MISCELLANEA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 182, 6 May 1873, Page 7

MISCELLANEA.

A San Francisco paper savs a chunk of .cold, weighing over 247 lbs., and worth 00,000 dollars, was found in the claims of Yo Yen and Co., at Moore’s Flat, Nevada county, on the 29th January.

It is most gratifying to he enlightened as to the ingredients of tobacco smoke, as few people bothered themselves about the matter until the discoveries of Eulenburg and Void. These mvcuds say the smoke does not contain nicotine at all. The ingredients are ammonia, pyridine, picoline, collodine, formic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valerianic acid, and creosote. Probably the list is very incomplete, and no doubt' carbonic oxide, carbonic acid, and water should be added. \Ye ought to be satisfied now we know all about it, for it was never supposed bciore that smoking was such a scientific operation as these old parties would have us believe.

A lather curious contribution to the inci• c.dents of the late Boston lire has just come to light. In one of the stores in the burnt district, the porter with the keys of the safe was at hand - and perceived that the fire was ia] i lly approaching. In his terror he rushed to and fro in the counting-room, and at last caught up the plated ice-pitcher full of water, locked it in the safe, and departed from the binning building in the proud consciousness that he had accomplished something to save his employers’ property. When, however, the safe was taken from the runs, it was found that the books were uninjured. The heat which would have otherwise charred and destroyed the hooks only converted the water into steam. Steam saft s are now under advertisement as the latest Boston “notion.” An American adventuress, giving her name as Mara Graindorge, lias been anested in Pans on the following charge of impudent and ingenious swindling “ She appeared, well-dressed, and with a handsome baby in hei aims, at the houses of wealthy Parisians, as Mug to see the prop; iet or. As soon as she u as admitted to his presence, Slie would rush at him, exclaiming, ‘Traitor! wretch! vib !an ! have I found you at last!’ At the same tune, tne handsome i a’ y, having bee n trained for that purpose, would extend its little aims towards the astonished gentleman and cry, ‘ Paj a, dear papa !’ It may be imagined that papa preftrn d to give the swindler some money in order to make her leave the house. Mien she vas arres'ed at her residence in the Rue Duvivicr, no fewer than seven teamed halves were found in the house, also nine or ten thousand francs in money. Mile. Graindorge, upon being closely pressed by the examining magistrate, confessed that her real name was Oaks; that she was a native of Few York ; and that she had been before at the ba nt Laz ire prison. The Paris Assizes found Ik r ; ti 1 v, and she was sent for sevni years to New- Cah donia.”

jhe Pacilic States have shown some wondeiful developments of min'ng industry,— soai’y lu in s and paint mines being the most curious in point. But a recent Californian journal gives an acc< U"f o f a still more extra<u din an inn city ni the shape of a honey wine . dhis is situated in L s Angeles county, on the eastern slope of the San Fernando ranee of mountains. In a rift which penetrates the rock to a depth of (1(50 feet, innumerable bees liave es'aMished t! emselves, and for years have been adding to their acenn n’ation of honey, until an enormous amount has been stored thil". Certain enterpris ng miners have built a scaffold 125 fe-1 hi el , w'th the int.-nfon of running a drift in'o the rock which would strike the vein of honev ; but as vi t all attempts to reach the coveted fruits of industry have hern unsuccessful. Persons who have attempted to enter the hive by the natural opening have In eft driven hack by tbe bees, which issue, whin disturbed, in a solid column one foot in diameter : and some men have lost their lives in a battle with the infuriated insects. Meanwhile the bees continue to improve each shining l our, and within the last four years are estimated to have added not hj ss than fifteen feet in depth to their deposit of sweets. - Mining Jov.rua'.