The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-01-16

Tine most celebrated specimen of an
tique glass is the Portland Vase, which
was found in the tomb of Alexander
Severus. The vase is of deep-blue
glass, the figures, in bas-relief, are of
Opaque white, and exquisitely cut.
THE most celebrated lighthouse of
antiquity was. the one erected by
Ptolemy Soler at Pharos, near Alex
andria, Egypt, 2S5 B. c.. It was 500
feet high, and could be seen ut dis
lance of forty-two miles.
THE first observatory is supposed to
have been on the top OF the Temple of
Belus, at Babylon. The first in au-
thentic history was at Alexandria, about
800 b. @. The Royal Observatory, at
Greenwich, was founc ed by Charles H.,
1875 A. d.
The standard of the eagle was frat
borne by the Persians. Figures of the
eagle in silver and gold, sometimes with
o thunderbolt in its talons, on the point
of spear, were carried by the Romans
as ensigns. The eagle was the imperial
standard OF Napoleon, and is that of
Austria, Russia and Prussia. It is the
national emblem of the United States.
The st. Greal was tho vessel from
which our Savior is said to have taken
his last supper, and which was subse-
quently filed with the blood that flowed
from the wounds inflicted on Calvary.
It was said to have been preserved by
Joseph Aremathea. The quest of this
is the most fertile source of adventures
to the Knights of tho Round Table, and
Merlin, when he made tho table, left
place for the Greal.
The stones used for photographic
purposes are sort of calcnreous slate
found on the Danube, in Bavaria. Some
OF an Inferior quality are obtained from
England. The surface of tho stone is
polished with pumice stone. Upon the
surface prepared the design is made
with photographic chalk and ink. The
chalk is used in mold, tho ink is dis
solved by being rubbed like India ink
in water, and is used in pen or cancels
hair pencil. =
The term foolscap is derived from the
fact that Charles L. granted to certain
parties monopoly of the manufacture
of paper, and every sheet bore in water
marks the royal arms. The Parliament,
under Cromwell, made jest of this in
every conceivable manner, and ordered
the royal arms to be removed from the
paper, and the fools cap and bells SUBJ
stituted. These were removed after
the restoration, but paper of the size Of
the Parliament journals always retained
the name of foolscap" ol
John o. GRoATs House is phrase
used to designate an ancient building
formerly situated on Duncansby Head,
ly point In Great Britain. John of
Groat and his brothers were originally
from Scotland, and are said to have set
tied here, about 1889. According to
tradition, the house was of an octagonal
shape, being one room with eight win
dows and eight doors. to admit eight
members of the family, the heads Of
eight different branches of it, to pre-
. vent their quarrels for precedence at
table, which, on a previous occasion,
had we'll nigh proved fatal. Each came
in by this contrivance at his own door,
and sat at an octagonal table, at which,
of course, there was no chief place, or
head.
A CoRREsPo NDENT Of Notes and
Queries gives the following remarkable
instance of beetles tenacity of life
A relative of mine, while cutting loaf
of bread, found Embedded in it q beetle.
A small portion OF the loaf with the in
sect in it was cut out entire, and, after
lapse of about FIVE minutes, the beetle
began to crawl out, apparently none the
worse for its incarceration. 1t is, OF
, course, well known that beetles are fond
of warmth, but / should not have
thought that one would have SO com.
fortably survived some hours spent in
living tomb, escaping the danger OF
being crushed to death in the making
of the bread, and subsequently the
risk Of being killed, either by suffoca'
ton or the heat of the oven.
EDIBLE birds nest is the nest of the
sea-swallow of the Malay archipelago, 9
bird OF the size of a common martin
1t builds its nest Of glutinous sub
stance, which it is said to derive from 9
sea -weed. This weed is swallowed and
partly dige)ed, and then disgorged and
fashioned into a nest as large as q coffee
. cup. When fresh, these nests are of Q
, waxy-white color, and are said to be
worth twice their weight in silver il
the markets of China, where alone they
! are sold, the general cost being 50 OF
more pound. according to the age o.
the nests. The taste of dishes pre-
/; pared from these nests is said to be In
Y I..k
, perhaps, so much for their taste, as fol
their supposed tonic and aphrodjsia'
|, powers
A Monster Ship.