Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-06-23

The editor of the Texas Advance was
challenged to fight duel, and he
knocked the man down who bit of his
ear.
A Chinese gentleman is announced to
deliver an address before the Hampden
County Massachusetts, Agricultural
Society.
Iowa people do a great many funny
things. The latest reported achievement
is that of a young lady teacher in Ring
gold county, who rides to school every
morning on an OK.
A Partisan musical dictionary defines
A shout to be IAN unpleasant noise pro-
duced by overstrainiRg the throat for
which great singers are well paid and
small children we'll punished.
Emanuel, in his work on diamonds
and precious stones, tells us that in or
der to ascertain when any defect or color
exists in stone, it is sufficient to
breathe upon it. Professor Orion says
that the imperfections may be readily
detected by putting it into oil of cassia.
The young Prince Frederick William,
who was accidentally killed on the 18th
of last month by falling from one of the
palace windows, was buried on the LIST
of June in the family mortuary chapel
in the Rosenhohe, whittier the coffin was
conveyed by Princess Alice herself, in
her own carriage.
The Information of flies in Russia pre-
sents seme curious phenomena, which
have lately been investigated by NJ.
Goubareff. He found that perfectly tor
Did flies became active on exposure TO
warmth of one hundred and six and a
quarter degrees Fahrenheit, and we're
again reduced to their torpid condition
on lowering the temperature.
An interesting paper on the bursting
of the skin of fruits exposed to persistent
rain was recently read before the Paris
Academy of Sciences by NJ. Joseph Bous'
singault, who finds that this occurrence
is due to the diffusion of water into the
fruit. The absorption of water thus in
duced by exposure to the rain causes
many kinds of fruit to burst.
A convenient ink for the use of trav-
elers was exhibited at recent meeting
of the Frankfort Polytechnic Associa-
ton. II consists Of sheets of white
blotting paper saturated with aniline
black, dried, and pasted together so as
to form pad. To prepare it for usei
a small piece is torn and soaked in lit
tie water, thus forming excellent ink.
The Journal of the Franklin Institute
says the French inventor proposes to
photograph dispatches to microscopic
fneness, and blow them through a tube
sunk in the streets of Dover. When at
their destination the dispatches could be
enlarged again. By this method long
dispatches could be sent about as cheap.
ly and expeditiously as short ones.
Boston has been wont to take the lead
in celebrating the Fourth of July with
the lively snap of frecrackers, the start
ling boom of guns, and all the blazing
glory Of fireworks; but Boston is burnt
child, and this year she will try the ex-
pertinent of getting up her enthusiasm
without the explosion of villainous salt
petre. The experiment is hazardous,
and its success is doubtful.
It is said that q well made steel rail
will last as long as sixteen iron ones, the
traffic over them being the same. The
Louisville, Nashville and Great South
ern, as well as many other railroads
running to Louisville, are rapidly re-
placing the old iron rails on their lines
with those of steel. Steel rails are
usually imported direct from Cardiff,
Wales.
The points of drills, ETC., used by
watchmakers to use upon ordinary steel
are tempered by heating them to a white
heat and inserting them into hard seal
ing-wax, allowing them to remain but a
second, and pushing them into another
part Of the wax and again quickly with
drawing. to repeat the operation in a
fresh spot until they are too cool to pen
citrate the wax. The tool is to be moist
ened with turpentine when used.
Dr. Anderson who accompanied the
British expedition in 1868 to the valley
Of the TaPeng, mentions very singular
method by which the natives Of Ssnda
Valley contrive to conceal gold and pre-
cious stones. Sits are made through
the skin Of their chests or necks, and
the coins OF stones forced beneath, the
wound being allowed to heal. When
the valuable objects are wanted, a sec
ond cut is made upon the spot, and they
are extracted.
A siaid citizen Of Indianapolis, while
recently on a business visit to New York,
was asked TO escort a charming young
widow 70 her home in Western New
York. He complied, Of course; but
when, on reaching the place ef Der resi-