a cheese dairy and the Ayrshire’ the second best. As pure-bred cows are costly and not much better than half breds, a good herd may soon be built up by crossing well-selected native cows with a pure bull. A good Holstein bull may be bought for $100 to $200, and an- Ayrshire for half as much.—Wirt* Font, Timet. BRAN AND CORN FOB PIGS. Among tho advantages which are claimed for feeding pigs with bran and If. I had corn over corn alone are a greater economy I think, "U 1 [q the use of the feed, an increase in the proportion of lean to fat meat, and a more rapid and longer continued growth 1 It is well known that if corn is fed ex clusively pigs will fatten before they at tain their full growth. But if bran is given with tho corn they will reach a larger size, have stronger bones and be more vigorous than they can be if kept on corn alone. This applies to the feed ing of pigs under seven or eight months of age. After they reach this point they can be finished off with corn alone o with corn and a smaller proportion o bran than had been previously used.— American Dairyman. Mysteries of Geography. In 1776 the Hessian General, Knip» hausen, sailing to help the English sub duo the rebellions colonies in America, said anxiously to the captain of the ves sel: “Is it not possible, considering tho time that we have been under sail, that in one of these dark nights wc have sailed by America, where these rebels are?” Mistakes equally as absurd were made by those who pretented to be well up in geography and to have a close knowledge of America and the Ameri cans. In 1770 Lorenzana, the Archbishop of Mexico, wrote a history of that country in which he expressed tho opinion that California bordered on Tartary and New Mexico on Greenland! Jacques Mareau in 1693 made a map “of the discovered and undiscovered portions of the American continent,” which shows a large river rising at about the present site of Kansas City and flow ing west to the “Gulph of California,” which is marked as running up nearly to the latitude of Portland, Oregon. The editor of “Notes for the Curious” owns an original copy of Heylin’s “Cosmographic” (1652), containing a map of North America which has Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico (not by name, but by location) marked as islands. A great chain of mountains runs across from Virginia to the Pacific at about tho latitude of Memphis, Tcnn. The head waters of the Mississippi are located at about the same place; California is cut off from the mainland, and the Rio Grande rises in a big lake in Montana and flows southwest into the Gulf of California, which is there called “Mare Yermiglio.” Smith never, during his lifetime, suc ceeded in convincing tho English that Virginia was not an island; in vain ho wrote home, “Virginia is no isle, as many doc imagine.” Henry Belle’s map does not show a single trace of tho Great Lakes of North America.—St. Luuit Itepublie. Newspapers Svperseedfng Magazines. Heretofore magazines in competition with newspapers have had almost a mon opoly of the highest literary talent, but the daily press commands more and more of the best writing and etching of the two worlds. It is a serious question if there will be auy great use for magazines after a few years. Even now the news paper is giving equal, or almost equal, literary attractions and a greater variety of lighter letter press, such as novelettes, sketches of character and travel, besides book reviews, accounts of discoveries and scientific inventions, not to speak of illustrations of every phase of human life and thought, from the humorous quip to the mast momentous events of current history.— Washington Star. A Tankard Waahingten Used. W. E. Dwight, of Plaiuwell, Mich., has obtained an heirloom of which he is very proud. It is a tankard aud bowl of earthenware plated with a bright hut much worn substance. The articles were » Igiven his mother early in tho sixties by a colored woman who obtained them from a New Haven (Conn.) tavurn. It is au thentically related that the vessels were part of the table furniture from which General Washington ale his dinner in June, 1775, while making the journey to Cambridge, Muss., to assume command of ■the American army.—Boston Tnsuuutyt. NOSE BLEEDING IN HORSES. Bleeding at the nose in horses Is us ually the result of some injury or disease. If tho blood came from the stomach or lungs it would flow through both nos trils. Sometimes, however, fleshy swellings appear attached to the mucous membrane of tho nostrils, called polypi, and when these break blood flows from the opening. If a polypus is present you may discover it by a careful inspec tion, turning the colt’s head up to the light. If you discover a lump in the nostril the services of a veterinarian will be needed in its removal. If you think it necessary to check the bleeding, blow matico powder of strong alum water in a spray up the affected nostril. If the flow of blood is only slight, better let it alone, merely washing out the nostrils with alum water. Try bathing the lump on the jaw with common kerosene oil, which will soften it if hard and cause it to he absorbed unless the hone is af fected, as in the disease known as big jaw, which is very difficult to cure even when taken in its earlier stages.—AT*i* York Sun. don’t thin-out the woodlot. When a woodlot is once broken into by cutting out tho most valuable timber, it is rarely worth much afterward. Trees used to stand together thickly are a pro tection to each other in various ways. They prevent violent winds from uproot ing them, and by the shelter they afford they keep snow on tho ground, which makes the soil moist for the roots in summer, and prevents deep freezing in winter. Whenever a portion of the for est is denuded, the trees unused to the sweep of winds topple over within a year or two, or if they do not the trees begin to die at the top. Trees soon ac custom themselves to new conditions if they are not too old when the change is begun, but old trees that have stood in virgin forest from the earliest settlement of the country should be cleared out en tirely whenever any clearing is attempted. This explains why attempts to make ma ple sugar orchards by cutting out all trees generally result in failure. The better plan is to clear off all and plant a new orchard exclusively of maples, and thickly enough so that they will protect each other the same as in a natural forest. — Courier-Journal. FARM AND GARDEN NOTES. Frolit is made by reducing cost as well ts by selling for a higher price. If your neighbor succeeds better than yen do, find out how he does it. Never break off a limb on a valuable tree; always make a smooth cut. A bushel of potatoes often commands as high a price as a bushel of wheat. There is more profit in the long run in cultivating one acre than in skimming ten. A day lost in transportation does not help farm work along; repair the roads. The man who makes good cheese for home consumption will find a market for it near home. An experienced herder says that when ever a sheep goes off by itself its owner may he sure there is something radically wrong with it. A nice, fat peafowl makes an extra good tabic fowl. The meat is tender, juicy and well flavored, although not very generally used. If you do not care to bother with poultry, turn them over to your wife and children and let them have what they can make out of them. The New York Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has determined to enforce the law against docking of horses tails, a “fashion” which seems to bo growing. On the farm, if well managed, poultry ought to he bred, fed and made ready for market at as low a cost as hogs, and will generally sell for more. ., Jf you can arrange to have your poultry ready for market a little earlier than the great majority of your neigh bors, you can generally realize much better prices. It is claimed by some farmers that sheep noed no water. This is a sad mis- take; sheep will drink a good deal of water if theyhave access to a running brook or spring. It is true, however, that they can do without water longer than any other live stock. They are nice about the quality and will not take water that is foal. At present prices milk used for mak ing cheese sells for a little more than its value for butter, unless the milk is ex ceptionally rich in fat. Cows that yield five per cent, and over in fat will give ibout$l per one hundred pounds for the milk for buttermaking, which is equal to a little more than ten cents per pound for the cheese, and the skimmed milk is left. THE SEA COW. A STRANGE ANIMAL THAT 19 BE- COMING EXTINCT, Its Haunts. Habits and Peculiarities —How It is Caught iu Seines— Its Dainty Flesh Now Al most Priceless. RECIPES. Apple Sauce—Pare, core and slice 8 quarter of a peck of tart apples, stew them until soft and then press them through a colander. Add sugpr to taste. If the apples arc very sour, stir m a pinch of baking soda before you takf them oil the fire; it will then tako less sugar to sweeten them. Boiled Mutton—Wipe the joint with a damp towel; dust a cloth thickly with flour and wrap the meat in it. Put in a kettle and cover with boiling water, to which odd a tcaspoonful of salt; let sim mer fifteen minutes for every pound. When done, take up carefully, remove the cloth, garnish with parsley and serve with mint sauce. Rye Bread—To each pint of very light wheat flour sponge, add a level teaspoon of salt, a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar, and rye flour to permit kneading. Knead well. When light, mold into loaves, let it rise again till more than double its first size, brush the top with melted butter, bake one hour in a mod erate oven. A delicious bread; with p crust as tender as cake. Slashed Potatoes—Pare your potatoes very thin and let them lie in cold water one hour. Put them into boiling water slightly salted and boil steadily until you can pierce them with a fork, then pour off the water, sprinkle them lightly with salt and add, to one dozen medium sized potatoes a piece of butter the size of a hen’s egg; mash them with a wire mash er, add half a cupful of hot cream and beat them until very light and white. A Chapter on Heads. “The heads of men are growing larger,” said a Broadway hatter, the other day, as he sold a 7$ hat to a small man. “Thirtyyears ago,” he continued, “when I first went into the business, the average size ranged from 6J to 65. Ol course, there were plenty of men with larger heads, hut that was the average size. Most of onr customers buy hats nowadays in sizes from 7 to 7(j, and ycl the men of thirty years ago seemed to have as much brains as the men of to-day. The most singulai thing about the hat trade is the ability of a first class salesman to judge of the nationality of his customer by the shape of his bead. We Americans have long, narrow heads. It used to he that when an American head came in for a hat, il it was long enough for him it would he very likely too wide at the sides, or if it fitted at the sides it had to he pulled out at the ends. But wc now have hats for heads ot a nationalities. “When a German head comes in wc jump for tho boxes filled with hats especially made for round heads. The heads of Englishmen are irregular in shape, notwithstanding the conservatism of the nation. Irish heads arc the most easily fitted. They are oval in shape. Most small men require largo hats, and there was a great many large men who wear small tiles. It is a noticeable fact, however, that as the world grows older the heads of English-speaking people re growing more and more alike, and the shape is tending toward the long headed American head, all reports to the contrary.”—New York Telegram. Newspaper Curiseltles. “The newspapers of Colombo, on the island of Ceylon,” says a tourist, “are curiosities it their way. They are small sized folios, and they are issued daily. Their names are the Examiner and the Independent. They show a liberal amount of advertising patronage and afair amount of local news. In the Examiner recently was quite a long account ot the Colum bian World’s Fair to be held in Chicago. In the advertising columns are offered tea estates for sale, cocoanut plantations to rent, and one native adve:tiscs some thing like this: ‘I, Arunasalan Sellapfcy, of Natara, Vupe, do hereby notify that 1 will, after the 15th of November, 1890, adopt my maternal name, Razapaxsege, giving up my paternal name, Arunasalan, to avoid confusion. 1 In one of the papers a great Indian circus is announced to take place.” The English walnut groves arc fust coming into good hearing in Anaheim, Los Angeles County, Cal. They produce from $100 to $500 per acre, and the en tire crop for the valley has yielded $20,- 000 this season. The casualties from fast driving in London, England, last year were 250 persons killed and 5000 injured. The most interesting animal in Florida to most of our winter visitors is the mer maid, or manatee, but, unfortunately, It cannot then be seen, as it leaves for a warmer climate on the approach «f cold weather and does not return until the following spring, generally about May. This harmless creature is locally known by the names of sea cow, mer maid, river calf and some others, and among naturalists as the trichechus Americanus, or the American species of the manatee. The manatee received its name of sea •ow from the supposed resemblance of the mouth to that of the denizen of tho barnyard, and of mermaid from tho sail ors who saw it far out to sea holding its baby with one flipper. The only resemblance tho sea cow really hears to the land cow is that it is a mammal, suckles its young, feeds on herbage, and is gentle hut not timid. It differs from all other marine mammals outside its own group in various ways, notably in its curious structure, it hav ing « broad, powerful fiat tail, like that of a whale, which enables it to sink and rise from great depths by a few strokes; having foreflippers, like the seal, which) it uses for walking or swimming; a re markably thick skin, which allies ill somewhat to the pachydormata, tho hardest and densest bones of all the inammals; eyes even smaller than those of the hog, and flesh more palatable than the finest venison. The tenderness of its meat was one great cause of its destruction, for man and the fierce carnivora: waged constant warfare against, it from the most north erly shores of Alaska to the waters of Brazil. The Indians ot the Amazon River even now consider it the greatest delicacy obtainable, and capture it ex tensively during its migrations up aud down the river. Its hide is also very useful. The Seminole Indians, in times of yore, made canoes out of it, and almost indestructa- bio ropes, lariats, whips and household utensils. The density and hardness of the bones, the toughness and thickness of the skin, which is underlaid with about two inches of the richest kind of fat, and tbc short time it remains near the surface of the water to breathe, makes it the hard est animal in the world to kill with a rifle, and, for these reasons, one rarely hears of the destruction of one with fire arms. The usual method of capturing the manatee in Florida is to plant a very heavy net, about 300 or 400 feet iu length, and from six to twelve feet in depth, in places which it is known to frequent. The net is never anchored, but either tied to two posts firmly set in the bottom of the river, or else fastened by light strings to bushes or trees on shore, so that the least touch of a wan derer may break them and allow the seine to envelop it. The trappers may either build them selves palmetto huts on shore for shelter while waiting for a prize, or secure bet ter quarters and freedom from the as saults of mosquitoes aboard a shallow draught sloop, for the Santa Lucia is little more than a lagoon and only ten miles long. Those in boats keep a constant watcl night and day to see that prize and net do not escape them,whilst those on shore may only visit the seines two or three times in the twenty-four hours. Whcr ever they take up their quarters, their virgil is generally long and must be silent, for the mermaid has probably the keenest hearing of any known animal, that being really its only means of de fence. The fall of a blade of grass on the water will send one fleeing almost as rapidly as the sight of a dog will s hare. Its sight is also very good, consider ing that the eyes are very small, and look smaller than they are, owing to their being largely hidden by heavy folds of skin. After a period of weary wait ing the men may have their hearts set wildly heating by seeing a commotion in their nets. They hasten rapidly toward it, only to find, perhaps, that a vagrant alligator is trying to force its way though It, a huge sawfish rending it with its sharp weapon, or a shark floundering through it, or attempting to tear it to atoms with its series of mouth-imbedded lances. Should It turn out to bo object of their pursuit, they beccmo joyous and haul it ashore enveloped in its bind ing but airy costume of meshes. Should it be too large to be readily bandied, the captors tie it with cords— as it never makes any resistance—and by a series of ropes and pulleys place it in a tank half filled with water, or they may build a corral of stakes around it in water deep enough to float it at all tides, and leave it there until they get a pur chaser for it or an opportunity of ship ping it to a city. While it remains imprisoned it is fed on lily pods, manatee grass, cabbage leaves, bananas or any other - delectable fruit or vegetable, ft may be very shy for the first day or two, but, after that time, it becomes quite familiar, allows its head to bo scratched and eats food out of tho hand. When sold it is generally placed in e large tank, put aboard a sloop aud carried to its destination. An adult manatee could be purchased some years ago for $50 or $100, but the animal is becoming so rare that even one seven or eight feet is now worth from $1000 to $1500. A mermaid twelve feet long and weighing 1600 pounds could be sold to a circus foi $3000 at least and the skeleton of such n one would find a ready sale in most mu scums of natural history at $1000. Most of the animals die soon after be ing captured—not through any Inherent: disease, but through want of proper care and attention. One was kept alive in the grounds of the Subtropical Exposition at Jacksonville, Fla., for three or four years, and may be alive now for aught I know. I asked Mr. Cash Thomas, superinten dent of the grounds, how he managed to- keep it in existence so long, and he re plied that there was no secret about it, all bo hail done being to keep it in arte sian well water and feed it solely on lily pods, of which it ate three bushels a day. He admitted giving it a very little fresh grass occasionally, and bananas as a rel ish. This animal would come when, called, and ate the herbage thrown it in a lazy, methodical manner. It rose to the surface every four or five minutes to “blow,” and often sent a shower of water fifteen or more feet into tho air. On de scending it closed the valves of the nos trils, swam or walked slowly about, and groped along the bottom with its mouth feelers for some delicate morsel. When a wild one is scared, however, it can swim very rapidly, and tow a boat with several men iu at a pace that might be called wonderful. The Jacksonville manatco was eight feet long, about thirty inches wide across the back, and perhaps a foot or more in' depth. When it wished to cleanse itself of parasites it turned over on its back and rubbed that part on tho stones and sand lying on tho bottom until nearly all were rubbed off. It seemed to enjoy this operation. Its favorite haunt was pear the bottom of the pond, with the head close to tho lower part of the bank, and when it rose to breathe it merely poked its nostrils above the surface, opened the valves, inhaled all the air it could at one breath, then slowly descended to Its chosen haunts. To kill such au animal with a riflo while it is breathing appears to be aa ex traordinary feat, yet it has been done by Indian hunters on Whitewater Bay. Tho Scminoles formerly captured it with seines and harpoons, or by surrounding it with boats ami shooting it as it rose near the surface. After making a cap ture, they held a triumphal feast aud boasted of their own prowess to their hearts’ content. What they did not need for their own immediate use they dried in the sun, and this they often sold to Spanish trading vessels at fifty cents a pound, tho fresh meat being worth from seventy-five cents to $1. Manitec steak is now probably worth $100 a pound in Florida, and exceedii%- ly scarce at that price.—St. Louis Repub lic. The Original and New states. The original States, thirteen in num ber, were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersy, Georgia, Connecticut, Massa chusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, Now Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina aud Rhode Island. The other States were admitted as follows! Ver mont, March 4, 1791; Kentucky, Juno 1, 1792; Tenuesse, June 1, 1796; Ohio, November 29, 1802; Louisiana, Aprii 30, 1812; Indiana, December 11, 1816: Mississippi, December 10, 1817; Illinois, December 3, 1818; Alabama, December, 14, 1819; Maine, March 15, 1820; Mis souri, August 10, 1821; Arkansas, Juno 15, 1830; Michigan, January 26, 1837; Florida, March 3, 1845; Texas, Deccm her 29,1845; Iowa, December, 28,1816; Wisconsin, May 19,1848; California, Sep tember 9, 1850; Minnesota, May 11, 1858; Oregon, February 14, 1859; Kan sas, January 29,1861; West Virginia, Juno 19, 1863; Nevada, October 31, 1864; Nebraska, March 1, 1867, (Col orado, August 1, 1876; North Dakota and South Dakota, November 3, 1889; Montana, November 3, 1889; Washing ton, November 11, 1889; Wyoming, July 3, 1890, end Idaho still more re ceutly.—Courier-Journal. The Ceffers in the Bank. The Bank of England is the custodian of a large number of boxes deposited by customers for safety during the past two hundred years, and in not a few instances forgotten. Many of these consignments are not only of rare intrinsic and his torical value, but of great romantic in terest. For instance, some years ago tho servants of the hank discovered in its vaults a chest, which on being moved literally fell to pieces. On examining the contents, a quantity of massive plate of the period of Charles II. was discov ered, along with a bundle of love letters indited during the period of the Res toration. The Directors of the hank caused search to bo made in their books, the representative of the original de positor of the box was discovered, and the plate and love letters bunded over.— Chambers's Journal