The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-10-07
THE Ma roNAL ERA: WASHINGTON D. c. OCTOBER T. 1858

plus" 5nd well may we remember thas orr
dangers are precisely the same.--LOndon In
quiTer.
The COMMON SMOOTH ANEMOHE.-Thls ia a
capital species for an aquarium, as 1T will bear
travelling, and is very hardy, enduring extremes
OF heat and cold brRvely, but perishing immer
distely liz pure fresh water. A rather remark
able circa instance connected with these cres-
lures occurred some time ago. gentleman
had brought some Of them to town with him,
and had been examining them in company With
a friend. After the examination, supper was
brought by an unsophisticated servant, and re-
moved by the same individual. While the table
was being cleared, the servant asked what was
to be done with the anemones, and was told to
put them carefully away in jug. Now, the
only jug at that time on the table was q jug
containing porter, and into that Jug the one
mones were severaliy dropped. About q fort
night afterwards, the anemones we're again
called into requisition, and the jug demanded
Great was the establishment of their owner to
see the porter jug produced, and still greater
when he found the creatures were still hvirg.
They have been known to live in soap-suds for
q considerable time.--THe Common Objects Of
the Sea-shore. -t.l latt
| DOUGLAS ON VERMoNT.--I was born away
down in Yankee land; was born in a valley
IN Vermont, with the high mountains around
me. love the old green N ountains and valleys of
Vermont, where / was born and where played
in my childhood. went up to visit them seven
or eight years ago. for the first time in twenty odd
years. When got there, they treated me very
kindly. They invited me to the commencement
their college, placed me on the seats with their
distinguished guests, and conferred upon me the
! degree of LII, ID. In Latin, the same as they did
on Old Hickory at Cambridge many years ago,
and give you my word and honor / under
stood Just as much of the Latin as he did.
When they got through comforting the honora-
ry degree, they called upon me for speech !;
and got up with my heart full and swelling
with gratitude for their kindness, and said to
them, My friends, Vermont is the most glor-
Gus spot on the face of this globe for man to
be born in, procided he emigrates when he ia
very young."--Speech on the Stump an Illinois.
EVILS OF GREAT CITIEs,-In cities, the soul
of man grows proud. He needs at times to be
sent forth, like the Assyrian monarch, into
green fields, f" q wondrous wretch and weed.
less" to eat green herbs, and be weakened and
chastised by the rain shower and winters Bit
ter weather. Moreover, in cities there ia dam
ger of the souls becoming wed to pleasure, and
forgetful of its high vocation. There have
been souls dedicated to Heaven from childhood.
and guarded by good angels as sweet seelusions
for holy thoughts, and prayers, and all good
purposes; wherein pious wishes dwelt like
nuns, and every image was saint and yet in
life's vicissitudes by the treaehery of occasion.
by the thronging passions of great cities, have
become soiled and sinful. They resemble those
converts on the river Rhine which have been
changed to taverns; from whose chambers the
pious inmates have long depsr ed, and In whose
cloisters the footsteps of travellers have efaced
the images of buried saints, and whose walls
are written over with ribaldry and names of
strangers, and resound no more with holy
hymns, but with revelry and loud voices
Lon9tellOsO's Hyperion
BIGHwAYMEN IN l75O.-There were prob
ably more highwaymen at this time than in any
earlier period of our history. The roads we're
infested with discarded warriors, who, being
prevented from making war On the French, now
levied war on their countrymen. At noenday,
in Hyde Park, and even in Piccadily, carriages
were stopped, and pistols presented at the
breasts of the mcst fashionable people. LADY
Albemarle, Miss Pelham, Mrs. Talbot, Sir
Thomas Robinson, Lord Eglinton, and Horace
Wslpole, all suffered from the depredatons of
single highwayman, Mclean, who was this
year taken aud executed. So eager were per
sons of all classes to zee him, that 5000 per-
sons visited him one day after his condemna-
ton, and he tainted away three times in his
cell, from the oppressive heat of the staring
multitude. An extraordinary procama ion of
e loo reward was issued by the Government for
the apprehension Of every highwayman. 1t was
not safe to venture out after dark. Travellers
were armed in broad daylight, as though they
were going to battle.-Lite and Times of Ed
naund Burke.
We have had the pleasure of seeing novel
and singularly constructed vessel, invented by
the Messrs. Winans. 1t differs entirely from
any ship ever before built in the world The
length is, we believe, about one hundred and
seventy feet, resembling two cones, or sugar
loaves, united, tapering to points sharp almost
as needles. The diameter at the thickest part
is proportionate to the comic inclination. A
large propelling wheel, with diagonal paddles,
runs in the centre at right angles, and is driven
by powerful engines. We are not at liberty to
give any detailed description at present of this
| most singular invention and rare specimen of
marine architecture. 1t is now nearly or quite
ready to be launched from Mr.. Winans's wharf.
near the Ferry Bar, where visiters can see it.
The inventors hope is, that this steamer, when
sailing, will make greater speed than has ever
Jet been attained by any vessel. Instead of
riding, it will penetrate the largest waves, and
pass through them, accomplishing voyage
| across the Atlantic in perhaps six days or less.
Mr.. Winans merits great praise for his energy
and enterprise in undertaking this promised
triumph in steam navigation.-B0Jtim0r Pa.
triot.
When Judge Mclean was Postmaster Gen.
eral, he wrote the following letter to dismissed
postmaster, who inquired why he had been re.
| moved:
"SIR: The allegations against you are nu
merous and strong, and chiefly these: That YOU
| cannot write or read are not a safe account
ant; not delivering letters when called for: de-
| livering letters frequently to persons for whom
they were not intended fail to send letters and
packages by mail in proper time; sometimes
sending off the mail without putting into il apy
letters or packets that had been lodged at your
Office; reverse the destination of letters. and
| send them back to the place whence they came |:
have not sense enough to discover the error
after the letters have been repeatedly returned :;
| make frequent and gross mistakes in the bills
| forwarded to other offices open packages ad.
dressed to other post offices; when a mail il
called for By a ueighboring postmaster, hand
| ing out any one, right or wrong; disobey the
| regulation respecting dead newspapers appro.
pirate half dozen of them to your own use for
two or three years, and resort to the miserable
| speculation of selling them for wrapping paper
Sill mp circulating library with periodical works
obtained in this way; are unconth in your be.
| haviour, odious to the population heap error
upon error, and avail yourself of these errors in
| order to sppplant your employer; have been
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