The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-03-14
5 No: 80.


A CATALOGUE OF MARvELs.-From the re-
port of the patent office, the Washington Cot
ton Plant complies list Of wonders. The re-
port explains the principle of the celebrated
Hobbs lock- Its ..unpckability' depends up
on secondary or false set of tumblers, which
prevent instruments used in picking from reach
ing the real ones. Moreover, the lock is pow
der-proof, and may be loaded through the key
hole and fired off until the burglar is tired Of
his fruitless work, or fears that the report of
his explosions will bring to view his expert
ment more witnesses than he desires.
Doors and shutters have also been patented,
and cannot be broken through with either pick
or sledge hammer. The burglars 'occupa-
tons gone.
A harpoon is described, which makes tho
whale kill himself The more he pulls the
line, the deeper goes the harpoon.
An ice making machine has been patented
which goes by steam engine. In an expert
mental trial it froze several bottles Of sherry, -
and produced blocks of ice the size of cubic
foot when the thermometer was standing at
SO degrees. Il is calculated that for every
ton of coal put into the furnace, it will make .
ton Of ice.
From doctor Gayes Examiners report we
gather some idea of the value of patents. A
man who had made slight improvement in
straw cutters, took model of his machine
through the western States. and after a tour
of eight months returned with forty thousand
dollars. Another had a machine to thrash and
clear grain, which, in fifteen months, he sold
for sixty thousand dollars. These are ordina-
ry cases, while such inventions as the tele-
graph, the planning machine, and India rubber
| .ra ,-or+b r,;lliopc a,cb
Examiner Lanes report describes new eee-
trical whaling apparatus, by which the whale
is literally shocked to DEATH Another is
an electro magnetic alarm, which ring bells
and displays signals in case Of fire and burg
lars. Another is an electric clock, which wakes
you, tells you what time it is, and lights q
lamp for you at any hour you please.
There is an invention called a "sound gath
erer'-a sort of huge ear trumpet, to bo
placed in front of a locomotive, bringing to the
engineers ear all the noise ahead, perfectly
distinct, Notwithstanding the rattle of the train
| There is an invention that picks up pias
from confused heap, turns them all around
with their heads up, and sticks them in papers
in regular rows.
Another shows the process of cigar making,
taking in leaves and turning out the pure arti-
Gle.
| One machine cuts cheese; another scours
knives and forks; another rocks the cradle; and
seven OF eight takes in washing and ironing.
/ There is parlor chair patented that cannot
be tipped back on two legs, and railway chair,
that can be tipped back in any position without
legs at all.
Another patent is for machine that counts
the passengers in an omnibus, and takes their
fares. When a very fat gentleman gets in, it
counts two, and charges double.
There are variety of guns patented, that
load themselves; fish line, that adjusts its own
bait; and a rat trap, that throws away the rat,
and then bats itself and stands in the corner.
for another.
There is a machine, also, by which man
prints instead of writing his thoughts 1t is
played like a piano. Speaking of pianos, it
is estimated that nine thousand are made eve
ry year in the U. S., giving constant employ
ment to one thousand nine hundred hands, and
costing over two millions of dollars.
The truths Of the patent Office ale stranger
than fiction.
ENGLISH CONSUMPTION OF AMERICAN CorTos
DuFay's Manchester Trade Report, of the 1st
of February, states that the preparation now
making there for our market is very tri1ing,
extending only to articles wanted to renew
stocks on hand. The consumption of cotton in
Great Britain last year shows an increase over
:. the previous one of 625ths per cent, which is
the more surprising as the strikes had greatly
nterfered with the working up of this staple in
1854. The export of goods, partly antcipatory
of satisfactory events, partly compulsory to re
lieve the market, has kept the stock of goods
low, which regards the adoption of short time
/ working. This piece of news from the great
English manufacturing district will afford much
comfort in our cotton market, as the foreign
demand for this staple may in consequence not
/ be abused to such an extent as had been antici-
pated. The consumption of cotton in 1854
owes its increase to the larger production of
coarser yarns and goods, which will probably
show itself mare this year.
-~o~~~@--~~~--~~>~------
New MODE OF RAISING THE WgD.-We
find an account in the East Brooklyn Times of
a new method of .'raising the wind as we'll
as the dead, in that city, which takes down any
thing in the diddling line Of the season, and
indicates the extent and pressure of the hard
times A female called a few days since on a
lady of some influence in Brooklyn and told a
sad and plaintiYe story Of suffering and priya-
lion, and, moreover, that her husband had Just
died and that she lacked the means of decent
burial. Her tale of woe so wrought upon the
lady thatshe proceeded to visit her Immediately
to satisfy herself that there was no lmposture,
On entering the apartment she behe!d the
coffin, and was satisfied all was right, and,
not wishing to harrow the feelings Of the be-
reaved woman, she left her considerable sum
Of money and Immediately departed. After
passing two or three blocks from the dwelling.
thinking all the way of the strange complexions
to which we are liable, she missed her pocket
handkerchief and returned to see if she had not
dropped it in the house The stairs were
assembled hastily and the room entered without
much ceremony and what did she behold? The
woman's husband sitting up in the coffin count
/ ing over the money!
Alta Of roses is obtained by distIIng the
blossom leaves in clay stills. with twice their
weight of water. The product on being ex-