Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-09-23

the banks IS very hne and white: the tenn
perature Of the water is IS farenhet. | can
form no idea as to the cause Of this singular
phenomena. Great Salt Lake also possesses
this quality, bu, this water is perfectly
sweet. In the absence of any other name, |
have called it the Buoyant Spring. have
never heard it spoken of as possessing this
quality, and should like some one of the
Swans to explain the cause o(lhe buoyancy
We fingered in the spring for fifteen min
utes. when we dressed and resumed our ride.
highly delighted and grai6ed by our expIo-
ration. I made drawings of this spot and
surrounding mountains"
Tom PAINE-One evening found Tom
Paine haranguing a company of his disci-
Piles on the great mischief done TO mankind
by the introduction of the Bible and Chris
tianity. When he paused, Mr.. Paine, said
!, you have been in Scotland. you know
there is not more bigotted set in the world
than they are in their attachment to the
Bible-itis their school books, their churches
are full of them. When a young man
leaves his fathers house, his mother always,
in packing his chest, puts a Bible on top of
his clothes He said it was true.l I con-
tinued you have been in Spain and Portu-
gal, where they have no Bible, and there
you can hire man for dollar to murder
his neighbor, who never gave him any
offence. He assented,] You have seen
the manufacturing districts in England.
where not one man in fifty can read, forty
years ago there were no Sunday Schools,
and you have been in Ireland, where the
majority never saw Bible. Now, says J.,
you know it is historical fact, that in any
one county, in England, or Ireland, there
are ten times more capital convictions in SIX
months, than there are in the whole popu-
lation of Scotland for twelve; besides, says |,
there is not one Scotchman in the aims
house, states prison, bridewell, nor peniten-
tiary of New York. Now, then, if the Bible
were as bad book as you represent it, they
who use it would be the worst members Of
society, bat the contrary is the fact, for our
prisons, almshouses, and penitentiaries are
filled with men and women whose ignorance
or unbelief prevents them from reading the
Bible.
1t was now near 10 o'clock, P M Mr..
Paine answered not a word, but lifting a
bundle from the table, walked up stairs,
leaving his friends and myself staring at
one Observation-Disclosures Magazine.
MOUNTAIN FIRES AND WILD GAME.-The
recent mountain fires in Vermont and in
New York, in the vicinity Of Lake Cham
plain, have driven the wild beasts and game
from their "ocal habitations," and forced
them TO seek new retreats nearer the inhab-
tied portions of the country. On the west
side of Lake Champlain, the fires have
swept from short distance above Whitehall
up along the lake shore for distance of
forty miles, Much of this burnt district is a
wild region, Astounding in game and wild
animals, which have been driven into other
quarters by the devouring flames. We
learn that few days stree nine bears,
which had been thus driven from the noun
tains on the west shore of Lake Champlain,
crossed the south bay abont two miles above
Whitehall. Some boys and woman who
had been picking berries in the vicinity
pushed off boat and rowed up to large
she bear which was swimming the lake
with her cubs, when one Of the party struck
the bear with an oar Thus molested, the
bear turned upon the attacking party, clap
ping her fore-paws on the side of the boat,
and exhibiting handsome set of ivory,
made an effort to get inside the skiff. An
other bear and the cubs also came to the
rescue After considerable maneuveringon
both sides compromise was effected by
which the bear let go of the boat, and the
boat made straight wake" for the shore.
The boys and the woman went on their way
rejoicing, and so did the bears. The former
had narrow escape from being upset in
their boat, and fight in deep water, while
the bears were probably satisfied with being
permitted 10 escape in safety.
The NEwsPAPER.-Th The National Intelli-
gencer says: In promotion Of SO desirable an
object as the union of the intellectual with
the useful, the newspaper is an important
auxiliary, 1t is more. II is typical Of the
community in which it circulates and is en-
couraged 1t tells its character as well as
its condition, its tastes as well its necessities.
the moral as well as the physical stamina of
population and soil-It is the map wherein
are traced our tendencies and destinies, the
chart to direct the traveller and settler to safe
and pleasant harborage, or to divert them
from the shoals and quicksands OF social
degradation. AT home it brings to firesides,
il imparts to our household, il impresses on
our children its sentiment or propriety OF its
tone of contamination. Abroad il is regar-
ded rs our oricle, and speaks volumes Tor or
against Us. In its business features may be
iiscerneti the indication Of our prosperity,
or otherwise, i'm q worldly sense, bot In lbs
general complexion will BE- discovered our
moral and sPifit@si hsslihfslness OF disease