The Pontypridd Chronicle and Workman's News

A COCKLE GATHERING MACHINE. A gentleman named West, at Silverdale, More- cambc Bay, has perfected and patented a novel in- dention to gather cockles, which, if it only realises ilialf the results projected by the inventor, will most seriously affect the future of those engaged in the cockle fishery, not only in this locality, were between 300 and 4UU meil, women, and children are em- ployed, hut, throughout eockledoni. The primary object the inventor has in view is to substitute horse-power for hatul labour, and to all appearance this he has successfully accomplished. The mail' working features resemble those of a "haymaker,' and consist of two outer wheels for locomotion, anr between them adrumorcytinder is fixed, arounc which are arranged ten rows of prongs revolving as the machine proceeds, and which will literally dij all the cockles out of the sand included in the area it traverses. jI By an ingenious arrangement of wire screens against which the diggers throw the cockles, it sorts the fish, returning the small ones uninjured to the sands as it proceeds, and only retaining those of a marketable size, which it transfers to hags at. tached to the screens. The arri val of the machine has naturally caused much excitement among the Silverdale fishermen, who, with their primitive im- plement called a crame, can at the outside when thE tides are favourable gather two bags of cockle? per day, whereas Mr. West expects with his horse- power and the assistance of two or three men tc collect thirty to forty bags. AVe understand if it proves successful, machines will shortly be workec at Southport, along the Welsh coast, and in othei noted cockle districts.

The strike among the Morocco leather workers at; Wilmington, Delaware, has now terminated. It is expected that Servia will immediately al). point a Diplomatic Agent in Bulgaria. j A slight Bliouk of earthquake has again been felt at Charleston and several other pla :es in South Carolina. I

PROM CITY COltKESFUADEiNTS. ( AT the meeting of the Metropolitan Board o Works, Sir J. M'Garel-Hogg, M. P., presiding, two deputations headed respectively by Mr. Sydney Buxton, M. P.,and by Sir CharlusRussell,Q. C.,M. P., presented memorials 011 the subject of commu- nication across the Thames cast of London-bridge— one urging the Board to free the ferry service at Greenwich, and the other advocating the construc- tion of a river subway between Shadwell and Rother- llithe. The memorials were referred to the Works Committee. A long debate took piace on a reeoin- llIClldatillll of the Works Committee to promote in tile next session of Parliament a Fire Brigade Expenses Bill, framed upon the same lines as that which was introduced in the present year, and which proposed an increase in the rates and in the contribution of the fire insurance companies. After two amendments had been rejected this recommendation was adopted by a majority of live to one. ONE of the most coniprelujnsive displays of Cana- dian fruit ever made in Europe is now on view ill the Conservatory of the Colonial and Indian Exhi. hition. Contributions are made by every province of Canada, from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to Quebec and Ontario, and even by Manitoba and British Columbia, the greater part of the exhibits having been collected, under the direction of the Canadian Government, by Professor William Saun- ders of the Western University, London, Ontario. From Ontario and Quebec excellent specimens are shown of the varieties of apples mostly shipped to British markets, and the body, texture, and flavour of these must command general admiration. The pears are specially noteworthy for size and colour; while an excellent display of vegetables, and even Canadian outdoor grapes, is made. The Nova Scotia display comprises some 50 varieties. The British Columbia and Manitoba varieties are also interest- ing. It is, moreover, important to note that the shipment of many of the early soft varieties of fruits now shown was made from Canada in refrigerators, and the perfect condition in which they arrived is considered to fully establish the value of this means of transit. j THE unfavourable view taken by the London Press of the relations between France and Germany, and the probabilities of another war between those two countries, is being generally commented upon by the Berlin newspapers. lani hound to say that the German Press does not s --e the matter in the same light, and affects to deride the views expressed in the English Press, accompanying its refutations with ironical reliect/'jus respecting England. Indeed with true German brusquerie, many of the Berlin jour- nals state that the danger which the London news- papers affect to see in the relations of France and Germany is what they wish for rather than what they really believe to exist. So far from the peaceful relations of the two countries being menaced, they assert that they are of the most reassuring nature, whereas it is matter of common notoriety that the relations between France and England are of a very disquieting character. According to her usual cus- torn, says one paper, England would be very glad to see her neighbours at war so that she might benefit by it. While they were mutilating one another she would have her hands free to act as she thinks fit in other quarters. The observation, un- just and unfriendly as it is, not inaccurately repre- sents the state of mind of many people here, who with no desire for another struggle with Franoe, coarsely abuse every one who points out the danger that menaces from that quarter. A STATEMENT which has been made at an inquest shows that in the whole of the large district of Kil- burn there'is no public mortuary. The divisional surgeon, who made this statement, was certainly justified in thus publicly calling attention to t socitt want of a serious nature. Dr. Muilar spoke of the want of accommodation for making post-mortem ex- aminations; but there is another aspect of the question which is not less important. Not merely in Kilburu, but in every district of London, a mortua.-y ought to exist in the interests of the pub- lie health. It is well known that in some of the crowded and poorer parts of the metropolis whole families live in single rooms and harrowing stories could be told, both by the clergy and the medical men who work among the people, of corpses lying in these rooms, where the living members of the family have to eat and sleep. In such districts public mortuaries are of essential importance, so that dead bodies may be removed thither, in such cases as we have described, while awaiting inter- ment. Considerations of social decency, as well as of public health, require that such places shall be provided; while Dr. Muilar has shown that there are still other reasons in favour of what we advocate. Much has been done of late years towards clearing away the "rookeries" where crime and disease were bred. Great progress has been made in pro- viding sanitary dwellings for tiie poorer classes of the community. But in some districts there is still much overcrowding, consequent on great poverty and it becomes a public duty to make provision for separating the unburied dead from the living. LONDON is not generally fortunate in the artistic excellence of the statues selected to adorn it. There is, in fact, no great capital in Europe which exhi- bits so many failures of this sort as the metropolis of the British Empire. But it would be unreason- able to suppose that art is not progressive in this direction, as well as in others, or that there is any serious lack of ability in this country to produce a work in bronze, if not of actual genius yet of sterl- ing merit. For some years past, however, the members of the Court of Common Council in the City have been much exercised in their minds as to getting statues for Blackfriars- bridge worthy at once of the present position of the plastic art, and justifying the large expenditure involved. They have, it appears, from a statement made the other day, spent more than eighteen hundred pounds on models and casts, but it is evident that nothing very tempting lias been submitted to them in return for a probable outlay of thirty thousand pounds. There was at one time an impression prevalent among so.ne of these gentlemen that equestrian statlles of Richard I. and of Henry V. would be suitable for the adornment of the pedestals which were erected after the completion of the new bridge. A memorial to the first of these monarchs, however, would be generally regarded, we think, as a work of inexcusable supererogation. Apart from the doubt- ful policy of going back to the twelfth century for a historic hero, there is the fact that some years ago an equestrian statue to Richard Coeur de Lion was erected near the Great Tower of the House of Parliament. As regards the subject proposed for the other statue there would be less objection: but neither the idea of a statue to the victor of Agin- court nor of one to the famous son of Henry II. is at present favourably received by the Court of Com- moo Council. Equally unimpressed are they with the proposal to substitute for one of these the j "counterfeit presentment" of Edward Ill., who certainly inscribed his name on the roll of fame in brilliant characters, and during the half-century that Le reigned added much to the military glory of Kngland. Mr. Alderman de Keyser is, not iwi- naturally, a good deal shocked at the proposal to abandon the idea of having any statues at all, but for the pretent, at any rate, the feeling of those gentlemen who assembled at the Guildhall is against carrying out the scheme upon which so much money has already been expended. It is now intended to place "groups of lamps" where it was anticipated that kingly figures would be erected. If the gentle- in.MI who take an active part in this matter should i again change their minds—and it is to be hoped they may—they might remember with advantage that one of the two greatest of English Queens, Elizabeth, might more fittingly be represented at the place in question than any of the Royal person- ages as yet, suggested. Her statue on horseback as she appeared in warlike garb encouraging her troops at Tilbury three centuries ago would be a striking work in sucii a place.

A telegram received in New York announces that General Gonzales, the ex-President of Mexico, has been assassinated. A large wing of the Craig Ard Hotel, at Oban, has been burned down. The servants had a narrow escape. The damage is estimated at £ ](•,<)(in. A Renter's telegram from St. Petersburg says:- A new synagogue, affording increased accommoda- tion, lias been opened here with much solemnity. Archbishop Walsh lias received lotM from Jolin Fit/gerald, president of the Irish National League of America, towards erecting an Irish Church of St. Patrick in Rome. A correspondent at Rome telegraphs that as a canon of St. Mark's, Venice, was leaving the cathe- dral the other day he was fatally stabbed by an ex- ueacon, the motive of the act being revenge.

TOPICS UF THE VVliEK. THE tithe war in Wales continues to be waged I ivith unabated vigour. Meetings have been held at Caergwrle, Nannerch, and in the Vale ¡ of Llangollen. The sole apparent difference in the sentiments of the farmers in these different localities is in regard to the amount of abate- ment claimed. In the Caergwrle district the tithepayers scorn an offered reduction of 10 per cent., and demand 25. In Nannerch and the Vale of Llangollen, on the other hand, an abatementof lOpercent. would bring the (juarrel to an end. It is stated that in the latter district the vicar has at length yielded the point.

ACCORDING to the latest intelligence from Sabine Pass the missing persons number 101, of whom 90 are known to have been drowned, including 35 white and 55 coloured men. The survivors are ill and prostrated with exhaus- tion and hunger. The town contained 150 bouses, of which only two were left standing. Wives and children were swept away and browned in the presence of their husbands and fathers. The flooded district embraces an ex- panse of country larger than was at first sup- posed. The gulf seems to have moved over the land for miles in one high unbroken wall oi water. The waves dashed against the light- house in the Bay in solid walls 50ft. high. As- sistance continues to be sent for the relief ol the sufferers. Almost the entire coast of Cameron parish, Louisiana, has been inundated by the waters of the gulf. Thousands of cattle have been drowned, and the crops destroyed.

THE Admiralty have definitely decided to wake the shafts of the new twin screw com- posite gun-vessel Swallow, eight guns, 1,04C tons, 1,500-horse power, lying at Sheerness. inswer for this commission. It is intended tc .1 c encase the exposed portion of the shafts in Metal tubing, and the work is ordered to be taken in hand and completed with all possible dispatch. The estimate for carrying out thE work is = £ 450. The Swallow has been commis- sioned for service on the South-East Coast of America station, but she will not he able to sail for her destination until the middle of next month. She will relieve the Frolic, 4, Com- mander Parr, one of the earliest composite gun- vessels built for the Royal Navy. The-Frolic will come to Sheerness to pay off, but is not likely to be again employed on active service, is a new class of gun-vessel is in course of con- struction to supersede the ships of her type. How much the characters of public servants! lie at the mercy of vindictive and unscrupulous persons has been illustrated at the Liverpool i Court of Passage. A foreman in the paving de- partment of the Corporation, named James Morgan Roscoe, brought an action against a woman named Helen Keogh, to recover damages for libel and slander. It was stated that de- fendant's husband bad been a labourer under the plaintiff, but he had been discharged along with a number of others. Mrs. Kecgh there- upon wrote to the chief of the paving depart- ment. alleging that plaintiff was in the habit of receiving bribes, and that her husband had been discharged for refusing to supply him with beer. Plaintiff had the alternatives of dis- charge and the rehabilitation of his character placed before him hence the action against his slanderer. Fortunately, he was able to ex- onerate himself in the eyes of the jury, who awarded Sio damages. rn .1 • M-Vi- • • r- «

TWO racner irreconciiaDie opinions are nna- tng frequent and strong expression. On one side there are those who believe that the coun- try is on the eve of a substantial improvement in trade and industry, which should secure to the working classes abundant employment, and reduce destitution to a minimum; on the other, it is feared that, with the advance of winter, distress and want will manifest themselves, especially in great cities, in a manner that will necessitate special organisation for the work of relief. Abnormal distress for the time of year, it is stated,"already exists, and the anticipation is that if means of relief in some form be not found, terrible results may follow. Which of I these opinions is best founded it is difficult tc say. There are many signs that trade is im- proving, and employment is more plentiful than it was a few months ago, and there are good reasons for believing that business will foi some time continue to improve. In such cir cumstances distress should not increase, but decrease, and the hope of all must be that i' will decrease. But in any case there will b< want of employment and destitution in manj quarters, and it is not pleasant to find that thi mere mention of relief works is enough to attrac to great cities labourers who are unable to fine employment in the country.

ANOTHER instance of the want of care sc often shown by officials on some local* lines ol railway has been brought to light. It is a com, mon experience, indeed, where a train is a few minutes" behind its time to find the signal given just as the passenger has opened the door of a sarriage and is about to climb into it. If on arrival at his destination he should venture tc complain of the risk to which he has been un- warrantably exposed he is told rudely that he had "no business to get into the carriage while it was in motion." It should, however, be made the duty of a guard, if his functions are reallj intended.to be consistent with such a name, tc watch the movement of passengers when a trair is about to start, and give them due warning that it is about to move away from the platform According to a statement made in one of the courts, a poor woman was thrown down and seriously injured while in the awt of descending from a train which was overdue when it reached one of the London Stations. In this case it seems that ahe hud no idea that the train would start bobfOdbe had time to get out of the carriage, ad,amdy appears bdwve given himself any aQCMKl about her iiiuvcmjm ts. In- ieed, the efthe train boldly dtrfared that ae did not believe that any accident had hap- pened to the plaintiff on the occasion in ques- tion, as he saw nothing of it but as she had been incapacitated from attending to her duties in Cornhill for several weeks, and was under j the care of a doctor during that time, such a sontention had no weight. The defence on the part of the company, as is not unusual in such ^ases, was that her injuries were the result of ber own carelessness. The jury, however, took juite a different view of the matter, and awarded her fifteen pounds.

While shooting on the North of Ireland coast, near Bushmills, a gentleman named Dick, stated to belong toKent.feH over the rocks into the sea. I Ilis body has not been recovered. Sir John Gorst Ims abandoned his intention of visiting India, at all events for the present. lie is i now going to Constantinople, and will leave Eng- 1 land forthwith. A shock of earthquake, lasting 10 seconds, has i been felt at Sydney, Cape Breton Island. The in- habitants were much alarmed, but no damage is I reported. The other afternoon the Barnsley magistrates JOinmitted Isaac Wamwright, a miaer employed at Monk Bretton Colliery, for one mdntli, without a fine, for taking a tobacco-pipe into the workings. A youth named Ernest Wilson i«"supposed to have sonnnitted suicide by shooting himself in a third- :tass carriage whilst travelling on the North- Eastern liailway between New,:astle and Tynemouth. A Lloyd's telegram from Port Isaac, Cornwall, states that the steamer Indus, which left l'enartli for Teneriffe, has foundered six miles off Trevose. The crew, thirty-one in number, have been landec tt Fort Isaac

| THE FARM.—STO CK- RAISIN GK ——— 'Sows ANP Tin:IN BUKEDING.—I will here try to 4'ivc a few hints, as far as my experience goes .10 i'urm of ILecJi.i.j Sow.—Great attention should be paid to the points of the animal from which the t.M !!icr is to breed, both m regards to the boar and tiie sow. Tiie head should ba small, and snout short, chops broad and wide. 1ar5 sillall aid thin, with sharp onis projecting forward a little to tiie front. The neck should rise well behind the ears, chest be broad and deep, ribs or barrel round and full, so as to give a or..ad back the body long, legs short, and back straigiit from neck to rump (if curved, only slightly >o;, the haunch or the thigh should drop al- most to the hock; hams and shoulders thick, the tail small and curly, and the bones sniad. Care should be taken to see that eacii pig selected has its full quota of teats this is necessary, as it is found that each ;wg in being nursed selects and keeps a teat lor itsclt. Tweive teats should be tiie smallest num- ber. A breeding sow shouid have a litter of this number of pigs, which is brought up with more economy than one of a greater number.—Manaqc- vifiil.—The sow does not attain its full growth until it is some years o! I, and it is better, in my opinion, to allow her to be over a year old hefore she is ad- .mitted to the boar, although she is capable of taking him much younger. She goes with young for a period of about sixteen weeks. Two farrows may- be taken froiu the s -w eaeh year, the first produced at the end of March or beginning of the second in September or October. The sow may be kjpt with the other breeding pigsuptothe end or the second month of her being in pig, after which time she should he kept quiet, rind for about a week be- fore farrowing she should be put in a .sty by herself and supplied with litter cut short. As tiie sow is very apt to lie on her young'it is requisite to watch her closely.—The -Sin.—Ofttimes there is not sudi- cient attention pad to the furrowing sty. It should be large, to allow the sow plenty of*ro >m, and like- wise to admit space for rails to ba placed round the sides, so fixed as to prevent the sow lying oa the young ones. These rails should lie made to shift according to the siz e of tie sow, I think in height from eight to twelve inches, and about nine inches from the walls, so that when the sow lies down there will be no fear of her squeezing the pigs, tilere be- ing plenty of space for them to pass between her and the wall, for nine times out of ten that is where I the fault lies, as sows like to lean against something when they lie down. Each sty should be at least; from eight to ten feet square, and the best 11 "Il" is | asphalte. The pen ought to be so constructed as to be closed in cold and weli ventilated in warm weather, i The feulillg. -The feeding of the sow immediately before farrowing is a point of some importance, as it is calculated to increase the flow of her milk and to make parturitio n as easy as possible; but, with reference to the latter point, it may be mentioned that the partu rition is generally easily got through, assistance being rarely required. The food, then, at this juncture should be moist and nourishing— whey and bran and the like, for example. This may be continued for a short time after farrowing, say, two or three days but, after this, the sow may be put upon her usual fool—Me Farrowing.—At the time of farrowing, let there be a small quantity of litter i cut short in the sty, and have a hamper placed in the pen with a little straw at the bottom also an t old blanket. Put a slip of partition, about two and a half feet high, across the pen, to prevent the sow getting to the hamper, and as the pigs are born, put them into it, and cover them up un til the sow liis done farrowing, after which, put them to her, and! 1 let them suck; when done, put them back in the hamper, and give the sow a little warm milk and bran, and while she is eating this, attend to the bed by removing the soiled straw and substituting a little fresh litter cut short: then, when the sow lies down, let the pigs go to her again. By pursuing this plan there is very little danger of loosing them, for I believe one-third are lost tor the want of proper attention. GEESE- RAisiXG.—A goose is usually able to cover the whole of the eggs she lays during the season, the number generally ranging from ten to fifteen. I should not, from choice, use a goose to hatch ducks' eggs. It is quite likely that the eggs may be hatched all right, but the young ducklings would probably suffer from the weight of the goose in the nest, and they also require different treatment to goslings. The latter do not need a great amount of care. If the hatching goes on satisfactorily, the goslings may remain in the nest until all are ready to be removed. They should then be placed with their mother in a large coop on some dry ground, where they should remain for several days, the coop being changed fre- quently as the grass underneath becomes tainted. Hard-boiled eggs chopped small, breadcrumbs, oat- meal, and curds may all be used as food for the goslins but green food especially must not be forgotten. Their favourite diet at this age is a weed known in some parts of the country as clivers," or "ayriffe," and during the spring months grows luxuriantly on the sides of most banks. This, with grass, may be cut into short lengths and mixed with the articles before mentioned. On this mixture the young birds will thrive, until fit to look out for themselves. Many breeders do not take the trouble to pen the goose even for the first week, but allow her to drag her brood about wherever she pleases. There is no fear that the old birds will neglect their offspring. The danger is that they will lead them through gate- ways, where the goslings get stuck in the mu i, or near the hedges, where many a youngster gets caught! by the brambles, and is unable to escape and some-' times they tumble into the ditch, or fall on their backs in a small hole, and in this pred cunent can- not help themselves. All these mishaps are avoided by keeping the goose confined until the goslings are strong enough to overcome the difficulties above re- ferred to. There are two other matters I would briefly touch upon. First, great care should j,¡e taken to guard against rats playing havoc with the young birds. These pests seem to prefer ducklings and gos- lings to anything, and will sweep off whole broods very quickly. The second point is the great mistake made by many people in rearing goslings. They feed them a little for the first week or so,and after this the goslings have to rely on their own exertions. This is had manage meut. A large goose, when fat, fetches mora per pound than a swall one, it, therefore, behoves the breeder to make his birds as heavy as possible. A little bard grain night ano morning, given all through the summer, will not be missed, and will add several pounds to the weight 01 each bird. Do not, however, fall into the other ex- treme, and give the geese so 11IUCII corn that they need do nothing all day but sit about the yard. BUTTEEIIIIJ K FOR I'IGS.—Many persons underrate the value of buttermilk as a food for pigs. It con- tains, however, about 10 per cent. of dry matter, and is, says a foreign journal, composed of 3 percent, of ties) i foriiiers (caseiiie), 5 -4 of njilk sugar, I of fitt- nutritive ratio, 1-2G. The proportion of muscle- forming matter is greater than in whole milk, and this deficiency of oil renders buttermilk slightly constipating. To feell it in the most skilful manner requires that a somewhat laxative food, such as flax- seed, be added to it. Three-quarters of a pound of boiled flax-seed to the 100 lb. of buttermilk will sup- ply oil in the same proportion as it exists in the na- tural milk, and will greatly improve its feeding value, making it very nearly as nutritious as new milk. If flax-seed is not to be conveniently had, the old-style linseed-oil meal may be substituted, using 1 lb. of meal to the 100 lb. of buttermilk. The object is to prevent constipation. In a general way, it may be said that 100 lb. of buttermilk have as much nutritive value as 201b. of make, and is bet- ter adapted for young pigs. ■

A NEW FUEL. In order to provide a cheap and convenient fuel for the British steamers in Egypt and for the Government works in India and elsewhere, an ex- periment is being tried at the Koyal Arsenal, Wool- wich, in the feeding of furnaces with gas tar. For some time past Mr. John Hay, inspector of ma- chinery, and General Ilyde, of the Indian depart- ment, have been trying oil for the purpose, using the dead oils extracted from gas tar, and have b.-eit running an experimental locomotive on the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway with this fuel alone. The success which has attended the trials thus far has been remarkable, the most important result being the reduction of the cost of combustion by one-half as compared with coal. Dead oils are said to be a drug on the market, and the residual products of gas generally are at a very low figure; but it is probable that their utilisation for fuel may quicken the demand, and to meet this contingency the ofiicers engaged in the work determined on the employment of crude tar taken direct from the gas-house. Steam is employed to cject it into the furnace in a regular spray, which burns like gas itself, and with an intense heat, perfectly under control. In Egypt, where oil wells have been dis- covered, oil will be preferred both for the Nile steamers and the Iransports employed between Alexandria and Suakim in India it is thought that oil may supplement the use of tar, and at home the gas factories may be relied upon for a large supply of either co nmodity, as may he desired. In the Arsenal experiments the new fuels are used to drive the steam-engines in the hydraulic house, and being portable and clean in application, and involving little labour, they are reported as especially adapted for use on hoard the sllips of the Royal Navy.

A SCOTCH DIVORCE CASE. ^Further evidence has been adduced before Lord Fraser in the Court of Session in the action of di- vorce instituted by Dr. Charles Begg, llaubroii, China, against his wife, Mrs. UndllLel Isabella Lookheart, formerly Menzies, now Begg, residing at Willow Brae House, Pirshill, near Edinburgh. The parties were married in Edinburgh in 1872 by the late Rev. Dr. Begg, father of the pursuer and a well-known Scottish clergyman, and divorce is sought on the ground of infidelity by the defender with Samuel Thomas Phelps, son of the tragedian. At the time of the conduct complained of pursuer Was followillg his profession in China, and his wife, to whom he remitted means, was residing at Porto- bello, a watering-place near Edinburgh. The case was before the Court in -July last. On the day in question, Mr. Phelps, as a witness for the defender, was called. He said he was aij years of age, and was at present living in an hotel in Edinburgh, but that i.oiidon was his permanent place of residence. In answer to defender's counsel he said that he was introduced to Nlrs. Begg in October,ltis;>, by the con of Mrs. Gillespie, with whom Mrs. Begg was living at 1 ortobello. The witness was cross-ex- amined by Mr. Balfour, Q.C., and at the close counsel for the defender, put in the statement ma le before a commissioner in Melbourne by Miss Somerville. Mrs. Gourlay, Edinburgh, was called j and examined as to a letter which she had written to Miss Somerville. She explained that site wrote ,,I)].tiiie(I tlitt site wi-t)t "she looks a wreck, after Mrs. Begg had calle 1 oil her with the blinds of the carriage drawn down. In the letter she further said, "Oh, make it some. thing worth the delay. Do give Mrs. Begg a high commendation. It seems to me here, soeing things as you will, that her life is in your hands. Make an emphatic statement in her favour." Counsel asked if she thought these were proper things to address to a person who was going to be examined as a witness. Witness replied I did not took at it in that light. I did it simply from feeling. I alii satisfied it was wrong. The case was again ad- journed.

DEATH OF GRANT'S FAMOUS SfALMOX.— Clay- more, the celebrated stallion, at one time owned by General Grant, and presented several years ago to Governor Hunt, mired in an irrigating ditch near Trinidad recently, where he remained until about starved and frozen to death before he was rescued, and he then only lived a few hours. Says all authority: For a horse which carries tongue out of mouth, fit on the bit a plate oval, :1111 about three inches by two inches wide. !t is put over the tongue, as the tongue cannot then be thrown out at the side and must be kept in its right place. The wages of farm hands in Switzerland, exclu- sive of board and lodging, average for males about £ 12 a year; for females, X4 10s. Od. All you have got to do is to plant the cabbage and nature will come along after a little wlnile and put a head on it. It is easy to make balky horses by overloading them when young and first put to work. 0 A deep rich soil is wonderfully favourable to t bank account.

AMERICAN STORIES. A GOOD SHOT. Foon afU-r the C;>an.i were compelled to sor- render i. e Yirginius to L'ncle Sam 1 landed Havana as the agent of an American agricultural w o ks. i ortunately for me, in this case, I could i-nailer away in Spanish with any of tticiii, A114, though 1 was l orn and reared in Ohio, I was sup- pose i t be an Englishman. Ilad I given out that I w;is a straight-haired Yankee the chances of being mobbed or knifed or shot would have been excellent The fcelmg against Americans was so very bitter that one from the States was liable to insult &all v ,i! I lie public streets. I ha 1 hee i there about a week when an Ameri- can ii;.in.-d Charles W'hitlcv, from Michigan, arrived wiih bis wife. Whitley was an invalid, and he liact, e >me to Cui>a by the adviccof his physician. I re* membi-red hint as a tall, pale-faced and extremely v nrieotis gentleman, while she was a little bit of & woman who was all hope and sunshine. It so hap- pened that 1 made their aequaintance on the first day they landed, and I felt it my duty to warn Whit- ley of the ieclingenterlained against our nationality My advice to hilll was to keep close for a time. and: to carefully avoid being mixed up in any discussions of a puhiic nature, lie had been there a week without anything being said to him, when one day as we sat in the hotel reading room, a couple of (. tihans who spoke very good English came in and took seats near us. There was no doubt iu my miact from the first that they meant t) draw Whitley into a trap. They began by abusing and malign- jilg Americans and wishing for war, and when It&- persistently refused to take notice of them, one of them deliberately turned upon him and said: "Havana is no place for such as you. The gentleman is an invalid," I replied. "Hut he is alsi) a Yankee," continued the Cuban. Our government should not permit them to ever). land on the island." Whitley's face grew paler, and he bit his lips tab keep back tiie hot words which wanted to come, bat he made no reply. The larger of the two men, wha appeared to Le a native fire-eater, waited for a 11100- ment, and then rose up and said to the Michigan der: "All Yankees are cowards! I insult you! De- mand satisfaction if you dare! "I do demand it! answered Whitley in a low- voice. "You evidently want a duel! You shalf have it! Good! hissed the other. My friend here: will arrange the details with your friend. You haq more courage than 1 thought for." He walked away with a nod to me, and was fol- lowed by his friend, who promised to return in tmiC an hour. You can't mean to fight him? I inquired of Whitley when we were alone. "But I do. He insulted me as an American, hoping to provoke a duel, and as an Americaa Jfc will fight him." But your health?" Never mind my health. All I want is to keen; the affair from my wife until it is over. Arrange^ to figilt him to-morrow morning." With wliat weapons? I never had a sword in my hand, and I have had no experience with pistols. Choose pistols.. however. I know enough to sight and fire one, &A I must take my chances." There was no doubt that the man was an expert enced duelist, but the more I argued with Whitiey- the more determined he was to fight. Under all the circumstances it would have been no disgrace for him to refuse, but from the very first hia m-n& was made up. Suclt affairs are easily and quietty arranged in Cuba. When the second returned we settled on pistols for weapons, and lie was kioxii enough to say that he would arrange for a surgeon to be present. We were to be at a certain spot about four miles distant at a certain hour in ttm. morning. The fellow was a pink of politeness, and I carried the idea that I had been mixed up in several affairs of the sort, and that my principal was not a green hand on the field of honour. I did not see Whitley again until we took a car- riage in the morning to drive to the grounds. He. was calm and self-possessed, and on the way oirt arranged with me about sending his wife homo ife case of his death, and provided for other emergen-, cies. The little woman had not received the slight- ast hint of what was on the tapis. We found tb* other parties waiting for us, and the details wer% speedily arranged. The men were placed fifteen, paces apart, and it was understood that they were- to tire until one or the other was killed or wounded In case either was wounded and wanted to contintLQ the fight the duel should go on. The two pistols were loaded and handed to the principals, and thct awkward manner in which Whitley held his made tiie Cubans smile. I bad told him how to stand so as to present the smallest possible target to his op. pouent, but as they took their places I was horrified to see him present his full front. It seemed as If any one who could sight a pistol must bore him. through at the first fire. He was a trifle paler that* usual, but he stood firm on his feet and was in goo4 nerve. The word was finally given—one—two—three—- fire, and both pistois were discharged at once. I was looking at Whitley. I saw a piece of cloth from his shoulder fly in the air, and as I turned my gaze towards the Cuban I saw the latter sink dowa in a heap, as if lie had been struck on top of the head. We ran to him to find a bullet hole in thai centre of his forehead, and he was stone dead. His bullet had chipped Whitley's right shoulder, but without drawing blood. I never saw two men Sf) dumb-founded as the surgeon and the Cuban's second It was a minute before they could realize the disas- ter. Everything had been fair and according to the code, and nothing remained for us except to return to the city. Whitley was very calm and self-poa- sessed—neither astonished nor exultant. "What spot did you aim for? L asked as we rode homewards. "None at all," he replied, "I had both eyes sliufc when I pulled the trigger

SHARPERS WHO GOT LEFT. There is a sharp r'sgame which has been played for the last hundred years, and as the turning point is avarice the game works forty-nine times where it fails once. Two sharpers set out a few weeks agA to play it on a Wayne County farmer. One ot them came along one day and wanted to buy the farm. As the farmer wanted to sell it was quite easy to strike a bargain. The price was to be 4,00U dols. in cash, and the man handed over 250 dols. to bind the bargain. Within two days a second stranger came along and wanted the farm. He wanted it so bad that he couldn't stand still. He found indications of coal, natural gas aId coal oil, and he was willing to give 0,500 dols. for the place.' The idea was, of course, that the farmer would lie awful sick of his first sale and seek to buy the man off. It would pay him to offer the man 1, 500 dols. to release him. The second stranger was only out of sight when the first one turned up again. "His mouth watered- ..vel' the prospect, but not for long. The farmer explained that he had been offered 2,500 dols. more, and added: "But I don't care for money. The 4,000 dols. ia enough for m?, and it's all the old farm is worth. When you are ready to pay the balance we'll make- out the papers." The purchaser offered to release him for 1,000 dols. -ïOUdols.-500dlJls.)t)U dols., but the farmer didn't want to be released. He hung to the bargain- money, and he's got it yet, while the pair of sharpers rave and gnash their teeth every time they think of the thickness of his skull.

Upside down—A feather bed. An "old stager" may after a while become an "old stagger." Motto for an umbrella—Suum Cuique (let each maii have his own). It is said that French fishermen get four times as much fish out of the English Channel as we dufc owing to the superior appliances the^' possess. Tobacco was forbidden to be growlI in this coun- try in Charles JI.'s reign, in order that our Ameri- can colonies, now the United Slates, might enjoy fc monopoly. Farmers' Supply Associations are being formed. in different parts of the country in order'to bring the growers of produce into more direct contact with the consumer. Weakness works more ill than wickedness: it is easier, between the band which strikes and the reed which gives way, to defend onesolf aga.nst the R, saults of the former than to guard against the IlIl. trustworthiness of the latter. Cora (chewing on the last caramel)—" What, makes you always twV. N cane, Mr. Merritt? Little Johnny (who .:s aroUlld)-" Because, he ain't got ally