The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-09-15

a CORRESPONDENT thus describes a
"potato racen in New Hampshire, a
fashionable sport there A very Curl
Gus trial of speed and strength it is.
Three lines of potatoes were laid. Each
line is of fifty-each a yard from each
other. or course each line is forty nine
yards long. At the eud of each line is
basket, by which at the start contest
ant stands. In this case there arc three
competitors. At the word "go,' each
one begins where he chooses on his line
to pick up potatoes that he may bring
them to the basket. Your mathemati-
cal readers will see that this involves
seven thousand three hundred and fifty
feet of running, with such deductions
rs may be made for an outstretched
arm, when one comes TO his basket
and, with the serious addition of two
turns for every potato, or one hundred
turns in all. Three spirited contestants
entered, and one of them named
Thrasher," distinguished here as hav-
ing won tub race in the last sports,
which were aquatic, performed the feat
in little more than nine minutes. The
other two were close behind him. If
you have over any occasion to try, let
me tell you that the scientific perform
ance is to take your long runs first,
when your wind is good. When you
want to regain your breath, take your
short runs, which involve the delay of
turning, but are easier for breathing.
You see how good the time was for a
distance of mile and half.
A BERLIN correspondent OF the New
York Nation relates the following: "Cn
the entry of one Of the Ment2 regiments
(the Eighty y-sevcnth, which is recruited
in Nassau | witnessed little incident
which is worthy of being narrated here.
The regiment was on It's way to the
Schiossplatz, when 4 stout, resOlute
woman broke through the ranks, put
and embraced her husband, loudly cry.
ing, lie has belonged to you long
enough, now he is mine once more, and
you will never get hold of him again y
When the other women standing along
the street, and eagerly watching for
their turn, noticed this uncoremonious
procedure, there was no longer any re-
Straint they all broke into the lines,
and each of them seized her son, hus-
band or sweetheart. The captain could
not defend himself against this invasion
good naturally suffered 10 pass what he
could not stop, and led his men and
women to the Schlossplatz, where amid
the cheering of the people the women
assisted the soldiers in unstrapping
their knapsacks, or held their needle
guns, while in the other hand each car
ried a bundle of modest citizens clothes,
and aiterward all ate and drank merrily
together"
THE following story is related by Mr..
Iafiiaplp,, sNprarnip I,n Grct snnfinnp.
tai congress: delegate Harrison, of
Virginia, desiring to 'stimulate,' pre-.
sented himself and friend at a certain
place where supplies We're furnished
and ordered two glasses of
brandy and water. The man in charge
replied that liquors We're not included
in the supplies furnished congressman.
" Why" said Harrison, "what is it,
then, that ! see the New England mem
bers come hero and drink ?" "Molas-
ses and water, which they have charged
as stationery" was the reply. Then
give me the brandy and wafer" quoth
Harrison, and charge II as fuel"
THE following " sad case" isrecorded
in the Titusville Kerdld, which it hopes
may serve as warning: Two Well
dressed and fine-looking ladies Instant
ly dislocated their necks while passing
each other, in trying TO discover what
each had on. 1t was cloudy; the speed
at which they We're moving, and the
delicate shade of the dry goods worn by
each, operated against them, and sud.
den tack with all sail set against sliIf
breeze, fetched them up too short, ana
they persisted"
A HEARTLEss young villain of Texas
who was lately convicted of numbering
his father and mother, on being asked
II he had anything to say why sentence
of death should not be pronounced upon
him, said, "Nothin', Judge, only that
you oughtn't to be too hard on poor
orphan!"
a VIRGINIA editor has come to the
conclusion that a man might rs well
undertake to hold himself at arms
length and then turn n double somer-
sault over meeting house steeple as to
attempt topublish apaper that will suit
everybody.
SINCE the wives OF half dozen ciii-
zens OF Wyoming were locked up for
thfee nights with AS many strange men
on rape case, it has been proposed to
amend the jury law so that none but
single women will be allowed to sit on
Jurlts.
ONE Sunday recently a Methodist
preacher in Iowa, advised the sisters to
mortify, Satan by giving their jewelry
TO the church on the next Sabbath even
Ing. The result was galvanized watch
and three brass finger rings.
A NAUGHTY little boy, bubbline be.
cause his mother wouldn't let him 20
to the river on Sunday, npon being ad.
monished, said, 81 only want to go
down and see the bad little boy drown
for going a swimming"
AN Indiana paper notices the death
OF an old subscriber, and touchingly
adds =" We are sorry to hear of tho
death of any of our subscribers who are
prompt about paying us"
KEEP away from bad habits. No
person ever got stung by hornets who
Kept away from where they We're. 1t is
Just so with bad habits.
BISMARCK had to kiss sixty hand
some young ladies at a recent reception,
and did 1t without the assistance of
clerk.
IT is easy TO talk of christian forbear.
auce among nelghbors, but to practice
II ourselves proves us to be christians
indeed.
The greatest mass of solid iron i'm the
world is the Iron Mountain of Missouri.
1t is three hundred and fifty feet high,
and tyV0 nilpq In pirouit