MISCELLANEOUS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 105, 12 February 1870, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS.

An old man, whose sight was defective, and who had to use glasses, Avas reading a neAvspapor on the train beween "Wheeling, Va., and "Washington, a few days ago. When the cars reached a tunnel, the quick disappearence of the light caused him to look up. Taking off his spectacles and Avipingthemhe replaced them, and again tried to read. Perceiving that all was still dark, he dropped both paper and spectacles, and exclaimed in a loud voice, "My god, I,m blind, I,m blind J" This aroused the passengers, and it was a long time before he could be convinced what Avas the [matter. On coming again to the light, he thanked Gtod fervently for his sight. — " Chicago Tribune."

A few years ago the town of Croydon, near London, emptied its sewage into the local stream. The actions which Avere brought for damage thereby accuring to the neigbourhood cost town council £10,000, and they expended £24,000 more in devices for the unremunerative removal of the sewage; when somebody suggested putting it on the land. They took a contract for its removal at £5 per acre, and ere long regretted the bargain as too easy, when they found they could obtain three times as much. The neighbouring lands rose at once in value, and at present the sale of this town's refuse pays the toAvn rates. Similarly, we are informed by the "Times," Manchester disburses £20,000 a year in removing its seAvage, and already receives £10,000 back by its subsequent sale as manure.

Two or three of the richest men in the "United States have recently given, in sententious language, the secret of their worldly success and fortune. "There is no secret about it," said Commodore Vanderbilt ; " all you have to do is to attend to your business, and go ahead — except one thing," added the commodore," and this is, never to tell what you are going to do till you have done it. Mr. Asa Packer, millionarie, and who has no veiws whatever on political subjects, recently gave hia idea of the way to get rich in the remark: — " Economy safe investment are a about the means of attaining financial prosperity." Greorge Law, also, who is a tolerably rich man, though not, we suppose, quite as rich as Vanderbilt or Asa Parker, remarked in conversation recently: — " There is nothing so esy as making money when you have money to make it with ; the only thing is to see the crisis, and take

it atita flood ;" and when futheT pressed j to tell the secert of his own success, he quickly responded, " Determination to work, and Avorking." These opinions are certainly Avorth somethng,-and will doubtless be eagerly studied by young men ambitious of wealth. But fcliey are incomplete without a remark of A. •T. Stewart, who is richer than either A r anuerbilt or Asa Parker, and Avho told an anxious inquirer 'B short time ago that he " considered honesty and truth ' great aids in the gaining of fortune. The laws of nature are justbut terrible. There is no weak mercy iv them. Cause and consequence are inseparable and inevitable. /.The elements have noforbearance. The fire burns, the water drowns, the air consumes, the earth buries. And perhaps it would be aswell for our race if the punishment of crime against the laAV of man Avere as inevitable as the punishment of crime against the laws of nature — were man as unerring m his judgmets as nature. An Anecdote. — Lord Normandy was in the French Chamber at the timethe mob burst in. His lordship was hastily retiring when several ladies claimed his protection. His gallantry could not, of course, resist the appeal, and turning round he saw a citizen en blouse, acting as a leader, to whom he addressed himself, and claimed protection for the ladies aud himself. This, in the most dignified mmannerr r Avas in a moment assented to, Avith the remark, " The citizens of Paris will ahvaya respect and protect strangersand ladies." During this short conference his lordship saw the glitter of a bayonet under the citizen's blouse. A Terrible Eire in Siberia.— The St. Petersburg correspondent of the- " Eastern Budget," Avriting on the 20th ' of October, says :—": — " Full particulars have now arrived of the terrible fire at Yeniseisk, in Siberia. A tremendousstorm was raging at the time, and as^ the toAvn consisted mostly of wooden houses, nearly the Avhole of it perished in the flames. Great numbers of persons took refuge in boats and otheir crafts on the river, but the storm wa^ so violent that many of these vessels Avent to the bottom together Avith their occupants. Several hundjeds of persons thus perished either by suffocation in the burning houses or by drowning in the river. The number of houses destroyed Avas upwards of 1300, besides four churches, two monasteries, the Government offices, AA'ith all the official documents, and the . principal storehouses. A great deal of corn and 400,000 pounds of hops Avere also lost. The few houses that still remain standing Avere only saA r ed from destruction by thG energy of a gold merchant, who offered 3000 roubles to his Avorkmen as a reward if they Avould protect his property and the adjoining buildings." An editor's programme. — Mark Twain, in assuming co-editorial charge of the "Buffalo Express," promises—l only Avish to assure parties having a friendly intrest in the prosperity of the journal that I ana not going to hurt the paper deliberately and intentionally at any time. I am not going to introduce any startling reforms, or in any Avay attempt to make trouble. I * am simply going to do my plain, un- ' •pretending duty. "When I cannot gefc out of it, I shall work diligently and honestly and faithfully at all times and upon all occasions, when privation and Avant shall compel me to do it ; in Avriting I shall alway confine myself ' strictly to the truth except when it is at- ; tended witji (inconvenience ; I shall Avitheringlyirepuke all forms of crinW and misconduct, ..except when com-; mitted by the nar,t£ inhabiting my own! vest. I "shall not make uMs£e£HJfiJh^>; or vulgarity upon any occasion or under any circumstances, /and shallj never use profanity except in discussing house-rent and tases. Indeed, upon second thought, I will not even use it then, for it is\ unchristian, inelegant, and degrading^-though, to speak truly, Ido not see how house rent and taxes are going to pc discussed worth a cent Avithout it. \ shall not , often meddle with politics, because we have a political editor who is already excellent, and only needs to\ serve a term in the penitentiary in order to be perfect. I shall not write any p^etry^^ unless I conceive a spite against "the subscribers." In a house at Perkville, Missouri, three skeletons were found last summer under circumstances causing suspicion. The teeth of one had been filled with gold filings, showing that the men were whites. On the 13th September a girl went to a closet tohang up clothing, and on leaving turned round instead of backing out as usual. On the wall for the first time the following Avords, which had before escaped notice, were seen: — " John Brink, California, Missouri. Should not get away with my life, will some one report me to Dr M. Cotter, California, Missouri. They are trying to murder us. — February 2, 1857,'" The "Leavenworth Times" thinks they were "Free Statesmen," either on their way to, or kidnapped from Kansas in 1557, and killed by " border ruffians. " The proprietor of the house at the time is still living in the country and although suspicion strongly poiats toAvards^him, his character stands sohigh that it is not believed that -he could have been guilty of any murder. At the date indicated the house AA'as so isolated that the crime could easily have been perpetrated without immediate detection. .?