MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
J&E(|iQnit Mb ^ Itirau. 
OPEN FERE-PLACES vs. STOVES. &c. 
Fkiknd Moork:—I have b?'cn watching 
the New-Yorker some time, to see if some 
one capable of doing it up Irrown would 
not take hold of the above named subject. 
But in the absence of any thing upon it, I 
will give you a few hints, hoping that they 
will set the ball a rolling. 
In one of the nrst numbers of the New- 
Yorker there was a learned article on the 
various sorts of apparatus for warming 
houses, showing that there was a great 
waste of heat in the most kinds in use, but 
the greatest 1 think was in the open fire¬ 
place, for which reason that was considered 
the most objectionable. I think no one j 
who has ever used an open fire-place will 1 
ask me to prove that it is far the most | 
jfieasant, as well as the most agreeable and j 
comfortable. Whether light is material or 
etherial undulations I care not. That it has 
a very important influence on both the A'cgc- 
table and animal is obvious to all. Vegeta¬ 
bles that grow in dark places are as defi¬ 
cient in vital energy as a parlor-cooped lady 
or an in door professional. It may be urged, 
that light may b(i furnished by lamps or 
windows. Grant it: yet it does not have 
the same effect that it does Avhen produced 
from the same fountain with the heat 
Where arc the rosy cheeks of the Amer¬ 
ican ladies ? Alas! stoves have been intro¬ 
duced aimi rosy cheeks have vanished.— 
Compare the country physicians with the 
clergy—the out-door laborer with the in¬ 
door mechanic — the farmer with the mer- 
chanl or aiiy other class that have enjoyed 
the invigorating effects of a combination of 
light and heat, from either the sun or an 
open fire-place, with such as have grown up 
like Jonah’s gourd and are living out their 
patrimony of vigor under the debilitating 
influence of stoves, and I think you will 
readily come to the conclusion that, by using 
the fuel saving apparatus, jmu waste your 
strength, and visa versa. 
Some Avriters have claimed that artificial 
heat was worse than useless, and that its 
tendency was to degenerate the race.— 
Without the combination of light Avith the 
heat, and both issuing from the same source, 
I have no objections to the hypothesis.— 
The most of the elderly, and many of the 
middle aged, can doubtless Avell recollect 
the head aches and benumbed sensibilities 
attending the first use of stoves. How is it 
now?—are these inconveniences suffered? 
Doubtless the majority in our stove ridden 
coxmtry can answer. No. But I cask, in their 
adaptation to stoves, have they not become 
disqualified for the enjoyment of the sun’s 
light and heat ? Is not our nature so chang¬ 
ed, that Jiwnings, cfUashes, and parasols are 
indispensable to health and comfort ? 
But I find that I am getting this article too 
long, and lest I weary your patience I will 
close, hoping that some one or more of your 
corres]X)ndents that have been interesting us 
with articles on kindred subjects, will take 
hold of the above subject and do it justice. 
A. Stone. 
Hmnmnville, N. Y., April, 1850. 1 
Circular Saws. — A correspondent of 
the Middlebury Galaxy states, that Jere¬ 
miah Hall of that town fii-st invented, and 
put into successful operation, the circular 
saw, and his Avidow has in her possession the 
first circular saw ever used in this country. 
Had Mr. Hall claimed and secured his legal 
right, it Avould have placed him in indepen¬ 
dent circumstances. He never took out a 
patent, consequently he never received the 
first dollar’s remuneration for his useful in¬ 
vention. “ He died in extreme poverty in 
1842, but has left a rich legacy to posterity. 
His name ought to be rescued from oblivion, 
and enrolled Avith those Avhose ingenuity 
and exti-aordinary invention entitle them to 
the lasting gratitude of mankind.” 
Horse Shoes Fastened without Nails. 
—A Mr. William Peny, of Plymouth, Eng., 
has invented and taken out a patent for fas¬ 
tening horse shoes by Avires instead of nail¬ 
ing them on. The holes for the wires are 
bored through the animal’s hoof by means 
of a drill which is set with the utmost ac¬ 
curacy to bore at the right angle to prevent 
prickmg. The wire is introduced in the 
form of a staple, from the upper part of the 
hoof—the limbs of the staple approaching 
v --- t )v.;;rd3 tlic slioc, to suit two 
Holes in the shoe, punched close together, 
when they are twisted together and folded 
down into the recesses cut in the shoe. — 
Four staples —two on each side, suflice to 
fasten the shoe. The wire must be of the 
best manufacture and annealed. I 
LIST OF PATENTS 
IMVED FROM THK DNITID STATES PATERT OFFICE, 
For the u>eek ending April 23, 1850. 
To Wm. Abendroth, of Port Chester, N. Y., for 
improvement in cooking stoves. 
To John Andrews, of Woburn, Mass., for im¬ 
provement in churns. 
To A. M. Asay, of Philadelphia, Pa., for im¬ 
provement in dentists’ chairs. 
To D. H. Chamberlain, of Boston, Mass., (As- 
signorto T. J. AVhittemore, of Cambridge, Mass.,) 
for improved method of attaching cylinder in re¬ 
volving fire-arms. 
To G. E'letcher, Sr., of Greensburgh, Ind., for 
improA'einent in machines for drilling stone. 
To O. Edes, of Plymouth, Mass., for submerg¬ 
ed rocker for separating ores. 
To .1, AV. Hoffman, of the District of South¬ 
wark, Pa., for improA^ement in safty lamps. 
To II. Jackson, of Evansville, Ind., for improve¬ 
ment in double cooking stoA'es. 
To H. Eariergan, of Boston, Mass., for improv¬ 
ed arch-truss for bridges. 
To W. R. Nichols «fe B. C. Boyee, of Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa., for improvement in coal-stirrers for fur¬ 
nace-grates. 
To S. R. Parkhurst, of New York, -N. Y., for 
improvement in Cotton Gins. 
To .^. Ruck, of New Y’ork, N. Y., for improve¬ 
ment in i>iaaofortes. 
To N. Sawj'or, of Baltimore, Md., for improve¬ 
ment in brick presses. 
To B. M. Smith, of Ridgeway, N. Y., for im¬ 
proved arrangement of propellers and chimneys for 
I canal boats. 
[ To H. G. Thompson, of New York, N. Y., for 
lathe for turning a peculiar species of curve. 
To D. Ulam, of Mount Pleasant, Pa., for im¬ 
provement in smut machines. 
To S. Whitman, of New Albany, Ind., for im¬ 
provement in brick presses. 
To E. F. Whiton, of West Stafford, Conn., for 
improvement in instruments for measuring cloth. 
To D. Wolf, of North Lebanon, for improve¬ 
ment in adjustable shares of corn plows. 
To Peter Yates, of Milw'aukie, Wis., for im¬ 
provements in changing a reciprocating motion in¬ 
to a rotary. 
Powerful Locomotive. —A correspon¬ 
dent Avrites us from Cambridge, says the 
Boston Courier, that Mr. Kirk has turned 
out from his establishment his second rail¬ 
road engine, Avhich mechanics declare to 
exceed anything of the kind in the country, 
and Avhich in its construction and finish, will 
take the place of all others in its advanta¬ 
ges over common locomotives. It Avas built 
for the broad guage of the Androscoggin 
and Kennebec Railroad, to draAV passengei’s, 
Aveighs twenty-one tons, its wheels are fn^e 
feet six inches in diameter and twenty inch¬ 
es in stroke. The tender is capable of con¬ 
taining one thousand eight hundred ga^ons 
of water, and the locomotive is Avarranted 
to dra\A the passenger train at the rate of 
fifty miles an hour. 
A Large Hammer —The London Cor¬ 
respondent of the Philadelphia North Ame¬ 
rican writes that Messrs. Nasmyth & Gas- 
kill, the celebrated machinists of Manches¬ 
ter, are manufacturing a gigantic steam 
hammer for an establishment at New York. 
It weighs six tons, and Avill be shipped in a 
few days from Liverpool to its destination. 
It is the largest hammer that has ever been 
made in England. The machinery by 
Avhich it Avill be worked is brought to such 
perfection that a thick bar of iron can be 
sundered by one blow of the hammer, or 
an egg placed in a wine glass can be chip¬ 
ped at the top, without breaking the glass. 
TAKE THE FIRST STEP. 
If you are ever to be any thing you must 
make a beginning; and you must make it 
yourself. The world is getting too practical 
to help drones, and push them along, when 
there is a busy hive of workers, who, if any¬ 
thing, live too fast. You must lift up your 
OAvn feet, and if you have a pair of clogs on 
which clatter about your heels, they will 
soon be Avorn off and left behind on the 
dusky path-way. Mark out the lino which 
you prefer; let tnitli be the object glass— 
honesty the surveying chain—and eminence 
the level with Avhich you lay out your field; 
and thus prepared, witli prudence on one 
arm and perseverance on the other, you 
need fear no obstacle. Do not be afraid 
to take the first step. Boldness will beget 
assurance, and the first step will bring you 
so much nearer the second. But if your 
first step sKould break down, try again. It 
will be surer and safer by the trial Be¬ 
sides, if you never move, you will never 
know your own power. A man standing 
still and declaring his inability to Avalk, Avith- 
out making an effort, would be a general 
laughing stock; and so, morally, is the man, 
in our opinion, who will not test his OAvn 
moral and intellectual power, and then 
gravely assure us that he has “ no genius,” 
or “ no talent,” or “ no capacity.” A man 
with seeing eyes keeping them shut und 
complaining that he cannot see! The 
trumpeter of his OAvn imbecility! 
TuEi-.E iire three companions with Avhom 
a man should filw'ayskeep on good terms— 
his wife, liis stomach, and his conscience. 
The birth-place of a man does him no 
honor; but a man may do honor to his 
birth-place. 
THOUGHTS ON RURAL CEMETERIES. 
Nature has many things in harmony 
with quiet thoughts and_ solemn fancies, but 
they never come to us more freely or plea¬ 
santly, than in the music of the winds Avhich 
murmur among the SAvaying branches of 
the firesL Hence a solitary rambl-- in the 
grove is over suggestive of thoughts and 
feelings to bless and purify the heart, and 
it seems that here Ave might make the most 
appropriate home for the dead —not a rest¬ 
ing place for their weary spirits, for they go 
away to realms beyond—but a home where 
the mortal part may be buried from our 
sight, Avith better thoughts of life present 
and future. 
It is a beautiful faith which looks for com¬ 
munion, even here, Avith the spirits of the 
loved and lost, and it w.ere Avise perhaps, to 
indulge in the belief -that we are not be¬ 
yond the silent influence of those who, Avhen 
on earth, were interested in our Avelfare.— 
These thoughts—these memories of the 
dead—ever come Avhen the heart is soften¬ 
ed by some feeling of tranquil happiness, 
and it Avould almost seem as though these 
feeliugs were “ charms, in virtue of wdiich 
the soul is enabled to hold some vague and 
mysterious intercourse Avith the spirits of 
those we dearly loved in life. Alas! how 
often, and how long, may those patient an¬ 
gels hover above us, watching for the spell 
which is so seldom mustered and so soon 
forgotten.” And the influence of the bleak 
and dreary grave-yard by the dusty road¬ 
side, Avith only neglected head-stones, and 
lialf sunken mounds to intimate that it is 
the last refuge of mortality, will not tend to j 
make those “ angel visits ” less “ fevA' aifd | 
far between.” Pleasant thoughts and sweet 
spirit communings are stifled and checked 
in such an atmosphere. A greater horror 
of death is inspired, and “ we pyt aAvay the 
CAul day” as far as possible from our 
thoughts. 
But a “ resting place ” in the gi’ove, one 
embellished Avith trees and shrubbery, has 
a very different influence. God manifests 
himself in his works as all-wise and all-be¬ 
neficent, but nowhere is this more sensibly 
felt than in the forest The trees reach up¬ 
ward toward hfuiA'en, pointing ahvay to the 
source of all life and being. Their autum¬ 
nal beauties speak of the graces and glory 
of the man whose summer has been Avell 
spent—who is ready to put off the robe of 
mortality, as the tree putteth off its leaves 
for a season—yet with a confidence, that as 
the return of spring awakes it to a higher 
beauty, so shall he awake to a new life and 
a higher state of existence. 
Yes, give us the grave-yard in the grove 
where everything that is pure and lovely, 
and verdant, points our aspirations to a high¬ 
er and better existence. The place for our 
dead should be such as the living Avould 
love to visit—where the thoughts of anoth¬ 
er life would not disturb or dismay us, but 
tend to make the present a fit preparation 
for that Avhich is to come. There is scarcely 
a tOAvn where some suitable grove for a ru¬ 
ral cemetery could not readily be found, 
and no place Avhere those already existing 
could not be beautified and improved, if it 
has not already been done, by the hand and 
eye of taste. It does seem most appropri¬ 
ate that every home for the dead should be 
located Avhere Nature has done most to 
beautify and adorn the scene—Avhere spirit 
voices seem to murmur in the zephyi-s that 
rustle in the leaves o’er our heads Avherc 
lessons of diligence and contentment are 
taught in every blade of grass beneath our 
feet In such a place sordid feelings Avould 
be checked and better motii'^es prompt us— 
and every influence Avould tend not only to 
the honor of the dead but to the advance¬ 
ment of the living. n. & w. 
Business First, then Pleasure.— A 
man who is very rich noAV, Avas very poor 
when he Avas a boy. When asked how he 
got his riches, he replied: “ My father taught 
me never to play till alll my Avork for the 
day Avas finished, and never spend my mon¬ 
ey till I had earned it. If I had but half 
an hour’s Avork to do in a day, I must do 
that the first thing, and in half an hour .— 
After this I was allowed to play; and I 
could then play Avith much more pleasure 
than if I had the thought of an unfinished 
task before my mind. I early formed the 
habit of doing everything in its time, and 
it soon became perfectly easy to do so. It 
is to this habit I now owe my present pi-os- 
perity.” Let every boy avIio reads this go 
and do likewise, and he Avill probably meet 
Avith a similar reward. 
HABIT VS. INSTINCT. 
One of those old proverbs, which often 
in homely but impressive language present 
important truths, tells us that “ Habit is a 
kind of second nature,” and it seems indeed, 
scarcely second to nature itself, in the influ¬ 
ence it exerts over that portion of the brute 
creation Avhich man has under his especial 
care and dominion. That it is of secondary 
iuiluence with the latter, was once suppo¬ 
sed to be proved rather curiously, by one of 
two ancient philosophers Avho had a long 
dispute — as long and as zealously argued, 
as any which arise in the more enlightened 
presenfi — upon the acquired habits of do¬ 
mestic animals; one arguing that they could 
be taught to forget their natural instinct— 
the other denying it. As an instance the 
first brought his cat, Avhom he had.taught 
to lie upon his table and support his candle 
in her paws, Avhile he pursued his studies. 
The other brought a covered dish and upon 
the renewal of the dispute, opened it in 
sight of the cat, liberating a number of 
mice, Avhich proved too much for the ac¬ 
quired habits of the feline quadruped, and 
a triumphant refutation of the argument of 
his opponent. 
Ei'^en this trial, Ave Avill venture to assert, 
Avould have been borne, could the cat have 
had previous lessons to make her familiar with 
this form of temptation. There are many 
instances on record, of even Avild animals, 
which in their primitive states naturally 
preyed upon each other, living together in 
perfect peace, and banding together against 
their common enemies Avhen brought under 
early and careful training by the hand of 
man. ' b. 
CURIOUS FACTS. 
The greyhound runs by eye-sight only, 
and this we observe as a fact. The car¬ 
rier-pigeon flies his txvo hundred and fifty 
miles homcAvard, by eye-sight, viz. from 
point to point of objects which he has 
marked; but this is only our conjecture.— 
The fierce dragon-fl}'-, Avith twelve thousand 
lenses in his eyes, darts from angle to angle 
wuth the rapidity of a flashing sword, and 
as rapidly darts back—not turning in the 
air, but Avith a^clash reversing the action of 
his wings—the only knoAvn creature that 
possesses this faculty. His sight then, both 
forwards and backwards, must be propor¬ 
tionately rapid with his wings, and instan¬ 
taneously calculating the distance of objects, 
or he would dash himself to jjleces. But 
in AA'hat conformation of his eye does this 
consist? No one can answer, A cloud of 
ton thousand gnats dance up and down in 
the sun, the minutest interval between them, 
yet no one knocks another headlong upon 
the grass, or breaks a leg or a Aving, long 
and delicate as these are. Suddenly, amidst 
your admiration of this matchless dance, a 
peculiarly high-shouldered, vicious gnat, 
with long, pale, pendant nose, darts out of 
the rising and falling cloud, and settling on 
your cheek inserts a poisonous sting. What 
possessed the little Avretch to do this ? No 
one knows, 
A four-horse coach comes suddenly up¬ 
on a flock of geese on a narrow road, and 
drives straight through the middle of them. 
A goose Avas never yet fairly run over; nor 
a duck. They are under the very wheels 
and hoofs, and yet, somehoAV, they contrive 
to flap and Avaddle safely off. Habitually 
stupid, heavy and indolent, they are never¬ 
theless equal to any emergency. Why 
does the lonely woodpecker, Avhen he de¬ 
scends his tree, and goes to drink, stop sev¬ 
eral times on his way, listen, and look round 
before he takes his draught? No one 
knows. How is it that the species of ant, 
which is taken in battle by other ants to be 
made slavTfes, should be the black, or negro- 
ant? No one knows. 
A large species of the star-fish possesses 
the power of breaking itself into fragments 
under the influence of terror, rage or despair. 
“ As it does not generally break up,” says 
Professor Forbes, “ before it is raised above 
the surface of the sea, cautiously and anx¬ 
iously I sunk my bucket, and proceeded in 
the most gentle manner to introduce Ludia 
to the purer element. Whether the cold air 
was’too much for him, or the sight of the 
bucket too terrific, I know not, but in a mo¬ 
ment he proceeded to dissolve his corpora¬ 
tion, and at every mesh of the dredge his 
fragments Avere seen escaping. In despair 
I grasped at the largest, and brought up the 
extremity of an arm Avith its terminating eye, 
the spinous eyelid of which opened and 
closed with something like a wink of derision.” 
With this exquisite specimen of natural 
history Avonders, for naturalists can only 
vouch that “such is the fact, ” and admit 
that they know no more, we shall close our 
digressioiL— The Poor Artist. 
Every one owes obedience to the laws, 
but a still higher obligation is due to mor¬ 
ality; and if it so happens that both cannot 
be complied Avith, it is better to do an ille¬ 
gal act than an immoral one. 
A FABLE. 
In ancient times, when flowers and trees 
and fairies were on speaking terms, and all 
friendly together, one fine summer’s day, 
the sun shone out on a beautiful garden, 
where there were all sorts of flowers that 
ye could mention, a lovely but giddy fairy 
Avent sporting about from one to another, 
(although no one could see her, because of 
the sunlight,) as gay as the morning lark; 
then says the F.airy to the Rose—“Rose, if 
the sun was clouded, and the storm came 
on would ye shelter and love me still ?”— 
“ Do you doubt me ? ” says the Rose, and 
reddened up with anger. “ Lily,” says the 
Fairy to another love, “ if the sun was cloud¬ 
ed and the storm came on, would ye shel¬ 
ter and love me still ? ” “ Oh! do you 
think I could change ? ” says the Lily, and 
she grew still paler with sorrow. “ Tulip,” 
says the Fairy, “if the sun was clouded, 
and the storm came on, would ye shelter 
and love me still ? ” “ Upon ray word,” 
said the Tulip, making a very gentlemanly 
bow, “ye’re the very first lady that ever 
doubted ray constancy.” So the Fairy 
sported on, joyful to think of her kind and 
blooming friends. She reveled away for a 
time, and then thought on the pale blue Vi¬ 
olet that was almost covered with its broad 
green leaves; and although it was an old 
comrade, she might have forgotten it, had 
it not been for a sweet scent that came up 
from the modest flower. “ Oh, Violet,” 
said the Fairy, “ if the sun was clouded and 
the storm came on, Avould ye shelter and 
love me still ? ” And the violet made an¬ 
swer—“ Ye have knoAvn me long, SAveet 
Fairy, and in the first spring time, Avhen 
there Avere but feAv other flowers, ye used 
to shield from the cold blast under my 
leaves ; now ye’ve almost forgotten me — 
but let it pass—try my truth if you should 
ever meet Avitii misfortune—but I say noth¬ 
ing.” Well, the Fairy skitted at that, and 
clapped her silvery wings, and Avhisked sing¬ 
ing off on a sunbeam; but she Avas hardly 
gone when a black cloud grew up at the 
north, and the rain fell in slashings like hail, 
and away flies the Fairy to her friend the 
Rose. “ Now, Rose,” says she, “ the rain is 
come, so shelter and love me still.” “ I can 
hardly shelter my oAvn buds,” said the Rose, 
“ but the Lily has a deep cup.” Well, the 
poor little Fairy’s wings were almost wet 
through, but she got to the Lily. “ Lily,” 
says she, “ the storm has come, so shelter 
and love mo still.” “ I am sorry,” says the 
Lily, “ but if I were to open my cup, the 
rain Avould beat in like fun, and my seed 
Avould be spoiled — the Tulip has long 
leaves.” Well, the Fairy was doAvn heart¬ 
ed enough, but she went to the Tulip, who 
she always thought a SAveet spoken gentle¬ 
man. He certainly did not look as he had 
done in the sun, but she Avaved her little 
wand, and “ Tulip,” says she, “ the rain and 
storm are come, and I am ver}' weary, but 
Avill you shelter and love me still” “ Be¬ 
gone,” said the Tulip, “ be off)” says he, 
“ a pretty pickle I should be in, if I let ev¬ 
ery wandering trollop come about me. 
Well, by this time she was very tired, 
her wings hung dripping at her back, wet 
indeed—but there was no help for it, and 
loaning on her silver wand, she limped off 
to the violet; and the darling little flower, 
with its blue eye, that’s as clear as a kitten’s, 
saw her coming, and never a word she 
spoke, but opened her broad green leaves 
and took the Avild wandering little creature 
to her bosom, and dried her Avings, and then 
breathed her sweetest perfumes over her, 
and sheltered her until the storm Avas clean 
gone. Then the humble Violet spoke and 
said, “Fairy Queen, it is bad to flirt with 
many, for the love of one true heart is e- 
nough for earthly woman or fairy spirit; the 
old love is better than the gay compliments 
of a world of floAvers, for it Avill hist when 
the others fade UAvay.” 
And the Fiiiry knexv that it Avas true, for 
the blue Violet, and she contented herself 
ever aftci’, and her downy boAver under the 
wide spreading Violet leaves, that sheltered 
her from the rude winter’s Avind and the 
hot summer’s sun, and to this very day the 
Ftiiries love the Violet beds. 
A WITNE SS FOR WIVES. 
The Avife of the elder Adams, as is Avell 
knoAvn, wrote a series of very interesting 
letters, Avhich have been recently published. 
In one of them she makes the ‘following 
sensible suggestions, which single follvs, by 
choice, should diligently digest for the cure 
of their dyspeptic opinions. Mrs. Adams 
says: 
“No man ever prospered in the world 
Avithout the consent and co-operation of his 
vrife. * * * \ consider it as an essen¬ 
tial requisite that every American wife 
should herself knoAV how to order and reg¬ 
ulate her family—how to govern her do¬ 
mestics, and train up her children. For 
this purpose the all-Avise Creator made wo¬ 
man a help for man; and she who fails in 
these duties does not answer the end of her 
creation. * * * \ J^ave frequently said to 
my friends, when they have thought me 
over-burdened Avith care, that I Avouid rath¬ 
er have too much than too little. Life stag¬ 
nates Avithout action. I could never bear 
merely to vegetate.” 
Ill-will never speaks Avell or does well 
