The Newtown bee., 1879-08-13
TIMELY TOPICS.

New England has over g armers cluos, 9. with 72,000 active members and library books to the number of 2I 600 and in the United States tn .riv 2,oOO agricultural societies. 58. coo volumes Tn their libraries, and with ac- oess Co ooU dl1ferent agricultural publi- cations, all exerting direct influence on the intelligence and future prospects of the tillers of the soil.
 The California ranehman or farmer is to certain extent demoralized by the climate, which allows him to perform outdoor work the year round. Unlike the Eastern farmer, therefore, he is in- eIined ell to let things go by the board. ihere IS a lack of thoroughness in build Ing; Ill planting and in the care for ami mas. There is little concern for ap pearances: the soil of many wears re- mans undisturbed upon the wagon wheels; no flower garden is well cared for; they mend the harnesses with bits o1 rope, and they trust little or nothing to the vanity of paint.
 The English "court" went into mourn ing for the French prince imperial for one week after this style: The ladies to wear black dresses, white gloves, black or white shoes, feathers and fans. pearls. diamonds, or plain gold or silver orna- ments. The gentlemen to wear black court dress, with black swords and buckles. Then the severity of the in- signia of grief was modified for three days, the ladies to wear black dresses, with colored ribbons, flowers, feathers and ornaments, or gray or white dresses with black ribbons, flowers, feathers and ornaments, and on the tenth day the court "went out of mourning"
 
 Twenty~nine years ago two boys, about a dozen years of age, were playing tag" in Lewiston, Me. They were merry and active lads, and were frolick- ing with schoolboy enthusiasm and carelessness. One lad caught the other, struck his heels and playfully tipped him over. His whole weight came down upon his falling playmate. whose spine was seriously injured in consequence He was conveyed home. and it was found that he was physical wreck. For two very little, and then, as the results of his injuries gradually grew more serious, he was obliged to be carried from one place to another, entirely losing the use ot his lower limbs. At length his whole body became rigid, and he was power less. For twenty-three years Mathew Rankins has sat fixed in his chair as in a YlSe night and day.
 The New York Herald thus describes a horsepower: "This question is fre- quently asked: What is understood by q horsepower, and why came tn 1t way of reckoning to be adopted and brought into general use? Before the power of steam was generally known and applied to mechanical purposes. horses were used to raise coal and other heavy ies. Mir. Moots, in his experiments, carefully compared the relative power of the different breeds of horses, and found its average equal to raising 8, 900 pounds one foot per minute, or, what is equivalent, to raise 330 pounds loo feet, or 100 pounds 80 feet during that spac of time when attached to lever or sweep of given length. This afterward became the standard of measuring power or force applied to mechanical purposes, and which is still retained in common great adVantaasSese of ifffen3 fen3ras S6seTipg the a French cook who won prize in the late lottery. She had felt certain, long | before the drawing of the prizes, that | No. 27 would turn out a winner; and 1 she managed to buy it, and awaited the result with anxiety, but without fear. | The list came out in due time, and surely enough No. 2 had won a big prize | Her master, therefore, questioned her about it, asking to be informed why she felt so sanguine. The explanation was simple. "WlIy, sir," she replied, (" ] dreamed three nights running that No would be a lucky number; that is how I came to be sure, because three time: eight is twenty-sev This cook doe: not in the least agree with the poet who said that little knowledge is a danger
 ous thing; she had very little kDowl
 edge, indeed, of arithmetic, but founo
 the result quite satisfactory.
 The sailing from San Francisco for th,
 Arctic seas of the exploring steam yach
 Jeannette, under the auspices of Nil
 James Gordon Bennett, editor of the
 New York Herald, is an event of more than ordinary interest. It is the first time
 an attack has been made upon the Nortl | Pole from the direction of tbe Pacific
 that is, by way of Behring's Straits
 Expeditions have sailed that way before
 but they were after traces and remains
 of Sir John Franklin's luckless venture
 and not in quest of geographical dis
 coyeries, explorations for which, to tht
 north of the Western hemisphere, hay,
 invariably proceeded through Baffini
 bay. The Jeannette rested in the harbol
 of San Francisco for several months, bu
 the time of departure was purposely de
 layed, that the Straits might be reached
 as nearly as possible at the breakup O
 the ice in August or early in September
 before which it would be vain to at 4empt a passage.
 Major J. M. Walsh, who nas becom famous in the Indian country as the off cer of the Canadian Mounted Police, il , charge of the camp of Sitting Bull ant the Uncapapa Sioux, has contributed several columns of opinion and narrative to Chicago paper He thinks Sittin! Bull is well disposed toward the United States, but adds this criticism of the In f dian policy: '' You can't make two gov , ernments-one for the Indian and on , for the white man. You don't nee 1, them. Treat the Indian like whit ..,o,, f-o,,, tho start Show him that vol