Year: 1867

Coop JOKE ON CHARLEY.-For the following
story the Sacramento Bee is re-
sponsible 90 We will premise, by saying what
everybody knows, namely, that for some years
young ladies have been in the habit of cutting
their hair off short, and then combng as best
suited their fancy, boy style-divided on one
side, girl fashion-parted in the center, as
the freak might take them. Well, to make
long story short, we have a friend-or had one
when this appeared in print-that friend was
married not many months since to gushing
young beauty whom, with ruthless hands, he
transplanted from the foothills to his rusty old
bachelors couch in the city. Time passed pleas
antly for many weeks. Suddenly the dear
'Chawles was called upon to leave the city upon
important business. He might be back by mid
night would if he could but probably would
not be able to look down into the deep blue eyes
of his darling until the morrow but she must
go to bed and sleep sweetly, not sit up for him,
for petite might take cold, SO amid perfect
April shower of tears, the doting creatures
took their first adieu. Now the good little wifey
had no idea of sleeping alone-not bit of it.
So off she posted to a neighbor's, and engaged
the services of the Oldest daughter of the family
a wild rollicking girl of sixteen, with hair trim
med short and parted on one side, boy style, and
withal not a little masculine in features. Home
they went, and at the proper hour sought rest
and refuge from earth's troubles, in the arms OF
Morpheus. The long raven locks of the wife
spread out upon the pillows, with the face OF her
short-haired companion half hidden beneath its
luxuriant folds, formed mean picture of
Adonis as he might be fancied slumbering in
the arms of Venus. The sleepy god had fairly
sealed their eyes, when Charley returned, and
stealthily opening the door by means of a night
key, stood within his wife's room. By the dim
light of the night lamp, he saw the position of
affairs He'll and furies he yelled, de-
ceivers, what do you mean My wife, oh my
wife, what have you done? The exclamation,
of course, rudely awakened the sleepy beauties,
and for the moment confounded them both but
the short-haired Miss, ready for the occasion,
replied: Why, Charley, don't you know it's
me? Charley took an upstairs room that
night. No questions will be answered at this
Office, but the yarn is true"


SHARPENING PIcKs.-The Mining Press has the
annexed directions for sharpening picks, which
is commended to the consideration of adopts at
that business, with the request for new sugges-
tions "A pick should never be "upset," ham,
mered endwise, or raised above a full red heat.
The steel should moreover be heated as quickly
as possible, as long exposure to heat-even if
that heat is not in excess-injures its texture.
Many backsmiths find great difficulty in tenn
pering picks, because they do not choose good
steel. After being heated the PICK must De
worked with care, special pains being taken, in
drawing it out, to hammer on all sides alike-in
one place as much as another. When ready for
hardening it should be heated in the blaze of
charcoal fire until red hot, and then plunged


into cold rain water, and kept there until nearly
cold but if kept too long in the water, or until
quite cold, the corners are liable to fly off. Some
blacksmiths use salt water. No salt of any kind
should exist in the water. But the water should
ho a1A fho 10 iao
should be thrown in to chill it, the temper will
be all the better. Pure soft water for hardening
will make tougher pick, and one less liable to
crack at the edges than where salt water is
used. The last hammering of pick should al
ways be given on the fat sides, and across close
to the edge, and then up each side about an
inch. By so doing the corners will be less liza
BILE to crack off. The same process will work
well with all edge tools.