The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-11-01

!
the Good viii Fire Company, of the City of
Brotherly Love, asking the loan of their house
for the New York boys machine when that
Company should visit PHILADELPHIA, on day
set. The Good Will, true to their name made
Company guest of Mr.. Walton, and took
measures to receive the Croton boys in true
Fire Engine style. The Philadelphia Gazette
thus tells the result:
According to the arrangement, the Croton
Hose Company was to arrive in this city on
Friday evening. A band of music was engag-
ed and preparations made for a grand recep-
ton at the eng ine house. An extensive and
costly supper was set out in the hall of the en-
CINE house; flags were strung across Race
street; the hall was elegantly decorated; a
transparency, bearing the words Welcome
Croton," was gotten up to be hung in front Of
the building and candles were placed for the
illumination of the windows. Even the indi-
vidual who was to do the talking portion of
the reception, had his speech ready and well
conned. The Croton was to arrive-at Walnut
street wharf at 10 P. Ne.
| Previous to that time a committee OF the
Good Will members, With Lieut.. Hollick at
their head, repaired to the Geographic office,
and sent on dispatch to know if the Croton
had started. The response was that nothing
was there known of any visiting firemen.-
The boat arrived, but no Croton was appar-
cnt. The committee then repaired to the
Franklin House. and made inquiry for Mr..
Walton. They were informed that that inter-
esting individual had left, after vain attempt
| to borrow watch and chain from a servant.
| He had forgotten the footing of his BILL but
had left his baggage small carpet bag con-
il,
The completeness of the hoax was now fully
apparent to the eyes of the committee, and
they had nothing to do but report the same to
the expectant ones at the engine house. Soon
afterwards there might have been seen on
Broad and Race streets, silent taking down
of flags, stealthy removal of candles, hiding
of a transparency, and other indications that
the SELF was appreciated, winding up, how
ever, with general blow out of the victims,
as they disposed of the good things collected
for the visionary Croton boys. There was de-
cided originality in that display of roguery
but another visit to Broad and Race streets on
the part of the very original perpetrator might
lead to rise in leather which would perhaps
hurt his feelings beyond repair.
New ALBANY Brass BAND-The New Al
bany Tribune thus speaks of the excellent
Brass Band in that city:
At present there are twelve members be-
longing to the Band. They play upwards Of
ai1aety different pieces many of which are of
the most difficult character. In 1853, at a
State Musical Convention, they carried off the
prize-a banner-in spite of the greatest oppo-
sition, fair and foul. Last year, at second
Musical Convention of all the Bands of the
State, they again carried off the first prize-a
purse Of gold. BY diligence and perseverance
they have obtained a widespread reputation
as a superior Band, and are in every respect we'll
worthy of the laurels they have won. Sue
cess to the Banner Band" say we.
Mr.. WISE on HARD SHELLS, SoFr SHELLS
AND HALF SHELLs-A MosT LEARNED ExPLA-
NAT1oN-Hon. H. A. Wise of Va, electrified
he hard shells at their late Metropolitan ratif-
cation with long, enthusiastic letter on demo-
cratic principles recognizing the hards and
their Syracuse platform, as embodying the gen.
uine principles fthe true democratic faith But
the gem of this long and ecstatic etterisa learn
ed description Of the mutations Of the crab from
the hard shell to the soft, and vice versa Read
it,
Youmust not wonder that your democratic
friends in Virginia are often confused by names
and things in New York. We wish to see
united democracy there on the old grounds of
Jefferson and jackson. We hear of hard and
soft and lfshells and the ideas we form of them
can be best illustrated by subject of natural
history We have in our waters, gentlemen,
crustacious animal called crab-a sea fish, with
fins and claws at both ends and it can run
either end foremost. Poke at him this way
and he runs that-that way and he runs this
He is remarkable, gentlemen, for his transfer
nations. At one time catch him and crack
his claw, and his shell is hard, very hard; hard
enough for barnacles to grow upon his back and
it will not separate or be detached from the
inner cuticle. In that state he is the hard crab
proper. AT another time catch him and crack
his claw--when he is hard be sure to crack
his claw gentlemen and you will find that
though the outer shell is stillvery hard, yet it
will separate and can be detached from the inner
cuticle or film over the muscles He is then |
called the 'speeler,'D his shell will peel off
without breaking the inner shell. Later,
catch him and you need not crack his claw to
see what he is, for his outer shell is then
opening at every suture, and the crab is SWELL
ing out of its hard and taking upon itself its
soft she'll In that state he is called buster;
bursting his shell. And as "peeler' or "bus-
ter he is very fat, and bait fit to catch the
very ''monarchs of the deep" with Later
still he has slipped out ofhis hard SHE'LL by a
sort of peristaltic motion, and left it along the
strand, and has become wholly soft crab. In
that state he is good bait too and preyed upon
by hard crabs and other fishes, and he is enert
and can hardly crawl out of harms way. Then
again this same crab, gentlemen, begins to har-
den from soft to hard again, as he had before
softened from hard to soft. Found in this
his intermediate state, he has become poor but