Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-06-19
TIMELY TOPICS.

great spirit. lne London Telegraph
says that the victory of the plueky Yam
kee is compliment also to the magni-
ficent ships which traverse the ocean,
and make the trip for men and horses so
different from what IL was when the
first winner of the Derby, Diomed, went
To New York in sailing vessel.
A farmer in the suburbs OF Philadel-
phia presented the Times of that city
with thirty-two stalks of asparagus,
weighing twelve and half pounds,
twenty inches in height and each stalk
rs thick rs child's wrist. Mr.. Starkey,
the farmer, says this was the result Of n
three days growth, and that it is n COM
mon thing for him To cut his asparagus
mt eight o'clock in the morning, and by
five o'clock that day it win have grown
out seven inches. Over nm inch an hour
on warm day after shower is COM
mon growth.
A dispatch from Helena, Montana
Territory, tells this story of one mans
brave and successful fight against an
overwhelming array of savage foes
The vicinity of Fort Belknap swarms
with Sioux. A man named Lloyd,
while camped twenty miles from the
post, was attacked by fifteen warriors.
He scooped out rifle pit with his
hands, and after "A desperate fight of two
hours duration, in which three Indians
were killed, the intrepid white man sue
cecded in driving off his assailants.
Lloyd had but three cartridges left when
the savages abandoned their attack"
From limestone quarry in the town
ship of Lisbon, Wis, there was recently
Y tp 81 nT
animals. One. large bullfrog. was
found solidly imbedded in large, flat
stone, four inches thick, which was M
hard as the rock which surrounded it.
The shape of the frog is perfect. An
other petritied animal-remnant taken out
is II pair of stag's antlers, which are
about two feet and half in length
They were broken in separating them
from the stone, but are of very good
shape. This stratum of limestone runs
entirely through the county. though in
some places it is n great distance from
the surface, and supplies building mt
terial FOR many.
The sharks voracity is something
wonderful. When the British bark Lut-
tcrworth was becalmed in the tropics,
large shark was observed swimming
around the ship. A large hook with a
chain attached was baited with four
pound piece of pork. The shark made
for it, bolted it, hut in hauling him up
the chain parted, and he coolly swaI-
lowed the hook, chain and pork. An
other hook was then baited, which he
instantly seized, biting n thrce-inch rope
in twain, and also swallowed il with
another four-pound piece of pork.
Another hook was then baitcd with a
similar piece of pork. and with this the
shark was caught and landed on the
main deck. When at last he was killed
and cut open, the large hooks. chain and
rope. together with eight pounds of
pork, were found in his stomach.
A recent examination of French black
silks in New York city showed that they
were heavily adultcrated. The weight
of dye in American silks Is about seven
teen per cent, hut the French silks show
cd n weight of from thirty-three to fifty
per cent. The principal article used in
wcighting Is iron. The silk is repeatedly
inserted in n solution of nitrate of iron.
1t then receives blue tint from prussiate
of potash. followed by several baths in
gambler. and a treatment with acetate Of
iron. 1t is then made bright by logwood
and soap. To make the silk soft. little
oil and soda are added, while to make it
stiff and rustling an acid is used. The
wearing shiny is caused by the action
of the soap and alkali. which develop,
under friction. sort of grease. The
cracking of silk is owing to its inability
to carry the great load Of material used
in the dying.
A careful estimate respecting the cir
culation of the Bible during the past cen
tury places the total Mt the enormous
number Of nearly 150,OO0,OO0 copies.
The British and Foreign Society II in ad-
vance of any other institution OF the kind
rs regards the number of copies issued.
II WIS founded In 1907. and has circulated
upward of ~ 900, ,Oe0 copies. The Amer
lean Society, founded thirteen years later,
has caused a circulation of 35.000. 900.
These two organizations are far in adj
vance of all Others. Next In respect Of
copies circulated are the German Socie-
ties. which together have issued 500.
900. Then comes the National society Of
Scotland with nearly i.166, 900, then the
Hibernian with 4. Isg, coo. the Swiss with
nearly 2.OOO,0OO and the French with
100000. The National Society Of Scot
land has circulated its f.769. 900 copies
since 1861. the year in which II was
founded
Speaking Of the attempt of n lunatic to
assassinate Edwin Booth in n Chicago
theatnr, New York paper suggests that
there are pr bably many more such
dangerous pessJns unconfined through
out the country. many Of them
through the connivance and conceal
mcnt of their families and friends, who
think that IL would be inhuman to send
them to an asylum. whereas the inhu-
mainly is in permitting them to remain
ut liberty. This Is the mischief of much
that has been carelessly said of the
management Of lunatic hospitals. and
which may be referred still further back
TO the mismanagement Of some Of them.
One ill-regulated establishment may
bring great many well-regulated re-
treats of the kind into disrepute. Mr..
Edwin Booth no doubt has strong opin.
ions upon the subject, and so would
avotsxy rauInr ~ thia have after pacopto i.