The Dickinson press., 1889-10-05
DRY Rot.

So destructive are the ~depredations of dry
rot that it may we'll be called the terror and
despair of architects and carpenters. No care
or p%recaution can be too great to prevent its
entrance into a building, for if once it finds q
lodgment its eradication is herculcan, If not
an impossible task. Professor Burnett. q
competent authority, graphically relates how
a house he occupied was twice renovated in
four years, aud had ultimately to be pulled
down. In the old era of oak built ships, they
were sometimes found to be unseaworthy be-
fore they left the stocks, with such celebrity
does it do its deadly work.
As for remedial measures, prevention is
the only certain cure. The selection of
sound, well seasoned timber is as essential as
the avoidance of damp and the securing Of
adequate ventilation in every part of the
structure. The most eflcacious prophylactjc
is saturating the timber with creosote under
high pressure, so as to thoroughly ~perneate
every portion Of the wood. This has been
practically proved in coal and other mines
where this destroyer runs riot, and its raw
ages entail much expense and insecurity,
and where its waving flakes of neecy white
have n most weird and ghostly effect in the
"darkncss visible" of the pit. In certain
mines in the north Of England where only
creosoted timber has been used for the last
thirty years, the extra cost has been amply
repaid by the comparative indcstructibility
of the timber thus treated. In house build
ing a wise precaution is the we'll smearing of
all underground floor bearing walls with tar
or pitch, which prevents the mycelium find
ing q ~lodgmst among tho mortar, in which
it revels and disintegrates its adhesive prop
erty.-Chambers' Journal.
The Height Of Chivalry.
a young woman took out of the tiny sido
pocket of her natty yachting blouse half u
pocket handkerchief. 1t was a large parallel
ogram of fine white cambria, hemstitched on
three sides. The fourth had been cut with
some sharp instrument. She smoothed it
out over her blue serge lap, with approving
little pats of dimpled white hands, and OK.
claimed:
Talk about chivalrous creatures in days
OF old, pirate knights of yore, quote the
Sir Walter Observation-Disclosures cpl
sode, even, and I'll match your tales with a
story of n nice boy of the period that beats
them oil.
The other day l came out without a hand
kerchief. When l missed it l was as far from
n shop where such articles are sold as Sidney
Smith once found himself from q lemon. The
immortal young man discovered my dilem-
ma. He didn't offer to give mo his handker-
chief. should have certainly declined if he
had. The sun was beating down fercely, the
thermometer was way up in G., and every
human countenance was perspiring like an
old fashioned refrigerator. l couldn't have
deprived him of his handkerchief at such a
moment. But l wasn't called to. He prompt
ly said he would divide it with me, whipped
out q penknife, bisected his mouchoir and
thereby made me comfortable while he still
had enough left to mop his fevercd brow.
Girls! l think more of this half handkerchief
than of any german favor 1 got last winterl"
And mademoiselle restored the fragment to
her pocket with a triumphant fourish.-New
York World.