The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-08-30


about, and sat down abruptly without
closing. In a moment or two he rose,
and pointing his ~torefnger at the
amazed congregation, he said, sob!
by the way-Amenr
Almost a tragedy occurred in Fred.
ericktown, Knox county, Ohio, on
the 18th ult. Mrs. Fannie Steele,
while looking over a clothes press,
found a small pistol, and thinking it
to be a toy, she turned to her sister
in law, Miss Alice Steele, and asked
her if it was not. "IIl show what it
is" said the lady, snatching it up, and
s~upposing it unloaded, she placed it
against her forehead with the words,
.@Thus 1 end-No, 1 won't, I'll end
your"-and suddenly turning the muz-
zle of the pistol toward her sister in
law, to the horror of both, the weapon
exploded, sending the bullet into the
opposite wall, and slightly burning
Mrs. Steele's cheek. -ZanesrMe Signal
On last Sunday three boys, two Of
them the sons of Mr.. John Aikens,
and the other q neighbours boy, resid-
ing about three miles east of Alliance,
while On a berryiDg excursion entered
a coal tank to take a look" Having
lit q lamp they proceeded to explore
this dark s~ubteranean black diamond
mine. After looking about for some
time, they came across an old can sit
ting on the floor, and anxious to as
certain its contents, thrust the lamp,
we suppose, into the can. Being filled
with powder it was ignited, and a ter
rible explosion was the result. AL
three boys were badly burned. We
have not ascertained the extent of the
injuries, but it is hoped they will not
prove fata1.-AKance Monitor.
Two miles from Leavenworth, in
Crawford county, Ind, there is an inn
mense pile of large parallelogram
sand stone, covering about half an
acre of ground, and it is firmly be-
lieved that these were quarried, dress
ed and transported there by some an
Gent race who once inhabited that re-
gion. In addition TO their having
square sides and being of great uni
formity in width, there is o of the
same kind of stone found elsewhere
in all the country, except two smaller
piles heal the large ones. The largest
stones are thirteen feet long and about
four feet wide.
The question, Does vaccination lose
its protective power? is n which is
discussed anew ON the occasion of ev-
cry fresh outbreak of epidemic small
pox, such as that which London is now
afflicted. The best observers are of
opinion that when vaccination has
been properly performed, and when
the system has been brought thorough
ly under the influence of the modified
form of the disease induced by the
vaccine matter, q person is no more
liable to take the small pox than if he
had formerly had the small pox itself.
The necessity of re-vaecination is due
usually to the fact that the opera
tion is imperfectly performed, and the
disease imperfectly developed.
Friction matches are as common as
nails, but probably a very small pro-
portion of those who use them under
stand the principle on which they op-
crate. 1t is in fact a very simple af-
The tip of the match is a COM
bination of sulphur and phosphorus.
The phosphorus ignites at n heat of
120 degrees, which a slight friction
will produce, and this in turn ignites
the sulphur, which requires $50 or 500
degrees. The flame OF the sulphur
fire to the pine wood of which the
match is composed, and which ignites
at about 600 degrees. The combina
ton is necessary because the phosphor-
Us alone would not kindle the match,
while the sulphur alone would not ig-
the ordinary friction.
The Corinne Journal asserts that,
by recent chemical analysis, it has
been ascertained that the water Of
Great Salt Lake is losing it's proper
lies at a rate that, if it continues in
the same ratio, as the last ten years
have shown, will freshen it altogether
the present century. A theory
advanced by one of the Yale men
hat the salt in the lake has not been
deposited there more than three hun
lred and fifty years, and that the
in the lake from fresh to salt
occurs at periods of five to ten CEN
1t is also stated that alkalies
md salts OF the basin will in time give
place to anothe, condition governed by
he atmosphere, out of which tropic
uxuriance and giant growth of timber
ire to come.
Applications for patents are said to
lverage 500 weekly, and last week no
ess than 3lS new patents were is
ued. All these new inventions tend
increase the productive power of
he country. They either save labor,
'roduce necessary articles at a less
'ost than heretofore, or else add some
hing entirely new to the long list of,
American manufactured articles. In
very case they stimulate the manu-
acturing interests of the country, and
make it more than ever apparent that
he industries of the nation deserve
lot only tn, fostering care, but the
Ieartiest encouragement Of Congress.
There is q queer excitement near
N~ewburyport, Massachusetts, in re-
ard to the fresh water pearl fishery.
he brooks in that region contain the