Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1891 — Page 5

SOMEWHAT STRANGE.

ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS OF .EVERY-DAY LIFE. Queer Episodes and Thrilling Adventures Which Show that Truth Is Stranger than Fiction. Thb boldest robbery of grain ever known in Kansas is reported from Kingman county. John My rick, a fanner from the southwestern part of the county, had rented a piece of wheat land close to Norwich. After cutting and stacking his crop safely he went home. . The rented land is a long way from his own place and Myrick is therefore unknown to the neighborhood of Norwich, so that when a stranger presented himself under the name of Myrick there was no one to question his title to the wheat. After being in Norwich a couple of days the supposed Myriek had his plans perfected, A threshing outfit was engaged and teamsters to cart the grain to Norwich, the work to be done at night because of a tendency to sunstroke which prevented his working in the sun alleged by the supposed Myrick. The plans worked to perfection. Before morning the greater part of the wheat had been threshed and delivered to a buyer in Norwich and the money for the grain was • safely in the robber’s pocket. By telling tho threshers to be there the next night to finish up the stranger avoided paying for tho work already done, but when everting came no Myrick appeared, and it was afterward ascertained that the man lmd left Norwich by an early morning east-bound train, taking with him the proceeds, about SII,OCX).

A young medical student in New York had a remarkable experience recontly. He belongs to that sort of young men who are compelled to depend almost entirely upon their own resources to obtain their education, and he spends his evenings in a down-town office. For a long time he was accosted by a professional beggar, a strapping big fellow, with a stiff neck, while passing through City Hall Park. The beggar accosted him night after night in an insolent manner. Frequently it was difficult for the medical student to get rid of the beggar, and they rarely parted without an exchange of epithets. This thing went on for some time, and then the beggar suddenly disappeared. One morning shortly after this the medical student went into the dissecting room to dissect a body. He was surprised to find that the body assigned to him was that of the troublesome beggar. The student had often wondered what was the matter with the fellow’s neck, and now he had an opportunity to find out. He dissected the bod}', and found that a layer of bone had grown down the neck preventing the head from being moved backward or forward. One of the attendants mounted the skeleton for the student, and it now Stands complete in his room at the foot of the bed.

In the Island of Corsica, near the headwaters of the Tavignavo River and about twenty-two miles from the city of Corte, there is a ten-acre field which is simply a subterranean lake covered with soil to a depth of about eighteen inches. On the soil this year there was cultivated a piece of wheat which produced thirtyfive bushels to the acre. A curious person who desires to investigate for himself, and who will take the trouble to dig a hole the depth of a spade handle, will find that he has dug entirely through the thin covering of soil to the surface of a lake which is from 35 to 80 feet in depth. Through the opening thus made fish may be caught which have neither eyes nor scales. The ground is a black marl, and, in all probability, covers what was once an open body of water, but which centuries of accumulating vegetable matter has increased to a thickness sufficient to produce an excellent crop. All work on the soil which covers this subterranean lake must of necessity be done by hand, the soil not being of sufficient strength to bear a horse and machinery. It is called “Corte’s wonder.”

“The ‘legger’ in an English canal tunnel has a hard time of it,” says a traveler. “I went through two canal tunnels this summer. The canals are just the width of one of the small barges used, and but very little higher than the board which runs from the alleged cabin to the tow-line polo. As it is impossible for a horse to tow tho barge the animal is led around or over the hill, and a legger lies on his buck ou the board referred to, and, raising his logs from his hips, pushes the boat along by pressing on the dilapidated roof of the tunnel. As I sat and watched the man in this unnatural position I felt the depth of humun misery nod been discovered at last. The work is arduous, tho light very bad, the atmosphere almost fetid, the labor degrading, and the effect almost equivalent to making a man a cripple. Yet the most the ‘legger’ enu make is seventy-five cents a day, and when traffic is light or there is ice on the canal he makes little or nothing. The old jail treadmill was bad enough, in all conscience, but this is a thousand times worse.”

An extraordinary case has been developed at White Hall, Mich., near Muskegon. Georgo Beard, a young man aged twenty-one, has been confined to his bed for the past three months, during seven weeks of which time he has been in an unconscioqs condition. He seems to have lost every sense save that of feeling. When he is touched on the arm with a slight downward pressure he will raise his arm. When an attempt is made to move his head to the right he will turn it to the left. In order to feed the patient four teeth had to be knocked out, as it was impossible to open his mouth either to insert food or to extract the teeth. Through this opening he receives his liquid nourishment. The attending physician pronounces it a case of carus. S. C.Rees, a Western mining man, has a scheme bf which he proposes to revolutionize mining and acquire considerable wealth. Instead of delving down in the earth for precious metals, he is going mining in a balloon. Along the precipitous sides of the deep canyons in the Rockies are many ledges which are known to be exceedingly rich in ore, but which are inaccessible on account of tho immense height and sheer sides of the cliffs. Mr. Rees intends to reach these ledges in a balloon. He will anchor his large balloon to the bottom of the canyon with long ropes, and ascend to the point of the wall of the canyon where the ledge is. Then a foothold will be worked into the ledge from the balloon; aud the mining begun from that point. A clergyman’s wife now in the Transvaal writes this; “It seems strange to think of what is going on in this bustling city of 40,000 people (Johannesburg), where five years ago were only a few scattered furm-houses. To-night there are fourteen prayer-meetings in various churches, five or six missionary meetings, a Congregational bazaar, u grand temperance rally, Leutefi services in the

High Church and Catholic Cathedral, a skating-rink entertainment, at which one of the novelties will be a race between native boys who never put on skates before, a rendering of Passion music in Music Hall, the Jubilee Singers’ concert and many theatrical performances.”

While on his way home from Washington a few days ago. Pension Examiner Samuel B. Brackett lost his lower set of false teeth in a peculiar manner, says a Biddeford "(Me.) newspaper. Mr. Brackett has an individual tendency to push his teeth out with his tongue when he is asleep. He fell asleep as the train was nearing Bridgewiiter, and, as usual, dropped his teeth. A knavish fellow came along and was seen by the passengers to pick up something, which later on proved to be the missing teeth. He soon got off, and when Mr. Brackett awoke the sad news was broken to him as gently as possible.

A remarkable instance of a dog’s sagacity lias just been reported from Indiana. A large English setter was “making a point” at a fish that was chasing minnows in the shallow water of a lako near a small boat pier. A bystander told the dog to “hie in,” and in ho jumped; his head went down in the water and he threw a large fish high in the air. It fell into tho water, when he caught it again and brought it to shore. It was a bass and tipped the beam at two and a half pounds. A New York jeweler has hit upon a, good plan for preventing robberies in his store. It is an electric arrangement for closing and locking the street door, which is operated- by a push button behind the counter. It will also unlock the door. Now, if well-dressed people who pose as customers seize trays full of valuables and attempt ta dash out of the store, they can be detained. Or if a suspicious person enters the door can be closed until danger is passed. There is on exhibition in a show window in Butte, Montana, a very large moose horn grafted into the base of a tree. It lias been in that position for years, as the tree has grown around it so as to get such a grip on it that cutting the wood away is the only means of separating the two. It is evident that at some remote period the monarch of the woods was caught in a tree, and in trying to extricate himself the horn was broken off. The Yuma (Cal.) Sentinel says that at the mouth of the Colorado River and the upper end of the Gulf of California are to be found sea buss that weigh from 250 to 750 pounds each, clams as large as an ordinary dinner plate, millions of sardines and smelt, oysters small but delicious, millions of soft-shell crabs and other shellfish, myriads of wild geese, brant, ducks, cranes and other sea fowl and birds. A humble member of the Franciscan Order, who had attained the age of 118 years, died the other day at the monastery, in Italy, where he had passed his life as cook to the inmates. The Pope, who had a great affection for Frere Ognon, ns he called him, nover failed to make enquiries after him, nor to send kindly messages during his illness. J. S. Parker, of Lincoln Creek, Wash., killed fourteen bears —eleven full grown and three cubs —in one week’s hunting near his home two weeks ago. He bagged five the first day that he was out. Bears are exceedingly plentiful in that section of the State, and another hunter killed twelve bears there a month or so ago. Mr. Parker holds the record. The marvellous records of this year of phenomenal crops irfay yet have to be revised for surprising additions. Mr. John B. Leahy, of New London, Conn., has an apple tree in his garden which is blossoming for the second time this year. It has borne a large crop, and is now covered with buds, and has some blossoms in full bloom.

Joe Warren, an employee of the cerealjne mills in Columbus, Ohio, had one of his hands caught in the machinery and cut off, some weeks ago. One day recently a Quakertown (Pa.) farmer found a man’s hand in a newly-purchased bag of feed that proved to be part of a consignment just at hand from Michigan. A queer sight to be seen almost any day upon the streets of Danville, Ind., is that of Johnny Craig, the largest man in the world, wheeling along his six months’ old baby in an ordinary baby carriage. Craig now weighs 823 pounds, while young Muster Craig, Jr., is not above the average six months’ old child. The Denver News says that Jonas Carpenter, of that city, is nearly 150 years old. He was born in Virginia, and the family Bible gives the date of his birth as 1752. He is said to be in good health.

Incipient Melancholy.

Melancholia is a grave disease, especially becuuse of its strange and terrible tendency to induce suicide and homicide. As the patient’s reasoning processes seem to be perfectly clear, friends are seldom sufficiently on their guard. , The danger is always present, however, nor is the highest degree of intelligence or of moral worth any safeguard against it. The New York Medical Journal has a report of a lecture on the importance of recognizing melancholia in its earlier stage by Dr. Burnett, Jecturer in the Kansas City Medical College, of which report we make free use. “There is a marked difference between sadness and melancholia,” says Dr. Burnett. “In ordinary sadness there is a cause comprehensible to the individual, and he will seek to remove it. In melancholia there is no apparent cause; there is some implication of the higher faculties, and the patient is usually indifferent to his condition, surroundings and future progress.” There are several forms of the affection; Simple melancholia, melancholia agitata, melancholia attonita, and melancholia with stupor. The first two are the most difficult of recognition, and it is these that especially endanger the lives of the patient und his friends. The first important system of simple melancholia is sleeplessness. Another symptom, of the greatest importance, is a dull pain in the back of the neck, extending to the back of the head. It is only within a few years that this symptom has been recognized. The third symptom is depression of spirits, accompanied by slower mental movements and retarded speech and actions. When the first and the last symptoms are connected with pain in the neck the diagnosis may be considered as conclusive. —[Philadelphia Record.

There is an odd use of the word “slave” in western Pennyslyvonia, and perhaps in other parts of the United States, that should reach the great Dr. Murray of Oxford in time for insertion

in his ponderous new English dictionary. A fierce and dangerous dog is called a slave, apparently because he must be restrained of his liberty. The word has evidently passed beyond the Stage where it is questioned, for it is used in popular speech without hesitation.

PIG BREEDING IN SICILY.

Curious Statistics of an Extensive Industry. The last British consular report from Palermo contains some curious details respecting the breeding of pigs in Sicily, which iu certain districts, and especially in mountainous parts, are reared in great numbers. Nearly all the small towns are overrun with.them, and they cure notouly useful for food, but act as scavengers to the dirty streets. They are enticed in towns to devour tho filthiest food by sprinkling bran over it. In the mountainous districts, whore there are oak forests, they are driven up to the high regions to feed on acorns. A good acorn year is a godsend to those who possess oak forests. For each full-grown pig as much as 10s. is paid for the acorn season to the owner of the forest; two mediumsized pigs and three small ones are admitted at the same rate. The pigs, which are thus driven about under the superintendence of boy swineherds, are all ear-marked, and speedily beooine accustomed to their new conditions of life. They form among themselves a sort of republican government, and are docile to the calls and windings of the horn of thoir young guardians, who are clothed in very plain and primitive fashion, and live simply on bread and water, taking out with them every day loaves baked in the ovens of the farm, and in shape precisely the same as those that have been found in the bakers’ shops at Pompeii. The pigs are driven back home at night and housod to avoid disease, and strango to say, theirsheds are scrupulously clean. It is said that they establish internally a kind of sanitary jurisdiction, aud that a pig which is found a delinquent against the sanitary rules is attacked with fury by the rest and killed.

The consul has seen covered pig stios made of stone and capable of holding 300 or 400 pigs, and found them dry and clean and very dusty. The only value of the pigs consists in their being sold as fresh pork and for the making of sausages. They fattern well upon acorns, and their flesh is very white aud tasteful, whereas the color of the pork in the towns is quite dark. The sausages which are made are also very tolerable, but the curing of pork for hain or bacon is unknown in Sicily. Pigs in Sicily enjoy as much social distinction as in Ireland; they, with tho poultry and other animals, share their master’s tenouiont, aud will trot after him daily to and fro on his way to his work in the fields. Perhaps pork is more commonly eaten than any other kind of moat in the island. The boy swineherds and goatherds who tend the flocks in tho mountains receive a daily provision of bread cooked in the furm buildings, and get nothing else in winter aud summer, not oven in the severest weather, and never us a rule, even taste “pasta” or macaroni. Bosides the daily provision of bread they receive a dole of 75f a year, paid in three parts, out of which they find their clothes. A great part of the year the lads sleep in tho open air or in temporary straw huts, often in rainy or snowy weather, and with such a hurd life and nothing but coarse bread aud water from year’s end to year’s cu,d their cheerfulness and good humor appearquite marvelous, and many of them are bright, intelligent, lively lads, aud graceful and courteous in their demeanor.—[London Tin>o»

Jocko's Recreation.

A few pedestrians who wero out for a morning stroll witnessed a brief but bloocly battle through the windows of the Market street bird store Sunday morning.

Among the denizens of the place is a monkey callod Jocko, whose proclivity for mischief has led him into disgrace bo fore. On the morning in question Jocki determined to go on a lurk. He sue needed in picking the lock of his cage, • und once free turned his attention to his feathered companions. It took him but a few minutes to unlock a dozen of the various cages in tho room, and soon a funny procession of monkeys and parrots were strutting about. In a few minutes trouble began to brew. One of the parrots, in a spirit of mischief, probably, bit Jocko, and a lively battle ensued. Polly soon found that she was getting the worst of it and made a run for her cage, minus her tail feathers and part of a wing. Jocko, who was then thoroughly aroused, sailed in for a gonerul massacre and in a short time had the floor to himself, save for Minnie, a nightingale, whe was too dazed to escape. With one blow the bird was stretched lifeless ou the floor. The monkey then offered battle to a bigstuffed owl which had been gazing solemnly upon the scene, and receiving no answer to his challenge threw the bird off its pedestal. Jocko’s Waterloo was awaiting him. however. A huge vampire bat, which had been watching the battle, jumped down from his perch, and Jocko started for him. The contest was brief. The sharp beak and talons of tho bird buried themselves like a flash in the monkey’s flesh, and Jocko was glad to make his escape with tho blood flowing from a dozen wounds. At this juncture the proprietor and hostilities ceusod.—[San Francisco Chronicle.

Heads of Two Noted Men.

When the wise and witty Sir Thomas Moore was beheaded his head was stuck on a pole on London bridge, where it was exposed for fourteen days, much to the grief of his daughter, Margaret Roper, who resolved to secure it. “Qne day," says Aubrey, “as she was passing under the bridge, looking at her father’s head, she exclaimed: ‘That head has lain many a time in my lap; wovdd to God it would fall into my lap as I pass under!’ She had her wish, and it did fall into her lap!” Probably she had bribed one of the keepers of the bridge to throw it over just as the boat approached, and the exclamation was intended to avert the suspicion of the boatmen. At all events, she got possession of it, and preserved it with care in a leaden casket until her death, and it is now inclosed in a niche in the wall of her tomb iu St. Dunstan’s Church, Canterbury. Sir Walter Rnleigh's head in a red bag was carried to his wife, who caused it tc be embalmed, and kept it with her all her life, permitting favored friends, like Bishop Goodman, to see and even to kiss it. His son, Carew Raleigh, afterward preserved it with similar piety. It is supposed now to rest in the church of West Horsley, Surrey.—[Gentlemen’s Magazine. Toronto, Canada, proposes to have a rag iinset uniformed in Scotch kilts.

APPAREL FOR AUTUMN.

WRAPS NOT YET ALTOGETHER NECESSARY. An Effective Combination Dance Toilet— All Mankind Doves a Dover, and All Womankind Doves a Weddin*—Wedding Outfits—The Bride and Her Veil. For Dady Readers.

ALL signs point to an extremely brilliant season at Leno x and Tuxedo and at tho leading country clubs I n {yi— the vicinity of the MffPi metropolis, writes vfw i'M ou r New York ygczj' fashion roviewer. There Is sometning paiticularly favorable 1 n the f clear, crisp atL mosphoro to bring P out the full beauty of autumnal tints, whether In tho garbs of the forest or in the costumes o f a fashionable woman. While wraps may be necessary for rid- • lng to and fro from

the club houses, yet the moment you reach the glass-inclosed verandas and tennis courts you find the air oppressive if you are clad iu anything approaching a genuine fall costume. Many of the non-dancing ladles drive to the clubhouse and gp from thoir carriages directly to the ball-room. In my initial illustration I set before you a very effective combination toilet for a club-house dance. It consists of overskirt and bodice in gray peau de sole bordered with a ruche of darker gray, and skirt of striped faille In pale yellow, gray, and black. The hat is of steel-gray silk with black feathers, while the gloves are of pale chamois and the /an of ostrich feathers, alternately black and steel-gray. Dresses are to be slightly draped or the back breadth to be made with a broad hem, a hand wide at the bottom and diminishing to two fingers. And I note, too, that there Is a promise of a new garniture for skirts in the shape of silk or pearled fringe, such as usod to be worn In the olden time and the undulations of which our grandma pretended Increased the grace of tho lower folds of the skirt and accentuated tho beauty of the feet Velvet will bo much used as trimming for silk gowns this winter, and I’m glad to hear It, for tho combination, when artistically effected, is always very pleasing. Sometimes the velvet Is applied in broad bands at tho bottom of the skirt, at others it is arranged in the

FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SEASON.

guise of braces, which disappear under the draped celnture and then reappear and continue to the bottom of the skirt, there being bows on the shoulders half way down the skirt and quite at the bottom. Another extremely dashing and effective costume with velvet trimming was designed for a brunette, and consisted of crimson cloth edged all around with a bias of dark-brown velvet lightly beaded by a luminous streak of gold braid. This trimming also formed high officer collar and cuffs, while the full part of the sleeves was of crimson and gold brocade. « In my second illustration you will find pictured two very stylish costumes for an afternoon entertalnirent at a country club-house, or at some hotel In a fashionable resort like Lenox or Tuxedo. The lady on the right wears a mustard yellow merveilleux elaborately trimmed with Ivory lace, while the one on the left Is clad In an eccentric corabtnailon of old blue cloth having a snowy effect, and white cloth or fine white flannel. One cannot help noticing the striking and original uses to which the great designers of feminine costume put galloon and passementerie. One of the most graceful of such garnitures which I have noted consists of a baldric or shoulder belt In gold and green passementerie, which, after encircling the arm, meets In a point at the waist, whence It fa'ls to the hem of the basque. In my third illustration are pictured two more charming outdoor toilets for the supplemental season, the one on the right being a combination costume of plain and figured pompadour foulard with a crepe de chine ruffle at the neck In the same tone as the gown. The sleeves and corsage are set off with velvet ribbon. The costume on the left is made up In a light gray blue cloth, with a long coat-shaped jacket over adirectolre waistcoat of very rich pearl-colored satin beautifully figured In crimson, yellow and chartreuse green tints; celnture of gold cord. If all mankind loves a lover, all won ankind loves a wedding. No matter whether a woman ever expects to be married or not, she Is always Interested In the subject, and It’s the most common sight in the world to see a dignified miss

TOILETS AT COUNTRY CLUB FETE.

of thirty-five summers clamber up upon the back of a church pew to get a glimpse of the orange flowers, white satin and real lace which she has seen as many times as she has birthdays. Perhaps a few women may attend weddings to scoff and snec r, but not so the vast majority. They go to admire, to see how the fair maid meets her fate at the altar, and bow she looks as she comes down the aisle and leaves the church on

the arm of her newly acquired husband No matter how you may strive to make one wedding differ from another it’s always the same thing, for the reason that there is only one thing to do at a wedding, and that is either to be pleased or make believe that you are pleased; but there is a rumor that we are about tc adopt the custom of printing the por trait of the bride, not only in her wadding dress and traveling costume, but in her everyday garb, so that the public m.ty see exactly what sort of a girl she is, and pity or envy the groon as the case may be. Hut I doubt that these pictures will prove satisfactory to friends, that is if they are taken just previous to the event, for there will bo a studious attempt to bring out the “engaged look” and that will spoil the characteristic charm of the face. I give the counterpart presentment of one of these young lad es In my fourth illustration. It will be noted how strong the “engaged look” is in this photograph, so strong in fact, as to destroy all the natural piquancy of the face. When the poet—and poets know very littlo about dress—averred that beauty unadorned is adorned the most, he didn’t mean to assert that the faca must be divested of its peculiar charm, that expression must bo suppressed, manner

THE ENGAGED LOOK.

annihilated and all piquancy smoothed out of the countenance. My last illustration represents tho bride in her wedding uniform—an Ivory white duchesse satin of rich quality and beautiful shado, with a deep festoon flounce of chiffon, trimmed top and hem with exquisite old point d’Alencon Tills beautiful lace really merited the epithet old, for it had adorned tho wedding dress of the bride’s mother. A full, soft puffing of chiffon was carriod around tho edge of the skirt, the flounce falling gracefully over It. The longhty squaro cut train was entirely unadorned, tho front of the bodk e was crossed from right to left by a bias fold of satin trimmod with the samo rare lace. Tho high standing collar was shirred and smocked on tho Inner side; a jabot of chiffon filled up the space at the neck and tho very long tulle veil was hemmed with floss silk and fastened to the oraiigo blossom wreath with a diamond and sapphire crescent Tho bouquet was made of rare white exotics. The bridesmaids wore cream crepon banded around tho front of the skirt with sky-blue velvet, the jacket pockets, cuffs and collars being of the same pretty material. Colored underwear continues to bo very much In vogue, the tones being extremely delicate, such as pink, ciel blue, canary yollow, etc. Sometimes thero are broad collarettes of Valenciennes with a flounce of surah trimmed with lace at the bottom A new style ds buttoned all the way down to the flounce. A beautiful undersk.rt in canary-yellow pongee had black figures, and there were three little tucks above tho flounce of 'black guipure. The combination of yellow and black wa< very artistic With the tailor-made costume, daintily thrust into the corsage there must always be a handsome little handkerchief of batiste or of pink or yellow silk, embroidered with butterflies, bees or flowers, or trimmed with Venetian lace. The most modish veil Is plain In front of the face but embroidered with £mall stars at the bottom. Those veils reach quite to the corsage and are longer than

THE BRIDE AND HER VEIL.

they are broad, and the ends meet at the back. As yet, winter fashions are rather dimly outlined, or, to speak after the manner of the sporting man, thero are many entries, but It will be some time before the favorite* become known.

It is estimated ’ that the treasiire lying idle in India in the shape of hoards of ornaments amounts to £350,000,000. A competent authority calculates that “In Amritsar City City alone there are Jewels to the value of £2,000,000.” As regards some other districts the figures that have been furnished are not less astonishing. The miserable waste of Montgomery is estimated to possess about 50 lakhs in ornaments. The hillsides and valleys of Kulu are put at 3J lakhs. In Jhulern two-fifths of the wealth of the district is said to be vested in property of this nature, and inKohat, “probably one of the poorest districts of the province in this respect, the estimate is taken at 800 rupees for each Hindoo family and 10 rupees for each Mussulman family, and a. lakh in aggregate for the Nawab and other Baises, making a total for the district of 75 lakhs.” A lakh is worth about £7,000.

It is related as a curious fact that Paris, with a population of nearly two million five hundred thousand souls, has less than one hundred negroes within its limits. Statisticians say that the whole of France cannot muster a negro population exceeding f*lo. No xatteb how dull business becomes the wages of Bin are just the same.

POINTS ABOUT PEARLS.

THE BIGGEST PEARL IN THE WORLD IS WORTH s#o,ooo. Pearls Are of Yarlons Colors —Valuable Abalone Shells—How Pearls Are Rounded —Their Perishability. Apparently, Nalure does not make pearl for deeorative purposes, else it would not bo on the inside of shells and hidden beneath an ugly cout of lime. The object for which it is intended is evidently to afford a smooth and comfortable dwelling for the small animal within. The color of tho nacreous deposit varies very much. Thus pearls themselves are white, black, blue, purple, pink, and even rarely green. Among tho most valuable ones are tho rose-tinted pearls produced by a species of conch found in the neighborhood of the West Indies. A single oyster may produco at tho samo time botli white and purple pearls, according us tiie object enveloped in micro is situated beneath a portion of the muntle which secretes the corresponding ooior. Concretions of peucock-huod material are sometimes found in tho abalone, which fetch high prices ns pearls. It is estimated that no lees than $200,000 worth of abalone shells are shipped from the Pucific coast annually, tho wholesale price being from SOOO to S7OO a ton. The “Haliotis splendens,” os it is called by conchologista, Is gathered chiefly by Chinamen, who detach the animals from the rocks at ebb-tide, when they adhere to tho cliffs near the water-mark with their single shells slightly lifted. Tho end of u polo shod with iron is thfust quickly beneath the “foot” of the creature, so ns to destroy tho suction, whereupon the abalone fulls off’ and is captured before it can reattach itself. Otherwise it might be smashed to pieces before it oould bo torn from the rock. Now und thou a lone Chinumuu gets his hand caught by one of these shells and is held prisoner until he dies. Clams of the common sort yield pearls sometimes of good size, hut. they look so much like common pearl buttons ns to be worthless. Occasionally pearls are found of very Ourious and fantastic Blmpes, so as to represent, with the addition of a littlo gold or enamel, heuds of animals and other objoots, for mounting in scarf pins and such ornaments. One was sold at u largo price not long ago, which strikingly resembled the head of Michael Angelo. The pearl-forming mollusk has an interesting way of using its nacre for protection ugamst tho .boring worms and sponges which attack it. To keep those borers out, tho uuiinul sprcucls cout after coat of pearl over the spot whore tho hole threatens to come through, thickening the wall on the inside us fast ns it is eaten away from tho outside, just ns a man might mend tho roof of his house from within, Heenuse the nacre which makes pearls must be ’ subtracted from the material which would otherwise go to niako the shell, oysters which contain pearls are usually deformed. Frequently a pearl that seems opaque and therefore of no value, is found to l»o lustrous and beautiful upon removing this outor layer with u weak solution of acid or by pooling it off' witli a knife. Charles L. 'Tiffany, the Now York joweller, snys u pearl is rounded by tho mollusk’s revolving it. continually. The finest pearls of the world come from the Persian Gulf, whore the oyster bods produce $2,000,000 worth per annum. Bocuuse the divers are of rather light, complexion, they blacken their bodies, so that they may not be seen so readily by tin' sharks. In thoHulu Boa women do the diving for pearls and prove very efficient in the work. 11 is their task to dive for crabs and other sou delicacies which the men folks like, and thus they have plenty of practice. It is hero that the finest pearl shells iire found, some of thorn measuring a yard across when opened. 'The pearl fisheries of Ceylon belong to England, the natives being employed to gather them on a basis of shares in the result. All sorts of superstitions prevail among them, and a large business is done by sorcerers who sell charms to restrain tho appetite of the sharks and to drive away the diabolical stingrays. Another peril which tho diver dreads more than either stingray or shark is the giant olam that weighs nearly half a ton when full grown. It will snap off a man’s log like a pipe stem, if tho victim chances to thrust a limb between its open jaws, or at ail events will hold him till he drowns miserably. Tho average diver thinks it a fair day’s work to secure one hundred pearl oysters in fifty feet of water. After being taken ashore, the mollusksare allowed to die whon their shells open of their own accord. The pearls are classified by passing them through a series of sieves which assort them into different sizes. Thoso which are very small or defective are sold to make a preparation for sore eyes and nervous complaints that is very popular iu the East, Gilded youth in India make it their fad to mix powdered pearls instead of lime with the betel nut they chew. Iu Saxony pearl mussels are carefully opened and examined upon being taken out of the water, without injuring them, special instruments' being used for tho purpose. Those which are found not to contain pearls are restored to their native element. It is only in the Gulf of California that regular diviug gear is employed in connection with tho pearl fishery. 'The beds there were pretty nearly destroyed one hundred and fifty years ago, when from three hundred to five hundred pounds of pearls were takdn from them yearly. The latter were packed on ihules and literally sold by the bushel. The most beautiful pearl in existence is “La Pellegrini,” at present exhibited in a museum at Moscow. It is perfectly spherical, and so brilliant and pure as to appear almost transparent; weight ninety grains. The imperial crown of Austria pearl of three hundred carats; hut the biggest one ill the world is the “Hope Pearl,” now in London, which weighs three ounces and measures two inches in length, its estimated value being $60,000. There is a pearl in the Spanish regalia weighing four hundred carats; it was obtained from the Gulf of California. Green pearls come from the Mariunne Archipelago. Two big ruby.red pearls were found at the Ceylon fishery ten years ago, and are Owned by the rajah of the Suiu Islands. . Pearls are very perishable. Great quantities of them have been found in old mounds and tombs, showing that the savages did anciently appreciate their beauty, but they were so decayed as to be entirely worthless. Pearls should never he put into greasy or soapy water, nor should any fruit acid be permitted to come into contact with them. They can be kept best in magnesia. It was believed in early times that hollow pearls wore caused by the oyster’s taking fright at thunder when in the act of conceiving them. It is perhaps to be regretted that the story of Cleopatra’s dissolvingagrebt pearl in vinegar and driakiug the mix--, ture must be set down as mythical. It would take a very long time for vinegar to dissolve a big pearl, and any acid

; strong enough to dissolve it quickly could not be drank. Doubtless Egypt'* fail queen had a groat many huge pearls.. One of them is said to have been sawnm two, the halves being used as pendant* for the ears of the Capitoline Venus. What are known as “Roman pearls" aremade by lining globules of gloss with a. substance derived from fish scales, which owe to it their iridescence. —[Boston Transcript.

THE BIGGEST. CREAMERY.

Ten Thousand Ponnds of ButterTurned Out Daily. Ten thousand pounds of butter daily. This is the wholesale way in which the largest creamery in the world turns oat the golden product that melts with delicious flavor on your hot tea biscuits. Within a radius of twenty-six miles from St. Albans, says the Burlington. (Vt.) Free Press, are forty-four separate - stations, where the dairy farmer loaves - his milk for the Franklin County Creamery Association. After the cream is separated from the milk it is shippod by rail in a special oar to the creamery atSt. Alhans, and by undergoing various interesting prooossos is transformed; intobntter. Tho building is three stories high, with. . about nine thousand square feet of floor surface, situated on the main line of tbs Central Vermont Railroad. In tho cellar are a 40-horso-i)Ower engine, boiler room and tanks tor buttormiik. The first floor is devoted to receiving, separating the cream, churning, working, packing and shipping. In the second story is tho cream room, with ten large tanks holding 600 gallons of cream apiece;, testing room, offices and living room for the help. The third story is given OT«r to storing tubs, suit, boxes, etc. When tho cream reaches tho oreatnoiy it goes into a receiving tank on the first floor; from there it is pumped into storage vats in the second btori', where it is. “cured.” Then it is ready for the chum, and it is sent through a pipe into the - ohurning room, whore ten squaro Blanchard churns are almost constantly at work. Each churn churns 500 pounds of butter ut a time.

When the butter is taken from the churn it is sent to tho working room, where four Mason power workers are revolving. This is a novel sight—a round table about eight foot in diameter revolving under two conical rollers,, also constantly turning, whilo between the rollers and tho table is an inch of butter. Over each worker is a pan of ice and salt to cool tho eighty pounds of butter an. tho table. There is u man in charge of each worker, who works iu tho salt with a. paddle und sees that the buttermilk and, brine are thoroughly pressed out. Then it is taken to tho packing room and put Into different sized packs, from one-ounce prints to fifty-pound tubs, as tint trade demands, The butter is next taken to cold storage, and, whon roadjr for shipmout, is marked in tho refrigerator room by tho shipping olerk and pal into u refrigerator oar, thus reaching Boston and other New Englaudcitles without uny cliantro in temperature. There is a fascination, in watching tbs work of the chemist by which ho tolls just how much the milk of the different herds is worth. At the various station*, are ouses of pint jars, each jar having s> tin tag with two numbers, one to tfcssignnto tho station and the other the fanner. Four times during the week the men in. charge of the station puts in the pwtsaafa jar a small sample of eaoh herd's milk, and at the end of the week sends the jam to the laboratory for analysis. He carefully measures n small quantity of milk into a flask, adds acids to take out the curd, und puts it into a centrifugal machine to bring out the hotter fbc. . After revolving for u few moments ntv. 1,000 revolutions a minute, the butter fat ; has risen into the neck of the dock, . where tho percentage can be read easily, on a graduated scale. The average off-' butter fat in the milk is a trifle under 4 per cunt., but the extremes are 8.25 and 4.75. Tliis method demonstrates ahaouk absolutely the butter-making qualities uff the herd, und will raise the standard off cows wherever it is followed, as po dairymun will continue to keepoows that yield poor milk. The milk of 12,000 oows is made intobutter at this creamery; 10,000 pounds, of butter is the average dally product; Hi takes 400 tubs to hold this product; near load of salt is used every two months; sixty hands are employed by the assoebttion.

When It Hart.

An army surgeon in the late Civil War hud occasion to lance an abscess fur a poor fellow at Camp Douglas,-and as tike sore was obstinate it became necessary Is use the knife twice. The operation wa* not a very painful one, but the patient declared that it hod nearly killed Idas,, and when a third resort to the lancet wasproposed he protested that he could never go through the operation alive. The surgeon promised to make it easy for him, and culling up a few of theloungers ordered one of them to hold his hands close over the patient's eyea and; two others to grasp his hands firmly. “This arrangement," explained ttodoctor, “is said to prevent pain in sack, an operation. Now lie perfectly quiet, and when I say ‘Now!* prepare yourself." v 3 The surgeon at once began quietly witli ids work, and in a short time completed the operation without the least trouble, the patient lying as asthough in sleep. When all was done, the surgeon laid/ aside the knife, and said, “Now!" Sacks a roar came from the lips of the aide man as seldom is heard from any human being. He struggled to free himself, yelling, “O doctor, you’re killing me!” Shouts of laughter soon drowned bin cries, and he was toid that the operation had been all over before the signal wan given. It was a good joke, but it i» doubtful if the poor fellow could evssr tornado to believe that he did not fed aotual pain immediately after that fatal “Now!”—[Medical News.

Has Ensilage Gone Out?

It will be remembered that some yeans ago there was a sudden fashion for tto conversion of green stuffs into what itcalled ensilage. In various ports of the country, and especially iu some parts of Scotland, expensive silos were fault ietawhich the green grass wus thrown to to preserved by fermentation. One heaxsless of ensilage now than six years ago. I he truth is that the silo has gone out of fashion again. Scores of them are standing unused in Scotland, aud the system, has manifestly failed to acclimatiseitself.—[Liverpool Mercury. The cost of crime in the United dom is very heavy. The annual port of the police force amounts to iieanv s3o*000.000; the annual 'boat of -prirtum, $5,000,000. and the annual coat of reformatory and industrial schools, $3,000,*000. The cost steadily increases*