The Washington critic., 1889-04-17
MATTER WORTH READING.

Engnsn spelling IL remarkable Tor It's In
definite variety. As long ss "tlzic" is
spelled 'phthisic" the voice Of the spelling
reformer should be heard In the land. Mr..
Turner, in the following incident, In view
Of our present method Of spelling, was en-
tirely consistent:
Jones met his friend Turner on the train.
They are both going to GAINESVILLE, and stop
at the same hotel Turner registers his
name thusly:
"E. X. Phtholognyrrhn
Jones, noticing II, exclaims;
"Here What are you assuming such
foreign, outlandish name forY Are you in
any trouble ?"
"Not bit Of IT," replies Turner, "and
am not assuming any foreign name"
"Whut kind Of name Is that 2" de
manded Jones.
"That is my identical old name," per-
sists Turner, "and II is English, too--pro-
nounced plainly 'Turner'n
~ can't see how you get Turner out of
those thirteen letters, and besides what Is
our object in spelling that wayS" asks
Jones'.
name on the register when wrote IL Tur-
ner,n explains the latter, "but since com
menccd writing II 'Phtholognyrrh' put
them all to guessing. They wonder what
nation am from; what my name is. can
now hear people talking about me all
around. 1t is as said beforc-it is English
spelling. 'Phth,' there is the sound OF ~
in ''phtbisic; 'olo," there is the 'ur' in 'col-
onel;' gn,' there is the IN in 'gnat;' 'yrrh'
is the sound of 'er' in 'myrrh.' Now, If
that don't spell Turner what does 1t
spellS"--[Yankec Blade.
workings of Prohibition.
A week or two ago well-known dealer
in live stock Of this city went over to
Washington County to make deal with q
big stock raiser, who is also prominent as a
strict prohibitlonist. The cattle having
been inspected and the price agreed upon
the Washington County man retired to the
house TO make out receipt aud so on,
leaving the Pittsburger in his sons hands.
As soon as the old man had disappeared In
doors his son, bright lad nearing his ma
jority, said to the Pittsburger: "This is
rather dry work talking all day, aint ~
The Pittsburger vehemently assented.
"Well," continued the young man, 'I've
q bottle out in the haymow, and we might
ms well get taste OF the stuff while dads
not by"
The Plttsburger said yes again, and the
two repaired to the haymow and looked
upon the contents of the black bottle.
rrban tba yornc NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. l,1 tLo
bottle in the haymow, saying as he did so:
"Don't tell the old man anything about
this--hes awfully down on drinkingl'
OF course the Pittsburger vowed silence
as he smacked his lips and left the young
man in the barn. Two minutes later he
was in the house paying over the money to
the old stock-raiser. After the business in
hand had been dispatched and the bargain
had been closed the Pittsburger was about
to take his leave, when the old man said,
rather awkardly: "Say, are you feelin' dryY
I've q jug down In the cellar, and the
liquors. fne."
1t is hardly necessary to say they were
soon in the cellar. AS the old prohibitionist
drained his glass he said TO his guest:
"Don't say nothing bout this to them boys
o. mine-they don't know about the jug!"-
IPittsburg Dispatch.
Spinning Gold Thread.
Perhaps some Of our readers may be in
terested to know how silver bars can be
transformed into gold thread. In the first
place, the silver is brought from the Bank
of England in cakes, weighing about one
thousand ounces.
To secure the necessary degree Of tenacity
certain proportion of copper is added, aud
the alloyed metal, in the form of cylindrical
bars, is next thoroughly heated.
The hammering process follows, and the
bars--originally about two feet in length
and Two inches in diameter, but now half
as long again, and proportionately thinner
ARE in the next place fled and rubbed
until their surfeces are perfectly even.
What we may call the second part of the
process begins with the lay ing on of leaf
after leaf Of gold in the proportion of two
per cent. Afterward, each bar is wrapped
In paper and we'll heated In charcoal
fire.
A sort Of wise stands ready, and in IL bar
after bar, as 1t comes from the fire, is fixed
and thoroughly FURNISHED. All trace Of its
silver original has now disappeared, and
the bar is ready for conversion into wire.
This is accomplished by drawing It from
100 to $50 times through ever-diminishing
holes in steel plates; aud finally, when the
capabilities of this metal have been ex-
hauted, through apertures in diamonds,
rubies or sapphires.
The delicate wire thus obtained must be
passed through the steel rollers of one Of
Herr Krupp's little ''flatiing-mills." This
brings us to the final process-the spinning
of the tlattened wire round silk, to form the
golden thread Of commerce.
These spinping-machines are worked by
water, although two steam engines are TO
be found In the factory; for water-power Is
considered to be more regular and even in
its action.
There is n small home demand for the
round wire for the adornment of epaulets,
etc., says Chambers Magazine, but the
bulk of the manufactured article finds its
way In the shape of silky gold thread to
India and the far East generally, where It
is converted by skilled native labor Into
those gorgeous cloths and tissues in which
the heart of the Oriental delights.
A singuiariy Checkered Career.
Miss Florence Warden, author'of 'The
House on the Marsh," and other we'll
known but eerie novels, has had a singu-
larly checkered career. Left at an early
age dependent upon her own exertions, she
started as governess. But she soon tired
of uncongenial drudgery and took TO the
stage, her first appearance being at the
Haymarket, then under the Bancroft
regime. There she appeared with credit in
several of their productions, and It wac
while playing at the Haymarket that eth,