35a 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[NO\'EirBER» 
HAVING 
Here is a joyous ride 1 No millionaire on Fifth'Avenue 
witli his prancing blood horses and splendid carriage can 
have half so good a time as these happy children are 
enjoying on their log pony in the western woods. 
No horse can travel so swiftly as they "play" their 
Iiorse is going, and all the fine places they visit, and 
ihe adventures they meet in imagination bring them 
equal or more pleasure than lliey will find in after years 
if they sliould chance to become travelers. Without 
knowing it lliey iiave the key which unlocks one of the 
richest stores of earthly happiness, that is an active im- 
agination. It can build houses, lay out farms, cross 
oceans, climb mountains, conquer cities, lule kingdoms, 
maiie gold from stones, and change the rudest things into 
tlie costliest treasures. But this same faculty of mind 
which brings so much pleasure often needs watching ami 
restraining. Like a spirited horse it may run away with 
its owner. Wlien a young person pictures to himself all 
the pleasures of wealth, " makes believe " that in some 
way he will have tliem without working, by the death of 
some unknown rich relative, or finding a full pocket book, 
or drawing a prize in a lottery, then his imagination is 
preparing him for discontent with Ids present situation, 
aversion to labor, vain wishes, restlessness and unhappi- 
nes5. fetill worse than this is the habit of allowing Ihe 
fancy to sketch pictures of forbidden pleasure ; it is a 
long step toward outbreaking sin. He who commands 
his thoughts and keeps (hem pure, will have liltledifficul- 
ly in resisting oilier temptations. "Keep lliy licart. for 
out of it are the issues of life,'' said the wisest of men. 
A TnusTWoaxHY Dog.— A gentleman in England, re- 
lates the following anecdote of his dog. It appears that 
Engraved for the America7i Agricultvrist. 
for a year or two foxes had been very plenty in that 
neighborhood, and had made great havoc among the 
poultry and their eggs. One hen seemed determined to 
secure the safety of her treasures, for day by day she 
marched boldly into the dog's kennel, and deposited an 
egg in the corner. The dog was not affronted by this 
liberty taken with his house, but seemed to understand 
all about the matter, for as each egg was laid, he care- 
fully took it up in his raoulh, carried it as far toward the 
house as his chain would permit him to go, where it was 
taken in charge by the housekeeper, who always regu- 
larly rewarded him for his attention and honesty. 
Ho>F they Used to Xelegrapli. 
Telegraphing by various methods was known long be- 
fore Professor Morse invented the way of sending mes- 
sages by lightning. The shepherds among the mountains 
of Montenegro, in Turkey, communicated news very 
rapidly by shouting it from peak to peak. It is related 
that when one of them felt lonely, he set up a peculiar 
cry which could be heard at a great distance, signifying 
thereby that he wished to talk with some one. It was 
usually soon heard by somebody in the neighborhood, 
and a converpaliun was at once commenced, which was 
of:en joined by others, who chanced to be near enough 
to hear, and thus the news of the day became generally 
known. A traveler says that at one time he wanted his 
mule which was some ten miles distant. Accordingly 
lie yelled out, " Ho ! lio ! you people there in the village 
of Brelizzu I High up in the mountains of Glenbotich, 
by the great beech tree, with the withered boughs, my 
little lad Vonko is keeping my white-fooled mule. Let 
him know that he is to come do\\ u vvilh it as fast as he 
can." Immediately some living echo took up his words, 
repeating them exactly ; and so the message uent until 
it reached the boy, and the mule was soon brought to lum. 
Beacon fires were the ancient mode of telegraphy in 
Great Britain, and in an act of the Scottish Parliament, 
of 1445, it is directed that " One bale or faggot shall be 
the warning of the approach of the English in any man- 
ner, two bales that they are coming indeed, and four bales 
blazing beside each otiier. that the enemy are in great 
force." Subsequently there was introduced a system of 
telegraphing by signals made with an apparatus having 
large arms somewhat like a windmill, called a sen a- 
phore. The different positions of the arms rejnesented 
letters of the alphabet and words. Numbers of these 
were erected on elevations as far apart as could be seen 
with a telescope, and thus news could be sent from Do- 
ver to London, in ten minutes. The semaphore vvas of 
use only in clear weather. Occasionally curious inci- 
dents occurred, owing to the sudden stoppage of its 
working. When the Duke of Wellington was fighting 
the French, in Spain, every body was anxiously looking 
for news. One day tlie semaphore transmitted to Lon- 
don, the alarming message, " Wellington defeated."' At 
once there xvas great commotion ; rumors spread that 
there liad been great losses of men and artillery ; stocks 
went down rapidly, and the Government weve quite be- 
wildered. It turned out however, that just as the word 
"defeated" had passed along, a sudden mist had come 
on at some part of the line, and prevented sending the 
remainder of the message— when it cleared, the whole 
news read, " Wellington defeated the French."' 
Other similar methods have been U5ed in different 
countries. On slnp-board flags are used to make signrJs 
for communicating with distant vessels. A t another time 
we may speak of signals used in the army during the war. 
