Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-06-14
The Value of a Bit of knowledge.

The Value Of q Bit Of knowledge.
In the course of our miscellaneous read.
ing, we came across the following good
story, which illustrates the value of bit
of practical information, when applied at
the right time:
In the Plaza before St. Peters, at Rome,
stands the most beautiful obelisk in the
world. 1t was brought from the circus of
Nero, where it had lain buried for many
ages 1t was one entire piec. of Egyptian
marble, 72 feet high, IL feet square at the
base, and feet square at the top, com.
puted to weigh about 470 tons, and sup.
posed to be 5000 years old. A pedestal,
80 feet high, was built for its reception,
and the obelisk brought to its base. Many
were the ingenious contrivances prepared
for the raising of it to its last resting place,
all of which excited the deepest interest
among the people.
At length everything was in readiness,
and day appointed for the great event.
A great multitude assembled to witness
the ceremony; and the Pope, afraid that
the clamor of the people might distract
the attention of the architect, issued an
edict containing regulations to be kept,
aud imposing the severest penalties on any
one who should, during the lifting of the
gigantic stone, utter word Amidst
suppressed excitement of feelings and
breathless silence, the splendid monument
was gradually raised to within few inches
of the top of the pedestal, when its up.
ward motion ceased it hung suspended,
and could be got no further; the tackle
was too slack, and there seemed to be no
other way than to undo the great work
already accomplished. The annoyed arcbi-
tect, iu his perplexity, hardly knew how
to act, while the silent people we're anx-
iously watching every motion of his fea'
lures to discover how the problem would
be solved.
In the crowd was an old British sailor
he saw the difficulty and how to overcome
it, and with stentorian lungs, he shouted
"Wet the ropes! !'
The vigilant police pouuced on the cul-
prit and lodged him iu prison; the ar
chit ct caught the magic words, he put
his proposition in force, and the cheers of
the. people proclaimed the success of the
great undertaking. Next day the British
criminal was solemnly arraigned before his
Holiness; his crime was undeniably proved,
and the Pope ir solemn language pro
nounced his sentence to be-that be should
receive pension annually during his life
time.
These little facts stored up from observa
ton, can never do the owner any harm,
and may some day be of great utility; and
this story only proves the value of remem-
bering small things as we'll as great ones,
for there is nothing that is too insignificant
for man to know, and there is no knowledge
that has not its use.
V1LLAINoUs Some wretch entered the
sleeping apartment of Printer on Sunday
night, and stole most of his wardrobe, TO-
cluding suit of new clothes. A man who
could do such thing as that would steal
the headstone from his mothers grave to
knock out his fathers brains. He would
borrow key from his mother in.law to un-
lock his wife's toilet that be may steal her
pin.money He would steal an orange from
his sick baby yif he could sell it for two
cents.
May his head be taken for foot ball and
the balance of his carcass for scare, crow.
May be have the itch, the measels and the
small. pox all at once May the suit cling to
him like the shirt of Nessus and sting him
with the stiugs of ten thousand scorpions
May the cholera ricochet through his intes-
tines till he howls like mad-bull. May
he have the tooth ache, the headache, the
ear.ache, the other ache, neuralgia and all
other ills that flesh is heir to. May his nose
turn up, his mouth get twisted, his hair
and whiskers turn to little snakes. May
hornets build nests over every door and win.
dow in his house. May all his chimneys
refuse to draw, bis wife Scold and his chill
dren squall. May his pickles all be sweet
and his sugar sour May all his whiskey
be made Of rotten sorghum and his lager
beer mean as gar broth May every dollar
he puts in his pocket burn hole il it ard
get lost. May no rain fall on his potato
patch, his pea vines grow green persimmons
and hissnap beans grow emetcs. May twins
be born unto him and cow.hide given to
each to lash their father with May he be
compelled to teach negro school through
the month of August. May he BE- allowed
to read nothing but Harper's Weekly, New
York Tribune and Brownlow's Whig. May