Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-04-12

I EXCERPTS FROM OUR EXCHANGES.
This Public schools Of Philadelphia
| There are now in Philadelphia 2Ss public school.
SIG teachers and 52,073 pupils. The whole
| expenditure for the support OF the system ioI
the last eighteen months has been $6S5,070, as
follows: Salaries Of teachers, $685. $50; books and
stationary, SG6,543; fuel, S32,436; house cleaning
| and superinlendenoe, i7,e52; new school,houses
S7517l; rent S37 l43; furniture, Sl3 1886; furnaces
and stoves, 80 GIG additions and repairs 10 school
houses, S27S3S; and general expenses, Sl5,20S
The annual average cost Of teaching each pupil
amounts 10 S. az. The annual cost for the tut.
ton of HE pupils Of The grammar, secondary,
primary and unclassi6cd schools is So 10; for the
normal schools the annual cost is S25 do: for the
high school S33 CO. The cost Of each pupil OF
the night schools is SO 25; the total cost Of the
night schools in operation during the winter
months is $4,000 This sum, The report says,
should be deducted from the expenses in estima-
ting the average cost OF tuition in the other schools,
making a reduction OF about IS cents per pupil
In the early part Of the year 1854, general adj
vance Of 20 per cent was made IN The salaries Of
the teachers, taking effect on the Isl of April,
from which cause there is small increase in the
rate Of tuition in the present report, and some
what larger one will appear on the report for the
current year. The previous salaries were those
liked fifteen years ago, and from their inadequacy
the schools have been constantly losing their best
teachers. ss.
fapcT from EnlStltss-lhe courier ana lSH-
gtffer says. Among the patents issued in Eng
land during the past year, is one, dated July s,
1854 by Lord Berriedale, London, relative TO The
application and issue Of the common Thistle, or
Carduns, as il is termed by botansts, in the pro-
ducon Of pnlpy material from which paper may
be made. All varieties Of this plant, il is said are
applicable TO The purposes of this invention, but
more particularly the large Scottish thistle, which
grows luxuriantly in many parts Of Great Britain,
attaining great height and thickness Of stem, and
which furnish, in each plant fibre Of great tena
city 10 large amount. This when duly pre-
pared, is well suited for the preparation Off paper
pulp, which will cohere very powerfully, as well
as prove useful in textile manufactures. II may
be used whether green or dry and for paper goes
through process similar TO that which rags are
subjected 10, and, if for manufactures, like flax
"There were Giants Iii those Days."--In
his operations Of boring The artesian well on
Canal street, Mr.. Reed yesterday brought up sew
eral pieces of the skull and the thigh bone OF a
human being, that, from heirimmense size, must
have belonged TO some antideuvian giant whose
dimensions would cause even the powerful Mon
sieur Bihln, even his more huge portrait, TO hide
their diminished heads. The bones have been
examined by scientific gentlemen, who have given
as their deliberate opinion that the former posses
sor of these hafdecayed remains must have been
al least twelve feet in stature and built in proper
ton Mr. r., we understand, will keep these Gu
rious relies OF by gone age, al The well on canal
*
an opportnnilyof seeing them, when they will be
turned over 10 the proper authorities 10 be placed
among the other natural curiosities of the State.
~ 0. Delta. Y
The Ohio ssCultiyatorv publishes letters
from various counties in Ohio, embracingthe prin-
ciple wheat growing sections, and the letters all
concur IN saying that the breadth of ground cover
ed with wheat is from one-third 10 one-fourth less
than average This is accounted for by the
fact that The long drought OF last summer and fall
prevented the plonghing Of sod lands and fall SOW
ing was therefore confined 10 stubble and cord
lands. Resort will be had, as far as possible, 10
the sowing of spring wheat; but as the growing
OF that variety OF wheat has not been common III
Ohio, seed is scarce.
Cause of Mistakes In Post Oflices.-A cores
pondent calls our attention TO the following facts
relating 10 towns of the name. In Indiana
10 towns named Adams; 16 Clay; Ia, Frank
lin; 81, Jackson; 81, Jefferson; 10, Liberty Is
Monroe; 10, Perry; 90, Union; 80, Washington.
In Ohio, S towns are named Adams; 9, Clay; g.
Franklin; 3S, Jackson; 81, Jefferson; 90, Liberty
q, Monroe; 20, Perry; 80, Union; A.. Washing
ton. These are all very patriotic and some of them
very good sounding names, but we expect the
Dead Letter Office at Washington has received
many letters and newspapers which should have
gone 10 some one of these places but were unable
TO reach the right one,-Neto York Express
New York Savings Banks.--A committee of
ton of The Savings Banks of that State, from
which we learn that there thirty seven in tho
State, with aggregate deposits, al the commence
ment of the year, amountingiS $50 305,G5S. Ofthe
| number, nineteen are in the cities of New York
and Brooklyn, with deposits amounting 10 S2S,-
59S,726. The amount of deposits received during
the year by these nineteen banks was SIS, ALI ,53S
! and paid 10 depositors Sl5,73l,06l.
The Editor of the Melbourne (AustraIia)
argus, as an apology for raising the subscription
from $40 10 $50 per annum, gives an account of
the expenditure Of that paper: The total cost in
round numbers is .fl00,000 (neary half million
of dollars)n year The price Of composition alone
is $4,000; the wear OF machinery and expenses
of the mechanical department is 100000; the cost
OF paper is $l50,000. So that editorial and other
expenses amount 10 ST 500 daily for the paper,
which, half dozen years ago, was published at
one-thirtieih of that price.
Reciprocity.-We learn from Mr. Cooie, agent
of the Chaplain and st. Lawrence Railroad Com
pany al Rouse's Point, that the United States
customs officers have received instructions 10 pass
all articles included in the reciprocity act free. He
| informs US land we would call the attention Of
shippers 10 ~ that invoices will still be required
giving total quantity and value of each kind or
class of goods as before. Parties who have lately
shipped any Of the articles included in the rec-
procy treaty, and paid duty thereon in the United
States should address letter 10 Mr.. Cooie giving
date and descriptions of the shipments, that they
may get the amount refundcd.-Afomtreai Herald
Loss Of Life by Camphene.-A few evenings
ago shocking accident belel Miss Schaier, sister
of @. W. Schaher, esq, AT her residence in First
street, by an explosion Of camphene. She was
sitting at table with lamp containing the fluid,
and while her attention was attracted in another
direction, the lamp was upset by child striking
her elbow against it, The top Of the lamp sudden
ly came of, and in an instant the fluid was in
blaze. Miss S. was terribly burned, and died yes.
lerday morning. An inquest was held, and YER
diet rendered in accordance with the above facts
Miss Schailer's age was twenty years.
Netc York Times.
Model observation-disclosures, Liy. Co,
March 81 1855. PyoprieiorS Of the Ereatng jour
nal. enclose "a TO pay last years subscription
for Semi-weekly Journal. This makes 500, be-
sides posiage that have paid for the Journal, and
| never but once has agent called on me. Please
send receipt. Respectfully yours,
THOMAS DODGE.
An interesting relic was presented to the
State of New York, through the Legislature, a
few days since, by Senator Goodwin, being the
sword used by Colonel Salma Stanley, of Geneva
| al the battle Of Qecnstown Heights, in Upper