A Chapter on Pigs. 



Diving Pigs. — The following scientific piece of 

 information, says the editor of the Pottsville (Pa.) 

 Emporium, "wa* recently published in the American 

 Zoological Journal." It evidently shows that there 

 are great things going on in the world vet — greater, 

 even than any geologist can boast of in all the terres 

 trial transformations by ancient fire and water. But 

 to our talo and the Pottsville pigs, which no doubt 

 are of the Irish duck progency that .Nancy Mctira h.id 

 so much difficulty in learning to swim. 



The writer after speaking of the greatest changes 

 which occur in the physical character of animals, con- 

 sequent upon change of situation, very seriously de 

 scribes a new race of "web-looted" pigs, to be 

 found in Pottsville, as follows : — 



The diving pigs which exist in the interior of Penn- 

 sylvania are remarkable. The town of Pottsville is 

 situated at the point where the Norwegian creek 

 empties into the river Schuylkill. The creek is a rapid 

 stream but the river, where the creek enters is ren- 

 dered deep and sluggish by a dam below. The butch- 

 ers of the town reside along the creek and are in the 

 habit of throwing their offal into the stream which is 

 washed into the river. A large number of Irish labor- 

 ers live near the river, keeping as is customary with 

 them, many pigs. These obtain their subsistence 

 chiefly by diving for the offal at the bottom of the riv- 

 er, here about ten feet deep. A particular race of 

 pigs called "Divers," has been bred- in the place, 

 differing from others in the fact that they are web- 

 footed and are remarkable for their ability to dive and 

 for the length of time that they can remain under wa- 

 ter. Their power in this way seems to increase with 

 age. One male of two years of age was observed to 

 remain under water more than thirty minutes; young- 

 er pigs ten, fifteen and twenty minutes. An ordinary 

 pig is drowned in less than one minute as is ascer- 

 tained by experiment. The peculiarities of the div- 

 ing pigs are supposed to result from long practice and 

 physical change transmitted and increased from gene- 

 ration to generation. The reason why they remain 

 so long under water is, that they may there devour 

 their food, which is in danger of being taken from 

 them by other pigs which frequent the shore. The 

 young of this amphibious breed take to the water 

 with great alacrity at an early age and soon learn to 

 dive. Nor do they strike their throats with their fore 

 feet in swimming as do others of the race, by which 

 they frequently destroy theft* lives. These singular 

 facts relating to this peculiar breed of pigs show in 

 a striking manner the ability of nature to adapt herself 

 to peculiar circumstances, and throws some light on 

 the origin of the many varieties of the different spe- 

 cies of animals. 



&l)c farmer's Ittcmtljhj llisitor. 



11 



A Pig Story! — Do snakes hiss — has been a mooted 

 question, do ducks swim — has been another, the last 

 is do pigs reason, and by the following incident told 

 us a few days ago we should think they did : 



There are certain persons in this city who have 

 dogs who will carry their marketing home, thus re- 

 lieving them from the necessity of returning home in 

 the morning. Such a dog was returning home, the 

 other day, with a basket in which were potatoes, tur- 

 nips, a little meat,- and a can of butter. A hungry 

 looking pig beset him on his way home. His lirst at- 

 tempt was to take the whole, but in this he failed, for 

 the dog, setting down the basket, took him by the ear. 

 His next was to run against the basket, and tip the 

 contents out. In this he so far succeeded as to grab 

 a potato, when the dog, dropping the basket, made 

 at him. The pig, true to his intent, led the dog off on 

 a short detour and turning suddenly dashed at the 

 basket, upsetting it in his hurried career. Nothing 

 was now left to the dog but to stand guard over the 

 ruins, but this was no easy job. Grunting with evi- 

 dent satisfaction, the pig approached the heap; and 

 now commenced the battle. The pig seized the but- 

 ter box by the handle and started with it; the cover 



came oil' and the butter rolled out in the street. Drop- 

 ping the now empty box he started for the heap and 

 took the steak, which lay exposed, bearing it off in tri- 

 umph. At this moment one who knew the dog ap- 

 proached and relieved him from the unequal con- 

 test, lie picked up the fragments excepting the steak 

 and butter, and putting them in the' basket, went 

 home with the dog to explain the scene— leaving the 

 pig to enjoy the buttered steak. — Boston Aurora 

 Borenlis. 



Coal Trade in Pennsylvania.— The Potts- 

 ville Journal, in reference to the business of the 

 yew just past, says: "To tlieni (the operatives) 

 the last year's business has been disastrous in 

 the extreme. At least $200,000 have been sunk 

 in the trade this year in Schuylkill county, and 

 in the opinion of many the amount is greater." 



Coal Trade.— Official return of Coal sent 

 from the anthracite region of Pennsylvania to 

 market during the year 1848: 



1847. 



Schuylkill \ C«?al 1360081 



J } Railroad 222/193 



Swatara 67,457 



1848. 

 121(5.233 

 434,852 

 01,530 



1650,831 1712,615 



Lehigh 643,973 680,740 



Lackawanna 388,203 437,500 



Wilkesbarre 284,398 237,721 



2967,405 3068,132 

 2967,405 



Increase — tons 100 727 



In 1846-2,331,013 tons.— Mies' Register. ' 



Iron for Ruilding.— The introduction of iron 

 fur the first story of stores, is becoming very 

 common. But an entire front is a new thing in 

 this city. At the corner of Centre and Duane 

 streets, a large edifice is going up with a front 

 on each street, entirely of cast iron. Judging 

 from the appearance of what has already been 

 put up, and the mode of doing it, there can be 

 nothing to compare with it in point of durability, 

 and even beauty. Its economy, the builder can 

 best determine.— .V. 1". Journal Commerce. 



Honor to the Toiling Hand. 



All honor to the toiling hnnd, 



Or in the field or mine; 

 Or by the harnessed fire or steam. 



Or on the heaving brine. 

 Whatever loom, or barque, or plough, 



Hath wrought to bless our land ; 

 Or given around — above — below, 



We owe the toiling hand. 

 Then honor — honor to the toiling hand ! 



In battles with the elements, 



It breaks the stubborn sward ; 

 It rings the forge — the shuttle throws 



And shapes ihe social bn ird. 

 It Conquers clime — il stems ihe wave — 



And bears from every strand 

 The sweetest, best of all we have, 



Gifts of the toiling hand. 



Then honor — lienor to the toiling hand I 



A Daring Exploit. — Win. Coulter and a Mr. 

 Btirtlebnugh were following the trucks of a deer, 

 about ten miles north of this place, on Friday, 

 the 12th insl.; they soon came to the daur, u hich 

 appeared to have been lately killed by some ani- 

 mal; its entrails were torn out, anil its carcase 

 otherwise much mutilated. They soon observed 

 tracks of a wild cat, and tracing them a short 

 distance, it was discovered the cat had entered n 

 hole in a ledge of rocks. A trap was prepared, 

 and set at the mouth of the hole. Next morn- 

 ing the wild cat, nearly full grown, was found in 

 the trap— last by the toes of the fore foot. The 

 question then was, bow to secure him alive. 

 Coulter directed fiartlebaugh -'to amuse him 

 with a stick." The attention of pussy being 

 taken up with the slick, Coulter caught is by the 

 back of the neck, threw il and got his knees up- 

 on it. They then took their suspenders and tied 

 the feet, and Bill pulled off one of his stockings 

 and drew it over his bead; thus secured, they 

 carried it home. — Indiana (Pa.) Register. 



A Literary Cai.-Vuh have heard of literary 

 men and literary women ; hut did you ever hear 

 of a literary cat ? Bibliomaniacs you have seen 

 and read of, men whose whole lives have been 

 spent in the collection of books of whose con- 

 tents they were, perhaps, as: ignorant, as the 

 wonderful animal of which [ am about to write. 

 A strange cat she was, this cat of the bookstore, 

 this cat bibliomaniacs. From her earliest kii- 

 tenbood accustomed to play among books, catch- 

 ing mice on the shelves, and playing bo-peep 

 with her little victims, between the covers of 

 huge tomes of ancient lore, or behind ihe goyer 

 covers of lighter literature. A playful cat she 

 was; a sleek and gentle one, kindly in her na- 

 ture and petted by nil who visited the slore, 

 whether to lounge or buy. Wise men, men of 

 learning, of science, poels, statesmen, schol- 

 ars, all bestowed caresses on this cat antiquarian. 

 Well, it fell out, as they say in the story books, 

 that for her rare qualities puss was coveted, and 

 carried— in a bag or out I do not know— but car- 

 ried she was to a new home, and here her pecu- 

 liarities began to show themselves. " A cat in a 

 strange garret" she was to be sure. She was 

 lost without her strange surroundings. She 

 missed the atmosphere of the store, and from 

 the gentlest cat alive, she became all at once, the 

 wildest and most untameable. In the basement 

 she would* not remain, but sought the cellar, 

 where she stayed two days, and where she was 

 found, at last, alter long searching, stowed away 

 in a box, in which books bad once been packed, 

 the only thing she had met, probably, which re- 

 minded her of her early home. Slie was then 

 taken to the library, and you should have seen 

 her delight when she found herself among her 

 beloved books once more. An opening was 

 made on the shelves, which she sought eagerly, 

 and lying dow n, commenced to purr contentedly. 

 Her eyes lost their wild expression, and she took 

 food when it was placed on the shelf with the 

 books, which she had refused to do before. 

 When taken from the library, she again sought 

 the box in the cellar; but when brought back, 

 hurried with alacrity to her place with the books. 

 A sore trial it was to poor puss. She lost her 

 flesh, her playfulness, and really pined for her 

 beloved haunts. Now is not this a literary cat, 

 and should not her name be placed on the list 

 with all great biblimonincs ?—Corr. Prov. Jour. 



A Mr. Jackson, employed in one of the slaugh- 

 tering establishments in Quincy, Illinois, while 

 cleaning a hog on ihe 25th u It., accidentally cut 

 one of his fingers. The wound immediately 

 commenced swelling, which emended to ihe 

 arm and breast, and mortification followed 

 which terminated his life in a week from ihe 

 day on which he cut his finger. Though under 

 the constant care of a physician, all efforts to 

 arrest the disease were ineffectual.— Si. Louis 

 .Ye «! Era. 



Carrots for Coffee.— Wash and scrape the 

 outside off; then cut them in pieces the size of 

 about ball" an inch square; then dry on a stove. 

 Parch and grind like coffee; or mix equal por- 

 tions of carrot and coffee and grind and make 

 your coffee as usual. 



If you know it to be mixed you may say that 

 it tastes a little sweeter than coffee generally. 

 We got our information from our neighbors who 

 came from Germany a few years ago; and who 

 say in their country there ate large factories 

 where it is packed in pound papers and sold.— 

 Prairie Farmrr. 



