I 
MOOSE 
But the most extraordinary phenomenon of the 
Alps is the glacier. And though I never had a just 
conception of one until I saw it, I will try and give 
yon a faint idea of it in a few words. Imagine a 
mighty river, rushing down between two moun¬ 
tains, into the valley beneath; imagine the river 
tossed and heaved into waves, then suddenly and 
instantaneously frozen to the bottom, with all its 
jagged, ribbed, rough, printed bil'ows, all ice, all 
frozen. Imagine this solid river of ice broken by 
chasms, pits and crevasses; and let the whole be of 
a dazzling, while color, mingled with a gloomy blue, 
and you have a faint idea—some faint conception of 
an Alpine glacier. Down towards the bottom, the 
glacier is of a dirty, muddy color, owing to the soil 
and attrition of the rocks over which it passes. As 
you advance upwards it becomes clearer. In the 
lower pavts of the glacier the ice is porous and 
spongy, as you have seen the ice here in the East 
river, in the middle of March. Little rills of water 
trickle through it; aud if you put your ear to the 
surface, you can hear the trill of tiny streams trick¬ 
ling through all the mass before you. The glacier is 
slowly decomposing and wasting away. The sun is 
conquering it. just as the glorious ark of gospel 
truth is slowly melting away the bigotry and selfish¬ 
ness of earth. Let it shine; let it blaze, until, in its 
unhindered effulgence, every dark mountain of 
ignurance and iniquity shall float down in the pres¬ 
ence of the King of Kings. 
The number of glaciers in Switzerland has been 
put at about. 600. and the extent of surface occupied 
by them at about 1,000 square miles. A gentleman 
pointed out a spot, to me, where, for 120 square miles, 
the earth is covered with solid ice, iu depth, in some 
places, ot 800 feet. These glaciers vary in extent 
from a little spot of ice, like a button on the moun¬ 
tain's shoulder, to a large sea. I once saw the base 
of a glacier with the little streams trickling out 
within hearing of the vine-dressers. The greatest 
thickness of one of these ice-fields lias been com¬ 
monly' estimated at 800 feet. Prof. Forbes estimated 
the greatest thickness of the Mer de Glace at 350 
feet. The glacier, like a lean dyspeptic, would 
wasie away were it not for snow falling every month 
of the year upon the frozen mountain-tops; for it is 
a fact that upon the summit, of the Alps it has never 
rained since the Deluge. I have teen a furious 
snow storm there in the month of August, when the 
heat in the valleys was overpowering.— Rev. T. L. 
Guyler , of New York. 
'....i .] 
Glorious flag ! thy folds shall shelter 
All that tread this hallowed shore, 
Till “stiiis shall rise and set” no longer, 
And “ till time shat! bo no more.” 
Shout, ye people—lot the eohoes 
Ring far over land and sea— 
For Uie flag that ne’er Wd* tonywerai, 
Ifor t.Ue biHiiiiti' of tha free ! 
ROCHESTER, N. Y., NOVEMBER 29, 1862, 
THE WAR’S PROGRESS 
DISTRICT SCHOOL HOUSE NO. 9, ROCHESTER 
grades, of which the 1st, 2d and 3d comprise the 
Senior Department, the 4th and 5th the Interme¬ 
diate, and the 6th and 7th the Primary. The fifth 
grade is subdivided into two classes, the sixth into 
two, and the seventh into threo classes. The house 
will accommodate over 700 pupils. The whole 
number registered during the last school year was 
906. The average attendance, 515. The whole 
number registered, this year, since the first of' Sep¬ 
tember, is 636, and the average attendance about 
500. The Principal of No. 9 has also furnished us 
the following list of its present corps of 
Teachers. — The following list comprises the 
teachers at present engaged in this school:-Mr. 
Thomas Dransfield, Principal; Miss 11. A. Mul- 
bolland, 2d Grade; Miss S. E. Sands, 3d Grade; 
Mrs. II. A. Butler, 4th Grade; Miss M. A. Madden, 
6th Grade, Class A; Mrs. A. S. Cole, 6th Grade, 
Cia«3 B; Miss S. R. Havill, Cth Grade, Class A; 
Miss A. L. French, 6th Grade, Class B; Miss S. J. 
Campin, 7th Grade, Class A; Mrs. S. R. St. John, 
7th Grade, Class B; Miss J. H. Strong, 7th Grade, 
Class C. 
Ox many occasions we have spoken of the admi¬ 
rable Publio Schools of Rochester, and in former 
volumes given plans and descriptions of several of 
our “People's Colleges”—District School Houses. 
And we now transfer from the “Nineteenth Annual 
Report of the Superintendent, of Public Schools of 
the City of Rochester,'’ the accompanying elevation 
and plans of what, is claimed to be the host of the 
many excellent district school houses yet erected in 
onr city. No. 9 was constructed by Messrs. Wil¬ 
liamson k Copeland, Builders, under the direc¬ 
tion of Mr. A. J. Warner, an Architectoffino taste 
and ability. The following paragraph from the 
Report describes the superior arrangement and con¬ 
veniences of the building: 
“School House No. 9 is situated on the corner of 
St. Joseph street and McDonald Avenue, in the 
Sixth Ward. It was completed in August, 1861. It 
is the most costly school building in the city, and 
much superior to any other in its arrangement. It 
is built in tha form of an L, and each wing 90 feet 
in length. There is a hall, both above and below, 
in each wing, seven feet in width and running the 
entire length of the wings. There are fourteen 
rooms in the building, seven on each floor, and all 
of equal size, excepting the two at the angle of the 
building. Those two are larger, but owing to the 
position in which the seats are placed, no more can 
be seated in them than in the others. Each room 
in the building will seat fifty pupils. The partitions 
between the rooms are glass, which enables the 
principal, who occupies the room at the angle, to 
look through the other six, and thereby exercise a 
general supervision over all. The partitions are so 
constructed as to slide into the hall, still leaving 
room enough in the hall for a person to pass. By 
this arrangement of the partitions, the seven rooms 
on each floor can be made as one, which is conve¬ 
nient for singing and other general exercises. 
There being no recitation rooms iu the building, 
each teacher has the sole charge of her own room, 
aud is responsible for tho order as well as for the 
advancement of her pupils." 
The Principal of No. 9, Mr. Tnos. Dransfield, 
informs us that the pupils are arranged in classes 
according to their profioiency. There are seven 
TUc Impending Battle at Holly Springs. 
Men of all classes and conditions in the South- 
West are now watching with intense interest the 
movements of the rebels at Holly Springs, Missis¬ 
sippi, and the action of the Federal troops moving 
upon that point. It looks as though a battle will 
soon be fought in that vicinity which may possess a 
deciding influence upon the fate of the Mississippi 
Valley. The Memphis (Tenn.) Bulletin thus specu¬ 
lates upon the probabilities of the issue: 
The battle at Corinth, so disastrous to the Con¬ 
federate arms, was fatal to tho plans of the leaders 
of that cause, and preparations have been making 
ever since the consternation the defeat there en¬ 
tailed somewhat subsided, to redeem, if possible, 
the fortunes of that Inauspicious occasion. The 
Confederates have been massing their forces at 
Holly Springs, and again assuming a threatening 
attitude. The Federal forces having completed the 
formidable defenses of Corinth and possessed them¬ 
selves of Grand Junction, have assumed an offen¬ 
sive attitude. 
The Confederates at Holly Springs some days ago 
received a telegram from Gen. Lovell, slating that 
the Union forces were moving on Lagrange, and 
that his pickets were driven in. This information 
at once put the troops at Holly Springs on the qui 
vive. The mass of the war material, stores and pro¬ 
visions, were w t down to a point about seven miles 
off acrosB the Tallahatchie river. This river has a 
wide channel and extensive bottoms, often swampy 
and broken into lagoons, almost always covered 
with thickly growing timber, mingled with a profu¬ 
sion of vines and undergrowth. Here the coming 
battle, the fate of which Is big with serious conse¬ 
quences, will very probably be fought. This falling 
back from Holly Springs, but with the intention of 
making a desperate stand within a short distance of 
the place, explains the contradictory stories, as to 
the evacuation or retention of the town, that have 
lately prevailed. 
The Confederates, however, li&ve determined that 
the intended spot of battle shall not be reached by 
an unharassed foe. They have thrown a body of 
men into Lamar, ten miles in advance, while their 
main body, at the Inst accounts, was still lying at 
Holly Springs, bur. in a condition to be put almost 
instantly into lino of battle or marching order. 
Skirmishes will doubtless try the metal of the 
assailauts before the final trial of strength is ven¬ 
tured on. On Friday morning the Federala were 
on their march, and yesterday, unless the obstruc¬ 
tions at Lamar or elsewhere proved formidable, they 
would reach the neighborhood of Holly Springs. 
The consequence of the loss of another battle, at 
the present time, by the Confederate army now in 
Mississippi, would be momentous. In such a cage 
the defeated army would have to attend to dangers 
accumulating at Vicksburg by falling back on Jack- 
son, Miss. To that place it. would bo followed by 
the conquerors, who would be able to reach sup¬ 
plies from the river, and there it would be liable 
also to attack from troops coming up from New 
Orleans. Supposing the place to be able to hold 
out against the combined attack, men and material 
would be drawn from Vicksburg, which is not far 
from Jackson- As soon as the rising ol' the river 
will permit, a flotilla of twenty gunboats, with a 
large fleet of transport boats iu tho rear, will attack 
Vicksburg; with what resnlfc, under the circum¬ 
stances, who can doubt? 
If the defeated arrayshould take some other direc¬ 
tion than the one suspected above, of course Jack- 
son lies open to attack; if taken, Vicksburg is 
flanked and becomes indefensible. In cuse of such 
a result, Grenada would, as a consequence of the 
taking of Vicksburg, fall into Federal possession, 
probably without the striking of a blow, and Ten¬ 
nessee would be as clear of Confederate authority 
as Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri now are. 
Arkansas would be rapidly placed in a similar posi¬ 
tion, while gnnboats passing np and down the river 
as a river police, would completely cut the country 
on the west bank of the river from the control of 
the Government at Richmond. These speculations 
as to possible consequences show how important 
may be the result of the approaching struggle at 
Holly Springs. _ 
Latest Intelligence from tho Gulf. 
The U. S. gunboat Connecticut, Capt, Haxton, 
arrived at Fortress Monroe on the 14th inst., and we 
gather the following interesting detail of movements 
in and around the Gu t: 
Nearly all the rebel - alt works on the Florida and 
Louisiana coasts have been demolished by onr gun¬ 
boats, which still lie off Galveston to protect the 
Unionists there; but raids of rebel cavalry are fre¬ 
quently made at night, and the Unionists forced 
into tie rebel r.mks or shot. A regiment is much 
needed in Galveston. The entire coast of Texas is 
ia possession Of the Federals, 
Capt. Haxton reports that on the afternoon of the 
30th he captured the English schooner Hermoss, of 
Nassau, about 15 miles east of Sabine River and 
close to land. She was put under charge of a prize 
crew and sent to Key West 
The British schooner Water Witch, of Kingston, 
was also captured off Arawsas Pass, Texas. Her 
cargo was gunpowder. 
The Connecticut brings voluminous dispatches to 
the Navy Department from Rear Admiral Farragut, 
dated Pensacola Bay. After stating that the Gal¬ 
veston, Corpus Cliridti, Sabine City, and adjacent 
Pillars op Sand in the Desert.— The deserts 
of Arabia are among the most remarkable places 
in the world, and are especially remarkable for their 
pillars of sand; they are raised by whirlwinds, and 
have a very close resemblance to waterspouts. The 
places where these pillars of sand most frequently 
occur, are those portions of the deserts which are 
near to a river or the sea. The pillars of sand in 
tho deserts of Africa are very magnificent; the 
raised sand is in wavy and rounded lobes, which 
have a curling motion, like that, of smoke; and 
both »ho apex of tho entire pillar, and the extremi¬ 
ties of the lobes, are shaded off to a very i ndefinite 
outline. The mirage is another very singular fea¬ 
ture of the deserts. The traveler very frequently 
sees, lislng as it were before him, some great city 
or lovely village ; he hastens onward, full of eager 
anticipation to receive refreshment, and ever as he 
goes, the image recedes from his advancing steps, 
and he discovers, perhaps only too lale, that it was 
an image formed by tho relraotion of the sun’s rays 
in a particular direction, upon an atmosphere some¬ 
what hazy and opaque. 
PLAN OP SECOND FLOOR. 
PLAN OF LOWER FLOOR 
or, perchance, in endeavoring to conjugate the well- 
known verb amo, to decline the pronoun hio ; or in 
puzzling his brain over the right-angled triangle or 
polygon, whieh not only perplex his mind during 
the day, but even haunt him in his sleep. While 
pondering over bis Latin or Greek he meets with a 
sentence the meaning of which he does not fully 
understand. lie arranges the words, first one way 
aud then another, according as his better judgment 
directs; still he cannot comprehend its true import. 
He tries and tries again, perhaps for the twentieth 
time, bearing in mind the appropriate proverb, 
“ Labor omnia vincitf and with renewed diligence 
he still perseveres, aud finally discovers the great 
mystery. ’Tin then he realizes that his labor was 
not in vain, and feels amply rewarded, by the con¬ 
gratulatory smile which his kind teacher uaver fails 
to impart. 
But of all the perplexities that are strewn along 
his way, that irksome task of writing compositions 
seems to be the most prominent. By some it is 
considered a very slight one; but the majority re¬ 
gard it os a branch of education which requires 
long years of close application to attain. ’Tis then 
he would despond were it not for that precious 
jewel, hope, which so often cheers his drooping 
spirits. But whilst he is striving to gain the sum¬ 
mit of this lofty hill of Science in order to enjoy 
earthly renown for a few brief years, may he ever 
remember that he has a loftier mount to climb, a 
nobler work to perform, whose rewards shall not be 
restricted to years, but shall endure throughout the 
endless oycte of eternity. a. o. a. 
[Written for Moore's Rural New-Yorker ] 
READING IN SCHOOL. 
This most essential of all studies, do you not 
think it sadly neglected iu our schools? Have you 
not fairly “ached” when hearing a class of little 
ones read in such a monoloue, drawling the words, 
or spelling them, instead of readltig as if they 
were talking and telling you a dory. And this most 
miserable reading is not confined to the little ones, 
but can be plainly traced all along through the 
classes from the meaningless ba, be, to the Fifth 
Reader. 
Where lies the fault and how can it be avoided? 
The scholars have been “ put ahead ” too much. 
The parents say, “It doesn’t look right for my Sam¬ 
my, who is twelve years old, to read in the Third 
Reader, while Jimmy Rich, only nine, reads in the 
Fourth.” when in reality “my Sammy' 1 ought to be 
iu the First Reader, or, better yet, drilling on 
“Webb’s Cards.” 
Little Allen G., a scholar of mine, had a Second 
Reader, in which he read most miserably, for he 
could not tell half the words. I talked with his 
mother, asking if he might nut use a First Reader, 
telling her l found I could not teach him much in 
reading unless he used another book. “Oh,” said 
she, “ Miss II, our teacher last winter said he ought 
to have a Second Reader, and he must use it" I 
tried hard to teach the black-eyed boy, but could 
not overcome tho obstacle. The consequence: —It 
is nearly three years since then; Allen still is iu 
the Second Reader; reads poorly, aud takes but 
little interest in his book. 
Again. How can this monotonous sing-song habit 
of reading be entirely overcome? By commencing 
right. Unless the foundation be firm and substan- 
tud, the edifice will soon c rumble and decay. 
Shall I tell you my plan of teaching young 
scholars to read? 1 have tried it two terms, and it 
succeeded well. It is the “word method.” I use 
“Webb’s Primary Cards.” The first day the little 
ones come to school I talk with them about their 
plays, home and pets; may tie, a<k theinil they have a 
do</,- inquire if they would like to learn the word dog. 
I show it to them on the card, have them find several 
of the same kind; then ask them to make something 
on the blackboard, or their slates, (for even the little 
ones ought to have slates aud pencils,) which looks 
like the word. 
The first effort may bo quite laughable; but don’t 
discourage them — before school is out they will 
print nicely and readily, if you require them to 
print each new word.every time. Perhaps they will 
be quite bashful at first about trying to write, but 
they will soon tease you to print on the board. After 
they have learned the word dog, talk about the 
varieties of colors; teach them the words, bad, good, 
runs, boy, girl, cow, &c., also the letter a, and they 
can read, 
a good black dog runs, 
a bad cow runs; 
Just as well as you can, aud kuow what they are 
reading about too. Do not hurry them; their minds 
are not disciplined, but young and tender—just be¬ 
ginning todevelop in all their loveliness and purity. 
By the time the scholar completes Card No. 3, 
having made equal advancement in “Webb’s First 
Reader,” you will be surprised to find that he kuows 
nearly all the letters, even when you have not tried 
to teach them, only speaking occasionally of the 
unoiber in a word. 
Teach the scholars to make sentences, when you 
give them a new word to learn; for instance, sing. 
Tell them to write something with that word in it. 
If this plan is pursued, letter and composition writ¬ 
ing will not be such a “ bug-bear.” I think it is the 
way. And why? 
1st. The scholars are interested; they love to read, 
as one may clearly see by noting the eager manner 
and sparkling eye. You see no tear, sour face, or 
pouty look when “Card Class” is heard. And if 
you should chance to forget the elas3 you would soon 
be reminded by “Teacher, I haven't read.” “ We 
must love learning if we would possess it.” 
2d. It is the most natural way, tor one can not 
read a sentence well until he understands it, and 
only a word at a time is taught. “ Slow!" you say. 
Yes, it is going over less space than usual, but Is 
very .sure, and faster, too, than you think. That 
word is learned , they have talked about it, thought 
of the idea which it represented, read about it. and 
written it; how can they forget it? Tho scholar can 
soon read, (better, too, than many who have pored 
over their reading books for years,) giving the ne¬ 
cessary inflection uud emphasis, and as if they were 
talking. Teacher, try Webb’s Card for a term or 
two, then you will say they are indispensable in u 
school-room. n. h. 
The Great Chinese Wall.—A traveler in the 
East thus describes this vast work of human in¬ 
dustry, which is said to have cost the country two 
hundred thousand lives from sheer physical ex¬ 
haustion. The wall, which is built of stone and 
brick, is twenty feet high and fifteen feet broad, 
surmounted by a double parapet, loop-holed on the 
north side. As fur as the eye can follow the moun¬ 
tain range, it winds over the precipitous black rock 
like a gigantic serpent r.iwliog along, and with its 
breath poisoning all around ; tor turn where you 
will, nothing meets the view but the desolate, dreary 
track of rock, unrelieved by a blade of grass or a 
tuft of moss, and huge boulders strewing the base 
of the mountain sides. It was tho whim of a tyrant 
to build a wall where nature had built a bar far 
more effectual than any human art could construct. 
However, there it remains, after the lapse of nearly 
two thousand years—a monument of the folly of one 
man and the patient industry and sufferings of 
many thousands. 
“Skedaddle.”— The Historical Magazine says 
that this word may be easily traced to a Greek 
origin, and that the original word is used by at 
least two great historians, in reporting the disper¬ 
sion of routed armies. A correspondent of the 
Magazine thus speaks of skedaddle:—“ It is of both 
Swedish and Danish origin, and has been in com¬ 
mon use for several years through the Northwest, 
in the vicinity of immigrants from those nations. 
It is Americanized only in orthography; the 
Swedes spelling it * skuddadahi,’ while the Danes 
spell it ' skyededehl,’ both having precisely the 
same signification. This phrase is also becoming 
Indianized, at least among the Sioux, who fre¬ 
quently use it in place of their word • poch-a-chee,’ 
which signifies ‘clear out,’ * go off,’ etc. I will also 
add that the Swedes use the word slcudda, and the 
Danes the word skyde in the same sense as we do 
the word ‘ soud.’ ” 
For Moore's Rural New-Yorker 
Wh have been favored by our townsman, Hon. 
T. Hart Hyatt, late U. S. Consul to China, with a 
couple of numbers of the ‘'Japanese Express 
published at Yokohama, Japan, and recently re¬ 
ceived by Mr. H from his son, in Japan. The 
Express is published by R. Souoykr, an American 
merchant of Yokohama, formerly of .San Francisco. 
The newspaper is iu script—being a literal copy, or 
fac simile of the copy, as originally written—cut on 
wooden blocks, by the native Japanese, and printed 
as we print wood-cuts; even the printed extracts, 
which the editor used in making up his arliolus, are 
copied or cut on these wooden blocks, and in fine 
types at that. 
Oue number of the Express contains a descrip¬ 
tion and a diagram of the British Legation at Yedo, 
showing the particulars of the late attempt to assas¬ 
sinate the British Minister at Yedo, by the wriecus, 
or Japanese outlaws. The papers contain several 
articles of local news, advertisements, shipping 
news, Ac. They are printed on Japanese paper, 
made, it is believed, out of bamboo. It is, alto¬ 
gether, a literary curiosity, and may be seen at the 
Rural office. 
THE STUDENT’S LIFE 
Titurb are many persons who vainly and thought¬ 
lessly imagine the life of the student to be one of 
unsurpassed ease and idleness; who suppose that 
his mind is liberated from the common perplexities 
of mankind—that no dark clouds intervene to dis¬ 
concert him; but that everything glides along har¬ 
moniously in his onward aud upward career. We 
most cordially solicit all such to accompany us as 
we briefly notice some of his perplexities. He is 
striving to surmount the rugged cliffs of that lofty 
hill of Science which many a noble one has fear¬ 
lessly ascended. Numerous difficulties almost daily 
beset his pathway aud impede his progress ; but 
still he toils for weeks, months, aud even years 
without despairing. He is constantly endeavoring 
to store his mind with useful knowledge, that he 
may one day be fitted for some occupation which 
may prove beneficial both to himself and those 
around him. 
Such an one, as he enters upon the duties of each 
succeeding dav. often feels that bis endeavors are 
in vuia. Lb may have spent the greater part of the 
preceding night in poring over those deep and ab¬ 
stract principles which govern the material universe; 
The Capitol Dome.— This majestic structure, at 
Washington City, i« tflowly yet steadily rising, as 
ton alter ton ot massive iron plates and riba are 
hoisted into place, and securely bolted together. 
By next summer the dome and its surmounting lan¬ 
tern will be completed, aud crowned with Crawford’s 
colossal statue of “ Freedom,” a fine engraving of 
which occupies the left-hand side of the $5 treasury 
notes. That portion of the dome completed before 
troops came here, was so completely covered with 
names, written in pencil, that it has become neces 
sary to obliterate them with a coat of white paint. To 
guard against a repetition of those sell-immortaliz¬ 
ing inscriptions, the architect now forbids any one 
ascending to the dome, unless known to him, iu 
which ca>e they receive a written pass. 
The first postage stamp was issued in London on 
the 10th of January, 1840, aad for nine years Eng- 
iaud alone made use of it. 
W hat word may be pronounced quicker by add¬ 
ing a syllable to it?—Quick. 
