The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-27 00:00:00

The yacht Vesta, which Lorillard, of New York,
entered fur the great ocean race, has been purchased by
Richard Baker, jun., of Boston. _ _

A self-propelling steam fire engine has been corn-
ple`ed in Manchester, New Hampshire, and made a suc-
cessful trip through the streets.

The Worcester machinists, IVood, Light, and
Co., are making six profile or edging machines, used in the
manufacture of gun-locks, for tho Russian Govorement.

They will cost $3,000, and are to be finished in November.
HITTING ONE'S BEST FRlEND.—Operatives strik-
ing work. --The Free Lance.

John Weson, a shiftless fellow, living at Boston
Corners, had the good luck to find a box containing $5,000
in Spanish dollars, while picking berries in the woods the
other day. A paper with illegible writing on it was found
in the box, but there was no clue as to when or by whom
the deposit was made.
VEGETABLE HAlR.—Californian papers state that
there is now dug out of the mountains of the Sierra
Nevada Range a better material for beds than has boon
hitherto available in the markets of the world. It is the
soap root, which grows in unlimited quantities in that
region. It is a bulbous root, enveloped in a very tough
and supple fibre, resembling somewhat the husk of cocoa-
nut in colour and appearance,. but nearly as tough as
whalebone. The roots are dug chiefly by Chinamen,
bound in bundles of 1001 b each, and brought on poles to
the factory. The first work is to put the roots through a
picker similar to a thrashing macttine, which is run by
horse power. This separates the fibre into a hair cf eight
or ten inches long, which is placed in a largo vat or
Steamer till it becomes flexible, and is free from all gummy
or glutinous matter. It is then dried on fiats in the sun,
put through another fine picker turned by a Chinaman,
then taken and twisted into ropes, at a common rope-
walk, then steamed again, which sets the curl. The ropes
are then bound in bales and are ready for the market.
The natural colour is brown, but it is often coloured
black, and an expert would find it hard to tell it front
curled hair.—Toronto Globe.
The great strike just at an end in the iron-works
of Pennsvania has ended badly for the strikers. The
origin of the strike was an announcement by the iron-
masters in December last, that in consequence of
the decline in prices the wages of puddlers—then
receiving nine dollars a ton—would be reduced.
On hearing this the puddlers struck, and the other
workmen dependent on them were, of course, compelled to
follow their example. Three thousand men have conse-
quently been out of work for seven months. The dispute
has now been arranged on the following basis t —The pud-
dlers are to receive 9 dollars per ton for the first fortnight
in August., and after that date are to be paid in proportion
to the selling price of iron. To attain this result, which
they might readily have attained without any strike at all,
strikers have thrown away at least 3,000,000 dollars.
THE YEAR OF GltleAT PLENTY.—The agricul-
tural department at Washington reports that there has
never before been so favourable a prospect for uniformly
good crops since the establishment of the statistical
bureau. The average production of wheat has been five
bushels for each individual in the country, but the promise
for the present year is about six bushels. The statistical
returns for July show an improvement iu the condition of
winter wheat over last year in every State but Texas,
Nebraska, and Minnesota, the diminution iu . the latter
case being four 'per cent. The highest improvement
is in Ohio, 160 per cent, West Virginia 78, Georgia
96, Tennessee 72, Indiana 51, Kentucky 53, Michigan 35,
Vermont 25, New Jersey 25, Now York 17. All the
States except Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania
show an increase of spring wheat on last year. The ave-
rage of corn is unusually largo, and other grains show au
improvement over last year, though not so great as in
wheat. Other productions generally of July reports show
a largely increased yield. In fact, the reports received
from all sections, except in certain limited localities, are
most encouraging, and indicate highly remunerative re-
sults for agricultural labour.
Mr. Stetson, of the Astor llouse, has related to
a few, an anecdote of Mr. Webster, with whom ho had for
a long tune been very intimate. On one occasion—ten or
twelve years before his death—Webster was in his room,
a dozen gentlemen with him, to dine. One of them asked
the great Daniel : " What, Mr. Webster, is the most seri-
ous thought that ever occupied your mind?" The ex-
pounder of the Constitution was silent for a few
minutes, and seemed to be reflecting deeply. His
face at last lighted up, and his whole soul shone
through it. IL) rose with dignity, and said in
his deep; rich tones —" The most miens thought that over
occupied my mind was my responsibility to Almighty
'God." And for twenty minutes—to quote Stetson —his
languige sparkled like the sunshine upon molten diamonds.
I have heard Webster in almost every great effort he
ever made, but I never heard him so fluently eloquent, so
much the representative of the glorious genius he was, so
incomparably superior to all other orators of this or any
other country, as on that never-to-be-forgotten ocoasion.
THE SunnArr TRIAL.—It is now 59 days, in-
cluding Sundays, since the first juror was sworn iu. During
the progress of the trial 282 witnesses in all were extuniued.
The prosecution first examined 71 witnesses in chief ; 92
witnesses were examined by the defence ; the prosecution
followed in rebuttal, and after examining 73 witnesses,
none others appearing, the defence was allowed to examine
13 witnesses in rebuttal, principally in relation to witnesses
whose characters had been assailed. The prosecution,,,ye-
uming, examined 26 witneslQiu rebuttal, and the teisti-