Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-08-12

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great deal of his attention while Curran
was addressing very elaborate argument to
him. At very material point in the speech,
the Judge turned away, and seemed to be
wholly engrossed with his dog. Curran ceased
to speak. $50 on, 60 on, Mr.. Curran," said
the Chancellor. "Oh, beg thousand par
dons, my lords" said The witty barrister, II
really was under the impression that your
| lordships were in consultation"
The EYE OF THE EAGLE-When we re-
collect that an eagle will ascend more than a
mile in perpendicular height, and from That
great elevation perceive the unsuspecting prey,
and pounce on it with unerring certainty
and when We see some birds scrutinizing, with
almost microscopic nicely, an object close at
hand, we shall at once perceive that he pos
sesses the power of accommodating his sight
to distance in a manner to which our eye is
unified, and of which it is totally incapable.
If we take a. printed page we shall find that
there is sorne particular distance, probably
ten inches, at which we can read the words
and see each letter with perfect distinctness;
but if we move the page to distance of forty
inches we shall find it impossible to read it
at all. A scientific man would, therefore,
call ten inches the focus or focal distance Of
our eyes. We cannot alter this focus except
by the aid Of spectacles. But an eagle has
the power Of altering the focus of his eye just
as he pleases he has only to look at an object
at the distance Of two feet or two miles in
order to see it with perfect distinctness. The
ball of the eye is surrounded by fifteen little
plates, sclerotic bones. They form complete
ring and their edges slightly overlap each 9th
er. When he looks at distant object, this lit
tie circle of bone expands, and the ball Of the
eye being relieved from the pressure becomes
hatter and whenhe looks at very near OBJ
ject the little bones press together, and the
ball of the eye is pressed into rounder or
more convex form. The effect is very famil-
lar to everybody. A person with very round
eyes is near-sighted, and only sees clearly an
object that is close to Kim and person with
fiat eyes, as in old age, can see nothing clearly
except at distance. The eagle, by the mere
will, can make his eyes round or fiat, and see
with equal clearness at any distance.
THE DEVILS FRU1T.-Potatoes were first
introduced at Moscow by Mr.. Lowland, eighty
or ninety years ago. At first the people
would not handle them, saying that they
were the "Devil's fruit" given to him on his
complaining to God that he had no fruit,
when he was told to search in the earth for
some, which he did, ard found potatoes. 49,,
A curious legend attributes the introduc-
ton of potatoes into Scotland to that famous
wizard, who being in partnership with the
devil, took lease Of the farm on the Marion's
estate called the White House. The wizard
was to manage the farm, the devil to furnish
the capital, and the produce to be divided
as follows: The first year St. Michael was to
have all that grew below the surface; the
second the shares were to be the opposite way.
His Satanic Majesty, as is usual in such
cases, was largely overreached in his bargain,
for the wizard cunningly sowed all the land
the first year with wheat, and planted it in
potatoes the second, so that the devil got
nothing for his share but wheat stubble and
potato tops. And this scourgiug rotation Sir
Michael continued until he had mt only beg
CARED his partner but exhausted the soil. In
spite of this legend, however, we must continue
to give credit to Sir Walter Raleigh for hav-
ing been the introducer of potatoes in this
country. The first who tried them, we are
told, fell into the natural mistake of eating
the apples and disregarding the roots.