Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-04-19

The engineers on the Pennsylvania road
are carefully selected by the road foreman
of engines, and no man known to drink
liquor would be allowed to run an engine
an hour. Not only is their life while on
duty carefully scrutinized, but their move
ments while off duty are generally known
by the officers. GA man must have the
qualification of clear head and a steady
hand" said an official to the reporter.
Some engineers handle train more grace
fully than others. Some stop train grad
uaIly by applying the air and then allow
ing it to exhaust, repeating the manipula-
ton two or three times, which stops the
train by degrees and prevents the jerking
of the cars and shaking the passengers up,
while other engineers, who have not the
knack, stop the train frequently with one
application of the air-brake.
Charles Dickens told friend on alight-
ing from train during visit to this coun-
try, that his first thought on stepping upon
the platform was, "Thank God and the
engineer" A close observer will notice
that travellers seldom look at the engineer
as they pass down the platform from the
train when they have reached their jour-
ney's end.
WHY Do BIRDS SING with all this
strong tendency on the part OF birds to vary
their music, how is it that there is still such
a degree of uniformity, so that, as we have
said, every species may be recognized by It's
notes? Why does every red-eyed vireo
sing one way, and every white-eyed Vlreo
in another? Who teaches the young chip.
per to trill, and the young linnetto warb!e:
In short, how do birds come by their music?
Is it all matter of instinct, inherited habit,
be that birds sing as children talk, by sim
pie imitation. Nobody imagines that the
infant is born with a language printed upon
his brain. The father and mother may
never have known a word of any tongue ex-
cept the English, but if the child is brought
up to hear only Chinese, he will infallibly
speak that, and nothing else. And careful
experiments have shown that the same IS
true of BIRDS Taken from the nest just
after they leave the shell, they invariably
sing, not their own so-called natural song,
but the song of their fOster-parents; proVl-
ded, of course, that this is not anything be-
yond theirphyscal capacity. Thenotorious
house sparrow (our "English" sparroW), in
his wild or semi-domesticated state, never
makes musical sound but If he is taken
in hand early enough, he may be taught 10
sing, so it is said, nearly as we'll as the cana
ry. Bechstein relates that Paris clergy
man had two Of these sparrOws whom he
had trained to- speak, and, among other
things, to recite several of the shorter COM
mandments; and the narrative goes on TO
saw that it was sometimes very cOmlcal,
when the pair were disputing over their
food, to hear one gravely admonish the 9TH
er, "Thou shalt not stealw 1t would be in
teresting to know why creatures thus gifted
donot sing of their own motion. With their
amiability and sweet peaceableness they
ought to be caroling the whole year round.
atlantic Monthly.
If You PLEAsE.-When the Duke OF
Wellington was sick the last thing ne took
was a little tea. On his servants handlng
it to him on saucer and asking him II ne
would have it, the Duke replied, Eyes, If
YOU please" These were his last words.
How much kindness and courtesy is express
ed by them He who had commanded the
great armies in Europe, and had long used
the throne of authority, did not despise or
overlook the small cOurteSieS OF life. AND
how many boys do? What rude tone OF
command they often use to theirlittle broth
ers and sisters, and sometimes to thelrmoth,
ers This is ill-bred and unchristian and
shows a coarse nature and hard heart. In
all your home talk remember "lf you
please" 10 all who wait upon you and
serve YOU, believe that eff you please" will
make YOU better served than all the cross
or ordering words in the whole dictionary.
Don't forget three little words-"lf you
please"
Life is made up, not of great sacrifices or
duties, but of little things, Of which smiles
and Kindness and small obligations, given
habitually, are what win and preserve the
heart, and secure the comfort.
THE DAUGHTER OF NAPoLEoN.-While
the silver wedding fetes were proceeding
at Berlin the daughter of an Emperor died
in the most abject poverty near Cologne,
and was buried by the communal authorl-
ties. She was unmarried, and lived IN
Wretched room, hung round with the por-
traits of the Bonapartes. She was a daugh-
ter of the first Napoleon, and was born IN
1911 in the palace of the Archbishop OF
Cologne. William III was her godfather,
and She received the title Of Countess de
Falkenburg. She was brought up at Mont
ioie at the expense Of her father, and then
placed in convent in Italy, which she left
when about 80 years of age. Some say she
was too fond of luxury; others that she was
too generous; but at all events she soon got
through a considerable property. and re-
turned to Cologne, penniless, at the age OF
50. A prominent citizen applied to NaPo-
leon III, but no notice was taken. She,
DOOR thing, dropped her title, and earned
miserable pittance by needle work, supple
mented by small allowance from a rlch
family living near the Rhine, who claimed
left-handed descent from jerome Napoleon,
King of Westphalia:
CABLING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC.-HoW
long does it take to transmit message
through the Atlantic cable? The New York
Journal of Commerce has been investigating
this question, and simple as it looks at first
SIGHT there are many singular and interest
ING points to answer. When the electricity
is applied to the cable at one end, two-tenths
of a second pass before any effect is felt at
the other and three seconds are consumed
before the full force fthe current is in ac-
ton, The first signal is felt fOur-tenths ora
second, but the following ones 60 through
more rapidly. AS many as seventeen WOraS
have been sent over the Atlantic cable IN
one minute fifteen can usually be sent un-
der pressure, and twelve words minute is
a good working rate. Messages Of twelve
| words have been sent all the way from New
York to London in two minutes. a TACT
not vet explained by the scientists is that
| the electricity does not move as rapidly
| from New York to London as in the oppo-
site direction.
| S1yBJEcr FOR THoUGHT.-Half the trouble
in this world arises from sin Of yielding TO
passion. Temper increases ten-fold by ac-
| ton. If you speak you will say too much
and the more you say the more passive you
will feel There are times when 1T is rlght
to show proper resentment, when manhood
or Womanhood is insulted; times when
something ought to be said; but wait till
the sweet by and by-then you vii! know
what you ought to say, and often when we
thus wait we shall respect ourselves more
to keep still, and let the sinner go rebuked
by our silent contempt.