The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-01-25
Literature, science. Art.

We intend to publish In this column,
short extracts relating to the current |
literature of the day; to science, in its
various discoveries and applications
and to art, as it may help TO cultivate
the taste and qualify the desire for the
beautiful. We have no doubt that
many of our readers, and especially
students, and those who take an inter
est in books and literary matters gen.
orally, will find in this column every
week, something to attract their atten-
ton and increase their knowledge.
The Hartford Comm ''Courant" re-
prints a Carriers Address," which
was written by John G. Whittier, for
the carrier of the New England Re
view, January /, 1881. Whittier was
then the editor of the Review, and the
carrier who bore his verses about to
the "patrons," As subscribers were
then called, was Mr.. James Lockwood,
| now q prominent business man in
Hartford. The address was found be-
| tween the leaves of q file of the New
England Review, and it has been
framed and hung up as relic. The
address began with the following
stanza:
Our hat on, patrons-and bow
Albeit from neck unused to bending
smile upon our Wrinkled brow.
| Our right hand TO your own extending.
God bless you all On New Years day
Our heart with kindness overhoweth,
Like glad streamlet on its way
Re nnalloyed with aught OF sorrow;
Upon the evils OF tomorrow,
| May all with smiles the year begin,
Unveiled by one domestic quarrel,
| May plenty fill the apple-bin-
The pantry and the cider-barrelI
The Review was begun in the year
1928 with George ID. Prentice-after-
for It's first editor. Whittier pre-
ceded Prentice, and the the Review
was continued until the year 1888.
Mr.. Froude is engaged in collecting
materials for bis Life of Carlyle, which
Carlyle himself invited him to do.
What is described assta magnificent
piece of the ancient walls of the time
of the kings" has lately been uneafth-
ed by diggers making excavations TOR
the foundations of a railway station
on the squiline at Rome.
1t is said that the culture of coffee in
Southern California is becoming profit
able. The plant, it Is stated, grows as
vigorously as in the coffee countries of
South America, and yields a bean of a
strong aromatic flavor. The central
and southern portions of the State are
the regions peculiarly favorable to the
growth of the coffee plant.
A citizen of San Francisco who, q
few years since, imported from Japan
the 'persimmon disoypros kaki," and
planted it in his orchard in the valley
of SonOma, has had the pleasure this
year of gathering from it a large
quantity Of fruit, of dark golden
color, and of the size of an orange. 1t
is delicious fruit. The jujube- tree
was planted by the same person, and
is bearing abuntantly.
Herr Him has been conducting q
series of experiments in Germany on
the comparative strength of wood and
cast-iron in their different applica-
lions, and finds that in q great number
of cases the former has the greater
strength. Professor Him finds the
strength of the wood to be in direct
ratio to it's density and this strength
is increased by immersing the pieces
of wood in linseed oil heated from
los degrees to PIP degrees Fab, and
letting the wood thus immersed re-
main for two or three days, or until
partially saturated.
The Pope is said to have been over
hauling his old correspondence recent
ly, destroying or sorting the papers tC
be entrusted to the Cardinal Gamer
lengo in q sealed packet for delivery
into his successors hands. Among
others, there are, as might be expect
ed, letters from kings, emperors, prime.
es, and political and ecclesiastical per-
sonages, relating to the events of hii
pontificate, especially to the vicissi
tudes of recent Italian history and the
conduct of the Holy See in 1S4S. These
papers are expected to throw mucf
light on certain obscure points, anC
thus serve as a guidance to his sue
cessor.
One of the effects of the war in the
East, according to a writer in Nature
appears TO be the discovery in out-of
the way towns in Russia of gems of un.
surpassed size and beauty, which
doubtless have been jealously hoardeC
by their possessors, and only brought
to light in times like the present, Of
national necessity. Some of these
gems have naturally found their way
TO England. Perhaps the most re-
markable is an acquamarine, far su
. perior to anything before seen in En-
gland, weighing over six ounces and ;
, half, without the slightest blemish
and of deep sea-greel tint; also 1
topaz rivalling that purchased for thu
Grand Mognl at Goa tor 500, 300
These two remarkable gems were re
ceived from Moscow by Mr.. Bryce n
Wright, mlneralogist, of Great Russell
y street, London {; the possessor of tn
!, antique suits of diamonds called tn
a Bryce Wright Diamonds, valued q
q $105,OO0. gF- - OH