North Carolina Newspapers

I J ii luj (Jjjhatham Record. H. A. LONDON, Jr., EDITOR AND IT.OPRIETOU. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: Or. t Ty r. oneoopy.slx inoiit' 8 - Oua ropy, three mouth, . J. CO .so dv$rtisemtnt$. LAMEST STOCK Cheapest Goods & Best Variety CAN BE FOUND AT LONDON'S CHEAP STORE. New 6ood3 EeceiFel eTerr Week. Tou can always And what you with at Lon toa's. He keep everything. Dry Goods, Clothing, Carpetlnjr, Hardware, Tin Ware, Drugs, Crockery, Confectionery Shoes, Boot, Caps, Hats, Carriage Materials, Sewing Machlnea,011i, Putty, Glass, Paints, Nails, Iron, Plows and Plow Castings, Sole, Upptr and Harness Leathers, Saddles, Trunks, 8atchels, Shawls, Blankets, Um brellas, Corsets, Belts, La dles' Neck-Ties and Rufls, Ham burg Edgings, Laces, Furniture, kc. Best Shirts in the Country for $1. Best 5-cent Cigar, Chewing and Brooking Tobacco, Snuff, Sa.lt and Molasses. My sfock Is always complete In every line, and goods always sold at the lowest prices. Special Inducements to Cash Buyers. My motto, "A nimble Sixpence Is bettet than a slo Shilling." 137" All kinds of produce taken. W. L. LONDON, Plttoboro'a N. Carolina. H. A. LONDON, Jr., Attorney at Law, PITTSBORO N. C. JOrSpocial Attention Paid to Collecting J. j. JACKSON, ATTORNSY-AT-LAW, riTTSBonox. c. V9Al Imslness entrusted to him will re ooWe prompt a'tentlon. R. H. COWAN, DEALER IN Staple & Fancy Drj Gotjo Cloth lng, Hat, Boots, Shoes, No tions, Hardware, OROCKEKT and GROCERIES. PITTSBORO'.y. Q. NORTH CAROLINA STATE LIFE INSURANCE CO., MLEIGIL N. CAE. Y. H. CAMERON, JVwiienf. W. E. ANDKRSON, Viet JVi. W. H. HICKS, AVc'y. Tha only Home Life Insurance Co. in tne State,- All 1U fando loaned out AT HOME, and among our own people. We do not Rend Nor in Carol'na money abroad to build up other fkatea. It one of the mt succcKnful com panies of Us age la the United States. Its as sets are amply sufficient. All lows paid pro nptly. Eight thousand dollars paid In th i List two years to families In Chatham. It will cost a man aged thirty years o ily live cents a day to Insure for one thousand dollars. Apply for further Information to H.A. LONDON, Jr., Gen. Agt. PITTSBOKO', N. C. Dr. A. D. MOORE, pittsboho n. c, Oftrt his pffoajlopsl -! to tV oltlt.ai of Citikm. WJth aa azpcriair.ex vf thirty y.ar te hupt la giv illr UaCotlou. JOHN BANNING, Attorney at Law, PITTSBQBO', . a, ! la th. Courts ot Chatham, IUrn.tt, Bor and Oraags, aaJ la th. Bupransand 7dra Car:s. O. 8. POE, DoaUr la Srr flosffl, Qrootrles ft General 2ora!unIct, All kiais af Plows and Casting!, Buggy Uatsrials, Tnrnit .re, at. riTTHSORO', ST. CAR. LARGEST STORE CLtff VOL. I. CITY ORPHANS. Fatherless motherless l'lty our tears. Think of our loneliness all thro' the years. Shelterless Comfortless Out In the cold, OlMiii your hearts to us. Tollers for gold. l-lft your robes daintily, Tis here we dwell Close ou th confines or death and hell ; Marrow and damp With the mould .f a vault Look hot so loathlngly. Is It our fault ? Once we were innocent, Long. Ions a co Only to think of It adds to our woe, For vainly we lift up Our eyes to the light, We dwell in the 81 ailow Of sin and of night. Horn to bel uffeted Hunger and scorn re but our daily bread chi Id ren foiloi n. All whoe'er loved us Areuuder the sod. Vit us, pray for us, 1'eopleuf God. CONSOLATION. When the pale wreath Is laid upon the tomb. Love's la.st found homage offered to the ttau!. And the beret t, with tears and drooping head. Rid uiute farewell on sadly turning home. Sister and brother, widowed love and friend. Review, as in a solemn vision then, Their dear one's lire, its bliss and bitter pain. Its restless hopes nw ever at an end. The common thought lifts them above despair. One brief thanksgiving is on t very tongue ; That faithful i.eart shall never more be wrung W Ilk cold unklndness or with aelilnsr care : That generous mind no stern rebutfs shall vex ; 1 hat busy brain no problems dire pt iplex. Good Words. THE RECF.NT GREAT FRENCH DUEL. A Romance. BY MARK TWAIN. As soon as I heard of the late fiery out break between M. Gmbetia and M. Fourtou in the French Assembly, I knew that tumble must follow. 1 knew it be cause a long personal friendship with M. Gambetta had revealed lo rue the despe rate and implacable nature of the man. ast as re his physical proportions. 1 knew that the thirst for revenue would penetrate to the remotest frontiers of his person. 1 did not wait for him to call on me. but went at once to him. As I expected. 1 found the biave fellow steeped in a pro found French calm. I say French calm, because French calmness and English calmness have points of difference. He was moving swiftly back and forth among the debris of his furniture, now and then stav ing chance fragments of it across the room wit r his foot; grinding a constant grist of curses through his pet teeth; and halting every little while to deposit an other handlul of his hair on the pile which he had been building of it on the table. He threw his arms around mv neck, bent me over his stomach to his" breast, kissed me on both cheeks, hugged me four or five times, and then placetf inc in his own arm chair. As soon as I had got well again, we besran business at once. I said I supposed he would wish me to act as his second, and he said, "Of course." I said I must be allowed to act under a French name, so that I might be shielded from obloquy in my country, in case of fatal results. He winced here, probably at the suggestion that dueling was not regarded with respect in America. However, he agreed to my requirement. This accounts for the fact that in all the newspaper reports M. Gambetta's second was apparently a Frenchman. First, we drew up my principal's will. I insisted upon this, and stuck to mv point. I said I had never heard of a man in his right mind going out to fight a duel without first making his will. He said he had never heard of a man in his right mind doing anything of the kind. When he had finished the will he wished to pro ceed to a choice of his "last words." He wanted to know how the following words, as a dying exclamation, struck me: - "I die for my God, for my country, for freedom of speech, for progiess, and the universal brotherhood of man!" I objected that this would require too lingering a death; it was a good speech for a consumptive, but not suited to the exigencies of the field of honor. "We wrangled over a good many ante-mortem outbursts, but I finally got him to cut his obituary down lo this, which he copied into his memorandum book, purposing to get it by heait: I die that France mat live." I said that this remark seemed to lack relevancy; but he said relevancy was a matter of no consequence in last words, what you wanted was thrill. The next thing in order was the choice of weapons. My principal said he was not feeling well, and would leave that and the other details of the proposed meeting to me. Therefore I wrote the following note and carried it to M. Fourtou friend: Sir: M. Gambetta accepts M. Fourtou's challenge, and authorizes me to propose Plesfcis-Piquet as the place of meeting; to morrow morning at daybreak as the time; and axes as the weapons. I am, sir, with great respect, Mark Twain. M. Fourtou's friend read this note, and shuddered. Then he turned to me, and R.-id, wi'h a suggestion of severity in his tone: "Have you considered, sir, what would be the inevitable result of such a meeting as this? "Well, for instance, what would it be?" "Bloodshed!" "That's about the size of it," I said. "Now, if it is a fair question, what was your side proposing to shed?" I had him, there. He saw he had made a blunder, so he hastened to explain it away. He said he had spoken jestingly. Then he added that he and his principal would enjoy axes, and indeed preferred them, but uch weapons were barred by the French code, and so I must change my proposal. 1 walked the floor turning the thing over in my mind, and finally it occurred to me that Gatling guns at fifteen paces would be a likely way to get a verdict on the field of honor. So I framed this idea into a proposition. But it was not accepted. The code was in the way again. I proposed rifles; then, doubled-barrelled shot guns; then, Colt's navy revolvers. These being all rejected, I reflected a while, and sarcastically sug gested brick-bats at three quarters of a mile. I always hate to fool away a humorous thing on a person who has no PITTSBOBO', CHATHAM CO., N. C, perception of humor; and it filled me with bitterness when this man went soberly away to submit the lat,i proposition to his principal. He came back presently, and said his principal was charmed with the idea of brick-bats at three-quarters of a mile, but must decline on account of the danger to disinterested parties passing between. Then I said "Well, I am at the end of my string, now. Perhaps you would be good enough to suggest a weapon? Perhaps you have even had one in your mind all the time? ' nis countenance brightened, and he said with alacrity "Oh, without doubt, monsieur!" So he fell to hunting in his pockets, pocket after pocket, and he had plen y of them, muttering all the while, "Now, what could I have done with them?" At last he was successful. He fished out of his vest pocket a couple ot little things which I carried to the light and discovered to be pistols. They were single-barrelled and silver mounted, and very dainty and pretty. I was not able to speak for emotion. 1 silently hung one of them on my watch-chain, and returned the other. My companion in crime now un rolled a postage-stamp containing several cartridges, and gave me one of them. I asked if he meant to signify by this that our men were to be allowed but one shot apiece. He replied that the French code permitted no more. I then begged him to go on and suggest a distance, lor my mind was growing weak and confused under the strain which had been put upon it. He named eixty -five yards. I nearly lost my patience. I said "Sixty five yards, with these instru ments? Pop guns would be deadlier at fifty. Consider, my friend, you and I are banded together to destroy life, not make it eternal." But with all my persuasions, all my arguments. I was only able to get him to reduce the distance to thirty-five yards; and even this concession he made with re luctance, and said with a sigh "I wash my hands of this slaughter; on your head be it." There was nothing for me but to go home to my old lion-heart nd tell my humiliating story. When I entered, M. Gambetia was hiving his last lock of hair upon the altar. He sprang toward me, exclaiming: "You have m:de the fatal arrangements, I see it in your eyes!'' "I have." His face paled a trifle, and he leaned upon the table for support. He breathed thick and heavily for a moment or two. so tumultuous were his feelings: taen he hoaely whispered ''The weapon, the weapon Quick! what Is the weapon ?" "This!" and 1 displayed that silver mounted thing. He caught but one glimpse of it, then swooned ponderously' to the floor. When he came to, he said mournfully, "The unnatural calm to which I have subjected myself has told upon my nerves. But away with weakness! I will confront my fate like a man and a Frenchman." He rose to his feet, and assumed an at titude which for sublimity has never been approached by man, and has seldom been surpassed by statues. Then he said, in his deep bass tones "Behold, I am calm, I am ready; reveal to me the distance." "Thirty-five yards." I could not lift him up, of course; but I rolled him over, and poured water down his back. He presently came to, and said "Thirty-five yards, without a rest? But why ask ? Since murder was that man's intention, why should he palter with small details? But mark you one thing: in my fall the world shall see how the chivalry of France meets death." After a long silence h'e asked "Was nothing said about that man's family standing up with him, as an offset to my bulk? But no matter; I would not stoop to make such a suggestion; if he is not noble enough to suggest it himself, he is welcome to this advantage, which no honorable man would take. " He now sank into a sort of stupor of re flection, which lasted some minutes; after which he broke silence with "The hour, what is the hour fixed for the collision?" "Dawn to-morrow." He seemed greatly surprised, and im mediately said "Insanity! I never heard of such a thing. Nobody u abroad at such an hour." "That is the reason I named it. Do you mean to say you want an audience ?" "It is no time to bandy words. I am astonished that M. Fourtou should ever have agreed to so strange an innovation. Go at once and require a later hour." I ran down-stairs, threw open the front door, and almost plunged into the arms of M. Fourtou's second. He said "I have the honor to say that my prin cipal strenuously objects to the hour choscfn, and begs that you will consent to change it to half-past nine." "Any courtesy, sir, which it is in our power to extend is at the service of your excellent principal We agree to the pro posed change of time." "I beg you to accept the thanks of mv client." Then he turned to a person be hind him, and said, "You hear, M. Noir, the hour is altered to half past nine." Whereupon M. Noir bowed, expressed his thanks, and went away. My accomplice continued: "If agreeable to you, your chief surgeons and ours shall proceed to the field in the same carriage, as is customary." "It is entirely agreeable to fne, and I am obliged to you for mentioning the sur geons, for I am afraid I should not have ihought of them? How many shall I want? I supposed two or turee will be enough?" "Two is the customary number for each party. I refer to 'chief surgeons; but considering the exalted posit ions occupied by our clients, it will be well and decorous that each of us appoint several consulting surgeons, from among the highest in the profession. These will come in their own pri ate carriages. Have you engaged a hearse?" "Bless my stupidity, I never thought of it! I will attend to it right away. I must seem very ignorant to you; but you must try to overlook that, because I have never had any experience of such a swell duel as this before I have had a good deal to do with duels on the Pacific coast, but I see now that they were crude affaire. A hearse, sho! we used to leave the elected lyinir around loose, and let anybody cord them up and cart them off that wanted to. Have you anything further to suggest?" "Nothing, except that the head under takers shall ride together, as is usual. The VV subordinates and mutes will go on foot, as is also uaual. I will see you at eight o'clock in the morning, and we will then arrange the order of the procession. I have the honor to bid you a good day." I returned to my client, who said, "Very well; at what hour is the engage ment to begin ?" "Half-past nine." "Very good indeed. Have you sent the fact to the newspapers?" "" If after our long and intimate friendship you can for a moment deem me capable of so base a treachery" "Tut, tut! What words are these, my dear friend ? Have I wounded you ? Ah ! forgive me; I am overloading you with labor. Therefore go on with the other details, and drop this one from your list. The bloody-minded Fourtou will be sure to attend o it. Or I myself yes, to make certain, I will drop a note to my journal istic friend, M. Noir." "Oh, come to think, you may save your self the trouble; that other second has in formed M. Noir." 'm! I might have known it. It is just like that Fourtou, who always wants to make a display." At half-past nine in the morning the procession approached the field of Plessis Piquet in the following order: first came our carriage nobody in it but M. Gam betta and myself; then a carriage contain ing M. Fourtou and his second; then a carriage containing two poet-orators who did not believe in God, and these had MS. funeral orations projecting from their breast pockets; then a carriage containing the head surgeons and their cases ol in struments; then eight private carriages containing consulting surgeons; then a hack containing the corone; ; then the two hearse; then a carriage containing the head undertakers; then a train of assist ants and mutes on foot; and after these came plodding through the fog a long procession of camp followers, police, and citizens generally. It was a noble turnout, and would have made a fine display if we had had thinner weather. There was no conversation. I spoke several times to my principal, but I judge he was not aware of it, tor he always re ferred to his note-book and muttered ab sently, -1 die that France may live." Arrived on the field, my fellow-second and I paced oft the thirty -five yards, and then drew lots of choice of position. This latter was but an ornamental ceremony, lor all choices were alike in such weather. These preliminaries being ended, I went to my principal and asked him if he was ready, lie spread himself out to his full width, and said in a stern voice, "Kcady! Let the batteries be charged." The loading was done in the presence of duly consutnied witnesses. Wc con sidered it best to perform this delicate service with the assistance of a lantern, on account of the state of the weather. We now placed our men. At this point the police noticed that the public had massed themselves together on the right and left of the field; they there fore begged a delay, w hile they should put these poor people in a place of safety. The request was granted. The police having ordered the two multi tudes to take positions behind the duelists, we were once moie ready. The weather growing still more opaque, it was agreed between myself and the other second that before giving the fatal signal we should each deliver a loud whoop to enable the combatants to ascertain each other's whereabouts. I now returned to my principal, and was distressed to observe that he had lost a good deal of his sj irit. I tried my best to hearten him. I said, "Indeed, sir, things are not as bad as they seem. Con sidering the character of the weapons, the limited number of shots allowed, the gen erous distance, the impenetrable solidity of the fog, and the added fact that one of the combatants is one-eyed and the other cross-eyed and near-sighted, it seems to me that the conflict need not necessarily be fatal. There are chances that both of yon may survive. Therefore, cheer up; do not be down-hearted." This speech had so good an effect that my principal immediately stretched forth his hand and said, "Iain myself again; give me the weapon," I laid it, all lonely and forlorn, in the centre of the vast solitude of his palm He gazed at it and shuddered. And still mournfully contemplating it, he mur mured, in a broken voice "Alas, it is not death dread, but muti lation." I heartened him once more, and with such success that he presently said, ' Let the tragedy begin. Stand at my back; do not desert me in this solemn hour, my friend." I gave him my promise. I now assisted him to point his pistol toward the spot where 1 judged his adversary to be stand ing, and cautioned him to listen well and further guide himself by my fellow second's whoop. Then I propped myself against M Gambetta's back, and raised a rousing "vVhoopee!" The was answered from out the far distances of the fog, and I immediately shouted. "One two three; fire " Two little sounds liko spit! spit! broke upon my ear, and in the same instant I was crushed to the earth under a moun tain of flesh. Buried as I was. I wa3 still able to catch a faint accent from above, to this effect "1 die for . . . for . . . perdition take it, what is it I die for? ... oh, yes Fkance! 1 die that France may live" Tiie surgeons swarmed around with their probes in their hands, and applied their microscopes to the whole area of M. Gambetta's pcison, with the happy result of finding nothing in the nature of a wound. Then a scene ensued which was in every way gratifying and inspiriting. The two gladiators fell upon each other's necks, with floods of proud and happy tears; that other second embraced me; the surgeons the orators, the undertakers, the police, everybody embraced, everybody congratulated, everybody cried, and the whole atmosphere was tilled with praise and with joy unspeakable. It seemed to me then that I would rather be the hero of a French duel than a crowned and sceptcred monarch. When the commotion had somewhat subsided, the body of surgeons held a con sultation, and after a good deal of debate, decided that with proper care and nursing there was reason to believe that I would survive my injuries. My internal hurts were deemed the most serious, since it was apparent that a broken rib had penetrated my left lung, and that many of my organs had been pressed out so far to one side or the other of where they belonged, that it was doubtful if they would ever learn to perform their functions in such remote and unaccustomed localities. . They then AyAyA Ay a MARCH 6, 1879. set my left arm in two places, pulled my right hip into its socket again, and re elevated my nose. I was an object of great interest, and even admiration; and many sincere and warm-hearted persons had themselves introduced to me, and said they were proud to know the only man who had been hurt in a French duel for forty years. I was placed in an ambulance at the very head of the procession; and thus with gratfying eclat I was marched into Paris, the most conspicuous figure in that great spectacle, and deposited at the hospital. The cross of the Legion of Honor has been conferred upon me. However, few escape that distinction. Such is the true version of the most memorable private conflict of the age. My recovery is still doubtful, but there are hopes. I am able to dictate, but there is no knowing when I shall be able to write. I have no complaints ts make against any one. I acted for myself, and I can stand the consequences. Without boast ing, I think I may say I am not afraid to stand before a modern French duelist, but I will never consent to stand behind one again. Atlantic Monthly. WHAT PEOPLE EAT. Mr. George T. Angell recently read a paper before the American Social Science Association in Boston, on "Public Health Association," in which he made some startling assertions about the adulteration of food. He said: Cayenne pepper is adulterated with red lead , mustard with chromate of lead, curry powder with red lead, vinegarwith sulphuric acid, arsenic and corrosive sublimate. It is stated that probably half the vinegar now sold id our cities is rank poison. One of our Boston chemists recently analyzed twelve packages of pickles put up by twelve different wholesale dealers, and found copper in ten of them. Manv of our flavoring oils, syrups, jellies, and preserved fruits contain poisons. The adulterations of tea are too numerous to meDtion. Coffee is not only adul terated, but a patent has been taken out for molding chiccory into the form of coffee berries, and I am told that lay is now molded, and perhaps flavored with an essence, to represent coffee. Cocoa and chocolate are adulterated with various mineral substances. Several mills in New England, and probably many elsewhere, are now en gaged in grinding white stone 'into a tine powder for the purposes of adul teration. Smie of these mills grind three grades soda grade, sugi r grade atid flour grade. It sells for about a half a cent a pound. Flour has been adulterated in England, and probably here, with plaster of Paris, bone dust, sand, clay, chalk and other articles. I am told that large quantities of damaged and unwholesome grain arc ground in with flour, particularly with the kikd called Gi aham flour. Certainly hundreds, and probably thousands, of barrels of "terra alba," or white earth are sold in our cities every year to be mixed with sugars in confectionery and other white substances. I am told by an eminent physician that this tends to produce stone, kidney complaints, and various diseases of the stomach. A Boston chemist tells me that he has found seventy-five per cent, of "terra alba" in what was sold as cream of tar tar, used for cooking. A large New York house sells three grades of cream of tar tar. A Boston chemist recently ana lyzed a sample of the best grade, and found fifty per cent, of terra alba in that. Much of our confectionery con tains thirty-three per cent, or more of "terra alba." The coloring matter of confectionery frtquently contains lead, mercury, arsenic and powder. Baking powders are widely sold which contain a large percentage of "terra alba" and alum. It is not water alone that is mixed with milk. Thousands of gallons, and probably hundreds of thousands, are sold in our cities which have passed through large tins, or vats, in which it has been mixed with various substances. Receipts for the mixture can be bought by new milkmen from old, on payment of the required sum. I am assured, upon wrhat I believe to be reliable authority, that thousands of gallons of so-called milk have been and probably are, sold in this city, which do not con tain one drop of the genuine article. Large quantities of the meats of ani mals, more or less diseased, are sold in our markets. Cows in the neighbor hood of our large citifs are fed upon material which produces a large flow of unwholesome milk. Poultry is fed upon material which produces unwhole some eggs. Meats and fish are made unwholesome, frequently poisonous, by careless and cruel methods of killing. A California chemist recently analyzed many samples of whisky, purchased at different places in San Francisco. He found them adulterated with creosote, salts of copper, alum, aud other in jurious substances. He states it, in his published report, as his opinion that there is hardly any pure whisky sold in that city. A gentleman recently pur chased from a prominent Boston firm a cask of pure sherry wine for his sick wife. His wife grew worse. He had the wine anal zed, and found there was not a drop of the juice of the grape in it. An eminent mtdical gentleman of Boston said lo me: kThe adultera tions of drugs in this country are per fectly abominable." I say that laws should be enacted and enforced prohib iting the manufacture and sale of these poisonous articles under severe penalties, and compelling the manufac turers and sellers of adulterated articles to tell buyers the precise character of the adulterations. What I want to get at is the ani mus of the transaction," said the judge. "But, your Honor," said the complainant, "there wasn't any at all. He came up quiet-like and grabbed the coat, aud was off with it before I saw what he was at. No, sir, there wasn't any muss." A mule's head does not contain a brain capable of culture and refined rearing, but it is wonderful to what an extent the ether end of him caa be reared. NO. 25. OPINIONS. We are accustomed to regard free dom of opinion as a very sacred thing, and almost every man speaks of "my opinions" as something which he bears in particular respect. "I have a right to entertain what opinions I please," is a phrase often heard; and perfect free dom in the publication of opinions is a principle of social polity which has been powerfully argued for, and em braced by a large section of educated humanity. But while the words opin ion and opinions ate of this importance with mankind, how strange it is to re flect the very little pains which most men take to ascertain whether the opinions are well-founded or not! It is no uncharitable presumption, that probably not one man in a hundred ever seriously considers how far the opinions which he cherishes have a sound basis, or whether they are in reality anything but a series of impressions which have been made upon him, or of mere senti mental biases which he has insensibly contracted through the effect of cir cumstances in the course of his life time. There can be no doubt that of the opinions of all men a vast portion have been received from others with little or no examination. We hear, in our early years, persons whom we venerate ex pressing a particular set of opinions, and decrying or scoffing at those which are opposite. Respect for these persons, and a desire of possessing their appro bation, are strong inducements to us to adopt their opinions, even should we not insensibly contract them from the mere frequency of their being im pressed on our minds. Hearing little or nothing that is inconsistent with these prepossessions, we retain them from year to year, without ever dream ing that they possibly may be fallacious or ill founded, or that the opposite set which we have been accustomed to hear decried may. perhaps be, after all, the more correct. Nor, though we were to conceive that they ought to be examined, have all men the leisure or power of doing so. The consequence is, that the opinions which we have re ceived from mere authority, which we have never examined, and do not sup pose are in any need of examination, remain with us through life, ranking us in parties or sects, governing the strain of our conversation, and opera ting in all the principal affairs of our lives. It may be reasonably asked, are opinions so acquired and so chei isht d eutithd to any particular respect? As suredly no one would think of modify ing his actions from the dictates of any such opinions in another. Viewing them objectively in a fellow-creature, they only can appear as a set of crude haphazard ideas, which may be right or wrong, but bear no stamp to assure us of their being entitled to authority. Such opinions, therefore, are manifestly of no sort of value, and the arrogant and jealous terms in which they are oc casionally spoken of by thoae holding them, are simply ridiculous. Interest and convienence also influence opinion to a great extent, or may even b said to be sources of it. Few men would admit this in their own case, and most are in a manner blind to the fact; but it is nevertheless true. When a man finds it either incompatible with an object which he deems important, to retain opinions which he has for merly cherished, or necessary to that object to adopt other opinions which he had once disregarded or disliked, it is surprising how adroitly some occult power within will bring him about to the point, without in the least alarm ing his conscientiousness. The ex pedient most commonly adopted by this internal agent to reconcile us to a de sertion, is to get up a little pique against some person identified with the opinions to be deserted. I differ from that man on some trivial point I be come irritated, and speak sharply there is a retort, at which I fly off. My fidelity is then questioned I fel indignant at the whole party a lit le whiie sees me ranked on the other side, professing those opposite opinions which 1 had desired to adopt. The same re suit may be brought about by com mencing with a sudden start at one of the measures, or new applications of the opinions of the party, or by split ting with respect to some dogma which may be wakened up from its sleep for the purpose. In short, there never can be wanting soma pretext for such a revolution, sufficient to pass muster with poor self-deceiving human nature. Coolly to adopt opinions previously re jected, is a more difficult task, but it is not in general beyond men's power. By giving to that side the benefit of every doubt, and treating the other un candidly, it is possible, iii a little time, to see things in the desired light. Handsome is that handsome does, and we naturally incline to think those abstractions good and beautiful, which are essentially connected with honor and profit. A little anger at ob jections helps the process wonderfully, and if to this be added a notion that the new opinions are the best for the public intere&t. the matter is settled. The subject must be regarded in two divisions. Considered collectively, we are forced to receive the opinions of mankind, such as they are, with re spect, for there is no other guide for ad common affairs. There may be vast and pernicious error, but we cannot help it for the time. Let every means be taken to extinguish the error, and introduce truth in its stead; but still we must meanwhile submit to the gen eral dictate as it has been given forth. Very differently, however, may the opinions of an mdividu.il be regarded. Here we are clearly at liberty to in quire how these have originated, and to consider the general intellectual grade of the man, so as to judge of his power of forming sound opinions. If he is a mere impulsive being, inspired with another man's breath, actuated solely by his fetlings and interests, and who has never taken any pains to ascertain the soundness or fallacy of any of his thoughts, all his self-complacent talk about his opinions on this and that subject ought to pass for only so much empty air. On the other hand, where we find a free and active intellect in 2 ham- Jucoid. RATES OF ADVERTISING. One square, one Insertion, One square, two innertlon. One square, one month, - Tor larger advertisements liberal contracts will b made. union with a respectable moral nature, the opinions of the individual must be entitled to respectful attention, and ought to have their due sway in the determination of affairs in which he is a party concerned. It is not given to all men to possess the clear judgment or tbe logical mind which is the most likely to give sound ness to their opinions; but all men have it, nevertheless, in their power to give them some degree of correctness and value. The first duty is to look search ingly and challengingly into all those already stored up, with a view to test ing their accuracy, and to be prepared to abandon those which shall appear fallacious, however endeared they may be to us from habit and association; trusting fully in the maxim, that "noth ing which is not true can be good." A second duty is to watch carefully over the feelings, especially all which relate to sordid views of interest, so as to pre vent them from corrupting judgment. When any man is sure in his conscience that he has done all which his nature permits thus to secure right views of abstract questions, he may be con sidered as entitled to bring his opinions before his fellow-creatures, to be listened to and allowed their fair share of influence but not, we humbly con ceive, till then. A Belgian physician, appointed to report on the prevalence of color-blindness, attributes that disease to the ex cessive and general use of tobacco. Iron railwav sleepers are said to have proved, both in India and in Eng land, much cheaper than wooden ones. Their gradual adoption is predicted. Frzth's celebrated painting, "The Marriage of the Prince of Wales'' (which was at our Centennial) has been sold for four hundred and fifty guineas. Cork is comine into use in Germany as a filling for winter bed coverlets, in place ot leathers. It is said to be not only lighter and cheaper, but decidedly warmer. Mr. Parkman, the historian, has returned to New York from Quebec, where he has been accumulating ma terials for his next book on Canada undei the French regime. Wild animals are disappearing from Algiers. The French authorities pay $10 for every lion or panther that is killed, and about thirty-seven and a half cents for every jackal. In the libel suit of Whistler, the painter, against Ruskin, for criticisms Whistler's pictures exhibited in the Grosvenor Gallery, a verdict was ren dered of one farthing damages. The judge refused to certiiy tne costs. A curiosity in typographical blun dering is noted in connection with the official list of awards made to British exhibitors at the Paris Exhibition, which claims to have been " issued by His Royal Bighntss the Prince of Males." Pope Leo XIII. is gradually re moving the restrictions placed by his predecessor on the study of art in the Vatican galleries. Under Pius IX. it was difficult to get at the master-pieces, especially the Apollo Belvidere and the group of Laocoon. A great many people have the im pression that it costs nothing, or next to it, to publish a daily paper. That must have been the belief of a good old lady of Ohio, who left $113 to be used in the publication of a daily re ligious newspaper for a twelvemonth. Do you know how a persou who makes bonnets and such articles of dress came to be called by the name of " milliner? " It was originally " Mi laner," meaning a resident of Milan, Italy, and it arose from the fact that at one time the fashions all came from Italy. A curious incident occurred in the course of the recent run on the Alders gate street branch of the London and County Bank. An enlightened butcher came into the bank office when the run was at high tide and carelessly threw down dUU (3,000) as " something to go on with." A curious pair are two brothers in Hartford, Conn., employed at the same place of business several miles from their homes, who had a falling out a d zen years ago, and have never spoken to each other since, though they ride to and from work in the same wagon, preserving a moody silence to ward each other, with no other com panion. " You cannot imagine the terror with which the advancement of Ameri can industries is filling British manu facturers," said Prof. Silliman in a recent address. " We, as you know, tok the leading prize at Paris for the best steam enginn in the world; and it is not denied in Europe to-day that America heads the li.-t in the manufac ture of agricultural machinery." The latter part of last September discoveries of gold and silver were made in Colorado where now is Lead ville. At that time not a single house was visible, and the men who were there lived in tents. To-day Leadville is a city of 7,500 inhabitants, with its mayor, police, fire department, public schools, national banks, and a post office in which the post-master's salary is $4,000 per year. I would keep "better hours" if I were a boy again; that is, I would go to bed earlier than most boys do. Nothing gives more mental and bodily vigor than sound rt st when properly applied. Sleep is our great replenisher, and if we neglect to take it regularly in childhood, all the worse for us when we grow up. If we go to bed early, we rip n; if we sit up late, we decay; and sooner or later we contract a disease called insomnia, allowing it to be per manently fixed upon us, and then we begin to' decay, even in youth. Late hours are shadows from the grave. .7. T. FieM lb rr' 'Hi1 m