I
L
Many articles have been writ
ten, and many speeches made in
behalf of this noble Institution,
and nearly every one has his
plan, based on some impractica
ble theory, hov/ it should be sup
ported.
After three years experience,
and after hearing many speeches,
and reading many interesting ar
ticles on the subject, the Com
mittee to whom was referred all
matters pertaining to the Orphan
Asylum, at the last Annual Com
munication of tlio Grand Lodge,
unanimously recommended tiiat
the plan adopted at tlie com
mencement of tlie enterprise, lie
adhered to—that no change be
made in the plan, viz ; Voluntary
Contrihutions. Wo are satisfied
this plan will raise more money,
at less cost, than any that can be
devised. But the trouble is, the
Masons themselves, much less the
public, do not have as many op
portunities oflercd them to ■ con
tribute as they ought to have.
I’he Grand Lodge has a law
requiring each subordinate Lodge
to have a Special Committee to
solicit funds for the Asylum, and
tliat duty is made a part of the
business at each regular meeting.
We have the very best authorit)'
for saying tliat in many of the
Lodges the subject is never men
tioned, and in others when it is,
it is done as a mere matter of
form, and no effort is made to in
duce the members to contribute.
In other Lodges where the mat
ter is properly attended to, the
burden usually falls on the faith
ful few who are ahvaj^s prompt in
their attendance on Lodge meet-
ings.
This matter should be remedi
ed, and it can be done by no one
so well as the Masters of Lodges.
Not only should the Uommittee
on the Orphan Asylum, in each
Lodge, take up the collections as
required by the G-rand Lodge,
hut tliey should afford every
member of the Lodge, whether
he be a regular attendant at the
meetings or not, an opportunity
to contribute to the support of
tills noble Charity. Masters should
see that Committees do their du
ty, and Committees should see
that every member has an oppor
tunity afforded him to do las duty.
—Masonic Journal.
iniPKOVSiiHSJlV’J'S OF 'I'lIE ACiK
Twenty years ago one of the
most offensive refuse products
from manufacturing industry was
that known as gas tar. It was
surreptitiously gotten rid of
throwing it into the rivers, and
formed tile ghastly blue patches
known as “ blue belly.” This
substance, by the aid of the
chemist’s art, has been lifted up
from its lowly place, and now
stands forth as the source of some
of the most useful products in the
arts,; hut its liorrible color and
odor have been transmuted into
the most beautiful dyes and the
most delicious flavors. The of
fensivo refuse, this poor rejected
Cinderella, has now become the
queen of the by-products of our
manufactures. Instead of its be
ing furtively put out of sight, fac
tories have sprung up alongside
of the gas works to enable the
chemists to transmute tlieir gas tar
and ammoniacal liquors into a
score of different by-products of
wholly different natures ; and the
curious thing is, that many of
them are, as if by magic art, ele
vated from this dire nuisance into
materials which appeal to the
sense of beauty and delicacy in
every form. Among otlier pro
ducts of gas tar as of insufferable
smell is benzole, which, with ni
tric acid, produces nitro-beiizole,
a bod}^ resembling in odor bitter
almonds. It is greatly used for
the purpose of perfuming soap.
Benzole itself is a body of great
solvent powers, and one of tlio
BE CHEEBFSJE.
most effective removers of grease
stains known ; whereas the source
from which it springs is one of
tile greatest sellers in existence.
Naplitha is a product of this tar
—tlio source of light in many fac
tories removed from gas works ;
when treated with turjientine it is
transmuted into camphone, and
illuminates our drawing-rooms.
Naphtha is also used in dissolv
ing the various gums, resiii, etc.,
India rubber and gutta percha,
and by its instrumentality a hun
dred new substances are thereby
introduced to the world. Aniline,
the base of the dyes bearing that
name, is obtained from the action
of nascent hydrogen, or iiitro-
benzole. It seems almost incred
ible that the delicate tones of
color known under that name
should issue from so foul a source ;
but so it is. The arts would, in
deed, be deprived of one of their
most beautiful embellishments if
this new agent had not been dis
covered. A brilliant 'yellow is
again produced by the action of
nitric acid. Carbolic acid is con
verted into carbazotic acid. Even
red dyes, but of a very ephemeral
character, are produced from
naphthaline. Almost all the col
ors of the rainbow issue from it;
but the absence of all color, lamp
black, is made by burning with
sliglit access of air the least vola
tile components of gas tar. Among
the light oils of tar are some,
which, mixed with the heavy oils,
are effective in preserving wood
from rotting, and the tar creosote.
carbolic acid, which is a most
powerful antiseptic, and one whioli
will coipo greatly into use now
tliat the nation is becoming more
careful of its health.
What a thing it is to be cheer
ful, and to have cheerful people
about one.
Life, except during the pressure
of its most terrible calamities, al
ways has a bright side, and those
who look at that side are far the
wisest. Yet there are excellent
people who go about bowed down
under a weight of forebodings,
who feel sure the worst thing
possible will happen ; who indeed
make it manifest that, in their
opinion, it has happened alreadjn
A funeral is not more sad in their
ejies than a wedding or a chris
tening. .To be sure they do not
wear the “customary suit of sel-
ems black” at these latter; but
in their light silks and white
gloves, they groan, and thewa
ter the orange flowers and white
rose-buds with tlieir tears as
thoronglily as tlioy do the cypress.
“Poor dear Matilda Jane,”
they say, “may she bo happy—
but it’s not likely one knows what
men are ; or if she is—if he is all
that can be desired, of course
she’ll be left a widow ; and then
what will she do ? for lie’s to im
provident to leave anything.
To Mr. and Mrs. Doleful Dumps
the sky always threatens rain.
Water-proof and umbrella, and
your worst dress, is the costume
they always advocate. Five
minutes delay on a journey is
untold misery to them. The air
is always close or there is a
draught. It is “perfectl}' fright
ful” out of doors, either because
of sun or rain. Any social oc
casion is always remembei-ed by
the toil and labor of getting rea
dy for it, and tlie faults of a friend
are enumerated when iie is spoken
of, not ills excellencies. No seat
is comfortable, no condition
agreeable. One is tempted to
wonder whethertheDumps family
will not actually be happier in
their graves than anywdiere else.
In contrast to this, how delight
ful is a breezy, merry creature
who enjoys life; wlio loves “the
fun” of getting ready for any
thing ; who doesn’t mind an hour’s
delay, and rather likes a rain
though sunshine does make him
or lier so jolly” ; who had just as
soon have tlio chair that is too
high or too low, and ratlier pre
fers the piano-stool that doesn’t
work rvell; who has inevitably
“had such a splendid time !” and
shrieks with laughter over acci
dents that are almost the cause of
suicide to the Doleful Dumps set.
Such a cheerful creature is more
precious than gold or diamonds,
and thougli the Doleful Dumps
may groan, blots them out as sun
shine does the darkness when one
throws wide the door.
Maey Kyle Dallas.
JMINESSAES ITS AES'S'SS-.M.IA.
Queensland and New South
Wales have large breadths of coal
land, and so thick are the veins
and so easily are tiiey worked
tliat the coal is delivered on
barges at S3.50 a ton. Tliis coal
is bituminous, and its value may
he judged by iron men from the
fact that it makes fine coke,
wliich is so muoli in demand for
the ocean steamers that it sells
for SGO a ton. Tliis coke is
much more solid tlian coal, and
it looks somewliat like a metal.
Iron ore is plentiful, but such
is the dearness of labor that none
is yet manufactured, and the
Australians will be content to buv
American edge tools, and even
railroad iron, if it can be slilpped
cheap enough. They liave a
higii opinion of muoii of our hard-
ivare, eispecialiy saws and axes.
Tiie Americaii woodsmen’s ax is
their idoid of a perfect tool.
I'here is a largo export of coji-
per to England. Some of their
mines are as much as two hun
dred miles from shipping poris,
and it costs SCO a ton to haul the
cojiper thitlier. But tliey are
building railroads as fast as they
are able, and soon great facilties
will be afforded. The standard
gauge of their railroads is notice
able. Six hundred miles of the
Quecnland is throe feet six.
These roads enter mountains fi ora
tlie coast region by tunnels, and
wind by heavy grades to an ele
vation of 2,000 or 3,000 feet.
Miners’ wages are'from $2 to S3
a day. Antimony is shipped
l.irgely. Gold was first discov
ered in Queensland in 1868, and
tlie j'ield since then has been
$35,000,000. Other colonies have
yielded much more'. Little or
no silver has been found. Load
is plentiful, but it seems not to
be extracted, and tliere are no
w'liito lead works in the country.
No metal is more profitabfy
Avorked tlian tin, and none has
caused so much oxcitoiiient and
influenced so largely tlie industry
of the country as the compiara-
tively recent discovery. Tlie
plontifulness of the ore at present
is such tliat tlie main cost is in
labor and transporation. It is
almost all stream-tin, coming from
old river bars, and it is so found
nowhere else in the world. In
the time of Julius Cresar, how
ever, the tin of Britain was found
in similar localities. Not all the
gold excitement of Australia has
equaled the excitement over tliese
tin mines', and it is understood that
tlieir production has been so groat
tliat the Cornwall mines are clos
ed and even the jjrice has been
reduced.
EII’TEE
Little charges, little assertions,
little, careless things, stinging
words in a moment -of bitterness
and anger,—wiiat a world of mis
ery lias I’esulted from them ! The
cases are very numcr jus whore the
smallest matters have made im
pressions upon sensitive and sel
fish jjeople, such as could not
have been imagined or foreseen.
A rich hanker, who was known
to be of a sordid disposition, and
careless as to ordinary civilitives,
wrote to liis nephew, whom he
intended to make his iieir. The
answer came on a half sheet
with jagged edges, soiled, and
folded slovenlp'-. Tlie banker
took a mortal offence at this in
dignity, as lie chose to call it,
and made a new will, bv^ which
his property was given to another
person.
A man recently died, about
whom the following is told;
There were two brothers, wlio
apparently loved each other very
much, ’i'liey had grown to liian-
hood together. At the respective
age of fifty and sixty, both of
them retired from business rvitli
a competency. The younger
man soon lost his monev' h}^ spec
ulations ; but his brother gave
him pecuniary assistance, and at
once made liis will in the other’s
favor.
One night, at some fe.stive
gatiieriiig, George, the younger,
thoughtlessly pulled the chair in
wliich his brother ivas about to
seat himself from under him, so
that ’VViiliam, a man of exception
al dignitA' of demeanor, fell iloun-
dering upon the floor. The con-
soqneuce aaois a lameness for h’fc,
and from tliat unhappy nujiiioni.,
M illiam never spoke to his broth
er till the clay of his death, and
loft all his fortune to a slrang-ei-.
On flie other hand, the small
est offices of kindness, given, no
doubt, from pure benevolence, or
loA'e of assistance, Iiavo been the
means of loading to happy results.
They seem like the fairy story of
the beautiful girl, avIio met an
agea Avonian of many infirmities,
and on being asked a question,
repulsed her. Then the malison
of the old woman, a powerful
spirit in fairy land, changed the
young girl to a fright. But when
a poor, homely, tired child offered
the miserable dame her arm, be
cause she AA^as old and sorroAvf'ui,
down came the fairy gifts, and
before iier stood a dazzling queen,
Avho em’o -vc d the child witli Avealth
and glorious beauty. Tlie spirit
of this myth is still acted out by
humanity. A soft word at the
right time proves the guerdon of
power and grace. A foolisli ac
tion, or a reckless one, seals a
man’s fate with the direct misfor
tune.
FEOK5BA OK.lRi'BE OKOVES.
If oranges are not golden ap
ples, and the groves of Florida a
new Ilesiierides, there are indi
cations that the cultui’e of this
fruit is coming to be very profit
able. Diimrnet’s grove, wliich
only cost $1,000, yielded last
year 600,000 oranges, for which
the proprietor received $11,000,
and with proper care it would
give $60,000 to $75,000 yearly.
M. L. Hart’s grove at I’alatka
yields liim an income of $15,000
to $20,000 per annum. Arthur
Gin’s grove at Melionviile, of
100 trees, pays him $12,000 to
$15,000 yearly, and is wortli
$100,000. Mr. DeBerry, olNew
York, has a grove near Enter
prise of 20,000 trees. It will bo
strange if the hand.some jirofits of
business do not stinmhito the cul
ture of a fruit Avhicli is always-
sure f(.ir a near and ready marke*^.
One acre of budded orange
trees in live years will yield a
clear income of from one to three
tiiousand dollars per annum. An
orange budded tree will bear in
two j’ears from tlie bud, and will
reach perfection in seven ; so with
the lemon. The banana Avill boar
in fourteen months from setting
out; the pine ajiple in less time.
Vegetation hardly ever dies in
Sumpter county. Tomato vines
will bear tivo years; so Avill
beans. The planter never di.ga
H\v6et })OtatoGs only a.s ho wants
them; the Vines (h) not (lie. Cane
comes loj' from tlio rattoon.
—.Pilatka '( Fla.) Herald.