Al'OTENTDRUQ.
The Great Tnlno of Quinine Its Universal
Medical Use.
No other substance In the whole
range of the raatoria medJca has been
HO great a boon to the human race as
quinine ; and in later years it lias been
administered to many ailing domestic
animals with decided benefit. A vast
amount of suffering has been alleviated
by it ; and many hundreds of thousands
of lives have been saved or prolonged ,
during the settlement of our now country -
try , where there has boon constant exposure -
posuro to decaying accumulations of
centuries of vegetable growth.
" " "chills " " "
"Ague , , "fevor-anu-aguo"
have been the things , of all others , to
bo dreaded by those going into new
regions , especially those covered with
forests in some what level countries.
Wo well remember that when our
neighbors , in families and groups ,
emigrated to the wilds of Michigan ,
the Tirst inquiry made concerning them
was whether .they had yet had , or how
they got through with the inevitable
intermittent fever , or "fevornague , "
as it was usually termed. During the
late war , probably more men were
placed hors du combat , and came
homo witli health shattered by malaria
than perished from the rifle and can
non missiles. It is perhaps safe to say
that the amount or suflenng from thfs
cause would have been doubled had
not quinine been a leading article in
the army medical supplies.
The largo increase in the average
length of human life during the ' last
forty years is due in no small measure
to the increased production of quinine ,
and its almost universal use by phy
sicians. The writer of this can but
speak with gratitude , and feelingly , on
this subject , after suffering more or
less for a dozen years from the effects
of malaria brought home from long
day and night service in the hospital
camps of Virginia during 1863-64.
Tinding little relief from any other
treatment , excepting when residing
among the mountains of Switzerland ,
he began the use of quinine in 1876 , by
the advice of the late Bishop Simpson ,
The change was wonderful. With the
exception of a temporary prostration
by heat in < ho summer of 1883 , ho has
not lost a dozen days from ill-health
since taking the Bishop's advice ; and
to-day by the continuance of very
small quantities of quinine only , he is
more vigorous than even in "the prime
of life" period , between 40 and 50. He
goes through fourteen to sixteen hours
a day of vigorous work , and even en
joys it. We attribute this almost whol
ly to quinine , and one reason why will
bo seen further or ,
A little history of quinine will be in
teresting. The natives of some parts
of South America , particularly in Peru
and Ecuador , had long known the
beneficial effects of the bark of the
Cinchona tree or shrub. Perhaps from
its having been found largely in Peru ,
it received the appellation of "Peru
vian Bark. " It has , in its different va
rieties , been called Cinchona bark ,
Calisayabark , and a score of other less
common names. One report is , that the
Spanish Countess of Cinchon , whose
husband had been Viceroy of Peru ,
brought the remedy into Spain on her
return in 1640. After its introduction it
was sold by the Jesuits for its weight
in silver. It only became generally
known in England and Franco just
about 200 years ago. But the powdered
bark , or a decoction of it , was mainly
employed up to the present century ,
and in leading medical works of only
forty years ago , the bark was chiefly
specified. Since then , the work of ex
tracting quinia , or quinine , from the
bark , has gone forward with rapid
strides , and during twenty-live years
past the use of quinine has very greatly
extended. There is now made and used
double if not three-fold the quantity of
twenty years ago. The English gov
ernment established the culture of the
cinchona tree in East India passessions ,
and these plantations are now supply
ing an immense amount of the bark
from which quinine is extracted. TheE
resent unprecedented low price is
E irgely due to this new source of sup
U ply.
, Quinine is an alkaline substanee ob
tained by chemical processes somewhat
i tedious and expensive from cinchona
bark , which yields 2 td 3 per cent of its
weight. This quinia , or quinine , is now
almost universally used in the form of
a sulphate a union of the alkali with
sulphuric acid and whenever quinine
is spoken of without qualification , the
sulphate of quinine is meant. The read
er has doubtless noticed that in all pre
scriptions the sulphate of quinine is
specified. Its effects are quite similar to
the powdered bark , or the simple quin
ine. During the war when providing it
for the- use of the United States
Sanitary Commission , or for private
uge , it cost , if we remember , rightly ,
about $100 a pound , or $6 to § 8 per
ounce. To-day it is quoted in Europe
V as low as SI an ounce (437i grains ) ,
and can probably be bought in large
quantities as low as that in New York.
This very low rate , as stated above , is
due to the present over stock , resulting
in part from the production of the cin
chona trees by the English govern
ment. It is said that even with the re
cent great improvement in the pro
cesses of manufacture or extraction
present prices are below actual cost.
But it is doubtful whether the whole
sale price will ever raise to $2 an
ounce , unless it be during the temporary
ary "corner. " Formerly there were
only two or three manufacturers in
our own or in any one European coun
try. Now there are several , and com
petition is likely to keep prices within
reasonable limits. The old charge of
3 to 6 cents a grain may be maintained
, by druggists dealing it out in small
'doses ; but any one can get an ounce
of sulphate of quinine for from $1.50 to
$2.
$2.We
We do not believe in recommending
any medicine to promiscuous use. We
refuse all medical advertisements be
cause , however good a medicine may
be , no unprofessional person can say
that this or that may be used , or use
ful in his case. What may be highly
valuable to one , may be injurious or
even poisonous to another , and no one
but a quack will offer to cure or pre
scribe for a distant person on his own
.statement of his symptoms. The best
iphysicians will not prescribe for them-
solves , well knowing that they can not
do so safely when their own judgment
is distorted by ill-health and therefore
unreliable. But wo consider quinine
in small doses to bo tested and in
creased after carefully observing its
effect as one of the safest and most
universally useful medicines for ordin
ary illness.
It has a specific effect in destroying
malaria in the system , and is an anti
dote for intermittent fevers and many
other ailments. In our own experience
of its use wo reason thus : Strength ,
recuperation from a low condition of
system , can only como from good fo6d
well digested ; but ii the system , and
especially the digestive organs , be
out of sorts , bo weak , they will not di
gest food well. Now , one , two , or
more grains of quinine taken before ,
or even with the meal , tones up the di
gestive organs , enabling them to per
form their appropriate work. The
food thus digested enters into and
builds up the system and thus restores
strength and vigor. So , when weary
and languid at the ciose of a day's
work , if before partaking of a late
dinner on arriving home , one takes a
grain or two , or more of quinine , it
tones up the system to appropriate a
a good meal , which in turn furnishes
the vigor and strength needed for an
other day's toil. As the quinine itself
is a vegetable or organic substance , it
is digested along with the food , and is
wholly out of the blood in a few hours.
During the past eight years the writer
has probably taken from 18,000 to 20-
000 grains , seldom over ten or twelve
grains in one day , and often none.
Contrary to the long-held opinion of
phj'sicians it does not lose its effect
from continuous use. When in full
vigor and not over-worked , it is omit
ted , but in this case , usually within a
week , the old malarial symtoms , the
heritage of the war camp , reappear
very plainly. Prairie Farmer.
i
Vanderbilt and a Cripple.
As nearlv as I can ascertain , Van-
derbilt's gift of $5t)0,000 ) to the New
York College of Physicians and Sur
geons all came from a small incident.
Vanderbilt stopped at a wayside inn
in upper New York , as it is his custom
of an afternoon , to rest his horses and
take a glass of gin and water. The
place is known to our horsemen as
Barry's , and is commonplace enough ,
except for being the stopping-place
for Vanderbilt , and for that reason a
resort for the chronic roadsters. While
he stood with his back to the bar , his
elbow on it , and a glass of grog
"two fingers of Holland gin , two of
hot water and a spoonful of sugar"
a pitiable cripple entered a little boy ,
with misshapen legs and back awry.
"How did you get in such a shape ,
sonny ? " Vanderbilt asked.
"I was runned over , " the urchin re
plied.
An accident on the road had special
interest for the questioner , and he in
quired the particulars. The little fel
low had been overturned and trampled
on by a fast horse. He was too poor
to be doctored at home , and his mother
had foolishly objected to his removal
tea hospital where he might have re
ceived proper treatment , but he had
been taken to the College of Physi
cians and Surgeons , where applicants
get inadequate attention , or only such
as will serve as illustrations to the les
sons which the students are learning ,
the facilities being so limited as to
preclude anything further.
It chanced that Prof. Doremus. the
specialist in chemistry , dropped into
the bar-room at this juncture. In an
swer to the king of mammon's ques
tions he said it was a pity that this
college , with the most skillful of sur
geons in its faculty , and the incentive
to utilize injured persons at once to
their own benefit and the teachings of
the students , was prevented from do
ing so by the limited quarters and
scant facilities. He said that a big
building would serve as good a pur
pose as he knew of in the whole range
of New York charity. From that di-
rectlv came Vanderbilt's unexpected
§ 500,000. New York Cor. Albany Jour
nal ,
White Bread.
It appears to be a fact that this small
quantity of alum whitens the bread.
In this , as in so many other cases of
adulteration , there are two guilty
parties the buyer who demands im
possible or unnatural appearance , and
the manufacturer who supplies the
foolish demand. The judging of bread
by its whiteness is a mistake which
has led to much mischief , against
which the recent agitation for "whole
meal" is , I think , an extreme reaction.
If the husks , which is demanded by
the whole-meal agitators , were as di-
ge'stible as the inner flour , they would
unquestionably be right , but it is easy
to show that it is not , and that in some
cases the passage of the undigested
particles may produce mischievous-
irritation in the intestinal canal. My
own opinion on this subject ( it still
remains in the region of opinion rather
than of science ) is that a middle course
is the right one vis. : that bread
should be made of moderately dressed
or "seconds" flour rather than over
dressed "firsts" orundressed "thirds , "
1 e. , unsifted whole-meal flour.
Such seconds flour does not produce
white bread , and consumers are un
wise in demanding whiteness. In my
household we make our own bread ,
but occasionally , when the demand
exceeds ordinary supply , a loaf or two
is bought from the baker. I find that ,
with corresponding or identical flour ,
the baker's bread is whiter than the
homemade , and correspondingly in
ferior. I may say , colorless in flavor ,
it lacks the characteristic of wheaten
sweetness. There are , however , ex
ceptions to- this , as certain bakers are
now doing a great business in supply
ing what they call "home-made" or
'farm-house bread. It is darker in
color than ordinary bread , but is sold ,
nevertheless , at a higher price , and I
find that it has the flavor of the bread
made in my own kitchen. When their
customers become more intelligent ,
all the bakers will doubtless cease to
incur the expense of buying packets
"stuff" " " other
of
or "rocky , or any
bleaching abomination. The Chemis
try of Cookery,1' ' in Popular Science
Monthly.
LINCOLN ON LIQUOn.
A Speech at a Temperance Meeting Thirty
Years Ago.
Mr. Luke C. Grimes , formerly City
Librarian and an active politician , has
for thirty years taken a deep interest ,
at intervals , in temperance move
ments. Ho is at present a member of
Perry Lodge , order of Good Templars ,
and Great Commander of the Knights
of the Cross in tko State of New York.
During the Washingtonian temperance
excitement about 1853 or 1854 he
was present at a meeting where the
late President Lincoln made a speech ,
and the story of the interesting event ,
as told by him , is as follows : "Ono
Sunday afternoon in 1853 or 1854,1
am not certain of the year , " began
Mr. Grimes , "I attended a meeting
in the large hall on the top floor of
the building on the southeast corner
Broome street and the Bowery , given
under the auspices of Neptune Divis
ion , Washington Sons of Temperance.
The same apartment is used to-day
for the meeting of Franklin Lodge of
Good Templars. The meeting on the
occasion of which I speak was presided
over by Daniel Walford , who is still
alive and engaged in the good work ,
being a member of Hope Lodge , Good
Templars. After an opening address
by the presiding oflicer , the audience
was called upon for five-minute
speeches. Many were made , but the
material giving signs of being exhaust
ed Mr. Wolford resorted to direct
personal appeal , and addressing a per
son who was modestly seated in a re
mote corner of the room , said : "Per
haps our friend in the corner will
make a few remarks. " The audience
instinctively , of course , gazed in the
direction indicated by the speaker ,
and saw the gaunt uncouth form of a
very tall man slowly arise from a seat.
A half-suppressed titter ran through
the assemblage at the appearance of
the individual. He was clad in home
spun garments of a grayish color ,
which added to the quaintness of his
aspect. So leisurely did he rise from
his chair that it seemed as though he
must be about 7 feet high. His com
plexion was sallow , his cheeks sunken ,
and his hair and beard were black
the latter slightly grizzled. But the
most remarkable feature was his eyes ;
they were deep sunken in the sockets ,
jet black , and they glowed like coals
of fire , and impressed me with the
fact that their possessor was no ordi
nary man. Well , at last he had risen
to his full height , and was seen to beef
of much more than average stature ,
but slightly stooped. After a deliber
ate survey of the audience for a
minute or two , he began to fpeak ,
and I tell you it was not long before
the titter I spoke of gave place to mur
murs of applause and admiration , and
he wasn't restricted to the five-minute
rule either. I can only give a mere
outline of the address. He dwelt of
course upon the evil effects of liquor
drinking , and illustrated his speech
with many amusing anecdotes , but
one feature I recall very distinctly ,
and that was a tribute paid to b"is
mother , in which he said that what
ever success he had attained , and
whatever force he had brought to
bear to resist temptation he felt was
due to the principle of self-reliance
inculcated by his mother ; that she
always taught him that he was re
sponsible for his acts , and could do
either right or wrong as he should
choose. He said furthermore : "In
the Far West , whence I come , rum has
not yet made the ravages that mark
its dread path in the crowded cities
of the East , and 1 trust there shall
never be found wanting earnest men
to warn the pioneer that his labor will
be useless unless he excludes from his
presence the dread destroyer , rum ! "
These were the words of the speaker
as near as I can recollect , but I recall
distinctly the conclunding sentence
of the speech , which was as follows :
"I am from the Far West on my way
to Washington , and my name is
Abraham Lincoln. " None of his
hearers had ever heard the name be
fore , but all realized that the owner
was an able man. When the meeting
broke up Mr. Lincoln passed out
with the crowd , and I never saw him
again till I was introduced to him
at the Astor House in 1861 , when , as
he said , perhaps prophetically , he
was on his way to Washington to the
Presidency and to his death. New
York Telegram.
Two Beautiful Americans.
Thirteen or fourteen years ago ,
writes a New York correspondent of
The Pittsburgh Chronicle , we chanced
to be spending the early part of the
gay season in Nice , the French water
ing place. It was a most brilliant
winter socially , dozens of pretty wo
men daily held their court triumph
antly , and it was conceded that there
had not oeen gathered together for
many a year such a garland otbeauty
as a glance at the ball-room of the
Casino would nightly display to ad
miring hundreds. There were a great
many Americans , of course , as where
are not our ubiquitious country manor
"
or woman to be found ? Of "course
there was no lack of gossip , and prom
inent ainong those talked about were
two ladies , compatriots of ours , the
one a widow , neither young nor pre-
tendeng to be , of magnificence pres
ence , rich and charming , giving superb
entertainments , and living like i prin
cess.
cess.This ladies name has since "become
in its way famous enough , for it was
no other'than Mrs. Hicks , now Mrs.
Hicks-Lord , with a hyphen. The oth
er lady was one of the most beautiful
and fascinating women I have ever
seen. A perfect siren among men ,
she was young , of perfect manner ,
faultless of form and features , with a
voice enchanting sweet in speaking ,
and leaving nothing to be desired
when , as rarely happened , she conde-
scened to sing to the two or three fa
vored ones counted among her friends.
Both of these ladies were usually
seen surrounded by gentlemen , and
rarely were they found in public with
other ladies. At first they did not
'
seem to know each other , 'but finally
they appeared to have formed a friend
ly acquaintance , and from thenceforth
were often to be discovered the center
of one of the cliques which always
abound at watering-places. The second
end of these ladies was then known as
"Mrs. Beechor. " It was rumored tha
she was not a widow , but a divorcee ,
and one fine day , shortly after the ar
rival of some fashionable New Yorkers
at the Hotel Chaurin , we began to hoar
a lot of gossip of a most unsavory na
ture concerning an escapade and sub
sequent flight from Now York. Mrs.
Beecher's social star sot naturally af
ter this , and she left Nice precipitately.
Some years later a friend called on
us as he passed through Chicago on
his return trip from China , and during
the conversation told us Mrs. Beecher
had married the Count do Pourtales
and was moving in the best society in
Japan. There Tiad been some hesita
tion on the part of the American ladies
resident in Japan on her first appear
ance among them , but her charm oi
manner and pleasing address , together
with her perfectly correct life , which
at that time was above criticism , had
disarmed the most censorious , and at
the time our friend related the inci
dent the Countess dc Pourtales was at
the head of the best Anglo-Japanese
society. A resume of the rest of this
beautiful wretch's career has been
printed in most of the dailies within a
week , with appropriate and highly
moral warning thrown in.
Few , I venture to say. are sufficient
ly hardened to have read the account
of Mrs. Beecher's death unmoved , and
the picture presented so vividly to the
mind of the beautiful woman , defense
less in the arms of her barbarous as
sassins , pleading for life , after brave
ly though vainly attempting to defend
herself , denied that , and begging to
be mercifully shot , only to be brutally
strangled to death and her body
thrown into the river sent to eternity
without one moments warning , with
all her sins unrepented of without a
shudder of horror and a throb of pity
for the miserable unfortunate. The
frightful story has haunted me since I
first read it , and twenty people at
least have said to me within a few
days : "I can't get the awful death of
Mrs. Beecher out of my mind. " To
day an old friend met me. and in the
course of conversation the subject was
again refered to , when to my aston-
isliment , niy friend said : "You mean
to say you believe all that nonsense
about Mrs. Beecher ? Why , it is noth
ing in the world but a sensational hoax.
Mrs. Beecher is alive and well , and
pursuing the somewhat uneven tenor
of her way in London. How the story
originated no one knows , but that
Mrs. Beecher's pretty head is still at
tached to her shoulders , and that she is
in no bodily danger at present , either
from the prime minister or from his
base minions , is an undoubted fact. "
Our Presidents.
Mr. Cleveland will be the twenty-
second president of the countrj' . Of
the presidents , seventeen were elec
ted and four Tyler , Fillmore , John
son , and Arthur succeeded to the
office from the vice presidency. Thom
as Jefl'erson and John Quincy Adams
were elected by the house of repre
sentatives in default of an eleccion by
the electoral college , and Rutherford
B. Hayes was declared elected by the
commission selected to decide the dis
puted election of 1876. Seven of the
presidents Washington , Jefferson ,
Madison , Monroe , Jackson , Lincoln ,
and Grant were elected a second time.
Gen. Grant was the youngest of the
presidents when inaugurated , being
47 ; Pierce and Garfield were 49 ; Polk
and Fillmore , 50 ; Tyler , 51 ; Lincoln ,
52 ; Van Buren and Taylor , 55 ; Wash
ington , and Johnson , 57 ; Jefferson ,
Madison , and John Quincy Adams , 58 :
Monroe , 59 ; John Adams and Jackson ,
62 ; Buchanan , 66 ; Harrison , 68. Garfield -
field died the youngest , not having :
reached his fiftieth birthday ; Polk was
54 at his death ; Lincoln , 56Pierce ; , 65 ;
Taylor , 66 ; Washington and Johnson ,
67 ; Harrison , 68 ; Tylerand Monroe , 73 ;
Fillmore , 73 ; Buchanan. 77 ; Jackson ,
78 ; Van Buren , 80 ; John Quincy Ad
ams , 81 ; Jefl'erson , 83Madison ; , 85 ; John
Adams , 91.
The honor of furnishing presidents has
not been evenly distributed among
the states ; Virginia , Massachusetts ,
Tennessee , New York , Ohio Louisiana ,
New Hamshire , Pennsylvania , and
Illinois furnishing all the incumbents
so far. Cleveland will be the third
president from New York Van Buren
and Arthur being his predecessors.
It is somewhat remarkable that no
member of the United States senate
should ever have been elected to
the presidency at the time of his in
cumbency. Disregarding the fact that
experience in this body ought to fit a
man for the high ollice , the people
liave ignored the senators. The army
has furnished a large number of presi
dents , and , with the exception of Han
cock , McClellan , and Scott , no mili
tary man nominated for the office has
failed of election. Washington owed
liis elevation to his success in the field.
Jackson's record in the war of 1812 was
the wave which lifted him into the
white house ; and Harrison , Taylor ,
Pierce , Grant , Hayes , and Garfield
wore the epaulets of a general before
they were honored with the cheif mag
istracy of the nation.
There are now two ex-presidents
living Grant and Hayes and after the
4th of March Mr. Arthur will make a
third.
An Historical Egg1.
Of an iron egg in the Berlin Museum
the following story is told : Many
vears ago a prince became affianced tea
a lovely princess , to whom he promised
to send a magnificent gift as a testimo
nial of his affection. In due time the
messenger arrived , bringing the prom
ised gift , which proved to be an iron
egg. The princess was so angry to
think that the prince should send" her
so valueless a present that she threw it
upon the floor , when the iron egg
opened , disclosing .a silver lining.
Surprised at such a discovery , she
took the egg in her hand , and while
examining it closely discovered a
secret spring , which she touched , and
the silver lining opened , disclosing a
golden yolk. Examingit closely , she
found another spring , which , when
opened , disclosed within the golden
yolk a ruby crown. Subjecting that
to an examination , she touched a
spring , and forth came the diamond
ring with which he affianced her to
himself.
WOEMLEY AND SDJINER.
Che Death of the Former Recalls an Incident
Connected with the Funeral of the
Great Statesman.
A Washington telegram to The St.
Paul Pioneer Press says : The funeral
) f the late James Wormloy in this city ,
i few days ago , furnished a very clear
Jlustration of the remarkable change
made in the public opinion during the
past twenty-live years , and at the same
time shows that true merit can no
longer bo held down by race prejudices.
There was a colored man who , by his
own force of character and innate quali
ties , rose from poverty and obscurity to
i position where he commanded' the re
spect and esteem of what is called the
higher or bettor class of the community ;
whose obsequies were attended by men
distinguished in war as well as in
statesmanship , and whoso remains
were borne to the grave by the repre
sentatives of the most prominent and
successful business men of this com
munity , regardless of color or previous
condition. Watching the mournful cor
tege which followed the remains of
this colored man to his grave , and no
ticing the proximity to the casket of
( veil-known and prominent white men ,
[ was reminded of au incident in the
life of Mr. Wormley which occurred
Dnly ten years ago , when the remains
Df Charles Suraner were the occasion
Df a like mournful procession. Mr.
Sumner was a warm friend of Mr.
Wormloy , and the latter was bound to
the Massachusetts senator by cords of
genuine affection. None grieved more
sincerely than Mr. Wormley overSum-
cer's death , and of all the mourners
who attended his funeral none shed
more genuine tears. During the lying
in state and the ceremonies at the
3apitol , Wormley was ever present , and
his great affection led him to follow
the dead senator to Massachusetts that
he might witness the last offices of
sepulcher. The funeral arrangements
were in charge of a joint committee of
songrcss , of which Senator Anthony ;
of Ilhode Island , was chairman , and J.
R. French , sergeant-at-arms of the
senate , was the marshal. The remains
were borne away on a special train ,
and Mr. Wormley applied to Sergeant-
at-Arms French for "permission to ac
company the funeral party. This re
quest was made known to Senator An
thony by Mr. French , and with all the
liberality and kindliness of heart for
which that senator was noted he de
murred. It would not do to permit a
colored man to join the congressional
party. Personally , Mr. Anthony had
no objections , but the presence of Mr.
Wormley would cause bad feeling in
the party and excite unfavorable criti
cism. Mr. French pleaded in Mr.
Worinloy's behalf and urged that the
strong bond of friendship which was
known to exist between Sumner and
Wormley made it eminently proper
that the request should be granted.
Fnally Senator Anthony agreed that
Wormley might accompany the cortege
as caterer.
"You will be required , " said An
thony , "to supply some lunch. Have
Wormley furnish the lunch , and he can
go to arrange and serve it. "
Mr. French's respects for Mr. Worm-
ley would not peimit him to make
such a proposition. Mr. Wormley was
invited to accompany the remains to
"
Boston , and Mr. "French did not con
tract with Wormley for the lunch.
Senator Anthony never knew that
James Wormley attended the congres
sional committee charged with the in
terment of Simmer's remains as a
mourner perhaps the most sincere
mourner in the official party.
Is the Moou Inhabited ?
"At the astronomical observatory
of Berlin , " says a translation from
Nya Pressen Hclsingfor , "a discovery
has lately been made which , without
doubt , will cause the greatest sensa
tion , not only amongst the adepts in
science , but even amongst the most
learned. Professor Blendmann , in
that city , has found , beyond a doubt ,
that our old friend , the moon , is not
a mere lantern which kindly furnishes
light for the loving youth and gas
companies of our planet , but the
abode of living , intelligent beings ,
for which he is prepared to furnish
proofs most convincing. The ques
tion has agitated humanity from time
immemorial , and has been the object
of the greatest interest. But the
opinions have always differed very
widely , and no two minds held one
"
and "the same. Already in ancient
times the belief prevailed that the
moon was inhabited by some higher
organized , intelligent beings , some
what resembling man , and in order
to communicate with them , the earth
ly enthusiasts planted rows of trees
several miles in length , so as to form
the figure of the Pythagorean theorem.
The celebrated astronomer Schroder ,
in the beginning of the present cen
tury , fancied he could detect places
on the surface of the moon which
periodically grew lighter and darker ,
and from this fact he derived the con
clusion that the phenomenon was the
proof of existing vegetation. During
the last few decades , however , the
idea of life on the moon has been held
up to ridicule , and totally scorned by
men of leaining. But , nevertheless ,
it has now been proved to be correct.
By accident Dr. Blendmann found
that the observations of the moon
gave but very unsatisfactory results ,
owing to the intensity of "the light ,
power of the moon's atmosphere ,
which is so strong that it affects the
correctness of the observations in a
very high degree. He then conceived
the'idea to make the object-glass of
the refractor less sensitive to the rays
of light , and for this purpose he dark
ened it with the smoke of camphor.
It took months of experimenting
before he succeeded in finding the
right degree of obscurity of the gla-s ,
and when finally found he then with
the refractor took a very accurate
photo of the moon's surface. This he
placed in a sun microscope , which
Sfave the picture a diameter of fifty-
live and a half feet. The revelation
was startling. It perfectly overturned
all hitherto "entertained ideas of the
moon's surface. Those level plains
which formerly were held to be oceans
of water proved to be verdant fields ,
and what formerly were considered
mountains turned out as deserts and
sand and oceans of water. Towns ,
and habitations of all kinds were
plainly discernable , as well as sfgn
of industry and traffic. The learned'
professor's study and observations of
old Luna will bo repented every full
moon when the akyis clear. "
The KaOhit Market.
A corner is reported to exist in the
Denver rabbit market , and the gentle ,
long-oared , downy little nuisances ;
have advanced to the unprecedented ;
price of $1.50 per pair. The corner1
appears to bo confined to what aroi
known as tame rabbits , the long-loggodi
and free-living jack rabbit , the lordly
monarch of the great American desert , )
still soiling by weight , and being regulated - '
lated in price by competition with1
other kinds of meat and game. The !
advance in tame rabbits has been >
marked and rapid , jumping in a few !
weeks from an average of 10 cents aj
pair to the quotations of yesterday , ,
when they were strong at SI.50 , with !
every indication of a future rise.
A News reporter who was commis
sioned to investigate the causes of the ,
rise in rabbits yesterday , interviewed
quite a number of people in reference ,
to the matter , but without finding anyi
exact cause , although several reasons
were advanced , none of them , how
ever , wholly satisfactory.
The rabbit is known to bo a very
fecund animal , and there should be no
trouble about the supply. Its fecund
ity is , however , an objection in the
eyes of many. This fact would not of
course account for the advance in'
price at this particular time , as it is ai
cause existing always. Anybody whoi
has ever attempted to raise rabbits and ;
trees or shrubbery at the same time'
can not but be awarp of the temptation
to attempt au extermination of thai
former after the destructipn of the lat
ter has been accomplished. An in
crease in the demand was looked for
as affording a more probable explana
tion. This was found to exist. The
increased demand appears to grow out
of the fact that the tame rabbit is now
esteemed as an ornament to a degree
never before reached. It is not in his
most aggravating shape , however ,
alone , that the appreciation for him is
felt. It is when prepared by a taxi
dermist. In this respect the rabbit appears - ,
pears to have , been adopted as the1
legitimate successor of the sunflower
and the owl. Parlors are now orna
mented with pretty pink ( glass ) eyed
white rabbits , and'the latest styles of
bonnets have nestling in them in swcett
innocence pretty little stuffed rabbits
of all degrees of"suiallness. . They are
said to be much prettier and more ,
artistic than the birds formerly so much
in vogue.
It is claimed that there will be no
great difliculty in restoring an equilib-
rum in the rabbit market. The pres
ent high prices may , it is feared , load
to overproduction. When it is consid
ered that a new family of rabbits to each
old one of the feminine gender comes
into existence every six weeks , and
that the progeny commences breeding
at an extremely early age , the danger
of final overproduction can not be con
cealed. But it must be reflected that
the de'mand is yet but in it : : infancy ,
and it is safe to say that prices will
have a tendency upward for sometime
at least. Against the danger of over
production is the fact that the demand
is for dead rabbits and not for live
ones , and dead rabbits are not danger
ously prolific. Denver News.
Our Petroleum Product.
In 1865 our petroleum oil product
was only some 1,500 barrels. Its use
'
has stea'dily increased until now some
24,000,000 barrels is yearly consumed.
We ship to all parts of the world ; but
the domestic consumption is far
greater than the foreign. This oil has
had varied uses. As an illuminant , it
is the cheapest and in some respects
the best light ever made use of by the
human race. It is also a lubricant of
great value. After refining , the resi
duum is converted into a wax , also
into vaseline , and besides is used for
dyeing purposes and as a disinfectant.
Petroleum fields have been discovered
near the Caspian Sea , and all Eastern ,
Europe and portions of Asia are being *
supplied now from this quarter. Pe-
trolum is found in several parts of the
United States , but is most abundant in
the oil region proper of western Penn
sylvania. The oil territory extends
from the eastern end of Lake Erie , '
down through Venango and Butler i
counties in Pennsylvania , and as far
south as West Virginia. In this last ,
state the oil is thick and does not flow
readily. In the neighborhood of Pitts-
burg there are great gas wells but not
much oil. The latter is often produced ,
in such quantities as to cause loss to ,
the holders. Some of the more recent
wells have had the greatest produc
tion. The Phillips well in Butler
county at one time poured out nearly
6,000 bbls. a day ; but these great gush- ,
era , as they are called , do not last
long. Their life is short. It is a won
derful product , is petroleum , and ;
could it be utilized for fuel it would
solve a most important economical )
problem. DemoresCs Monthly for De
cember.
How a Taunt Originated.
New Jersey is sometimes jocularly
referred to as a foreign country b\ * >
'
persons who do not know the origin o'fl
: heir little joke. "After the downfall
of the first Napoleon , his brother Jo
seph , who had been king of Spain , and'
! iis nephew , Prince Murat , took refuge
in the United States , bringing with
: hern great wealth. Joseph tried to ;
induce several states to pas an act to ,
enable him as an alien to hold real
estate , but they all refused. Finally
: he New Jersey legislature granted to
iiim and Prince Murat the privilege of
purchasing land. They bought a
: ractat Bordentown , built magnificent
dwellings and fitted them up in royal
style with pictures , sculptures , etc.
Joseph Bonaparte's residence was the
finest in America. He was liberal ,
with his money and made many friends.
The Philadelphians were envious of
the good fortune of the Jerseymen in
securing the two millionaires , and
taunted them with being 'foreigners , '
and wtth importing the king of Spa n
to rule over them. " The taunt stuck ,
and is still repeated by many people
who have no idea of how it originated.
Atlanta Constitution.
