The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-30
The Clam Is Not Such a Close
Follow After MI.
A QUEER MAGNETIC g i WELL
After Years Flow Shows Increased
Magnetic Qualities ~ Can'a'oupe
Crop Proved Disappointing.
The Naval Reserves.
lsueoial e rhe Times. DISPATCH.

bulating clans! The idea or clam walk-
ing seems about the most ridiculous thing
on earth. Yet when the idea is,thoroughly
invest satcd. It d93esn't appear|so entirely
bereft o! reason.
Planters and buyers who deal cxtensivc-
" In the shel-flsh, and watch the habits
Of til ewlly crustaccanS closely, tell us
that the clam really has the power Of To-
comoton, and that he doesn't forget to
use 1t when occasion demands, or incli-
nation calls for It. The clam is fitted with
a peculiar arrangement OF inward struc
lures, which enables him to do the pcdcs-
TRAN act. WhenFth notion strikes him, no
protrudes the slender, muscular portion OF
his anatomy away out between the two
edges of his shell, as II inSthe act OF feed
Ing, until 1t touches the sand on which
he rests. This produces q fitting motion
OF the body, greatly enhanced By the
spherod shell and before the shell can
resume It's old seat, tho bill has come
again into contact with the sand, forcing
the shell into new position slight dis
lance away. This method may be much
slower than the proyerblnl tortoise even,
but Is considerably more than the clam
is generally given credit for Plan
tiers and dealers have both told your cor
/ Respondents of strange experiences With
. the shell-fsh and their tendency to emil,
CRATE. Itjmatters not how many or how
few CLAIMS be laid down In their stakes for
shipment, in few days they scarcely
ever recover the exact number put over
board and even then; they find them
scattered over q much larger area than
expected. times entirely without the
stake lines. AS dumb as an oyster or mute
as clam Is an obsolete expression
Crabs are quite destructive to clans
that have been laid down In stakes also
When the clam opens his his bill to feed.
catching the minute substances off
which he exists. tho crab sees his OPP
. portllnlty. for q delicate repast Of which
they are passionat ely fond. Sneaking up
very, close. lie suddenly inserts the slender
back fin with which nature has provided
him. and clips the heart Of his prey as
quick as wink, after which everything
Is all the crabs way.
THE MAGNETIC WE'LL.
The magnetic we'll at the residence OF
Mr.. ]. NJ. shacklcford. near Achilles, post
Office, in Gloucester county, now about a
year old. has not lost any Of Its strange
pecularites after It's twelve months flow.
The we'll is located In what Is known as
Guinea, the low lying, marshy, eastern
extremity Of the county. It was dug by
H. Slump; OF Reamston, Penn, and
lis -615 feet deep, flows 20 gallons an hour,
& and has q temperature of 65 degrees Fair.
The magnetic property seems, { anything,
to- sllghtly Increase In power, and tho we'll
will still do some wonderful tricks with
metal Arteslan wells have been demon
strated to be a complete success in this
part Of Tidewatcr, and the number Is be-
Ing steadily increased at a very rapid
rate This method of pure water supply Is
a great boon, and has and Will continue
to greatly increase the value OF real es-
tate, Surface wells are more or less OF q
farce in this nelghborhood. as the water
obtained is of very poor quality. Cisterns
I iaregt he principal means Of water supply.
& ana saH sa 1natter OF fact they are very
unreliable i, res pecally in the torrid weather
of summer time. 3s.i. 9i ~
POOR MELON CROP.
The muskmelon or cantaloupe season is
rapidly drawing to close, and very
disappointing season it has been. Mucn
complaint is heard from both producei.
dealer and consumer, also OF the great
deterioration OF quality OF the fruit. In
stead Of the luscious juicy melon Of the
past, the every day article OF these pro-
gresslve times Is a nauseous. tasteleHs
vegetable. more nearly akin to the Gu
cumber than the little "netted gems" OF
a former generation.
f The Intuition nluskmelon. the rankest
ilnposter In the vegetable world. the
king OF ali deceits, deserves rather to.be
the food OF the lowly swine than adorn
the breakfast table, or form the imita-
tlon dessert ut luncheon An entirely
new idea In connection with the growth
OF the cantaloupe Is new enemy--tho
unthought OF terrapIn These animals
have been observed to entar&a melon
patch and feast off the fruit to their
satisfaction. While not very extensive.
one would scarcely Imagine the amount
OF damage. ono Of these terrapin can
work in a field OF ripe melons
Fodder pulling has Just commenced.
and Is greatly hampercd by the lack "
necessary labor. The yield seems to bs
slightly above the average, owing to the
large amount OF rain which has fallon
In the latter part OF tho growing season.
The ear Is found to be better than was
expected. a r.. G. Griffin, highly respect
ed colored farmer OF the town. was much
surprised and very much elated to dis
cover In n ten-acre field OF corn, num-
bers OF ears measuring 10 inches lcng,
while the fair average for the field Is
| 10 to IA Inches. The same party Is also
the proud possessor OF an enormlty IN
summer fruit which this year bore indi-
yIluai specimens Weighing 10 ounces,
and OF fine flavor, being perfect fruit In
every particular. This ample resembles
very much the celebrated "Albemare
CHANcERY MATTERS,
r. N, Crooks, COMMISSIONS OF accounts,
heard deposltions during the week In the
case OF j, w. DRYDEN, Jr., VS.. James s.
Hopkins. Involving a suit IN ,e,haIncery
In the October term Of Circuit Court
The suit carries with It tho right to
seven and a Malt acres of valuable oyster
bottom, in poauoson River. near Hunts
Wharf and contains probably 5000 BUSH
els Of oysters. brilliant counsel are en-
pioyed in tho case Hon, ], +. Hubbard
represonting the defendant and ex-senato.
], N, Stubs tho plaintiff,
The old auxiliary cruiser Fern has been
hero in the early part of the week with
the District Of Columbia naval battalion
aboard. The reserves numbered 1875 men
and fifteen officers sub!oallbre practice,
rifle target service battalion drill ashore,
w YER iii T. engaged in during tho four Of
five DAYS of The cruise While she lay
here 'a The only casually was a supposed
sunstrolse which, however, proved to bo
an overdose of green apples,
- 1880 r,.isor md family of FEM