The Placer herald., 1867-01-05
NUMBER 19.

JoHN BRowN's TRAcr-M Many of those
who are familiar with the extensive tract of
wild country in northern New Yolk, known
MS John Browns Tract, have the name err
roueously associated with the leader in the
Nirg inia insurrecllon, who once resided and
who was buried there; but it came from an
entirely different source. In the year 1885,
John Brown, a rich merchant Of Providence,
Rhode Island, purchased at a mortgage sale
tract Of 10000 acres divided into eight
townships, and extending across llerkmer
county, and into Hamilton on the east, and
Lewis on the west. The mortgage was held
by Philip Livingston, and among others,
Aaron Burr, and John julius Augustine, a
London merchant, were interested in the
tract anterior to the date Of the same. John
Brown named bis townships Industry, En-
terprise, Perseverance Unanimty, Flugali,
ty, Sobliety Economy, and Regularity al!
of which are doubtless practised 10y those
who visit these regions, especially the sixth.
lie made some extensive efforts to settle
this tract all of which proved Intellectual
After bis decease the tract remained in the
possession Of his family until within a few
years, when it was sold to Robert Il. Lyon,
who contracted it to the Sackett's Harbor
aud Saratoga Railroad Company. From
this his name has been applied to and be.
come the generic term OF the whole wilder
ness region, although his tract properly
comprises but small portion of it. Many
call this region the North Woods, but no
term is SO generally used as John Browns
Tract. 1t colnposes moro or less of nine
counties of the State, viz: Hamilton, Her.
kimer, Lewis St. Lawrence, Franklin, Gin,
ton, Essex, Warren, and Saratoga
A SINGULAR CIRcuMsrANcE.-The Culpep,
per Va.) Observer says: A Fauqnier CORES,
pondent has written us letter, from which
we give the following facts: About thiry-fve
years ago lady was inferred in Elk Run
church, ia heavy black walnut c, fin. The
earth wherein her body was deposited was
dry and yellow, as it is for the most part in
that locality. OF two bodies buried in the
same grave, the lady's was laid deepest in the
ground and there being occasion to remove
the bodies, owing TO the destruction of The
grave, ard enclosure by the Federal army,
the grave was dug up anew; but to the SUR
prise Of the digger when he had removed
the upper coffin, he preceved a quantity of
hair that had made its way through the sits
and crevices Of the coffin. The lid being
taken OFT there apeared perfect resemblance
! of a hnman Es,""~, Al 80, ."~ "ooc, mo
mouth ears, and all other parts very dis
tinct bnt from the crown of the head to the
sole of the feet it was covered with very long
thick and irzzled hair. The gravedigger at.
ter examining it for some time, happened to
touch the upper part Of the head but was
more surprised than before on seeing the en-.
tire body shrink, and nothing at last remain.
ed in his band bnt a bundle of rough har,
which insensibly assumed brownish red
color.
Professor Raw!s is Of the opinion that
hair, wool, feathers, nails, horns, teeth etc,
are nothing but vegetables, aud that is not,
therefore surprising to see them grow GU the
bodies of animals after death. He goes SD
far as to say these productions may be trans
planted as vegetables, and may grow on r
different place from that where they were
first germinaed
CAN'T SELL THEIR HAIR. "A curious de,
cree has been issued by the municipal coun.
Gil Of the department of Correge. That au.
gust assemblage met short time since in
high council, and decided that the practice
so prevalent of late years for the young wo-
men of Normandy and of Brittany to sell
their hair in the market places of their re-
spective villages, was highly immoral and
therefore passed a statute, forbdding the
practice. The custom has been that these
who wished to dispose of their chepelure
should wear bright ribbons in their chignon,
which were Synonymous with the words,
Look at my hair, it is for sale" Hair
venders, were then privileged to 90 up to
the gill, unite the ribbons, examine the hair,
and bargain as TO its price. AS soon as the
knotty point was decided, the purchaser,
armed with scissors cut off his merchandise,
leaving but few short curs in front.
A Paris paper contains a notice OF a Gu
rious Object Of art; a marble flute. There
exist but two marble flutes in the world: one
Of which forms part of the collection Of
Prince DemidoG, and the one under notice
belonging to the celebrated violinist, Servas.
They are both Of modern manufacture and
were made by a marble cutter of Carrara,
who could never obtain more than these two
specimens. This marble flute is exactly SINH
lar to those Of ebony with silver keys, only
the cylinder is more perfect, and the white.
ness Of the marble rivals that of the ce'ebra-
ted Parian marble. At the Clappisson
Museum, in the Conservatory of Music, there
are mauy curious specimens of flutes. ivory,
glass, metal, and also in clay and pottery.
RELIC FTHE ANCIENT IRIsH.-A remark.
able stone implement, ,formely in use as a ham'
mer, or possibly as war club, by the ancient
inhabitants of Ireland, was recently raised
from a trench in BalIynamaddy. 1t is six
inches in length, four and a half in breadth
across the center, and three and hafn
thick. 1t is shaped like wedge, rounded at
one end and tapering to an edge on the other;
and has a hole two inches in diameter evil
denlly intended for handle, bored quite
through the center Of the block. 1t weighed