Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-09-14

uIherinS materially accorQlng 10 the rank
and wealth of the people but that the
extremes of luxury and misery are no
where moro ludicrously contrasted. Those
who can afford to purchase rare and ex.
pensive delicacies, grudge no cost for them
as is proved by the price paid for edible
birds nests, (glutinous compositions,
formed by kind of swallow, in vast clus
ters, found in caves in the Niobar and
other Islands, $500 being sometimes
given for picul, weighing one hundred
and thirty five pounds and three quarters.
In the streets multitudes of men are en-
ploycd in preparing these for sale, with
pair of tweezers. plucking from them eve
cry hair, or fiber of feather, or extrane-
Gus matter and at the same time care
fully preserving the form of the nests by
pushing through them very slender strips
of bambo. Sharks fms are highly priced,
and when dried they fetch great price.
The beche de-a-mer, "a horrid looking
black sea slug) brought from the Pacific
Islands, is exceedingly esteemed by Chi
nese epicures. But while the rich fare
thus sumptuously, the mass of the poor
subsist on the veriest garbage. The heads
OF fowls, their entrails, their feet, with
every scrap Of digestible animal matter,
earth worms, sea reptiles ofall kinds. rats
and other vermin, are greedily devoured.
We have noticed lots of black frogs, in
half dozens. tied together, exposed for
sale in shallow troughs of water. We
have seen the hind quarter of horse
hung up in butchers shop, with the
recommendation of a whole leg attached
lodger in our hotel complains, that his
bedroom being over a kitchen, he is
grlevously annoyed in the morning by the
noise of the dogs and cats, which are
slaughtered below tor the days consump-
tion-but not at our table. Not a bone
or green leaf is ever seen in the streets ;!
some use or other is found for every thing
that would be refused elsewhere.
a NEGRO VETERAN.-Few persons, We
| think, have travelled in Texas who have
not heard of Thomas Savoy, alias Black
Tom, alias the Special Citizen of Bexar
county. He was by trade barber, but
by inclination soldier, and his history is
intimately connected with the warlike
part of that of Texas He was much
Londer, too, of the company of white men
than that Of persons of his own color.
Tom was native of Maryland, then
| citizen of Washington, D. c., then a resi-
dent of Mississippi, whence he emigrated
to Texas, at the beginning of the Revolu
ton there, with company of Mississippi
volunteers, his razor in his pocket and a
gun on his shoulder. They joined Gen.
Houston a short time after tie battle of
San Jacinto, but Black Toms subsequent
conduct AS soldier elected the praise of
his hard shting comrades and superior
officers.
The year 1889 was distinguished in
Texan annals by the expedition under
Jordan to Saltlllo, to assist the treacher
GUS Canales in his armed Federalist at
tempt against the Mexican Gnti-Federal
lists. He betrayed his little band of Tex
an allies, butthey and their gallant leaders
gave the united Federulists and the States
Right Mexican army two as thorough con-
Secutive drubings as they ever received
and then returned leisurely home without
interruption. Black Tom WAS one ofJor-
dams mon. and if he had little occasion
or time to use his razor, he made up for
it by a skilful handling of his offensive
weapons.
In l842, General Wool invaded Texas
with Mexican army, and got good
beating at the battle ofthe Saltillo. Tom
was in the midst Of it and was wounded.
He participated in several subsequent con-
flicts with the Indians. fighting bravely as
usual.
He followed his old Texan comrades
under Taylor's banner, and hurried along
with them into the battle of Montery.-l
He was also in the memorable struggle at
Buena Vista.
! Black Tom then returned to Texas with
the Kentucky volunteers, and after that
San Antonio became his headquarters
He was, Of course, general fayorite and
| lived like lord, but the wandering spi-
rit that ten years adventures in Texas had
made second habit with him, would now
and then break out, and black Tom
would be missing. The next thing heard
of him he was at a frontier post or tar up
in the Indian country, in the midst Of
| danger.
On the 18th ult., the body of man
was found two miles west of San Antonio.
a coroner's inquest was held, and ver-
dict returned of "came to his death from
cause unknown" The body was that of
old Tom.-E. 0. Picayune.
President of the Mechanics Institute of
Washington says:
g 1t has been proved that, on an aver
age, four ounces of coal are sufficient to
draw, on a railroad, one ton mile. 1t has
also been found by experiment that man
working on thread mill continually for
eight hours, will elevate one and one half
millions of pounds one foot high. Now
good Cornish engines will perform
the same work by the expenditure of a,
pound and half of coal. 1t follows from
these data that about FIVE tons of Goa
would envolve as much power during