Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1851-09-20

A B1LL1oN-Few people have any conception
of the stupendous sum which is designated by this
term. Some writer having stated in article
headed what becomes OF all the Pms - that
millions of billions of pins must vanish" nobody
can tell how or where, III the course OF a year
Euclid, correspondent the National lnteligen-
GER shows up the absurdity of the assertion in the
following style:
Il think, sirs, the author of that article thought
little of what he was saying, when he said that
millions of billions must vanish IN the of
wear Many pins undoubtedly, vanish every
year; but and mathematician will demonstrate TO
Us that single billion has never yet been manu-
featured. 4 billion according to Noah Webster
is million of millions--a number so vast, L say
that the human mind has not the capacity to COM
prehend it. A mandatory making one hundred
pins per minute, and kept III constant operation
would only make ffty-two millions five hundred
and ninety-six thousand per annum, would require
near twenty thousand years, at the same ratio,
without single moment cessation, to make that
number called billion.
Witnessed an amusing scene, day or too SINCE,
that | must tell you. | was talking with Tom
Wells when Mike Shaw, the drunkard of the Will
age, came by, Keeling on his way down to the
spring. After some lacking he reached 1t, and
stopped down on his knees to drink. Whether the
posture was an unusual one, whether his ankle
ty for water made him little incautious, don't
know but certain it is that Mike lost his balance,
and went in head foremost. The splash attracted
our attention, and the first and only thing saw
of Mike was his legs dangling in the air, and
chaSsoing with rapid and frantic energy. Mike
was evidently stuck there fast. Wells and start
ed in great speed to pull him out, and Mike was
again put on his pins. AS soon as he could speak
for the water, he spluttered out
" Vel Mat'S tile d-eSt Dleanest gourd to drink
ont Of, that ever I tried, certain !'
CLAIMS BY MExrco.-A despatch from Wash
ngton says that the Mexican Government viii
shortly prefer demand upon the United States
for over j IS, 600, 900, for the non fuhment OF
the treaty of San Luis Potos which has resulted
IN extensive Indian dePredations on Che frontiers
ExTRAoRDINARY. GARDENING.-A letter from
Paris in the Boston Atlas says: "a gardener
near the Jardin des Plantes has the good fortune
to collect the aristocracy in his greenhouses thi,
week-you the gardeners are in full tide tc
fortune now--tor he appears to possess one OF Mo
sess gifts. In the middle of one of the borders
of his garden are several daha stalks and rose
bushes covered with leaves, but without single
blossom, or even buds. After YOU have closely
examined these plants, the gardener takes water
ing pot, filed with liquid composition, waters the
plants, and then them with a glass and ask.
you to look at them. In a minute YOU see th,
plant in travail a bud is formed it expands it be
comes hower-all in ten minutes. But the fow
er and it appears perfect if it had been nur
tured by the sun. Nor is this ALL In an adioin
ing bed he has cherry trees covered with leaves
he performs the operation | have Just re
counted, and in eight minutes you have platefu
of ripe cherries"