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-- ' v-r '" '--•- -' - : •. - r'-\ - •. -,..1.̂ --~.':.-•»••• •..•••.••••••- • . -• • • «8te ^Itgcnrj) ^latndeala t, jVAN p|i^3DBi ttmusHBiL McHENRY, ILLINOIS. ||BICVLT|jBAL AND DOMESTIC. . Arabnd t*« Wmrm. " - ISM NATLS M SHOES.--A horse-shoe •will liold much, longer if the clenches are not weakened by the file in finish­ ing. Insist that the file does not touch the end of the nail where turned down. --Exchange. CABEIIFESS USE OF POISON.--An English farmer recently washed a pair of his horse* with »b««p dip, in order to clear them of vermin. The horses licked the poisonous material and died shortly af­ terward. WORK FOB BROOD MAKES.--Slow, gen­ tle farm work is not injurious to brood mares up to within two or three days of their time. The exercise for them is better than being confined in box stalls. -- Western Rural.- THE USES OF SWEET CORN.--It has grown to be common sense to make ex­ tra large 'plantings of sweet corn for fam­ ily use. Then there will be some to isell green if anybody has a mind, and plenty of fodder left over for the cow and pig. Dried sweet corn makes a very fair whiter chicken-feed too.--Spring- Jield Union. NATTTJSAII MANNER OF FEEDING.--In a state of nature the horse feeds almost entirely on grasses, and his teeth are entirely unsuited for masticating whole grains. The grain with which he is fed should be previously cracked, crushed or ground, else much of it will find its way into the stomach whole, and yield little or no nourishment.--Agricultural Journal. Wovwcm QTTICKLY DRESSED.--I have just cut my foot with an ax for the fourth Aiwifl in my life, andyet I have never lost an hour's work. Tne secret is in doing up the wound. I close up the wound in the blood, as soon as possible, by wind­ ing flax or tow around the part cut; I fill that with copal varnish, and in eight days undo tne bandage and find the flesh as sound as ever.--Correspondence Exchange. To TAKE BUST OUT OF STEEL--If pos­ sible, place the article in a bowl contain­ ing kerosene oil, or wrap the si eel up in a soft cloth well saturated with kerosene; let itf remain twenty-four hours or longer; then scour the rusty spots with brick- dust; if badly rusted, use salt wet with hot vinegar; after scouring, rinse every particle of "brick-dust or salt off with boiling water; diy thoroughly with flan­ nel cloths, and place near the fire to make sure; then polish off with a clean flannel cloth and a little sweet oil.--Sacramento Jtecord- Union. CATCHING JIAWKS.--I beg leave to pre­ sent a plan for entrapping hawks, which scarcely ever fails to secure the marauder where the proper conditions appear. "Whenever you happen to frighten a hawk before it has finished its meal from a chicken it has cauffht, remove the re­ mainder of the fowl, and place in its stead a good steel trap, covering nicely with the feathers that are generally scattered around in such cases, and in the course of an hour or two the hawk will almost invariably return and "get his foot in it."--Cor. Ohio Farmer. To GET RID OF THE CABBAGE WORM,-- The cabbage worm, pieris rapce, is pret­ ty plentiful just now around Toronto, in its winged form. It is of a pale yel­ low color with some black. The best remedy we know is hot water applied out of a watering can. A little experi­ ence will tell you how much the plants will stand without injury. It will be more than the worms can. Of course Paris green must not be used on any­ thing of which the above-ground part is «aten.--Toronto Globe. CULTURE OF BHUBARB, OB PIE PLANT. --All that is necessary is to dig deep holes and fill in with rich soil, wood mold and well-rotted compost, working it well together, and setting roots so the crown will be six inches below the sur­ face; pile on each fall plenty of such compost. A good plan is to have frames around each plant, say two feet square and a foot high, and in the fall fill these with rotted compost; as the rhubarb grows up through this in the spring the stalks will be long and brittle and fine for market. There is no better sort than Myatt's Linnaeus rhubarb.--Fruit Recorder. To SAVE CORN FROM THE CROWS.-- When I am shelling my seed corn I shell off the small end of the ear in a vessel by itself, as I do not plant that part of the ear. When I am ready to plant I put whatever quantity I may have of this refuse corn in a vessel to soak. WheD I have finished planting, I throw this corn in two or three spots in my field of planted corn. Whenever I have done this at the time I mention, I have never had a hill of corn pulled up by the crows. But when I have neglected it until my corn was up, they would con­ tinue to pull it if I did not give them soaked corn. I have often seen other birds as well as crows come to get the soaked corn nntil they would form a path around the heap.--Correspondence Ohio Farmer. About the HooH. BRITTLE FINGER NAILS.--If you wish to cure brittle finger nails, oil or grease them a little just before going to bed, and after every washing of the hands.-- Western Rural. BAKED APPLES.--Pare and quarter and lay them in a skillet ; sprinkle each layer with sugar, small pieces of butter and grated nutmeg; set in the oven and bake. I think this much nicer than stewing. FLOOR PAINT.--For durable and cheap paint for house-floors, dissolve one ounce of glue in a quart of warm water f>nd thicken it with paint. After putting this on, go over it with a coat of boiled linseed 01L It will be dry and ready for use in two hours.--Southern Farmer. DRIED CORN.--In drying my sweet, corn, I never scald it, but cut it from the cob when it will barely do for cooking, and dry as quickly as possible. Then when I use it in winter I do not boil it but let it soak on the back of the stove. A DANGER OF THE LAUNDRY.---In hanging out clothes, never let those that do the washing hang out the clothes, for while they are at the tub they get warm and heated, and especial­ ly in winter or windy weather it is very injurious to go out while heated. Many cases of consumption undoubtedly are brought on in this way.--Economist. PUTTING ON COAL.--Wood has many advantages over coal for small fires in an up-stairs room, as it can be carried more readily, and causes little dirt and almost no ashes, while the noise of feeding the fire i« avoided. The latter evil may be remedied, however, by putting the coal on in paper bags such as are used by all grocers. --Housekeeper. WILD PLUM JAM.--Take plums, those that are nice and ripe; wasn and put in a porcelain kettle with plenty of water, as that fakes out the sourness; boil until bursting; then throw away the water. When cool rub through a sieve; then to each bowlful of pulp add one and one? half bowlfuls of sugar. Boil and stir constantly until done. A SUMMER HINT.--Housekeepers can save themselves considerable heating labor in summer by rising early and cooking the three meals for the day be­ fore 9 o'clock. Boiled ham, pies, pud­ dings, tarts, stewed berries, tjid fruit, placed where they will keep cool till meal time, make an agreeable variety and save the necessity for so much work over a liot flre at noon ami night on warm days.--Exchange. To CLEANSE CHROMOS.--When chor- mos require cleaning remove all dust with a feather brush, and wipe carefully with a soft chamois skin or fine linen cloth, very slightly dampened. If a lit­ tle spotted or dull, a drop of oil on the chamois will remove the blemish. If the varnish is dull or rubbed off, re-varnish with thin mastic varnish. Like oil paintings, it is not desirable to hang chromos in a dark room; bat never ex­ pose them to the direct rays of the sun. --Economist. PAINT FOR KITCHEN WALLS.--Paint on the walls of a kitchen is much better than calcimine, whitewash or paper, since it does not absorb odors or peel off, and can be quickly and perfeotly cleaned. Any woman who can white­ wash can paint her own kitchen. It needs first to be washed with soapsuds, then covered with a coat of dissolved glue, and then with paints. A broad, flat brush does the work quickly.--Ohio Farmer. Durability of Timber. The Railway Age gives some interest­ ing facts in regard to the durability of timber: The piles of a bridge built by Trajan, after having been driven more tnan 1,600 years, were found to be petrified four inches, the rest of the wood being in its ordinary condition. The elm piles under the piers of Lon­ don bridge have been in use more than 700 years, and are not yet materially de­ cs: ived. beneath the foundation of Savoy place, London, oak, elm, beech and chestnut piles and planks were found in a state of perfect preservation, after having been there lor 650 years. While taking down the old walls of Tunbridge Castle, Kent, there was found in the middle of a thick stone wall a tim­ ber curb, which had been inclosed to~ 700 years. Some timbers of an old bridge were discovered while digging for the founda­ tions of a house at Ditton Park, Wind­ sor, which ancient records incline us tc believe were placed there prior to the year 1369. The durability of timber out of ground is even greater still. The roof of the Basilica of St. Paul, at Bome, was framed in the year 816, and now, after more than 1,000 years, it is still sound, and the original cypress-wood doors of the same building, after being in use more than 600 years, were, when re­ placed by others of brass, perfectly free from rot or decay, the wood retaining its original odor. The timber dome of St. Mark, at Venice, is still good, though more than 850 years old. The roof of the Jacobin convent, in Paris, which is of fir, was executed more than 450 years ago. They add that the age of our conn- try's settlement does not enable them to refer to examples of like antiquity; but many old white-pine cornices here exist, which, having been kept properly painted, have been exposed to the storms of more than 150 years. The wood is still sound, and as good as when they were made, while freestone, in the same neighborhood, has decayed badly in les3 than fifty years. Governors "on « Lark.% A New York paper tells us how our dignified Western Governors amused themselves during their recent visit to the metropolis: "At the conclusion of their general reception and business meeting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, Gov. Garber, of Nebraska, Gov. Bedle, of New Jersey, and Gov. Newbold, of Iowa, left for home. After they had gone, the quartette who remained for the purpose of inspecting the city educational insti­ tutions found themselves with time on their hands. While considering what they should do, Police Commissioner Wheeler was announced, and asked to answer the question. The Commissioner said that as the hour was late the only sights available were the tiger and the elephant, both of whom could be seen to advantage at that hour of the night. The Western visitors consented. Car­ riages were ordered and the party started in quest of the elephant. The firot place visited was the Grand Duke's Opera House. About an hour was spent there, and then the party adjourned to Harry Hill's. Their presence was quickly noticed, and a special programme was improvised for their entertainment, dur­ ing the course of which Kelly and Sed- dons' 'Mouse' had a set-to with the gloves, which called out loud applause from the gentlemen from Kansas and Wisconsin. Other entertainments fol­ lowed, and at an early hour in the morn­ ing the party returned to the Fifth Avenue Hotel." BURR COX was one of the wickedest men in Elliston, Ohio. He was a drunkard, a gambler, and a fighter, but he had a respectable family, whom he abused. He went home half drunk and maddened by gambling losses, and de­ clared that he would loll his wife. He ground a hatchet for the purpose, he said, of chopping her head oft, but when he made the attempt his son, aged 15, bravely grappled with him. The woman fainted from fright, but the boy fought desperately, and finally killed his father by stabbing him with a knife. A CHAPTER OF HISTORY. Illinois Troops In tke Nexloan War--Boctei of Officer* •« tit* Begtaonta from this State. . The following historical article, on the occasion ef the reunion of Mexican war veterans at Chicago on the 5th inst., is taken from the Chicago Tribune : . Illinois played so important^a part in the Mexican war, contributed to it so many men, and such a number who after­ ward became prominent either in mili­ tary or civil life, that this reunion of veterans may be taken us a fitting occa­ sion to revive the memories of the past, and retrace briefly what the soldiers of this State did under Taylor and Scott May 11. 1846, Congress passed an act declaring that " By the act of the re- Eublic of Mexico a state of war exists etwees that Government and the United States." At the same time it appropriated $10,000,000 to carry on the war, and authorised the President to accept 50,000 volunteers. The call for this force showed that it was to be mostly raised in the West and South. Illinois was exiled on for three regiments of in­ fantry or riflemen, the term of service to be twelve months, and the pay (with all commutations) $15.50 per month. In­ asmuch as the militia was in rather a disorganized condition, the Governor proposed to receive the first full com­ panies that offered, no more than eighty men being allowed in a company. The men had the privilege of electing their own officers. The responses to the call were eager and enthusiastic; in ten days thirty-five duly organized companies re­ ported to the Governor, and a few days latter five more announced their readi­ ness. By the time the place of redez- vous was named as Alton and the thirty full companies were ordered to proceed there, the Governor (Ford) had on his hands seventy-five companies, or parts thereof, and was naturally furiously abused by the forty-five organizations not chosen to go. The First regiment was organized July 2, and the election and appointment of officers resulted as follows: Colonel--John J. Hardin. Lieutenant Colonel--William Weatherfovd. Major--W. B. Warren. Adjutant--B. M. Prentiss. Commissary--John Scanlan. Quartermaster--8. M. Parsons. Sergeant Major--E. A. (Mter, Drum Major--A. W. Fry. Surgeon--Dr. White. Assistant Surgeon--Dr. Zabriskie. Captains--J. D. Morgan, of Adams; Elisha Wells, of Cook ; Noah Fry, of Greene; J. 8. Roberts, of Morgan; W. A. Richardson, of Schuyler; Lyman Mowers, of Cook ; T. Lyle Dickey, of LaSalle ; A. W. Crow, of Joe Da­ viess ; William Weather ford, of Moraan; Sam­ uel Montgomery, of Scott, and W. J. Wyatt. Numbor of men mustered in--877 The Second Regiment was organized on the same day. Its field and staff offi­ cers and company commanders were as follows: ColoT?d--William H. BisseU. .Lieutenant Colonel--J. L. D. Morrison. Major--H. F. Trail. Adjutant--A. Whitesides. Sutler--Lewis J. Clawson. Captains--Peter Golf, of Madison; J. L. D. Mormon, of St. Clair; Erastns Wheeler, of Madison ; A. Dodge, of Kendall,; W. H. Bissell, of St. Clair; E. C. Coffee, of Washington ; H. P. Trail, of Monroe; John S. Hacker, of Union ; L. G. Jones, of Perry; H. L. Webb, of Pulaski; Julius Baitn, Joseph Lemon and Madi­ son Miller. Number of men mustered in--892. The Third regiment was mustered in with the following field and staff officers and company commanders: Colonel--Ferris Forman. Lieutenant Colons!--W. W. Wiley. Major--Samuel D. Marshall. Adjutant--J. T. B. Stopp. Captains--Ferris Foraian, of Fayette: J. C. McAdams, of Bond ; M. K. Lawler. of Gallatin; Theodore McGinniss, of Pope; W. W. Wiley, of Bond; J. A. Campbell, of Wayne; W. W. Bishop, of Coles; S. G. Hicks, of Jefferson; James Freeman, of Shelby; J. P. Hardy, of Hamilton ; Philip Stout, and B. S. 8ellers. Number of men mustered in--906. The Hon. E. D. Baker, then a member of Congress from Sangamon, received authority from the Secretary of War to raise another regiment, and it was named the Fourth. Its officers were: • . , Colonel--E. D. Baker. Lieutenant Colonel--John Moore. V Major--T. L. Harris. ; Captains--Pugh, of Macon; Elkin, of MoLeikn; Roberts, of Sangamon; Newcomb, of. DeWitt; Hunt, of Logan; Jones, of Tazewell; Mc.Kon- key, of Edgar; Murphy, of Perry; Ross, *nd Wright. Although the Fifth and Sixth regi­ ments were not organised until 1847, yet it will be better to give their roster of officers here with those of the other regi­ ments. April 19, 1847, the Secretary of War celled for 6,000 more troops, of which number one regiment was to»be from Illinois. It was named the Fifth and ordered to rendezvous at Alton. Following is the list of officers elected June 8: Colonel--E. W. B. Newby. Lieutenant Colonel--Henderson Boyakj ̂ • Major--J. B. Donaldson. Captains--Thomas Bond. Clinton; J. Ml Onn- ningham, Williamson ; Vantrump Turner, Ma­ rion ; John C. Mooos. Brown ; G. W. Hook, St. Clair; Thomas B. Kinney, Cook ; Henry J. Reed, LaSalle ; James Hampton, Williamson ; R. Madison, Shelby ; W. Kinman, Pike ; Ad^ms Dunlap, Schuyler; Franklin Niles, Madison". Capt. Dunlap's company was com­ posed of cavalry, or mounted men. * The Sixth regiment was really the overflow of men who came for#*r# to fill the Fifth. It was pennitted tqj be organized by special order of the Secre­ tary of War on the petition of the 'taen. The officers were: Colonel--J. Collins. Lieutenant Colonel---R. Hicks. Hojor--C. Li vie gut on. Adjutant--M. Fitch. Quartermaster--W. G. Taylor. Sergeant Major--J. B. Hines. V '• " V. Captains--E. W. Dill, Madison; Harvey Lee. Jr., Fayette; John Bristow, Green ; JJurrell Tetrick, Macoupin; James R. Hugunin, Cook ; William Shepherd, Boone ; G. Jenkins, Will; James Bowman, Jefferson; C. L. Wright, Jo Daviess; J. CoUins, Jo Daviess; D. C. Berry, J. Burns, E. E. Harney, J. Ewing. While Gen. Taylor was passing the Rio Grande and making his way toward the center of the country, the plan was formed of moving a corps from Fort Leavenworth on Santa Fe. This was to be called the Army of the West, and to be commanded by Gen Kearney. It rendezvoused at Fort Leavenworth. About the same time the plan of marching from the San Antonio river to Chihuahua was formed, and a corps of men ordered to assemble for this purpose at Antonio de Bexar, on the San Antonio riven This corps was called the Army of the Center, and placed under the command of Brig. Gen. John E. Wool. At the same time Comargo, 180 miles above the mouth of the .Rio Grande, was made the base of supplies for Taylor's army, and to that point all his reinforcements were «nt. The First ancT Secon^fregimenls were sent to join Gen. Wool's Army of * ,ex*nter, while the Third and Fourth ieded to join Gen. Taylor's army by 7 Comargo. The career of the i*t and Second regiments may be briefly sketched. They left San Anto- IUO» Sept. 26, 1846, and marched steadily along until, on the 24th of Oc­ tober, they entered Santa Rosa, meeting wl™ opposition. Thence they marched to Monoclova, and thence to Pawas, where the original idea of the inarch, the capture of Chihuahua, was abandoned. Thence, after twelve days' stay, Gen. Wool started to Intercept, if ^possible, Santa Anna's attack on Monte­ rey, and on the 21st of . December occupied Agua Nueva, thus com- pletiDg a six weeks' march Of about miles, which was utterly fruitless of results. In the meantime, the Third and Fourth regiments had been, with the rest of Gen. Patterson's division, marching from Matamoras to Tampico, where they formed part of Gen. Shields' force, he being in com­ mand of the city. Gen. Taylor, in Jan­ uary, 1847, proceeded from"Saltillo and formed a junction with Gen. Wool, among whose troops were two Illinois regiments. On the 22d hi Februaiy was begun the grant battle of Buena Vista,, in which the First and S»>cond Il­ linois covered themselves with glory and reflected honor on the State which sent them out; The loss of the First Regiment was forty-five, of , whom twen- ty-nine were kfflKfj of the Second, 131, sixty-two of whom were killed. The names of the brave and loyal men killed on that field include Hamlin, McKee, Clay5 Willis, Zabriskie, and oUiers, among whom no loss was greater than that of Hardin. The TSiird a&Q Fourth regiments took part in the movement against Vera Cruz, being in Gen, Shields' brigade. Com­ panies A, F and G of the Fourth were the first to effect the landing March 9, 1847. In the battle of Cerro Gordo the Third and Fourth were hotly engaged, and gained great credit for their bravery. The loss was sixteen men in the Third and forty-eight in the Fourth regiment. The battle of Cerro Gordo was the last one of the war Jp. which any Illinois regiments partictpited. The First and Second Regiqieota were disbanded at Oomftrgo, and the Third and Fourth at Jalapa, at the expiration of their year's enlistment. All arrived at home about the let of June, 1847. Every bod kntfws with what enthusiastic: welcomes they were received. To recount those things would be to waste space. The career of the Fifth regiment may be soon told. It left by steamer for Fort Leavenworth June 14, 1847, and, on _ disembarking, marched across the flains to Santa Fe. In October the 'irst Battalion, with a part of a Missouri regiment, marched to El Paso. The other battalion remained at Santa Fe as ti garrison. The regiment saw no ser­ vice during its enlistment, bat its loss by sickness was quite large. The Sixth regiment was sent to New Orleans and there divided i nto two bat­ talions, the first (companies A, D, E, F, H), under Col. Collins, being sent to Vera Cruz, and the second (B, C, G, I, K), under Col. Hicks, to Tampico, The second battalion Baw no service other than garrison duty. The first arrived at Verdfl9ruz,Aug. 31, and was shortly after engaged with some guerrillas in a skir­ mish, where they lost one man and had two wounded. This regiment lost great­ ly by sickness, and it was asserted, though the statement was proved to have been exaggerated, that in five months one-fifth of the force died. The cavalry companies raised by the State for this war were five in number, viz.: Adams', Dunlop's, William Prentice's, W. B. Stapp's, Josiah Little's, and Capt. Law- ler's. It does not appear of reoord that either of them took any large share in the fighting, and dome of them did not leave the Statew ADMFKTLI SEMMES. Temperate State Officials. The Minneapolis Tribune has thS Inf­ lowing gratifying statement -concerning the executive officials of Minnesota: "An uncompromising temperance man made a thorough canvass of the State Capitol recently for the purpose of as­ certaining the per cent, of intemper­ ate officials and employes, with a view of framing an argument for nom­ inating a State ticket on a total absti­ nence platform He closad his labors convinced that little could be gained while much migljt be lost by the temper­ ance element by bfinging forward a ticket. There is not a single State officer that may even be classed w a moderate drinker, and there is but jpne departmental em­ ploye, and he horns an insignificant po­ sition, who ever indulges in strong drink." The Widow Stearns' Case. Mrs. Wn*. Stearns, widow of the eld­ est son of the late President Stearns, is debarred by the courts frgm receiving her husband's fchare of j&se Alabama claims money because he wa« a British subject. He beeame so to protect his business interests in India, and his fam­ ily suffer the loss of about $400,000 in consequence. He was patriotically American in his sympathies, of course, giving generously to local volunteers and to aid thfe Government in the re­ bellion. Mrs. Stearns has opened her school in the late President'^ house, at Amherst.-^Bontfrrt Transcript. THE Cobden Club, of London, has an active membership of 603,,and an honor­ ary membership of 185. Bixty-three of its honorary uaeiabers are American citi­ zens, and only three of that number are of foreign birth^namelv, Carl Schurz, Hamilton A. Hill, and William Downie. Among the others are Charles Francis Adams, Henry W. Longfellow, William Culien Bryant, Gen. Garfield, Ralph Waldo Emerson, W. E. Dodge, Henry Ward Beeoher, Cyrus Field,, and Edward Atkinson. "V A WELSH engineer hag /invented an engine of warfare which consists of a, cannon so arranged as fo discharge d sharp sword-blade crosswise in the direc­ tion of the enemy, the knife being so poised in its course through the air as to cover the whole space in a longitudinal direction described by the blade itself. An 8-inch ball would carry a sword 14 feet in length 600 yards, mowing down every obstacle in its path. PROF. HALL, ^he discoverer of the two new satellites of Mars, started life as a carpenter. **• petweea the Alalwau r and Re«riUfe. [Z. L. Washington in the New York Tribune.] The circumstances of the fight be­ tween the Kearsarge and the Alabama are too well known to need repetition. The gentleman already referred to was a witness of this fight, but did not take part in it, being at the time on board a French tug. He says that Admiral Semmes made a great mistake in going out of Cherbourg to meet the Kearsarge at all. He said the immediate cause of his going out was a threat of Winslow to go into port with the United States flag flying over the inverted Confederate flag, and to sail around the Alabama as an insult. Semmes sent back word that if he would not do that he would go out and fight him. The Alabama had been at sea two years, and her copper hung in " elbows" all over her bottom, which was also very dirty. When in good con­ dition she could sail twelve or fourteen knots an hour, but at that time she could not have made over six knots at the best. Beside this, the powder that she used was some that had been condemned by the British Government; and, to make it still worse, a portion of the con­ densing apparatus of the vessel used for producing fresh water was in contact with her magazine, no that much of her powder was wet. The result was that the heaviest shells fired by the Alabama failed to perforate the sides of the Kear- sargo, and some of them were seen to drop in the water before reaching her enemy, although the vessels were at the time not over 300 yards apart. The same gentleman expressed the opinion that Admiral Semmes, in bin book describing the cruise of the Ala­ bama, does himself great injustice when he ascribes his failure to disable the Kearsarge to the fact that the latter hung chain cables upon her sides. These ca­ bles were only placed upon her bows, and had the powder of the Alabama been in good condition he expresses it as his opinion that she would have sunk the Kearsarge in spite of all such pro­ tection. One of the shells of the Ala­ bama, which lodged in the stern-post of the Kearsarge, but did not explode, is now in this city. If it had exploded it would undoubtedly have destroyed Winslow's vessel. Semmes displayed the greatest coolness in the handling of his vessel during the whole of the fight with the Kearsarge, and when the Alabama was about to sink he was the last Tnan to leave her. A sailor named Marrs, who had shown very great bravery during the combat, and who had picked up a shell fiom the Kearsarge that fell on the deck of the Alabama and thrown it overboard--it exploded before it reached the water-- brought a life-preserver to Semmes, and insisted that he should put it on. Semmes refused to do so, and told the sailor that his life was worth as much to him as the Admiral's, and that he must put it on himself. He had in his hand some valuable papers, among them the bonds of a number of ships that had been captured, and these he gave to Marrs, directing him to save them at all hazards. Subsequently some of the of­ ficers and sailors persuaded Semmes to use a life-preserver. Marrs was picked up by one of the boats of the Kearsarge, but jumped overboard. He was picked up a second time by another of the Kear- sarge's boats, and a second time leaped into the water, and was finally rescued by a French boat, saving the papers which had been committed to his care. Semmes was a very strict disciplinari­ an. This was especially necessary in the service in which the Alabama was engaged. The line between that kind of service and piracy was so narrow that but for the strictest discipline the crew of the Confederate steamer would have been guilty * of all sorts of excesses. When an American vessel was captured, if it had on board an American cargo, it was burned. If the cargo belonged to foreigners the Captain was made to sign a bond for the value of the vessel. No officer or member of the crew of the Alabama was allowed to take any article from a prize. The gentleman who de­ scribes this service says that he was once very severely punished by the Captain of tne Georgia for taking from the cabin of a vessel that was captured a sewing- bird, worth o^ly a few ceato. and hard-tack are given to them.--Da­ kota t orrespotidence of the Ql Democrat. \. > , i ALL SORTS. A Sioux War-Dance . A day was set, and the Drummer and White Shield returned to their camp to tell their warriors to get ready. At noon of one of the warmest days a horri­ ble pounding and screeching was heard in the distance, and, going out, we saw bedlam advancing ; 100 Indians, painted red, yellow, blue and green, ornamented with feathers and strings of small bells, were advancing, beating a tom-tom screeching with all their might, and stooping over, dancing from one foot to the other. Arrived in front of the house, they stopped, and walked on to the parade, ranged themselves in a semi-cir­ cle, put their blankets under them, and waited for the musicians to begin. The six or eight members of their band, wrapped in gray blankets, were huddled around a bass drum, each armed with a substantial drum-stick, and, as they be­ gan their pounding, the dancers set up a strange chorus of shrill chirping cries, and then, darting to the middle, began dancing back and forth, around and through in a confused mass, themselves still singing, their bells rattling and feathers moving. The step consisted in raising one foot straight up, balancing up and down on the other, and then changing positions, carrying it on to the end. Two pauses were made to give a chance for breathing, and they began with redoubled vigor. A feathered arrow was stuck in the ground, and around it they circled and hopped more madly than ever, and at the second interlude White Shield, a magnificent savage over six feet in height, broad-shouldered and muscular as a Hercules, stepped to th** center and related some of his own ^glorious deeds. As his speech advanced, his hearers grunted their approbation, and, when he had finished relating the destruction of his enemy in the open field, an applausive "How!" came from the red coryphees. After the dance, they advanced to the porch where we were sitting, shook hands rather in­ differently with us squaws, and pro­ ceeded to make high-sounding speeches to the " head soldier." The aim and end of such a dance is a visit to the com­ missary, where the customary bacon 000,000. i™ THE elegant feather bordering will be J, " wed on winter cloaks. - * SENATOR MORTON has property to value of about $25,000. f THE State of Virginia offers a bounty ? of $1 for the scalp of eveiy gray fox, ana * ¥l $1.50 for red ones. -r' THE Tennessee Histork*lSociety ol*unsm, » to have Israel Putnam's commission. signed by John Hancock. '" _ BABON RothsohiiiD of Puis 1MS {nun * iwv * chased the celebrated picture gallery of a* Van Loon at Amsterdam for $800,000. v T ; SEVEBAL of the counties in Northern Texas have established poor-farma, !xtrh»#« which have, so far, been operated with profit. -ff.-."V* An imperial edict has been issurd pro- hibiting the smoking of opium in Chum, niaki ^Tdate.61 *° **** eftecfc three y®*18 f,cwa j THE colored people of Hillsboro, T&t., M ^ are holding a religious meeting that has been going on mcessantlyjfor ttaafti months. LORD PALMKBSTON once said, speak- V ing ox" the Turks, "What energy canbe* ' Yl expected of a people with no heek their shoes?" *i|» _ THE United States Supreme Court de- ̂ cides that a State bank may lawfully be-' ,,, vi.* come a national bank without the oon-' - 'f' sent of the State. ill SIXTY-ONE sheep, which had gated under a tree during a storm, were! Sf struck by lightning and filled inM*i^}iifk. fornia the other day, r A VERMONT hotel-keeper has white--n, w#* washed a big cliff in sight of his house. „ that it may resemble a snow-bank, and. . . cause curious people to ask questions. NOT a shipmaster could be found in! Baltimore, recently, who would take a. cargo of petroleum to Constantinople, * though advantageous terms weran t̂u«^ offered. rfs^il THE negroes comprise only about one-' . fourth of the populatio 1 o' Memphis,' . 0 Tenn., and yet of the 1,253 deauiB inf*&,f that city last year 601, or nearly one-! nwm naif, were negroes. A RAILROAD ballasted with silver J|4, hsTj That is partly true of one in Nevada* over whicli ore trains run. Silver dust ' , . has been sprinkled along ti e road-bed?1' until the earth assays at $50 a ton. . gathering of this metal would cost more<! i ***** than it would be worth at present, butt 3 »*§(»# in time the accumulation wul repay trouble. - * ONE of the curiosities of next yew'sl _. great exhibition at Paris will be the:' . building of the Persian national palace,U which is to cover not less than square metres, and is to be erected bjh • . It Persian architects and workmen. These^{.n-j((> '̂ have just arrived in Paris, and are un-|(, mediately to set to work on its construc- J , «OD. " " A DESERTED babe in Buffalo had a pe-f * culiar nose. A detective learned tha^iinu^ the parents lived in Simcoe, Canada, bu&t} he did not know their names. He wenji j n to Simcoe, and hunted for somebody ', with a nose like the baby's. At lengta ' he met a man in the street whose nos9'": 'A was of that kind, and who proved to bitmi»<A' the baby's father. y <utw A CLOUD of sand which obscured th» sun's rays lately fell in Rome. T!i%. :-tl̂ phenomenon has frequently occurred '̂_ before. The sand riso3 into the ak froraE. "j"' African deserts, and floats a long tim#'* in the atmosphere. The rigging of' II »il ships is often covered with it at a dis«v tance of over 1,000 miles from the Afri«< ^ can coast. The particles are exceedingly fine and of a red tint. " . ONE Van Valkenbiugh, a hostler, cently agreed for $5 to take an ordinary^ "'j* pleasure boat out on Saratoga lake, up- set it, leave it himself, right it, ie>ente«*$«!r!#t^ it, bail the water out and row to tiup shore. A wager was put upon his ability,,, to do so, and a crowd assembled on the shore of the lake to witness the novel feat, which was aooompliBhed with apJ parent ease. • ACCORDING to a Paris paper, a Fraud* ^ io<j lady of rank has just died, at the 84, who had been accustomed, ioi last thir'7 years, to smoke a pipe twica a day as a penance. In 1815 she mux- ried & wealthy sea Captain, and obtained "" *T • from him a promise to abandon smok^M ">f ing of wliioh he was extremely fond. He, jy q kept his word, but died shortly afte*,^^). . from regret--so ii is alleged. His widow was so overwhelmed with grief andre-' '* morse that from that time to the daydf her death she smoked a couple of piped 'fn a day, and desired at her death cost heft pipe should be buried with her. . • . A Pretty Fancy. Qne of the pretty fancies of French : I H I * 'A < M <jne oi tne pretty fancies of irrenon people is to make colors the expression?* w of sentiment. They hold that violet i$< ' '*» analagous to friendship, blue to love, as>>mia suggested by blue eyes and azure sky. A; at bunch of violets would therefore tell ^ g lady's suitor that friendship is all he haty^ a right to expect. Yellow is paternity' 1 * or maternity; it is the yellow rays of tho"1* * spectrum which cause the germ to •* * * shoot. Red figures, ambition; indigo. the spirit of rivalry; green, the love ot. ^ change, fickleness; black, favoritism; white, unity, university. In addition to the seven primitive colors, gray indi- 1 ! cates power; brown, prudery; pink, mod- -ii # esty; silver gray (semi-white), feeble^ *<* love; lilac (semi-violet), feeble friend- f(a*> ship; pink, false shane. . JOHN TAYLOR INNES has MI the Popular Science Monthly on the Stil trial erf Jesus Christ before Pontius Pi- late. He subjects it to a searching analy- £>» sis in the light of what is known of He-M#fq brew and Roman criminal jurisprudence, and concludes that the proceedings were, Ml* irregular and illegal from beginning to1 end. 1 THE last session of Parliament wastheSmtf first for forty years in which Mr. Dia-wu raeli has not been a prominent figure. His voluntary exile to the House of 0f Lords has deprived the Commons of a & most active member, whatever may bfts ~ thought of his usefulness. THE engineers of Marseilles have, ijtia,i*)t said, discovered that since the opening - of the Suez canal the level of the Medi- terranean has sunk thxee and a quarter i «« inches. • ; .l<v>" ; -'t fcNSJlf*'d