Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-09-16

men of the family sat sewing and mending
clothes. Mules and ponies were engaged in
the open space threshing out the wheat. This
rude operation consists of dragging heavy
stone roller to within few inches Of the head
of the grain. The grain was winnowed by
men with wooden 'shovels, who gather it up
and toss it against the wind. In the house
we saw an old cone grind-millet and wheat
for family use in hollow stone mortar with
heavy wooden pestle.
The straw was packed in heaps at the angle
Of the yard. Agricultural implements of
by.gone age were lying around square har-
rows with long iron prongs plows with i'm
lnense shares Of peculiar shape the rough
carts used for transport. Heaps Of manure
were lying around for future use when dried
The dung of camels, or angol, as it is called,
which is used for fuel, was to be seen in one
of the outhouses. Having obtained permis.
sion to enter the house. we found ourselves in
square room. The furniture consisted of a
round pine table, with some two legged stools
of the commonest kind. The picture Of the
Buddha hung Immediately opposite the
door.-Cw. San Francisco Chronicle.
ORIGIN OF "a W1LD.GoosE CHASE. "A
writer in the Troy Times says: "Wild.goose
chase" was term used to express sort of
racing on horse back formerly practiced, re-
sembling the flying Of wild geese, these birds
generally going in train one after another,
not in confused hocks as other birds do. In
this sort of race the two horses, after running
twelve score yards, had liberty, which horse
soever could get the lead, to take what ground
the jockey pleased, the hindmost horse being
bound to follow him within certain distance
agreed on by the articles, or else to be whip
ped in by the triers and judges who rode by,
and whichever horse could distance the other
won the race. This sort Of racing was not
long in common use, for it was found inhu-
man and destructive of good horses when two
such were matched together. For, in this
case, neither was able to distance the other
till they were both ready to sink under their
riders and often two very good horses were
both spoiled, and the wagers forced to be
drawn at last The mischief Of this sort of
racing soon brought in the method now in
use, of only running over certain quantity
of ground, and determining the wager by
coming in first at the winning post The
phrase "wild goose chase" is now employed to
denote fruitaess attempt, or an enterprise
undertaken with little probability of success.
WELL WARMED.-Russian houses are
universally we'll warmed, so that there is no
damp to be found in them. The inmates may
dress indoors In the lightest of garbs, which
contrast oddly with tbe mass of furs and
wraps which they don when going out. A
Russian can afford to run no risk of exposure
when he leaves bis home for walk or drive.
he exposes only his nose to the air, and that
he rubs frequently. A stranger, who is apt
to forget that precaution, would often get
his nose frozen if it were not for the courtesy
of the Russians, who will always warn him
if they see his nose "whitening," and will,
unbidden, help him to chafe it vigorously
with snow. In Russian cities walking is just
possible for men during winter, but hardly so
for ladies. The women of the lower order
wear knee boots those of the shop keeping
classes seldom venture out at all those of
the aristocracy 60 out in sleighs. This mode
of conveyance is not pleasant to nervous peo-
pie, for the Ealmuck coachmen drive them
at such terrible pace that they frequently
capsize; but persons not destitute of pluck
find their motion enjoyable. It must be add
ed, that to be spilled out Of Russian sleigh
is tantamount only to getting rough tumble
on q soft mattress, for the very thick furs in
which the victim is sure to be wrapped will
bs enough to break the fall
DESPERATE FIGHT WITH RATs.-A Ger
man named Grossman keeps lager beer sa-
Icon in Franklin, Pa. Two of his sons were
sent into the cellar few days ago to get
some Swiss cheese, which was stored in
vault formerly used by brewery. An army
Of starving rats disputed their passage and
while the elder of the children fought the an
imals with pisce of iron, the other returned
to the saloon and screamed for assistance, say.
ing that bis brother was in the vault sur
rounded by rats. Mr.. Grossman and two
neighbors armed themselves with clubs and
hastened to the rescue of the boy. The sight
that met their eyes as they had entered the
vault was one such as they had never before
witnessed. The army of rats seemed to num-
ber thousands. The men joined in the con-
test but so numerous and persistent were the
rats that they were more than an hour in
conquering them. Dead rats lay piled on
every side, and their number was so reduced
that their survivors were driven to their
holes. Eight hundred and nineteen dead rats
were carried from the vault The carcases
filled large two.horse wagon box, and were
large load for a good team to draw away.
s9- Ole Bull was one of the greatest violin
lists the world ever saw, but. be believed in
simple forms of expression, and did not cuff,
kick, mutilate, smother and assassinate
plain air until its own father would not re.