Decatur Democrat, Volume 25, Number 25, Decatur, Adams County, 23 September 1881 — Page 4

IN ARABIA. 'Chose thou hot wee u!” and to his enemy The Arid, chief u brawny hand displayed. Wherein, like moonlight on a sullen sea Gleamed tins gi ay ( inuUor’s enameled blade. •‘Choose thou between death at my hand and thhio! Close in my power, my vengeanre I may wreak, Yet hesitate to strike. A hate like wine Is noble still. Thou hast thy choosing—speak ” And Ackbar stood About him all the band That hailed his captor chieftain, with grave eyes, His answer waited, while that heavy baud Stretched like a bar between him and the skies. Straight in the face before him Aekbar sent A sneer of scorn, and raised his noble head. “Strike!” and the desert monarch, as content, Rehung his weapon at his girdle red.

Then Ackber near crept and lifted high His arms toward the heaveu, so far ana blue, Wherein the sunset rays begantodieWhile o’er the baud a peeper silence grew. “Strike! I am ready! Didst thou think to »ee A son of Ghera spill upon the dust His noble bloo.ll Didst thou hope to have my knee .-ki, Bend at thy feet, and with one mighty thrust The life thou hatest dee before thee here. Shame on thee! on thy face! art thou the one Who hast so long thy vengeance counted dead My hate IS greater; I did strike thy son Thy one son, Notimld, died before my face, And by the swiftest courser of my stud Sent to thy door his corpse Aye, one might trace . . Their flight across the desert by his blood. Strike! for my hate is greater than thy own!” But with a frown the Arab turned away, Walked to a distant palm that stood alone. With eyes that looked where purple mo intains lay. •Tls for an instant; then he turned again Toward the place where Ackbar waited Walked as one benumbed with bitter pain, Or with a hateful mission to fulflll. “Strike, for I hate thee!" Aekbar cried once more. “Nay, bnt. my hate I cannot find!” said now His enemy. “Thy freedom I restore. Live; life were more tliau death to such as thou!” So with his gift of life the Bedouin slept T hat night untroubled; but when dawn broke through The purple east, and o'er his eyelips crept The long, thin lingers of night, he drew A heavy breath and woke above him shone A lifted dagger—“ Yea. he gave thee life. But I give death!” came in flereo undertone And Ackbar died. It was dead Nonmtd s wlfe ’ -James Henry Bensel.

BETSEY’S BONNET. •‘Well Uncle Abel, you arv off for home, I suppose; trading all done, eh?” and John Dare lifted his hat ami pushed back his thick hair as he stood on the hotel steps talking to a plain country fanner. “Wa’al. no, not quits yet, John. I want to get Betsey a bonnit; a real nice one; just as good as a might want. ’Cause Betsey worked awful hard this spring. Times are geod, too, ’Spose you don t want to go along with me, do you . “Let’s see —4 o'clock —yes, 111 go, Uncle Abel. I’ll look at the pretty girls, though you won’t mind that. Come on." . .. 8 > they walked up the street, the fashionable attire of the young lawyer contrasting strongly with the antiquated cut of the farmer’s garments, which at home were wont to lie in solemn state in the spare room all the week, only to be worn on Sunday. There was little likeness in the face—a trifle too fair for manly beauty, with its blonde mustache and setting ot coarse brown curls —to the bronze and beardless one, with the few locks spare and gray, beneath the wellbrushed Hat, but the blue eyes were the same in both, and like those that were closed forever under the sod, weere his dead sister was laid when John was a tiny child. It troubled John not a whit to be seen with the plain countryman; in spite of his perfumed hair and well-gloved hands his heart was as trne as steel to the good friend of his boyhood. They reached Mme. Mozette s at last and John lounged in the doorwav and the straightway engaged in the" laudible employment of finding out then prettiest face of the girls in attendance. Josie Molliett, radiant with smiles, and, I think a little artificial bloom, eame forward with the most bewitching glances to wait upon the farmer who brought so attractive a person with him; and fancying that she would show her superior qualities by so doing, made up her mind to quiz Uncle Abel unmerei-

fully, * . “Now young woman, snow me some of your best bonnets—real good ones. None of your poor old-fashion-ed things, for my wife!” Having said this, I nele Abel felt that had stated the case clearly and should have no more trouble. Miss Josie sailed about and returned with a white gypsy, trimmed with blue, a sherred green satin with a rose in it. and and a gray straw trimmed with scarlet poppies. “Now, that will be just what you want, lam sure; only $25, too—so cheap and so becoming.” Uncle Abel confessed afterward that he felt quite confounded at the price, but he did not mean to let that Frenchified girl know it, “Oh. that’s the style, eh ? It ain’t a bit like Betsey’s old one, though.” “Oh, no, sir; the fashion has changed entirely. Now the gypsy is the newest thing out, and your wife would set. the fashion, I don't doubt.” She looked up at John Dare merrily but could not interpret the look in his eyes, go taking it for granted that it was an expression of admiration, she purused the same strain. “Just fresh from Par’s I am sure your wife w’ould like that. Shall I try it on for you ?” “Wa’al, yes, I can tell better how it will look then. Now it looks just ike a dish.”

“There is goes this way,” and Josie pitched the little tiling over her rosy face, tied the liUle strings in a big ( bow-knot, and swept down the length , of the room. "Don't jou like it?” ; "Wa al it’s kind o’ puriy, but it's awful queer, ain’t it John? John could only answer that he “knew nothin’ in the world about , women’s bonnets,” and took up his ' reverie, whatever it was, just where it was broken off. But looking idly in the long mirror opposite, he saw Josie making signa to another girl, j , and he soon found that they were . amusing themselves vastly at the . perplexity of their customer. H* saw, , too, that a pale,' quiet girl, with ' smooth brown hair, looked up from her work indignantly, an I he rather saw than heard her say, “Forshame”’ and grew crimson as she spoke. His ownface flushed a little as he became aware that Uncle Atiel was being made the butt vs. their jokes—seed Vnele Abel, who was looking at fabrics incomprehensible to him. h s heart only full of the though how . f.lhn S'M greatly pdtplexed, tor 2hesaidTruely. he knew nothfor' .7. the mvster ous and bewild- ““ ,l, ‘* he saw every da, •

Still he knew that Aunt Betsey’s spare locks, thinly sprinkled with gray, were not dressed in modern style, and he could not-see whereabouts on that dear old head any ol those gypsies would rest. He remembered that long ago Aunt Betsey was wont to twist her hair with tlw same energy that distinguished all her movements, and that this operation resulted in a hard knob on the back of her head like a door handle, which certainly would not harmonize with these capeless head dresses. Just as his brow was overeast with this thought the pale girl came near Uncle Abel blushing as she did so in defiance of the other girls, holding in her hand a plain leghorn bonnet, trimmed with violet ribbons. She wore a mourning dress, and the plain brooch at her throat held a lock of grav hair. ‘•I think this might salt you, str, she said. “If your wife doesn’t dress her hair in these fashions, these bonnets would not do. This is rich and plain, and covers the back of the head and neck.” “Wa’al, now, tell me, for I have got so bothered with these things. 1 want to get a bonnet tor Betsey, and I mean io. New just tell me if you would like your mother to wear one like this? Oh, I beg your pardon ma’am; I didn’t see. I—l—am sorry!” The young girl brushed oft a tear quickly as she said: “I have no mother now; but if you will trust me, sir 1 think this will suit.” . She had stood hitherto just out of the range of John Dare's vision, and not seen him at all. Something in the sound of her voice attracted him, and when Uncle Abel called, “Here. John Dare,” he stepped hastily toward them. The girl thrust the bonnet into L ncle Abel’s hands, and would have been out of sight if her dress had not caught on oue of the branching stands. “Amy!” said John Dare, with a hot flush on his face, catching her hand. “Amy Egbert, have I found you at last '?” The girl’s face grew white and red by turns, and the words she spoke eame so low and broken that only John could catch their meaning.

> Uncle Aliel pushed his spectacles up on his forehead, still holding the hat in his hand, looking open-mouth- ‘ ed from one to the other. i “I guess you must have knowed this young woman afore?” he said; but John was too busy with questions, and Amy was trembling and flushing 1 as she tried to speak calmly, and so his question was answered. Pretty Josie was dividing her attention between a new customer and the scene beside her, and between anger and mortification she looked in no need of help from rouge as she tossed her head and muttered various uncourte1 ous remarks in regard to “Amy Egbert and her beau.” Uncle Abel held the hat a while longer quite patiently, but at length despaired of the interview being ended, so he coughed and then said: • “I’ll take this bonnet. Twenty dollars is a good deal. Betsey’s worth it, • ain’t she, John?” . John needn’t have started so or said i- “verv,” which wasn't a sensible answer at all; but Uncle Abel laughed a little to himself, and said softly. “Oh, I boys will be boys!” and he was ■ obliged to tell Miss Egbert the direction over twice. . Outside the door John turned to , leave his uncle, and looked at him as shy as a girl, as he said: “It’s all right, Unele Abel. You’ve found a new bonnet, and I’ve found an old, old friend.” Uncle Abel held his hand fast, and looking a moment without speaking in the young man's eyes, said: “She’s a motherless girl, John.” “Uncle Abel,” and John turned an- ’ grily away, or would have done so if . the detaining hand had not held him. “Look here my boy, I mean no offense. None of my blood turns villain,” he added proudly; “but you • see she’s young and purty, and forlorn, and may be if you see too much of her she might get to thinkin’ more of you than would be good for her. and if you ain’t in earnest, I guess it woul l break her heart. Shake hands with your uncle, my boy, I mean no harm; but I promised ‘Liza’ when she was on her dying bed that I would alius try to give you good advice, and the last words almost that she spoke, says she, ‘Abel, watch over my boy.” “My dear, kind uncle, I thank you —indeed I do —but I couid not bear to think that you should misjudge me. I knew Amy long ago, when her parents were both living, and she had al! that wealth could give. I loved her then in a quiet way, but I was too poor to tell her so. Then came reverses and death, and in her poverty and pride the girl hid herself from me absolutely until now. She tried to earn her bread by her accomplishments but failed, and took this means to do so. Now, if I can win her for my wife, I shall bring Mrs. John Dare to see you some fine day this summer —may I, Uncle Abel?” “Wa’al, wa’al, if things don’t turn out queer,” soliloquized Uncle Abel, homeward bound, with a bandbox placed on the seat before him. “To think how near I come to gettin’ one of them gypsies for Betsey. Why, she would have laughed a week about it. And then to think that painted pictur' of a girl was making game of me all that while. And then the other one taking the trouble to tell a stupid fellow like me what was the right thing to buy. I guess she would , make our John a good wife; and after Betsey and me has passed away , there'll be a nice bit of property com- j ing to John, and that’ll help him on." , How pleasant Aunt Betsey was when the old man gave her the new , bonnet: How fair aud young she [ looked in the fresh ribbons anti soft blonde lace around her face. And how , she laughed at the idea of wearing : “one of them dish covers on her : head 1”

Just wiien the country was in its June glory John Dare brought his bride to the farm house where hehad spent so many childish hours, and he led her to the old familiar spot. But as long as a straw and ribbon may endure to keep them both in mind how John Dare found bis wife, they tell the story of the time when Uncle Abel bought Aunt Betsey’s bonnet.

■ — The Influx of Foreign Bullion. In order.to make prompt payment for the foreign gold bullion, the influx of which has begun, the Treasury Department has increased the bullion of the New York assay office by a transfer of twenty >ailiions in gold coin. It is estimated that there is now on the way from Europe about eight or ten million dollar® in foreign gold coin and bullion, which will arrive in New York in the course of the next ten days, and which will be followed by other large shipments. The bullion upon its arrival at New York is to be taken direct fFom tbe vessel to the areny office wiiere it wilt be melted, and as aeon as the value is determined by assay the depositor is paid iu gold coin without delay, which is quite an important matter in the present state of the money market. A million and a quarter in fore*gn gold bullion arrived at New 5 ork yesterday, aad was deposited at the assay offiee. John Brown, the lucky servant of Queen Victoria, has had a house built for him by his mistress within I the grmiuls of Balmoral. It la al ' large square mansion in the center of • a lawn-like expanse, with a drive • leading to it from ene of the avenues, t Oscar A. Childs, a prominent merchant of Cleveland, is dead.

NEW YORK FASHIONS. Itlatecialß— Millinery—Designs. Os course you have been thinking of what we are to wear this fall and winter, and I am happy to give you such early information that you will know quite as soon as the average New Yorker. Tills is iu consequence of having been allowed to look over Lord & Taylor’s sample books. Among satins the prevalence of plush, chiefly in stripes or squares, but sometimes, too, ii. large floral figures, is very noticeable; leoire or watered satins, too, are extremely fashionable. In truth you can hardly Displace a moire design, for they come iu stripes extending all over the surface in large or smaller ripplings, or united with plush or brocaded stripes. Not only are these rich fabrics combined with plain satins or velvet for dressing toilets, but they serve as touches on fine woolen costumes, which for such purpose variety is given by plush combined with metal threads that lie imbedded at narrow intervals.

New plaided or striped w< olens are also brought out in great variety, to be combined with plain wools in all the fashionable colors, bronze, garnet, wine, dark blue or brown. These plaided or striped wools are prominent among fall importations, and are novel not only by reason of the uew colors harmonizing with the handsome plain wools, but by new arrangements of I ars and columns. Cheviot, too, is very fashionable. It has a loose twill, and in small, indistinct checks or stripes, will be made in simply shaped costumes, without combination. But more dressy cheviot is wrought with flush or moire satin stripes, while to complete the outfit, a clouded Cheviot in colors, to match, is provided. Thqpe costumes will be very stylish, yet not more so than cheviots that have broad stripes taking up a part of the breadth. These latter are intended for the (plisse) plaited effects that are amongst newest Ideas. The stripes are laid in plaits, so that one color appears on the outside, while the other shows from beneath in glimpses only. The transitions in color, are subdued so that they ean be worn by persons of quiet taste. Brighter woolens are woven in alternations of one plain, broad stripe aud one of Floral design, and these are disposed iu plisse, style, either the floral stripe appearing on the outside with the plain color peeping from below, or vice versa. Os course there is plain material to match. THE NEW BONNET. Felt is conspicuous in millinery and is iu black, white and all new colors. As to shapes, one may choose among the poke family; quaint in outline, with high pointed crown, or selection can be made among the smaller cottage and capote bonnets. In pokes, the«e is considerable diversity, since some crowns are more conspicuously pointed than others and there are notable differences in size. But most ot them are quite large. Hats are often very larg ; having broad, square crowns, with wide brims turned up on the left side. Yet again, we see Derbys and turbans. Plush or velvet are the materials used, and are laid plainly on the pokes and usually on the small bonnets as well. For trimming, we have plush, satin, velvet aud ribbon, while byway of finish, it is feathers, feathers," feathers. Ostrich plumes of such length that they must be artificially prolonged, sweep around the huge hats, but on bonnets a cluster of tips is preferred, Colors in ostrich feathers are frequently a very jumble—two <>r three mixed in a haphazard way but sometimes they are of one color or shaded from dark to light. Feathers are in bands, breasts with heads, or entire birds from a large dove or paroquet down to a humming bird are seen, but are not as fashionable as bands. Cock’s plumage is also on new hats, but is dyed in bronze, garnet, olive and other new shades. NEW DESIGNS.

For the checked cheviots that shculd be plain in outline with “tailor finish,” there is nothing more suitable than the Sutherland costume, having a short skirt trimmed with a deep, gathered flounce, overskirt with full back drapery, apron front and tucked basque confined by a belt. Stout people would better to select a plain cheviot or some olie of the new wools, either finished with stripes or touches of other material, and for them a plain fitting corsage is the rather a judicious choice. Here we find the Baronne polonaise arranged over a short walking skirt trimmed with deep plaitings. The fronts are cut in one piece falling over a shawl-shaped point at the left and draped high at the sides. The “Richmond” is a new light fitting jacket cut away below the waist, turned back in revers above and fastened by a single large button at the waist. The Etelka is a dressy mantelet in circle shape,with shirring at the neck and in a plastron behind. Lucy Carter.

Japanese Fireworks at Manhattan Beach. The exhibition of the “Phantoms in the Skies,” given by the Japanese Firework Company at the western end of Manhattan Beach New York Hotel Ground ou Tuesday afternoon, was witnessed by a large number of people. A stiff breeze blew in from the waves, and as soon as the Japs loosened the ends of their odd looking kites, the latter flew up into the air with a rush. They took the shapes of fish, birds, balloons and stars, and while they were gaily sailing about the Japs ignited a clay bomb. There was a sharp report and a small black obeict shot into the air nearly out of sight. It burst, and emptied out a lot of tiny parasols, which floated away. There were more reports and more flights into the air of dark objects, out of which clouds of smoke canie, the paper fishes, and figures of men and women, birds, and balloons. Sometimes a long snake of smoke would make a curling ascent away above the heads of the spectators and then dssappear. The sight after dark was much prettier. I’he grounds twinkled with 1,000 colored lights, and the claj- bombs with paper figur s were replaced by brilliant balls of glowing fire whien burst high in the air and poured out showers of gorgeous colors called “fiery bouquets.”

snowers or gorgeous colors canea “fiery bouquets.” ♦ re re — At “La Scala” in Milan, is now in course of prosperous representation one of the mpet extraordinary ballets evdr witnessed uj»on any stage. It is called “Excelsior,” and is curiously described as “the danced poem of the triumph of progress, illustrating all the more important incidents on the road.” Among the various inventions and scientific conquests to which it gives terpsiehoreau personification are the telegraph, the locomotive, the transatlantic cable, and the Cutting of the Isthmus of Suez. Gaflry the last-named achievement being banced by .300 little female feet, amid countless “pirouetter” and frequent “ballonnements” of gauze petticoats. It seems absurd in statement*, but the effect is described as nothing less than raviwant. “Excelsior’, is to be brought out in Pari* next winter. _____ A hearing was had before Commissioner Raurn on the subject of taxaItiou of bank deposits. Gentlemen ; Were present representing the banks . New York, Boston, Baltimore and .Cincinnati. The whole subject was i thoroughly discussed, and the com- - !2;?" oner announced he would careI fully review the matter.

A WESTERN ELOPEMENT. A Young Girl who Steals her Brother’s Trousers and Ruus Away iu Thein. The northern part of Wayne county, Ind., and the southern part of Randolph is iu a fever heat of excitement over the elopement of a pretty school-girl with her father’s hired haud, and the pursuit and capture of his young Juliet. Her name is Hartley, and she is the daughter of a well-fixed farmer, who owns a farm on the other side of the county line. The two had been making love on the sly for a long time, aud at last determined to run away and get married and return home and ask forgiveness and a corner off' the old homestead place. She was large and well devei oped for one of her age, and after chopping off her long silken tresses aud putting on her brother’s Sunday pants and cutaway, she made a good looking boy. Her best dress and summer hat" were packed in a carpetsack, and au hour before daylight the rural Romeo drove up under her window with the family'ihaise, and she was soon stowed away in it with her carpet-sack. They drove rapidly over to Harrisville, away station on the Chicago, Cleveland and Columbus Rail Road, and were standing on the platfoam waiting for the mi‘ruing accommodation to come along and bear them away, when a freight train drew up and the old gentlman jumped off and began mauling the young follow with his fists. He stood it for a minute and seeing that his picnic was over he braced himself and gave his employer a good thrashing. The old man had net detected his daughter in the round-shouldered, fair-skinned boy that stood by and witnessed the engagement, and she might still have eluded him if she had tried : but when he began to cry for his child, and upbraided the fellow for having taken her from him, she ran to him and asked to be taken home. When they got on the cars he drove all the passengers out, aud made her change her apparel. He went home swearing that if that fellow ever came around his premises again he would shoot him. If the President’s journey had not absorbed public attention and made Tuesday famous, that day would doubtle’ss have been long remembered in many localities for strange atmosphereic" phenomena. In many parts of the East and in Canada, the day was so dark that it was impossible to get along without artificial light The most singular effects thus far reported, wore in Troy, Springfield, Mass., . Providence, R.1., Boston and Toronto. In Springfield several large man- ■ ufactories suspended work, reading aud studying were abandoned in some of the public schools, and in ! hundreds of shops and houses, the I the gas jets burned with a peculiar | white light. In Toronto, great fear of some terrible calamity disturbed the peace of timid and superstitious i souls. At 5 o’ clock, the sky presented I the api>earance of an orange dome of extraordinary beauty. As sunset approached, the orange deepened over sky and city, and the streets were filled with people gating at the weird spectacle. In every place where the unusual phenomenon was conspicuous’ people recalled the stories of the famous “dark day,” about one hundred years ago, when business was suspended, candles made only a slight impression on the universal gloom and unreasoning roosters announced at noon-day a fictitious dawn. Even the advanced knowledge of to-day, while it laughs at superstitious fears, and rightly attributes to natural conditions suck strange appeaarnces as those of Tuesday, cannot give a very satisfactory account of the causes which pronuee them.

The Rain Tree. Some travelers in South America, in tiaveling an arid and desolate tract of country, were struck with a strange contrast. On one side there was a barren desert, on the other a rich and luxuriant vegetation. The French consul at Loreto, Mexico, says that this remarkable contrast is due to the presence of the Tamai easpi.or the rain tree. This tree grows to the bight of t>o feet, with a diameter ot three feet at its base, and possessess the ‘icwerof strongly attracting, absorbing and condensing the humidity of the atmosphere. Water is always to b. seen dripping from its trunk in such quantity as to convert the surrounding soil into a veritable marsh It is in summer especially, when the rivers are nearly dried up, that the tree is most active. If this admirable quality of the rain tree were utilized in the arid regions near the equator, the people there living in misery on account of the unproductive soil, would derive great advantages from its introduction, as well as the people of more favored countries where the climate is dry and drouths frequent. —[Land and Water. Mrs. Watson and her Seven Sons. Mrs. Cynthia Watson, widow of James F. Watson, of Botetourt County, Virginia, who died last week contributed seven sons to the Confederate army, one of whom followed Gen. Pickett in the fatal charge at Gettysburg and scaled the enemy’s works, and strangely escaped unhurt. YVhen at the close of the war the family roll wns called every son, after the lapse of four years of carnage and death, answered to his name around the family heartlistone, and this noble woman then and there offered a sincere prayer of thanks that her humble supplications to the divine throne had been heard and answered, and, reverently placing her trembling hand upon the beads of the bronzed veterans she so much loved, exclaimed, “Thank God, we are all here again.” —{Lynchburg News.

AN ELK HUNT IN OREGON. One day last week T.P McKuight, proprietor of the pleasure resort at Lower Soda Springs, started out with his son Charlsy to hunt for elk across the Santiam from the springs. After going a few miles, they discovered an efk, and Charley succeeded in killing it. They skinned it and, taking part of the meat on their backs and covering up the remainder came home. After coming home they thought some wild animal might carry away the meat they left behind before they could return to it the next day,so Charley and hie little brother Clyde, taking their blankets, guns and dogs, started ba< k expec ting to camp with it. Boon after arriving at their destination’ they discovered a couple of elk and by slipping upon hem managed to kill both. A fewmoments afterward their dog commenced a short distance off,and above the noise of the barking could lie beard tbe peculiar sounds made by the call of the elk. The boys rushed to the spot as soon as possible, and found a young calf elk probably about 1 two weeks old. Os course they feathered on to that calf. No boy would lose such an opportunity to capture such a rare animal, but they were not to get it wiihout a struggle. Hearing a noise close by ,they glanced up and were almost iietrilled by seeing the old cow coining to the rescue of her young. She was only twensy or thirtr feet awav. and coining like a whirlwind. with her horns down and her hair turned the wrong way, she was a sight totry the nerves of one of tbe old-time hunters. No time was to be Tost. A seconds delay might result in tbe death of both boys; but Charley was equal to the occasion. Grasping his gun he drew sight on the terrible i animal, and, shooting when she was i actually only about ten feet off, eausI ing her to turn almost a sumersaulto

aud laid at their feet dead. There was an exploit equal to the many that our readers have heard told arouud their firesides ot some of the old hunters of the great west for lie it remembered that Charley is only 15 years old and small of his age, anil Clyde is only 18 The boys dressed their" game' camped out all night, and the next day took their captive elk and went home and told their story. Their father has been packing me-t on horsbaek ever since, and judges that they will have about 1,500 pounds, the elk weighed from 300 to 500 pounds each. They sent usdown a few steaks, and we do not wish to set our teeth into anything more luscious. —Albany Democrat . w - i Half Human and Half Alligator. About fourteen miles from Live Oak, Fla., there lives a woman with a strange family. One day she was walkiug out and had occasion to cross a creek oil a log, and while Unis crossing a nuge alligatoi attacked aud pursued her for some distance, frightening her uery much. Subsequently she, gave birth to twins, both males They were perfect children down to their waists, and there the human ended, and they are complete alligators ou downward, tail and all. There are short, webbed feet and legs at the lower portion of the abdomen like alligators. They crawl with their hands, dragging themselves about just as an alligator does. They make a squealing, inarticulate noise. The mother has had a large trough or tank filled with water, in which she keeps them, and they live pretty nearly all the time in it. They feed and eat regularly, and seem to be doing well, and seemingly happy. They are now about fourteen or fifteen years old. Comparatively few outside of the immediate neighborhood knows of It. The mother has refused large offers of money for their exhibition.

Curiosities of the Earth. At the city of Medina, in Italy, and about four miles around it, wherever the earth is dug, when the workmen reach a distance of sixtythree feet they come to a lied of chalk, which they boie with an auger five feet deep. They then withdraw from the pit before'the auger is removed, and upon its extraction the water bursts through the apertures with great violence, aud quickly fills the newly-made well, which continues full, aud is affected neither by rains nor drought. But what is the most remarkable in the operation is the layer of earth as we descend. At the depth of fourteen feet are found the ruins of an ancient citv, paved streets, houses, floors and different pieces of mason work. Under this is found a soft, oozy earth, made up of vegetables, and at twentysix feet large trees, with the walnuts still sticking to the stem’s and the leaves and branches in a perfect state ofpreservation. At twenty-eight feet deep a soft chalk is found, mixed with a vast quantity of shells, and the bed is two fe t thick. Under this vegetables are found again. Portrait of Columbus. In the Spanish Colonial Office or Madrid a most curious discovery has just been made of a portrait of Columbus —in fact, one made during the life of the great discoverer. The portrait is in perfect state of pr nervation and the inscription is intact. It reads:— “Columbus Lygur., novi or is repertor.” The portrait represents Columbus at about forty years of age, without any wrinkles on his broad forehead, with dark, thick hair, a brilliant eye and a beaked nose. A Hrs* copy, which has been made, has been offered to the Duke of Veragua, a lineal descendant ofColumli*. SubSecretary Correa has ordered another copy to be placed in the Colonial office. The size of the portrait is half a metre long by forty-two centimetres wide. It is supposed to be by an artist of the end of the fifteenth oenury.

Omaha is'to have a new court house, to cost $187,00®. New YorM Produce. Flour—Dull; superfine state and western, $5 35@6 10; common to good extra. $5 90@6 60; good to choice, $6 70 @8 00; white wheat extra, $7 01(38 00; extra Ohio, $6 30@7 so; St. Louis, $8 30(S8 00; Minnesota patents, $7 50@ 9 25. Grain—Wheat lower: ungraded spring, $1 10<gl 26; No 2 Chicago and Milwaukee, $1 38Jj@l 39; hard No 1 Duluth, $146; ungraded red, $1 20® 1 46: No 3 red, $1 42Q'@1 42Q; No 2 red, $1 46tb@l steamer No 2 red, $142'4; No 1 red, $1 48t£@l 48 Q; mixed winter, $1 white, $1 32@1 33; No 2 white, $1 40V« @1 40 5 8 . Corn opened lower and closed firm; ungraded, 62 @7lc; No 3, 68j4'@69c; steamer, 70c; No 2, 71®71' a c; No 2 white, 80)4 ®81c; yellow, 73@74c; low mixed, 79c. Oats, mixed dull and weak; white, %c to 1c higher; receipts, 97,000 bushels mixed western at 42®44c; white western, 48@53c. Eggs—Nominally unchanged. Provisions —Pork dull: new mess S2O 00. Cut meats quiet but firm and unehanged. Lard more active, opening at iS’yc to 15c lower, but closing with the decline nearly recovered; prime steam, sl2 37U. Butter—Quiet but steady at 15@84c. Cheese—Quiet and unchanged. Baltimore. Flour—Firm and unchanged. Grain—Wheat, western dull and closing weak; No 2 red winter spot and September, $1 441* [October, $146 @1 46‘ 2 ; November, $1 50® 1 50)4; December, $1 53@1 5314. Corn, western lower and closing dull; mixed spot and September, October, 724 t (g72> t ; November, 6]j 8 (4 64c, December, 67Lc; steamer, 65c. Oats quiet and steady. Rye quiet. Hogs—Unchanged. Provisions—Unchanged and very firm. Butter—Firm; western grass, 16® 25c. Eggs—Steady. Petroleum—Firm; refined, BXc. Coffee —Steady. Sugar—Firm. Whisky—Quiet at $1 19. — — —I Cincinnati.

Flour—Quie! and unchanged. Grain—Wheat strong; No 2 red, $l4B. Corn steady; No2mixed, 70c. i Oats firm; No 2 mixed, 44}®c. Rve , firm; No 2, $1 1514-Barley firmer; ex- . tra No 3 fall, $1 06. , Provisions—Pork quiet at S2O 50 Lard easier at sl2 00. Bulk meats , nominal. Bacon quiet and uu- . changed. Whisky—Stronger at $1 14. Combination sales of finished goods 830 barrels, on a basis of $1 14. Butter—Dull and unchanged. Hogs—Firm; common and li-ht. to mi? in’ paeki;i K and butehere, $6 40®, 10; receipts,2,3oo; shipments, New York Dr» Uo«4*. Business is fairly active with jobbers, and there is a steady th<>ugh moderate demand at .first hands. Cotton goods firm and some makes are advanced by agents. Prints in steadyrequest and dress ginghams active. Light-weight cassimeres in ■ fair demand by the clothing trade. Kaat Liberty. Cattle—Receipts, 1,377; market closed slow at yesterday's prices. Hogs—Receipts, 2 400; Philadelphia’s, $7 10® 7 30; Yorkers, $6 50® 6 70; fair Yorkers, $6 25®6 50 a Sheep—Receipts, 800; selling steady at unchanged prices. J

OHIO. There was a severe gale of wind at Galion, doing considerable damage, At Mount Cory, Hancock county, IS sheep, belonging to James West,* were killed by lightning. A large steam flouring mill at Huron, Licking county, owned by McCarthy, was destroyed by fire. Daniel Clifford, a switchman for the Davton and Michigan Railroad, was killed at Lima Ohio, by fulling under a ear. A fifteen year old lad named Joe Miller, of Fostoria, was run over by a band ear, and had both his limbs badly mangled. AtDavton the wlfeof Joseph Davis, colored, struck him with a hatchet, inflicting a wound which will probably prove fatal. Oberlin’s busy time has come, and where a week ago we were emphatically a quiet town, now we are all bustle and stir. At Fostoria, while a young man named Charles Jaybower was hunting. his gun exploded, blowing out both his eyes aud otherwise injuring him. Frank West, aged 18, while crossing the river bridge at Trenton, was shot through the stomach by some unknown person. He walked home, two miles, but died Sunday. Abraham Rinearson, while passing broken pajier through steam caleudeis at Louis Snider’s Sons' Fair Grove mill, had his hand caught in the machinery aud badly bruised and burned. The driver of a fine span of bays lost control of them on the ferry boat at Bellaire, and the bars not being up, they backed the buggy over, and it pulled them after. The man did not go over, but both horses drowned. Mr. Thomas Lehman, of Pittsburg, In jail at Cleveland on a charge of criminal libel, was mairied Wednesday in Jail, to Miss Nye F. Sterrett, a very estimable young lady. liehman was formerly connected with the Cleveland “Plain Dealer.” Ohio has seven counties that produces over one million bushels of wheat each, per year.—Darke. 1.V7Q,292 bushels; Hancock, 1,003,019; Pickway, 1,000,000; Sandusky, 1,005,025; Seneca, 1,574,522; Stark, 1,349,094; and Wayne, 1,259,834. A dispatch from Newark says: Policeman Griffith assaulted T. Watson, one of the Newark Pen. and afterward with Marshal Rickenbaugh arrested and locked him up. The cause of the trouble was ah item detriental to Griffith, which appeared in the Pen.

A boy named Flanagan, aged fifteen shot Maggie Huffman, aged twelve, at Marion. The boy had orders to keep everybody out of au orchard Maggie claimed that she went into the orchard to get water from a well there. Fortunately but few of the shot struck her in her arm and hip. Flanagan has fled. At Columbus, William Caulfield, a soldier at the barracks, who lias lieen doing chores around the house of Capt. Gilmore, secured a pair of diamond earrings set in gold and platina, a diamond ring with three stones set in plain gold, a cameo ring and two pairs of bracelets, and left for parts unknown. Jeff’. Calvin, a man from Portsmouth, was shot last night on the farm of a Mr. Stevenson, in Kentucky opposite Sciotaville, Ohio. He was taking corn from the field of Stevenson, when the latter opened fire on him with a shot gun loaded with bird shot. The load took effect in his right side and he is dangerously wounded. A lady who has been successful, in her judgment, in preparing a cure for fits, sent a bottle to Governor Foster and asked him to try the medicine and send her statement of its effect, for publication. Private Secretary Mussey replied that the Governor was absent on a campaign tour, and was too busy just now to think of fits, not being subject to the disease, anwiaviug no friends subject to them, he had no occasion to test the remedy. During the last year, fines amounting to nearly four hundred dollars were collected oft’ of defendants in criminal cases in Carroll county besides costs amounting to nearly one thousand dollars. The fines will overpay any costs the county has been put to "by nearly S2OO. During the year there has not been a single verdict adverse to the state rendered by a jury. At Dayton a lively sensation occured lately, caused by an attempted public cowhiding. The Astiin was the man who does the sensational business for the Enquirer, and the man on his musc'.e was Ralph Wolf, a newsdealer. Wolk’a name was mentioned in a special in an unpleasant connectien with a woman he had never sedu, and he demanded a retraction. At Lancaster, Charles Lee was arrested lately, charged with shooting Henry Lehman with intent to kill. The case is a startling one, as Mrs. Lehman seems to lie more or less connected with the affair, and the Leamans are wealthy and influential people. One month ago Lehman was waylaid at midnight ip his own dooryard and fairly riddled with bullets, sustaining no less than six wounds. One hundred and twentyseven No. 4 shot were buried in his neck and shoulders. He escaped to the house, and ever since the affair has been one of the greatest mysteries until the arrest of Lee.

The Origin of tbe Chinese Pigtail, A recent Imperial edict on the subject calls our attention to the origin of the pigtail, which is now tlie distinctive mark of a native oi the F lowery Land. It is one of the strange phenomena of that country, where everything is so ancient, and where so few innovations have been tolerated, that this practice, which was originally the badge of conquest, shvuld have been not merely accepted, but permitted to intertwine itself so closely with the national life tliat it would now require forcible meast tires to induce the people to forego it. For In the days before the Manchu conquest, when the throne wag occupied by the great dynasties of antiquity, the Chinese allowed thesr hair to grow as best it pleased them; and they were even known to seme of their neighbors as the “long-haired tece. ' But when the great soldier Noorhunhu marched southwards from Moukden to conquer China, and establish the Mauciiu dynasty, he gave an order to his lieutenant* to compel the people, as they submitted, to shave their beads in token of their surrender. The Manebus were thus dlßCover at « glance which of the Chinese were vanquished, and which were not; while the thoroughness of their success was expressed in ths most formal and emphatic m»>

This practice, which wa» - "* the adopted out of the conquest Os the ari ‘ Bin by a mere he . multitudes soldiers, was contir .ndful of Tartar svstl l^ 81 ? f>ort an<l be came ° n ° f * raßoh “ eminent, and the redom of tb ,ed to confirm the wis»h. -e, founders of the present i“ J /' , T, ? e Popular views on the ct of the pigtail have not vet en ascertained with any degree" of certitude; but it may be remarked that

all the insurrections of the last twenty years have pul forward, as one of their features, the Intention to renew this practice, which has there been represented as a badge of conquest. There now, however, seems more s'hanco limn ever of its perpetuation. ... EARM AND GAIUIEN. • ■ ' « — Does any one of our farmer readers recall that he ever prepared a field for wheat toe carefully ? A farmer remarked while looking at a r ed->trawed wheat that he preferred red to yellow straw, having found it stronger. The lovers of Swiss cheese may be interested in learning that the latest adulteration of that product is made of potato staroil. Hens, as a rule, lay about an equal number of eggs in their first anil second seasons, after which the produce rapidly decreases. The season for wheat was not favorable to a heavy yield. Rains and cloudy skies prevailed from first to last, and the grain of all kinds »s shrunken. A letter received from Dr. J. B. I.awes, of Rothamsted, England, dated Aug. 27, says: “I am sorry to say our harvest is in a very critical state. I began to cut wheaton the Ist of August and it is not carried in yet.” Os all poultry breeding the rearing of the goose in favorable situations is said to be the least troublesome aud most profitable. It is not surprising, therefore, that the trade has of late years been enormously developed. We beg again to call the attention of farmers to the fact that whether a variety of wheat bears two or iltree grains in a breast makes a difference of one-third in the yield, all else being equal. The inner kernels of wheat spikelet, are always smaller than the outer ones, and"they are later in ripening. In establishing any new variety of wheat from cross-breeding, the outer kernels should aloue be saved for seed. The latest tool for cutting glass is said to be a thin German silver disk, impregnated with diamond dust, while for drilling holes similiarly impregnated cylinders are used. These tools are said to cut very rapidly, and to show little or no wuar from use. The melon has been cultivated from time immemorial, and yet there is no other plant known that is so wonderfully variable iu its character. In the same bill and from the same seed there will be produced some of the finest, as well a? some of the poorest, specimens. Both curranYpand gooseberry bushes are best set in November, or any time after the frost has killed the leaves. They start so very early in spring that it is almost impossible to plough tae land and set them in season, and besides we are very busy in spring with other work.

As a character by which to distim guish wheat, the color of the chaff should never be mentioned. For example, in Colorado, the chaff of Clawson is white; iu certain parts of New York and Pennsylvania a light buft'-browu; in other parts of the same States, a dark brown. And the same may be said of most other varieties Mr. Klippart states, in his book on the Wheat Plant, that the middle kernel of a breast or spikelet Is larger than the outer ones, and he gives illustrations showing the difference. Now, in the generality of wheats the middle floret pnwes sterile, or rather most of them do, and when fertile the grain is, as a rule, as much smaller than the outer grains as Mr. Klippart makes it larger.

The beards of bearded kinds of wheat add materially to the weight of the heads. Given the weight of kernels to be the same, ana the strength and hight of straw, as between bearded and beardless kinds it is plain the bearded will lodge before the beardless. Beards are of no known value. Hence, all other things being equal, it is desirable to cultivate beardless kinds. The New York ll’arlclsays: Never in the history of the New York eattle market have there been so diseased eattle or sheep receiye'j a8 during the year past. In fac\ th ere has not been a single case ', r B jg n o f any contagious or infep'/mus disease among the arrivals 9 f fat cattle, and not more than a dbzeii car loads of sheep have air.Ved bearing marks of scab, and none of these were more than slightly affected. That the year U>Bl will show as good a health record for the fat stock offered here as the year 1880 isquite as much as can be expected. Captain Jared Abrams last year raised the largest quantity ofClawson wheat to the acre of any of the farmers in the neighborhood.” We interviewed the Captain as follows: “How much wheat did you raise per acre?” “Thirty-four bushels.” "How much manure did vou use?’ "None,-’ he replied. “"The land was in onions last year anti well manured then.” "How much and what kind of mam.re did vou then use?” “Twenty-five loads of farm manure.” Did you then drill in the seed or sow it broadcast?"

“I drilled at the rate of one and three-quarters bushel pgr acre.” “If with your present experience you were to set about producing a greater yield of wheat, would you use more or less seed ?” “I should not use more. "Are we to understand you would use less?" “I should rather sow les? than more,” the Captain laughingly and i tejniewhat evasively replied. ■ “t s iould be stated that tbl« farmer ' some years ago strenuously advocated two bushels and over to the acre, and that of late years he has befcn reducing the quantity. Not the Cat, but a Copperhead. Quite an unwelcome, and certainly ' . an unusual, visitor appeared in the ! house <sf Mr. Joel Crofoot, in Leßoy, i on Saturday night. Mrs Crofoot had ' been ironing during the evening, and having a hot fire, left the outside 1 kitchen door open. The kitchen floor 1 is on a level with the ground, the sit-ting-room floor one step higher. ’ About "6 o'clock she stepped down from the sitting-rodm to the kitchw for tbe purpose if hanging ’’ tow-els by tlie stove, and as b-- 74? struck the floor sKe felt wh»- .‘f J OOI posed was the eat, at lb' ” ?“»>• feeling a scratch <m h*‘ , '7» sa ?uL n 1 nl l noticing that the v i ankbe, but she looked .i made no outcry, the reader whwt it and naUtm M '• inamne ©ousternerheid uisceming a motiaier cop- > snake and realizing she had U,V jitten by it. She at once called t’ ,er husband who soon dispatched ae snake and, applying camphor and

saleratus to the wound, came to PainsvUle" as soon as he Could hitch wphfs team and drive here. Goingto the residence of Ms brother, Mr' A. D»Crof'>Ot, on Bt. CJair-etreet. Dr. A. ,I*. <Jardn« was summoned, who administered the usual antidotes. The fnothrtis swdllerfto an tfnnsnal sire, turned pnrplaand caused Lome pain during the night. Sunday afternoon the pain began to decrease and the swelling to subside, so that she rode home Sunday evening. Mr. Crofoot measured his snakesnip on Sunday and found him to be 39 inches long and as large around as his wrist.

How Pears Ripen. It has been long known to chemists that if vegetabe fibre, such as that of cotton, flax, etc, be submitted to the action of sulphuric acid, it is converted into soluble starch ’ or dextrine, and this is readily convertible into sugar. The ordinary process of malting Is simply a conversion of the starch of the barley into sugar by the agency of a ferment called "distaste,” which is fotmed in the barley, and is so effective that only one five-hundredth part is sufficient to set up the action by which the insoluble starch is converted into dextrine, and then into sugar. Fruits also are sugar factories, in which is conducted the whole process of making sugar from rags, the fibre of the rags being represented by the fibre of the unripe fruit. Every boy who has struggled to eat an unrine apple or pear knows that the unwholesome luxury is what he calls “woody” as well as sour. The chemist describes itsimilarly. His technical name for the tough material U “woody fibre," under which name he includes nearly all the fibrous materials of the vegetable world, for they all have fundamentally a similar chemical composition. This woody fibre is made up of carbon and the elements of water. Starch aud sugar are composed of the same elements, their differences of properties being due to differences of arrangement and proportious of the constituent elements. Thus the change of iusvluble starch Into dextrine. and dextrine into sugar, or the change of woody fibre into dextrine aud sugar, is effected by very small modifications of chemical composi tion. We all know that the unripe apple or pear is sour, or that it contains an acid as well as the woody matter. Now, this ap]>ears to act after the manner of the sulphuric acid that the chemist applies to the rags, but it acts more slowly and more effectively. The sweetest ol pears are gathered when hard and quite unfit for eating, but, by symply setting them aside and giving this acid time enough to do its work, the hard fibrous substance becomes converted nto a delicious, sweet, juicy pulp. Nativity of Diseases. The ordinary infectious diseases had their origin, so far as can be learned, in the countries indicated below. Physic ans will be interested in reading the summary: The Cholera —This disease had its origin in India. The Small-pox—ln the east; known in China nearly 1,200 years before Christ. The Plague—An Oriental disease; has a distinct geographical range. The Typhus Fever—lreland is its birthplace. The Typhoid and Relapsing Fevers. —Have fixed centers in Ireland, Galicia, upper Silesia and some provinces of Northern Italy. The Military Fever—ls epidemic iu a few provinces of France, Germany and Italy. Scarlatina—Probably a native of Arabia. Epidemic Dysentery—Home iu the trojiics. The Dengue—ln southern latitudes, with sharp geographical limits. The Yellow Fever-Distinctly traced to the Antilles. The Chaoalongo—Chili. The Verruga—Peru

I’he Shaker*. The Shakers use no alcoholic drinks and no tobacco. The North familyare strict vegetarians. In most other families some meat is eaten : but pork is tattooed by all of them, 1 am told. With their knowledge and practice of the rules of healthful living they would allow a remarkably favorable deatli rate were it not for their practice of celibacy. The remarkable thing about Shaker celihacy is that it is practiced without any barriers between the sexes those of the ordinary customs of civillized society. Men "and Wome u mingle together freely in the ordiuarv avocations of the day, eat j n th e Hftln 'e rooms, sleep in the s> me buildings with no partitions r s !(M , ked aoor . dividing the dwell ‘ nffS into male and female wings, ,tie dormitories open upon hall-w»y 8 ÜBet l by both sexes. There is, > b / ’, wever , a watchful oversight of 1 ie younger members of the comme.nity [,y tb e e ] ( i erst . Noone, exc *pt perhaps the aged, has an apartment himself »r herself. Each sleeps alone in a narrow bed, but there are two or three beds in a room. The women go in couples when away from the house, and there small chance for furtive love-making. At the church there are generate doors for the sexes, lalieled “entrance for males” and “entrance for females,” which is a little singular considering the free common use made of halls.

Maine Sardines. If Connecticut is the land of wooden nutmegs, Maine must be the land of herring sardines. There are said to be twenty-two establishments on the Washington county coast, whereof two thirds are in Eastport, in which herring are put up as sardines in tin boxes made here in imitation of those used by tbe French, bearing French labels, preserved in eotten-seed oil, which is asserted on the cans to be ehoiue olive oil. “No admittance” is notified at the entrance, but the rule is not enforced. Herring are brought in from the bay in large quantities, and are unloaded at the several wharves where the factories are erected. They are carried in baskets into a large room provided with tables, where a gang of boys and girls from 10 to 15 years of age are waiting for them, each armed with a knife. Some o! these children are dexterou-.. A single ent removes the head and from one to two inches of the shon'.der of each tish, and at the same time draws the greater part of the ‘lnnards.’ The tail is more or less removed by another cut. The extent of the business done is indicated by the fact that the rejected fiarts of the herring at a single estate ishmeut frequently am ount to seveI ral hogsheads a day. These parts are boiled, pressed for "tb pjr oil. and the retuse is sold for manufacture into dressing for soil, ’ lt i 8 no t yet possible to manulhct lire olive oil and anchovy IMi ste c ut o f the heads of ■erring. The b odies and tails <»f tbe herring are w» s hed, laid upon wire baked in a gieat oven, packed tin bo;<e/, by girls, covered with 0* tton-’,pp<i nj], tl>«* boxeawre soldered, heated, again in the oil, and finally pack j n wooded boxes for ship rap nt. , . The assertment that the contents ’ jge sardines, put up in the best olne oil, is a direct and unqualified misstatement. If herring, put up oil of cotton-seed, make a palatai'K dish, very well. Let those eat it wh wish to do so. To put it up in imitation of something else is a barefaced fraud, which the law should forbn and punish. _ _ The process of making silk was kept a profound secret by the ChioeMi, for centuries. It is said to have t*e known in that country 2,600 , ’7 fore Christ, when the wife of the r.i - peror Hwang-Ci first unwound a ribworm’s cocoon. Some Persian men ■ who visited China as missionane , made known the secret in Europe the sixth century. In some yea about $27,000,000 wortn of suk ported into Uia United States. I* . who saw the processor silk nutamK the Centennial Exposition,were nig iy interested. The cocoons are pul warm 'w»ter, wbon the ends <« * become free and are caught by tne I erator and twisted into a »>’ 8 thread. J’he dyeing has to I* very carefully. The silk crop of rope in 1875 was about nine pounds and the import from Asia eleven million pounds.