St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-10-06
An Old Story Brought Home.

The follow Ing | have heard in many
WAYS. and from many quarters, but its
true origin has been almost entirely
lost sight "f and therein lies much of
the pith. There is II" doubt but that
Hon. Alexander II. stephens. of Georgia.
l. the smallest man. ply sIcallN, that
ever tInd the floors OF Congress. | he
lirNr he never exceeded ninety six
pounds III weight of body. At all
events. he never reached Il hundred.
His powers were all mental and mag
uctic. and OF those. a. We know. he
pu>sc>>cd IN abundance.
On Il certain "crnSion, while party
lines We're CLOSELY drawn. and political
Feelings we've runniu" high. Mr.. stephens
WAS nm the stump for Congress, battling
with Major H.. of Grrcn>b"rough
STEPHENS WAS Il Henry Clay man, and
II Wing: what hope that lac could carry
that old Democratic stronghold Yet
he hattlrd away, and it was an odd and
entertaining sight to see the two con
tr~tHmtS on he stand together; Stephens
live feet four inches high. Weighing
ninety sin pounds Major ii. siX feet
tW" inches. Weighing two hundred and
forty.
They were in the strongest post of
the Democratic camp. and here the
mai"l iudul"ed in bits of pleasantly
Whiclr he knew would bc rclishcd by
his old constituency. Solid argument
could not have been of much u>. there.
Vet Stephens managed t" get him heat
rd. Wh'IruP"h the gigantic ma jon turn
ed la his pi,'mN Antagonist. and with
considerable of Il flourish. said
Nv ny. Nuu little wasp. could but
ton those big cans of yours back. and
swallow You whole.
Before the multitude had time to
laugh at the coaIsr, rude remark
STEPHENS rctoItrd
IF y"u did that thing, sir, YOU would
have more brains in your stomach than
You ever had in Your head -
The uniut"lrd electors of those dis
tIictS could understand and appreciate
Il good Thing. stephens WAS elected to-
Congress 10y over three thousand ma
i"ritN in Il district which had never he
fore favored one of his political stripe.
Times WORTH KNOWING. . Kid
gloves are not kid. bur are made of
laml-sIlin and >hcrp->kin.
Arabic figures were not invented 10y
the Arabs. but 10y the Indians.
Tube r"Sc i no rose. hut the ulcrous
palianih (pdIidnthcS Mbcosd).
Blacklcad does not contain IL single
particle of dead, but is composed chief
" of carbon.
Turkish baths are not of Turkish on
igin: nor are they baths at all. They
are hot ail rooms.
PruSsian blue does not come from
PRUSSIA. hut is the precipitate of the
salt of protoXide of iron with pruSsiate
of potaS>a.
Whalchone is no bone ut all nor
does it possess amy properties of bone.
1t is il substance attached to the lower
Jaw ot Il whale. and seems to strain the
water. which the creature takes mp in
large mouthtul>.
Scaling-waN is not WAX At all; nor does
il cnutij Il single particle of wax. 1t
is composed of shellac. Venice turpen-
tine aud cinnahar. Cinnahar gives it
the deep red color. and turpeutinc rem
dcrS the Shcllac soft and less brittle.
burgundy pitch is not pitch nor is it
manufactured or exported from Bur
guudl. The best is Il resinous substance.
prepared from common tIankincense.
and brought from Hamburg: but by
far the largest quantity is a mixture OF
resin and palm-"il.
Nandclhilt'> corps of physicians are
said IL bt slow " improving. The Com
modore exhibits II keen interest in their
cases. One al them has died. but he
l.. l.