THE 
[Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker.) 
DISTRICT SCHOOLS. 
It is a fast now acknowledged by all who are ac¬ 
quainted with educational matters at the present day, 
that the schools of our cities and large towns are 
superior to those in the rural districts. Many of the 
reasons for this difference are. by no means, chargea¬ 
ble to teachers, and will, in time, we trust, be 
removed; in the meantime, let teachers do all in 
their power to elevate the schools with the facilities 
at hand, and wait patiently for the “ good time com¬ 
ing.’’ The schools of towns and cities are larger, 
and admit of a more thorough classification, thus 
affording the great advantage of class exercises, where 
mind stimulates mind, teachers are less frequently 
changed, and are generally more experienced than in 
country schools. 
It cannot he expected that the rural districts will 
possess all the appliances necessary for giving an 
advanced course of instruction at present, if it would 
bo desirable at any time; but there is no good reason 
why*, in all the rudimentul course,— which is the most 
important, of all,—our country schools should be 
inferior to those of largo towns. 
The great want of all our schools is. that of trained 
teachers. The doctrine which holds that any person 
possessing proper intellectual and moral qualifica¬ 
tions is prepared to instinct the young, is false,—just 
as false as it is to suppose a person qualified to enter 
upon the practice of medicine, because he can furnish 
evidence of a tolerable knowledge of Human Physi¬ 
ology, when, at the same time, he is, perhaps, almost 
entirely ignorant of the laws of Hygiene; and knows 
nothing at all of Therapeutics. That such immediate 
evil may not. result from the former, as from the 
tion upon the character or efficiency of the officers 
recently chosen, I ftm impelled, in view of the past, 
to suggest that the Legislature should make provision 
in some manner for enforcing thu faithful discharge 
of the dHties pertaining to the office under considera¬ 
tion. In not a few cases the incumbents are engaged 
in other avocations requiring a large share of time 
and attention, whilst their duties as school commis¬ 
sioners are regarded as of secondary importance, to 
be discharged as convenience shell allow — others, 
though nominally devoting their whole time to the 
office, arc negligent in the discharge of their official 
duties, and not (infrequently subject their constituents 
to much trouble in the attainment ol services, which 
the commissioner should perform with alacrity and 
punctuality. The power of removal from office for 
persistent neglect of official requirements, with 
proper guards against its abuse, would go far toward 
securing a fidelity of service demanded alike by tlie 
public interests and the obligations of duty." 
Teachers’ Institutes. —The Teachers' Institutes, 
held in the various counties during the last autumn, 
under the auspices of the school commissioners, were 
uot as numerously attended aw those of the preceding 
year, although the appropriation by the State, for 
instruction and contingent expenses, was materially 
increased at the last Legislative session. This result, 
says Mr. Van Dyck, is uO doubt to be attributed to 
the fact that the term of office of the commissioners 
was about to expire, and that hence their influence 
over teachers, and their own exertions to secure a 
full attendance, were in some measure lessened. The 
whole number of teachers present at the Institutes 
was 5,913; and the average expense per county. 
$130.58. 
Normal School.— The number of pupils in this 
department of public instruction during the past year 
was 331, and of its graduates during the same period, 
73, of whom 32 were males and 11 females. The 
_ -r— — - . ' 
AMERICAN WATCH COMPANY'S MANUFACTORY, WALTHAM, MASK. 
latter practice, i 3 readily granted, but that, the final whole number of pupils who have entered its classes 
result is less pernicious, can hardly Ire denied. is 3,480; of whom 1,193 completed the full course of 
This want of training several States have aimod instruction and received the resulting diploma. 
result is less pernicious, can hardly be denied. 
This want of training several States have aimod 
to meet in the establishment of Normal Schools. These 
schools aim to Vie professional, and all young persons, 
before entering upon the profession of teaching, 
should, if possible, avail themselves of the advan¬ 
tages there offered for the study of the Science of 
Education and the Art of Teaching, especially the 
latter, for teaciting is an art. 
For those who cannot avail themselves of these 
advantages, and those who may wish to teach only 
for a short time, the want should be met us fully as 
possible, in the establishment of Institutes, suffi¬ 
ciently frequent, and of sufficient duration to admit 
of several weeks' training under experienced teachers. 
In these exercises, the pupil teachers might be called 
upon to condnct the recitations, at which the mem¬ 
bers of the class could so play their part, (if any 
playing should appear necessary in the way of dull¬ 
ness,) as to call forth all the power and tact of the 
practicing teacher, in elucidating and teaching a 
subject.; thus disciplining and preparing each other 
for the future duties. 
With a band of teachers thus drilled, good and 
attractive sclioolhouses, and with a reasonable atten¬ 
tion from parents, under the supervision of officers 
qualified to conduct these Institutes, and to counsel 
and instruct the teachers, our country schools would 
soon rival those which, in the efficiency of their 
instruction, are considered the best in the world. 
Palmyra, NY., T 86 f. * HI. Hollister. 
SCHOOL MATTERS OF NEW YORK. 
In our issue of February 16th we gave condensa¬ 
tions of such portions of the State Superintendent's 
Report to the Legislature as our space permitted, and 
now publish those matters of general interest which 
the condition of our columns compelled ns to omit at 
that period: 
School Finances.— The Superintendent presents 
the following summary of the financial reporta of the 
public schools for the year ending Sept. 30, 1860: 
. . .Receipts. Cities. Rur. Dint. 
Balnncll on hand, Oct. 1, 1859 A 399,0*32 *16 S 79,404 37 
Amount received of State Appor¬ 
tionment . 378,860 92 941,344 92 
Proceeds of Gospel ao<l School 
Rands_,. 473 64 18,617 50 
Amount raised by district taxes . 1,471,344 58 544,071 29 
Amount raised by rate bills_ 420,257 98 
Amount received from all other 
sources..’._...__ 18,815 89 28,362 63 
The Kind ok Teachers we Want.- A great de¬ 
ficiency in the character of the instruction imparted 
in our Common Schools has been its lack of adapta¬ 
tion to the ordinary business avocations of the com¬ 
munity. In comparatively few instances is any effort 
made to convey knowledge not embraced within the 
limits of the most elementary branches. The con¬ 
ditions of society in our day are such as to demand a 
more extended course of instruction; and an ac¬ 
quaintance with the principles of natural science 
becomes a necessity not to be overlooked in the 
education of any child. A knowledge of mechanics 
is essential to every person Who proposes to derive 
his subsistence from almost any handicraft pursuit— 
of chemistry to those who design to devote thom- 
selvcs to agriculture —of geometry, mensuration, 
and algebra, to those who intend to become engi¬ 
neers, architects or builders—of physiology to those 
who would cultivate health and longevity — of the 
principles of government to those who desire to 
become intelligent citizens —and of all, to those 
who would fill reputably aud successfully the varied 
stations in life to which onr free institutions invite 
even the humblest members of society. Far the 
greater number of teachers in our common schools 
are incapable of imparting instruction in those and 
cognate branched. It is thiB deficiency will eh the 
instruction, of the formal Bchool la especially eaten 
lated to supply. Its graduates are prepared to carry 
this essential knowledge into the schools, and create 
a desire for a higher course of study on the part ot 
those whose advantages arc now so restricted by rea- 
Bon of the limited acquirements of their teachers. 
They form a means of comparison to school commis¬ 
sioners by which to estimate the qualifications which 
should characterize those who apply to them for 
license to enter the Bchool. - fn these and a thousand 
other ways, they serve to elevate tho standard ot 
common school instruction, whilst their success in 
the vocation they have chosen, and the respect which 
their character aud condnct uniformly elicits from 
the community in which their calling la exorcised, 
reflect the highest honor on the institution from 
which they have graduated. 
have become celebrated as time-keepers. and are fast j 
supplanting those of foreign manufacture. We know 
whereof we affirm in this respect, from personal 
knowledge, and the testimony of friends upon whose 
judgment the utmost reliance can be placed, ®nd 
therefore hope it will uot long ho true that “ wc pay 
five millions of dollars to European manufacturers 
every year for the foreign made watches that inun¬ 
date tho country, aud us much more for keeping 
them in working order, while we have artisans 
among us capable of earning tho first five millions, 
and of saving more than tho last to their customers, 
by doing the work thoroughly.” 
Among the many tributes to the value of the 
American Watch, and tho enterprise of its manu¬ 
facturers, we have seen nothing better expressed 
than an article in Harper's Weekly, descriptive of a 
visit to the establishment, at Waltham. It is from 
the pen of the graceful and versatile author ot the 
“Potipltar Papers’'— Okokob William Curtis, also 
celebrated as one of the most accomplished lecturers 
In tho whole country—and so interesting that, we are 
constrained to quote it entire, as follows: 
“Governor Banks, of Massachusetts, recommends 
in Ilia last Message, that the dome of the Boston State 
House be gilded. That dome is the most conspicuous 
object as you approach the oity; and it is soon from 
all the neighboring heights, as the dome of St. 
Peter’s is scon from the villas about Rome. Boston 
also sits upon its three hills, dark and massive, like a 
feudal baron; and the gilded dome would be only 
like a glittering crown, reminding the feudatory vil¬ 
lages around of the grandeur of their lord. That lord 
ought to be proud of bis subjects, for no city in the 
world had ever a more thrifty, prosperous, intelli¬ 
gent neighborhood of villages, which overlap and 
run into each other, contented with themselves and 
proud of the whole. , 
“Now if, some winter morning; when yftn wish to 
get a little nearer to tho secret ol that thrift and 
character, you take one of the trains that are inces¬ 
santly disparting westward from Boston, after crossing 
the Back Bay, and gliding through the gardens or 
Brookline and Brighton, skirting the valley of the 
Charles Rivet, you will find yourself in the pretty 
nice, and the heat is not less than a hundred degrees 
of Fahrenheit. 
“ And there is one pleasant impression — the pleas¬ 
antest of all — that you bring away. While the infi¬ 
nite variety of machinery seems almost self-intel¬ 
ligent, the workmen and women impress you with 
the heartiest respect? and when, as you pause in the 
office, you are shown the beautiful watch that was 
recently given by the citizens of Waltham to thewifo 
of Governor Hanks, you aro irresistahly reminded 
that he came out of a factory m this very town to be 
Speaker in Congress and Governor of his State; and 
rollout that, as you have just seen the making of 
watches that mark the time ol day, so, among tho 
makers, you hnvo seen the nmn whose intelligence 
and ability mark the time of our civilization and pro¬ 
gress— a time in which tho welfare of society is 
getting to lie more and more established upon the 
only permanently sure basis, the sell-respect and 
intelligence of labor. 
“There are the spires of Waltham the pretty 
white town of West Newton—and, whiz! hero are 
tho steep tiers of dark brick houses rising to the 
State House. You observe that Bostou lias not yet 
its gilt crown on; but remembering what you have 
seen — reflecting that now it is shown that we can 
furnish ourselves with the best watches so much more 
cheaply than when we import them — you will stop 
at tho foot of the State Honao steps long enough to 
say, ‘You dosorvo a crown, because these things 
have been done under your eye and by your spirit.’ 
“Then, if you choose, you may rise and invite 
Beacon street to give three cheers for tho twentieth 
century!” 
- M -> | ^ I «-• 
CURIOUS HORSES. 
We have now on exhibition in London four 
“African Horses," of which we read in the handbill 
that they are of perfect symmetry, well matched, and 
all of a dark-brown color, tho tallest being 31 inches 
high. The owner had the honor of exhibiting them 
to her most gracious majesty, who expressed herseli 
much pleased with them. Tho horses, or rather 
ponies, are now stalled in the same room whore the 
REASON AND INSTINCT. | 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: - Philosophers teach ] 
ns that the main difference between beings govotned 
by reason and those governed by instiuct is, the 
former in all their undertakings make mistakes, and 
they perfoct nothing but by trials and experiments, 
while the latter never make mistakes in any of their 
calculations, ami are, consequently, susceptible of 
no improvement. To illustrate they say, that the 
youngest parent bird is taught by instinct how to 
provide for her young, and to use the signs and 
sounds for communicating to their young, iw well as 
tho old bird that has reared many broods. 
Now, then, 1 do not rightly understand tho rulo, or 
else I have witnessed an exception. It has been a 
question among metaphysicians, “which is the 
mother of tho chicken,” Ac. I will not attempt to 
discuss this question, hut will relate the case above 
referred to. 
About two years ago last August, as I was one 
morning passing through tho barnyard, I observed 
i an old hen Bitting right whore I wished to pass. A 
few feet from her sat a half-grown pullet, one alio had 
reared the same season. As 1 approached, they 
showed little inclination to move out of my way. 
With my foot l assisted tho old hen from her Sitting 
posture, and immediately three little chicks ran from 
under her; at the same time, the pullet arose and two 
chicks ran from under her, also. Tho clucking of 
the old hen called the chickens all to herself, in spite 
of the efforts made by the pullet to restrain them. 
Chickens will follow tho hen that clucks, —tho pullet 
didn't know how to cluck! 
I passed on and thought no more of it, until a few 
days after, as I was passing near the same spot, T saw 
tho same hen and pullet sitting a few loot apart, as 
before. With a good (leal of bustling and squalling, 
the old hen got up, and one solitary chicken ran from 
under her, while four sprightly little fellows ran from 
under the pullet, and as they moved off, tho wholes 
five little chicks ran after the pullet, and even tho old 
hen, rather than be left alone, followed her important 
young assistant, which by this time hud learned to 
cluck as fast as any old hen in the yard. But I 
think if she had made the same noise in other cir¬ 
cumstances, I should have mistaken her meaning, 
yet the little chicks seemed to understand her quite 
well. 
Time passed on. The pullet improved daily iu 
i clucking, and, strangest of all, she soon lcarnod to 
i practice all the airs assumed by maternal hens. She 
would bristle her feathers, spread her wings, and 
; squall vociferously, if any stranger came too near 
i her adopted protege. 
Now it soerns to me that instinct failed to perform 
her work, and the young hen was under tho necessity 
of looking to reason for a guide. Probably tlve old 
hen had commenced laying before she had weaned 
,• her former brood, and when she felt like sitting had 
1 driven some other hen from her nest, appropriating 
[ the eggs to herself just as they were ready to hatch. 
a But I cannot imagine what caused the pullet to desire 
a sharing the family cares with her mother. 
I ! Java, Ohio, Feb., 1801. W B. 0. 
sources..’.______ 18,815 89 28,362 63 
$2,268,557 09 $2,032,118 69 
2,268,557 09 
$4,300,676 78 
Payments. 
For teach ers’wages.$1,118,078 14 $1,479,886 24 
For libraries .. 
For school apparatus_ 
For colored schools__ 
For expenses of school houses, 
viz.: sites, building, hiring, 
purchasing, repairing, and in¬ 
suring; fences, outhonscs, fur¬ 
niture, &c... 
For all other incidental expenses 
Amount on band, Oct. 1, 1860... 
Totals..S 
Total in cities. 
6,846 04 
75,449 71 
20,985 28 
361,321 86 
b 208,453 63 
477,422 49 
.$2,268,557 09 
27,189 83 
6,973 88 
4,137 53 
280,968 83 
153,956 04 
79,006 34 
$2,032,118 69 
2.268,657 09 
Total in the State. $4,300,675 78 
If the amount remaining on hand, October 1st, 
I860, (at the close of the school year,) be deducted, 
it will give as the actual payments for school pur¬ 
poses during the twelve months preceding, in the 
cities, of 51,791,134.C0, and iu the rural districts, 
§1,953,112.35; or a total in the State of §3,744,246.95. 
Apportionment ok School Money for 18G1.— 
From the following statement we can learn the 
amount of school money and its apportionment for 
the current year: 
Moneys Apportioned , dx. 
From common school fund.$ 155,000 00 
From United States deposit fund. 165,000 00 
From State school tax.... 1,064,473 15 
Balance in t reasury_ 986 80 
Total...$1,385,459 95 
The above account is apportioned as follows, viz.: 
For the payment of school commissioners’ 
salaries.... .... $ 56,000 00 
For district quotas, as per table___ 419.686 74 
For pupil “ “ 11 _$852,556 35 
For u “ for Indians_ 1,036 06 
for Indians. 
For libraries, as per table 
For libraries for Indians.. 
.$852,556 35 
1,036 06 
. 54,937 06 
62 94 
853,592 41 
55,000 00 
Balance for contingent apportionments.. 1.180 80 
Total.„.$1,385,459 95 
School Commissioners and their Duties.— Super¬ 
intendent Van Dyck offers some wholesome sugges¬ 
tions to this class of individuals. The Commis- 
siouera were chosen for the various districts into 
which the State is divided at the last general election, 
and entered upon their duties January 1st, 1861. The 
Superintendent says:—“Without any designed reflec- 
THE AMERICAN WATCH. 
We believe in American industrial institutions, and 
that it is the especial duty of Americans to excel “all 
the world and the rest of mankind” iu the arts of 
Production aud Manufacture — that we should avail 
ourselves to the fullest extent of the great natural 
advantages of our soil and climate, arid the inventive 
genius, skill, and industry of tho people, to become, 
more than any other, tt Nation which shall, so far as 
possible, produce both the necessaries and luxuries 
of life, lienee, we rejoice whenever a new branch of 
useful production or manufacture is introduced iu 
any part of the country — anything which will render 
us more independent of foreign nations, and Belf- 
reliant and skillful as a people. And we hold it to 
be the duty of our people to encourage, iu every 
proper manner, those who, in thus endeavoring to 
compete successfully with the old world, not only 
elevate us among the nations, hut bestow great and 
permanent benefits upon community. Among the 
benefits thus conferred, wc may mention the employ¬ 
ment of artisans, the building up of villages and 
cities, and consequent creation of new home markets 
for our surplus agricultural products. 
These thoughts, founded upon views long enter¬ 
tained, are expressed as introductory to what we 
purpose saying and quoting, voluntarily, relative to 
the manufacture of Tlte American Watch. This busi¬ 
ness is conducted by The American Watch Co., 
(represented by Appleton, Tracy <V Co., Waltham, 
and Bobbins A Appleton, New York City,) a fine 
view of whose extensive Manufactory is given above. 
The establishment is located on the banks of Charles 
River, in the town of Walthum, Mass., and iB said to 
occupy a site of surpassing beauty. [The enterprise 
was first started ut Roxbury in 1850, bot subsequently 
removed to and made permanent in its present loca¬ 
tion.] “ The manufactory occupiesan area of one hun¬ 
dred by one hundred feet, and forms a quadrangle, 
with an open court in the center. The building is two 
stories iu height, and has eight hundred feet of floor 
line, with about sixteen hundred feet of bench line 
for the accommodation of the workmen. The 
motive power is a twelve-horse steam engine, which 
gives motion to the lines of shafting in all the rooms, 
to which are attached the numerous ingenious, deli¬ 
cate and wonderful maohinee which are u*ed in the 
various processes for transforming the crude mate¬ 
rials into the exquisitely finished parts of the watch, 
the completest result of human ingenuity and skill 
yet attaiued.” 
The Watohes manufactured at this establishment 
vll!a«« of Wert Newtott, It i* #1* and wooden, and talking fish was formerly exhibited. They aro pretty 
neat and cheerful. MpecinUF « U tho qpxt Rttic creatures, of a sort of mmmv color. Tho heads I 
moment from the comfortable grebes, wrapped in are not like those of ordinary English horses or 
which yon arc slipping along the road behind a solid ponies, but have a peculiar foreign look about them, 
pair of horses, making music as they go. A few mo- They have very long tails, and their tiny hoofs have 
ments bring yon to the road which winds above a broad not as yet been shed. Tho weight of the smallest is 
basin of the Charles, upon which they aro cutting ice. about.nino stone. It. requires some one more oxpe- 
The surface of tins river is lurrowod by a horse and riOnced than myself to say for certain of what breed 
machine, and the process looks to yon like winter they really are; but they are, T think, not Shetland 
plowing. But yonder are spires amoug the trees; ponies, tor this animal is for the most part short 
and nearer, upon tho very edge of the. river basin, is and thick, with a broad back and stout legs. The 
a low, two-story building, full of windows. The present specimens are, on tho contrary, narrow in 
spires’ are tho spires ol' Waltham, and the many the back and remarkably fine about the legs. They 
windowed building is the factory of the American may bo said to be well-bred creatures. The hair, too, 
Watch Company. is more wo °* Man l ' K ’ OKUttury hair °f a horse. 
“Of all the manufactures, that of watches must be The proprietor lias just clipped them, so that their 
the most exquisite and delicate. But why should well-made proportions are shown oil' to good advan- 
Europe make our watches? asks common sense and tage. I should feel obliged if any correspondent 
the genius of American enterprise. Why should it? would kindly tell us if he has seen such ponies in 
asks tho American Watch Company; and in this fac- Africa; and if so, in what part?—F. T. BuCKLAND, 
tory that Company is demonstrating why wo should in The Field. 
make them for ourselves. And It is a very pretty * * 
and satisfactory answer to n very plain question. WONDERS OP CHEMISTRY. 
“There are some two hundred and forty or fifty 
hands employed, of which about a third arc women, Science is full of wonder, hut chemistry is the pci- 
and only about a dozen in all are foreigners, mainly (moe of wonders. The following from Lyon Playfair 
Englishmen; and the work is almost exclusively done w j[j awaken curiosity: 
by machinery; but machinery so delicate and beauti- The horseshoe nails dropped in the streets during 
ful that, when your mind has become a little excited th# d;i ., y trafflc Peappettr j n the form of swords and 
by observing the Innumerable, and to yon, inexplieft- qq l0 c [ipj,i n g H t) f the travelling tinker arc 
ble processes of the different shops, you fed as if you wUh Ul( . 1 )ar j„ ga 0 f horses’ hoofs from the 
had seen the human brain in foil play, thinking out bed ithy, or the cast-off' woolen garments of the poor- 
watches. ftst inhabitants of a sister isle, and booh afterward, 
“The fineness of the work is bewildering. Hero ^ ^ onn of dyeH brightest blue, grace the dress 
are screws of which a hundred and fifty thousand ^ court ] y dames. The main ingredient of the ink 
make a pound. They are kept in tittle glass phials, wjth whWh , noW writ0 waa p08 sibly otico part of the 
like those of the Homeopathic medicine cases. And h of an old becr barrel. The bones ot 
here arc shavings of metal so fine that live thousand ^ aniraalH y j L .|,l the chief constituent of lucifer- 
must be laid side by side to make an inch; and here The d of port wine carefully rejected 
are measures that will indicate the ten-thousandth ^ win „ fl riljl<er iu decanting his favorite 
part of an inch: Here, with a flying steel point, ^ llW taken by him in the morning in the 
touched with a paste of diamond dust, the maide ot fom of poW(lerH remove tho effects of h 
the fine bores of the "jewels” are polishing; am ^aoch. Tho offal of tho streets and the wash in) 
here the galvanic process sets the pure gold upon the { f ^ carefully preserved in the lady 
plates, while just beyond, wheels, with their outer n battle , or are used by her to flavor blan 
rim studded with small wisps or brooms ol brans ^ * m . her frien( j 8 . 
wire, revolve with a velocity that makes the room ° ^_ 
hum, and impart to the plates that sparkling, frosty 
complexion which is peculiar to the inner plates of Record of the Weather at Washington. —T1 
watches. method of recording and predicting the weatbe 
“The precision of the work by machinery metho- pursued each day ut tho Smithsonian institute, 
dizes the whole business. Tho Company may have peculiarly simple. 1 hey have a map of the I nit* 
turned out about forty or fifty thousand watches, and States hung upon a board, with pins stuck through 
these are all divided into different classes, sizes, &o. the points where the observers of the Institute a 
For instance, there may he a thousand or five thou- stationed. Daily reports are received from many 
sand “foundations” cut and shaped to-day. They these points. Each morning an assistant hangs 
are all exactly of tho same size; each line iu one cor- gnriu of coi n oa the pins to Indicate the tate ot tl 
responds with the same in all tho others. Each hole weather—black if raining, green if snowing, brov 
ia drilled in precisely the same spot, so that the if cloudy, and white if clear. All stornu navel Km 
screw which will fit one hole in one, will perfectly fit and thus they arc enabled to predict, with great o< 
the corresponding holo in all. So with the wheels tainty, the condition of too weather twelve hours 
also; and if your watch in California or Hindustan advance, 
loses some such part, you have only to send to tho 
factory its number ami class, and yo* have by return Using Zing in Contact with Plaster and Iuo 
mail tho part wanting. Do you gnees how it is —A report of a committee appointed by t’ue Centi 
packed? A thin layer of cork ia cut open and the Society of Architects, in Paris, recommends “tli 
part inserted; then it is closed and tied with a bit of where zinc is used, it should be applied with grt 
silk, put in an envelope, and dropped into the post- care, as certain precautions, very simple, but new 
to bo overlooked, are Indispensable. Thus—conts 
“Wondering aud charmed you follow on through with plaster, which contains a destructive salt, is 
the different work-shops of the cheerful and airy be avoided; also, contact with iron, which is ve 
factory — for it is open everywhere to the sun, there injurious and liable to cause a rapid oxydatic 
is uo deleterious dust from any of the processes. Eave-gutters should always be supported by galvs 
There ia one room — the salamander room — in ized brackets, and no gutter or sheet zinc should 
; which the enamel for the dial is set in a fervid fur- laid on oak boards.” 
A FEW FACTS FOR “S. M.” 
Messrs. Editors : — In looking over the columns 
of the Rural a few weeks ago, 1 saw an article from 
“S. M.,” in which ho says, “Give us pure, unadulter¬ 
ated wine, for mercy’s sake, and let us hurl our most 
severe denunciations at the drugged wines, and bran¬ 
dies, Ac.” If “ 8 . M,” will look out and read the 
following Scripture references, he will find that God 
has hurled his denunciations and woes at wine and 
wine drinkers pure unadulterated wine, too, ami not 
drugged wines or brandies. 
Again, “ 8 . M.” says, “I fear this denouncing the 
use of wine, ia not hitting at the right place.” It is 
hitting at the very stepping stone of debaucheries. 
Every man or woman who manufactures wine for a 
beverage, la aupporting and extending a system which 
ia proving the ruin of our noblest brothers. They 
are nourishing a viper around their own hearthstones, 
which will eventually coil its slimy folds around the 
manliest form and ruin tho noblest soul. No one 
cun be in favor of the Temperance Reform, or a sup¬ 
porter of it, who countenances in the least the 
| drinking of wine. Again, “some noted writer has said 
that man needs some stimulant, let that be what it 
, will; and if that is tho case, strong drink will be 
resorted to in the absence Of wine.” Another noted 
writer has also said that “there ia only one stimulant 
that never falls, and never intoxicates—Duty.” A 
man who lias a clear conscience and a clean heart, 
needs no wine to drown ill deeds. 
References — Prov XX, 1; XXXI, 4; XXI 17; XXXIII, 
29, 80, 31, 32. Isa. VII, 22; XXIV, 9; XXVlfl. I, 7. Jer. 
XXIII. 9; XXV, 26, 27, 28. Num. IV, 3. Dhu. I, «; V, 1,2,4, 
23 Lev. X, 9. Juilv. XIH, 4 Hos. ITI, 2. Lake I, 13. Rom. 
XIV, 21. Kph. V, 18. I Tim. Ill, 3, 8. Pet. IV, 3. 
Alfred University, N. Y., 1801. Minnik Mintwood. 
- v* ■ ’ 
The “Spectre of the Brocken.”— 1>. S. writes 
from the Isle of Wight, describing a sight of this 
phenomenon, which lie obtained on the liighdowns 
behind Bonchuroh:—“ A dense fog was setting in. 
from the sea, and pouring along the Hanks of the 
downs, above which the wreaths of mist were piled 
form of scidlitz powders to remove the effects of hta up like a wall immediately iu front of us. Behind 113 
debauch. The offal of tho streets and the wash luge I an almost level sun was shining brilliantly across the 
of coal gas reappear, carefully preserved in the lady’s 
smelling bottle, or are used by her to flavor blanc¬ 
manges for her friends. 
Record of the Weather at Washington. — The 
method of recording and predicting the weather, 
pursued each day r at tho Smithsonian Institute, is 
peculiarly simple. They have a map of the United 
States hung upon a board, with pins stuck through at 
tho points where the observers of the Institute are 
stationed. Daily reports are received from many 01 
these points. Each morning an assistant hangs a 
grain of corn on the pins to indicate the tate of the 
weather —black if raining, green if snowing, brown 
if cloudy, and white if clear. All storms travel East, 
and thus they are enabled to predict, with great cer¬ 
tainty’, the condition of flio weather twelve hours in 
advance. 
Using Zinc in Contact with Plaster and Ikon. 
— A report of a committee appointed by the Central 
Society of Architects, in Paris, recommends “that 
where zinc is used, it should be applied with great 
care, as certain precautions, very simple, but never 
to bo overlooked, aro indispensable. Thus - coutact 
with plaster, which contains a destructive salt, is to 
be avoided; uiso, contact with iron, which is very 
injurious and liable to cause a rapid oxydation. 
Eave-gutters should always be supported by galvan¬ 
ized brackets, and no gutter or sheet zinc should be 
laid on oak boards.” 
an almost level sun was shining brilliantly across tho 
summit of the downs, right upon the wall of fog. 
Tho^refraction of the sun’s rays through the mist, 
produced a beautiful iris, of an oval form, the colors 
faint, but perfectly distinct. While we^wero looking 
with admiration on this, we became conscious of 
dark Bpectral forms of colossal dimensions, in the 
center of the halo. On raising our arms and lifting 
our lmta, our movements were mimicked by the ima¬ 
ges, and wo at once perceived that the appearances 
wc were gazing on were no more than ,our ,owu 
shadows, projected by tho sun at our backs on the 
fog-wall, and there received as the image* of a magic 
lantern on tho white sheet. After watching these 
singular phenomena for some ^minutes, aa they and 
the surrouudiug halo alternately faded away or in¬ 
creased in distinctness with the decrease orjincrease 
of the density of the mist, the fog reached our posi¬ 
tion, ami, of course, tho spectres were lost'ultogcther.” 
Trifles not to dk Trifled With. — A friend 
calied on Michael Angelo, who was finishing a statue. 
Some time afterwards he called again; the sculptor 
was still at his work. His friend, looking at.the fig¬ 
ure, exclaimed: “You have been Idle since I saw 
you last!” “By no moans,” replied the sculptor; 
“I have retouched this part, and brought out this 
muscle; 1 have given more expression [to this lip, 
and more energy to this limb.” “Well, welL,” said 
his friend, “hut all these are trifles.” “It may bo 
bo,” replied Angelo; “but recollect that trifles make 
perfection, and that perfection is no trifle.” 
