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APRIL 24 
284 
watching tor fear you may rush suddenly under 
a bridge and be swept off, and perhaps left to die 
In tbc snow, is that easy, does that look like a 
soft job ? To be sure, when we are transferred to 
passenger cars, the work Its nice enough ; but the 
dangers we have to go through—for generally we 
have to go on frolghtcarstlrst—entitle us to some¬ 
thing better on a passenger car, and we ain’t sorry 
when wo get orders to take the head end of such 
a regular train. 
“ There are very few brakemen who can’t tell 
some never-to-be-forgotten Incident connected 
with their life on the rail. To explain, let me tell 
you a story of my own experience, l remember 
one night,; It was fearfully cold, right In the mid¬ 
dle of winter, and snowing bard. I was brakernan 
In the middle of a freight train, it was running 
along on slow time that night, and we were two 
or three miles from t he station. I was standing 
hy t he brake of a Hat car trying to get warm by 
stamping, wishing wo were at the depot, so that 
I could go back to the caboose out of the bitter 
cold, when suddenly 1 felt the train bumping and 
Jumping as If a wheel had broken, and 1 knew' 
something was wrong. The whistle blew for 
brakes, and In a mighty short time we had the 
train stopped. 
“ with the rest of the men I went back to see 
what was the matter, thinking that I might get a 
chanco at tbc stove, tori was nearly frozen. Going 
back about three hundred feet, we found that one 
of the r ills had got loose and was out of place 
but, as we had been going slow, we had run over 
the spot safely, our conductor looked up, and 
seeing me, said: 
“ ‘.Jim, get back and signal the passenger train, 
she will be along In a short time, now ; and take 
this,” he said, handing me a red light lantern; 
“ we’ll go on. You can oorno alon with the other 
train.’ 
“ With that all hands got on board, and soon 
there was nothlng but myself and the lantern left 
“ A cold gust brought me to myself with a quick 
(urn, and then I remembered what i had to do. 
Holding the lantern up, l saw tbc light, was tuck¬ 
ering, and shaking It fouud It almost empty. 
Then I began to feel the responsibility or my posi¬ 
tion. A lamp without oil In it, the train flue In 
ten minutes, with the chance of Its being thrown 
off the track, and no telling how many people 
killed or wounded! In a case of this kind, sir, 
every brakernan will do Ills best to save human 
life, although he sometimes loses Ills own In the 
attempt* and all he gets for It is having Ills name 
In the paper and being a brave fellow. 
" (Quicker ihan I tell It, 1 made up tny mind that 
tho train must, be signaled, lamp or no lamp. But 
how to do It was the question. It l ran ahead 
wlibout a light, the engineer might think I want 
ed to stop the train for robbery—tor such tilings 
have often boon done, you know—and would not 
only dash right on faster than ever, brat, maybe 
try to scald me as the locomotive went by. I tell 
you l felt like praying Just then; but brakemen 
aru not selected Tor their religious feelings, so 1 
didn't pray much, but looked around and saw a 
light shining In a window some distance off. I 
laid down my lantern carefully on the track, 
made a bee line for the house, and soon my knock 
brought a woman to the door, who looked more 
il ightened than i was, at my excited appearance. 
It was useless to ask for sperm oil—the only sort 
W c use—so I cried out: 
“‘ For God’s sake, give mo some stra w.’ 
“ She seemed lo realize the position, and quick¬ 
ly brought a bundle. Fueling In my pocket, 1 
found three matches, and, grabbing the straw, 1 
made my way back to the track. 
“ Laying the straw between thorails, I struck a 
match and shoved It lulu tlto bundle. It flickered 
an Instant, and then went out. I felt and found 
the straw damp. 
•‘.Just then a dull, faint, rumbling sound came 
down on the wind, and I knew she was coming— 
the train would soon be there. 
“ l struck the second match, and tt. touched off 
the straw. A blaze, a little smoke, and tt was 
dark again, and, raising my eyes, I saw the head¬ 
light or t.ho approaching train away in the dis¬ 
tance. But trains don't crawl, and tbe buzzing 
along the rail told me to be lively. The red light 
was burning hut. faintly; five minutes more, and 
u, would go out. For an Instant I stood para¬ 
lyzed, when a shrill scream from the engine 
brought me to my senses, and l saw that inside 
of two minutes more she would be there. 
"Seizing tho lantern with one hand, I struck 
the last match, and, bending down, laid It care¬ 
fully Inside the straw, and then dasbed forward, 
waving the red light. The glare from the head¬ 
light shone down the track, and the engineer 
saw me, but did not notice the red light—the 
sudden waving had put It out—only screeching 
he came straight on. YVlien the train was almost 
on me I Jumped one side, and, slinging the lan¬ 
tern over my head, dashed It Into tho cab. The 
engineer saw the lamp as It broke on the floor, 
and, seeing the red glass and battered lantern, 
whistled i he danger signal and tried to check up. 
“ I.oooking down the track, I almost screamed 
from excitement. The lust match had found a 
dry spot, aud the straw was blazing up brightly. 
The train carno to a stand-still, she was saved; 
that’s all l remember. 
".The next 1 knew l was in the baggage-car. 
They Bald they hud found me lying by the train 
in a dead faint., aud—excuse me, we were going 
to stop now.” 
•• Stamford!” he sung out. The train stopped, 
and the writer went home, satisfied that a trake- 
man’s life is an exciting one. 
-- 
A RUSSIAN PLEASURE PALACE. 
The members of the Congress of Orientalists, 
recently In session In t?t. Petersburg, were Invited 
e_ 
THE 
NEW-YORKER. 
by the Emperor of Russia to visit Tsarskoe-Selo. 
The following account of the beauties and curios¬ 
ities of the place is givenThe palace at Tsars- 
koe-Sclo, with its fayade, tso feet long, recalls the 
court grandeur of the last century, and on turn¬ 
ing from this splendid monument of European 
art, If we leave the palace yard by the gate which 
Separates the two portions of the Ilemlcyole, we 
Room all at once to step luco Asia. After crossing 
the Chinese bridge we come to the Chinese thea¬ 
ter, the ornaments of which arc all In tbe taste of 
the Middle Kingdom; and, as Jf that were not 
homage enough to the Celestial Empire, within a 
stone’s throw there 1» a wnolo group of houses, 
with tcnt-llke roofe, surmounted with dragons 
and other st,range-looking animals—tills Is the 
Chinese village, if wc walk from the palace by 
one of the doors leading to tho garden, we come 
upon the Hermitage, a small building, which Is a 
real hijuu, possessing a lilsiorlcal Interest. Be¬ 
sides the basement, it has only one floor, which 
is reached by a lift. In the principal room there 
Is an arrangement, by which an entertainment 
can be given without a single servant being pres¬ 
ent. The table In tho center Is so constructed, 
that, at a given signal your plate Is conveyed down 
a tube, another Is Immediately sent up to supply 
its place, and tills process Is repeated till you have 
gone through i ho menu. YV hen tho dinner Is over 
the w hole table disappears, and by means of the 
same machinery Lbe lluoris replaced. The gild¬ 
ing, the painting, the mirrors, the elegant though 
trivial style of the whole building, to say nothing 
of the four mysterious rooms w hich lead out ol 
tbe principal apartment,, are very suggestive. 
The lake was then visited with Its specimens ol 
boats of all nations, forming a really valuable 
museum; the famous sLatue of the Saviour, by 
Danneckcr; the arsenal, with Its magnificent col¬ 
lection or Oriental arms—tbe best In Europe, with 
the exception ot that of Madrid* 
one of the curiosities of Tsarskocls the Horse 
Asylum, where the Imperial chargers live in suug 
quarters whi n they arc no longer tit for usa. Near 
the comfortable stables Is tho cemetery, Ythere 
the history of many a famous steed may be read 
tn the Inscriptions on the tomb-stones. 
The visitors were, ol course, conducted over the 
palace. The rooms which present the greatest 
historical Interest, are those which were occupied 
by the Emperor Alexander L, and which are 
shown exactly as he left them ; and the chamber 
w hich Is considered as the greatest curiosity, is 
the room In which all the Yvalls are of amber. Be¬ 
yond the garden, lu front of that part of the pal¬ 
ace occujjled by their Majesties, Is a little Island 
In which there is a Russian cottage, a garden, a 
cow-house—In short, a complete establishment on 
a diminutive scale, arranged for the amusement 
of the Duchess of Edinburgh when a child. 
■ -- 
ANOTHER VANDERBILT STORY. 
“ A Traveler " writes to the Cincinnati Times: 
An amusing thing catnc Under my observation 
betw een Y’anderbUt and Lloyd, tbe map man, in 
New York, In tsflT. Lloyd wanted a pass over tho 
Central Railroad for one of Jits agents, and Van¬ 
derbilt refused It, A week after lids happened 
Lloyd completed hts famous Relief Railroad map 
of the l lilted States, a shade larger thau the 
lie-raid, printed on one sheet of strong bank noto- 
paper, on a lightning press, and sold It, like a 
newspaper, all Over the country, and tile sale was 
tremendous, several news-dealers orderlug mo,ooo 
copies at a single order. Lloyd had the railroads 
on this map about as broad as an ordinary pen¬ 
holder—very distinct and clear. To make old 
Vanderbilt angry lie lifted out of tho electrotype 
plate the New York t’ential Railroad from New 
York city to Buffalo, and the Luke Shore Railroad 
and Its connections from Buffalo to Chicago, and 
Issued the cheap ten-coni map without their lines 
on the map nt all. There was a white, canal-llke 
blank space In the map where these railroads bad 
been leading from New York to Chicago, that 
looked curious. YVell Lloycl mailed copies of every 
edition, not only to Vanderbilt., but to all the 
stockholders, bondholders, ticket agents, freight 
agents, and all in any way connected with the 
Genual Railroad. Old Vanderbilt swore and 
raved and threatened to sue Lloyd tor damages, 
but every Issue made Lloyd would mall the Com¬ 
modore and lils crowd copies of i he map without 
his line and connections shown on It, until Van¬ 
derbilt yielded and sent passes by the wholesale 
to Lloyd, and to tlm day of his death he never re¬ 
fused Lloyd, the map man, all the passes he 
wanted. Vanderbilt would jump up and down 
every time ho saw a copy of that map Yvith the 
canal from New Yoik to Chicago running along 
the course of his track, and his track Invisible. 
-*-*-♦- 
Love will make a silent man speak, a modest 
man most ollielous; It will make a dull man 
quick, a slow man nimble; and what Is to be 
most admired. It will make a hard, base, intract¬ 
able man, as lire doth Iron In a smith’s forge, 
free, facile, gentle, and easy to be entreated. 
®|f i'itrrarir t'OlovUi. 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
A Plea lor Art in the lion no. By YV. J.Loftie. 
RhllaiielpLiiu : 1’ inter A Coates. 
The title of this Yvork clearly indicates not only 
the design ot Its publication but. tbe purpose ac¬ 
tually accomplished by 1L M ueh money is squan¬ 
dered In the decoration or homes in this country, 
the larger part of which Is productive or a style 
of ornamentation the reverse of artistic. The ar¬ 
gument before us Is for the application of pure art 
In such matters, and can be read with advantage 
by the possessor of the humblest home who makes 
tbe slightest attempt to ornament it. While it 
does not enter into all the details of decoration. It 
Is sufficiently explicit to be of great value to every 
housewife who has a pride In her " castle.” 
SiiitRCiHtMin* for House Decoration. ByTtHoiiA 
and Agnes Ga amen'. I’hiliulclpiiin; Porter A 
Coates. . 
It Is a matter of deprecation that so few books 
are published upon subjects touching the beauti¬ 
fying of that place which should be the most 
pleasant. In all the world—home. A better civil¬ 
izer than all prisons, than all reformatory schools, 
than all common schools, is a beautirul home. 
Who, that has possessed such in his childhood, 
can ever forget for a moment the silent lessons of 
morality And virtue constantly received by him 
from his surroundings there ? In the work before 
us tbe ways and means ot making home beautiful 
arc devised and discussed, and the guidance t here¬ 
in contained can he made applicable to every 
household In the land. 
Tin- Childhood nt the EnzIiMi Nation. By 
ICLI.A S. AHM1TAGE. New Y ork ; G, 1*. Putnam'* 
Suns. 
Foil the deep student of history tho book before 
us could be but a sorry apology for history; but 
to the ordinary reader who has neither tho time 
nor inclination to go deeply Into historical loro, 
the work is specially adapted. It la a condensa¬ 
tion ot the principal events ol English history up 
to Lite thirteenth century, and gives an excellent 
general Idea of tt. in such a work, tho author’s 
mvn opinions and deductions must necessarily 
form no inconsiderable part, still, in this instance 
excellent Judgment and much discrimination has 
been displayed, so that, the reader cannot go far 
astray. 
II ow lo Teiivh I Or I’lironolOKY In the School¬ 
room mid the Family. By Nelson Sizer. Now 
York. S. it. YVoiir A Co. 
Phrenology, which certainly contains much 
that Is valuable? is here made as slmplo as It can 
be. Prof, sizeu, whose experience aud observa¬ 
tion are or much value in This study, has succeeded 
in giving his own Ideas in a form so simple and 
perspicuous, that lie who runs may not only read 
but understand. Tbe object of the book Is to teach 
people at large Hoyv to appreciate, discover and 
develop those faculties of mind Yvhlch are most 
capable of successful culture. 
Tho Ciirdiiml’H Daughter. By Mrs. Catharine 
A. YV a lU'ir'.i.Ii. Philadelphia: 1. B. Peterson A 
Brother*. 
What has already been said of "FcYna Flem¬ 
ing,” to Yvhlcb this is a sequel, might very appro¬ 
priately be Yvrltt.cn of this book. Some of the same 
characters are carried along through It, and one 
who has read the first cannot but be pleased Yvtth 
this. The same luterest Is maintained, and pleas¬ 
ure upon reading the former means added delight 
upon reading this. 
Butler's Liternry Selections, Kdit.ed by .1, P. 
iicCASK.LV. lTUIudtjlihia; J. XI. Boiler A Co. 
This is a little pamphlet containing ten times 
ten of those favorite selections lu prose and verse 
lor family reading and school declamation. li 
more of this kind of books were used habitually 
In families, much good would result. The editor 
has been particularly happy In his selections. 
YY’iioilwnrit’s Orimmi-nial and Fancy Al- 
plwtlirf fflniioirrnms uml Titles. Now 
York: Geo. IS, Woodward. 
For beauty of finish and elegance of workman¬ 
ship, this scries of plates, published in numbers, 
can hardly be surpassed. Each number being 
offered lo the public at, 60 cents, brings them 
within the means of all. 
-♦♦♦- 
COMING EVENTS. 
A new book, by a newspaper man, will be Is¬ 
sued shortly by Bonn, Mead & Co, of New York. 
Its full title Is “ Chedayne of Kotona, a story of 
the early days of tbe Republic.” Tbe scene is 
laid lu the VAlley ol the Wyoming, and the time 
is during the struggle between tho "Yankees” 
and " PeunamU.es” iortheoYvnersMpot the land, 
under condlcting grants from the Elates of Con¬ 
necticut und Pennsylvania. The period Is one 
little kfiown to the generality of readers, but Is 
full of Incidents, grave, and amusing, none or 
which has ever .vet been handled by the novel¬ 
ist. A field is opened of surpassing Interest und 
of romance such as is not equuled by any other 
portion of uur count ry. Most of the characters tn 
" Chedayne ” are real personages, Chedsyne him¬ 
self standing for one of the noblest men that ever 
lived, aud one ivhose memory deserves to be em¬ 
balmed. His squire, attendant or folloYver—call 
blmYvhal you may—“Singing Benny,” Is also a 
real personage, a character so peculiar, quaint and 
droll, that he stands alone In Act ion or real life. 
Finis Dare is a heroine Yvho gains the sympathies 
at once and keeps them to the end. 
That hosts of people nearly or remotely con¬ 
nected with the Wyoming Valley, Indeed all who 
have any Interest, in, or know any tiling of that 
lovely stream, the Susquehanna, will certainly 
read this work Yvith absorbing accent Ion, and will 
not be alone In doing so cither. Tbe author of the 
work Ip Ausburn Towner, one of the editors of the 
Elmira Advertiser, whose literary contributions 
have always been received Yvlt-u pleasure by the 
public. 
Book publishers, who have been lying on tlielr 
oars for some time, now begin to see a prospect 
tor the sale of their publications as of old. Jtlay 
their anticipations be fulfilled! 
JMhtlj HUaMnjj, 
SONG OF PRAISE. 
BY KATE STjMNF.R BURR. 
For radiant sunlight and refreshing shade; 
For Heaven’s blue shining vault above our head; 
For Nature’s beauties everywhere outspread; 
O Loan, accept our praise. 
For “ Home, sweet Home,” its quiet and its rest; 
For solitude’s culm hour, one only Guest; 
For Sabbath’s holy time supremely blest; 
O Ijuiui. accept our praise. 
For love, Tby love to man. whose influence sweet 
Renews our st ubborn hearts and guides <iur feet,— 
For this most precious boon ’tis surely meet, 
O Bonn, to Rive Thee praise. 
For Thy dear band to lift tib when we fall; 
Thy bended ear, to b* ar our humble call; 
Thine arm to save, and for Thy blessings all, 
O Lord, accept our praise. 
For friends long sundered from our earthly band, 
Who wait to greet ns in a fairer land; 
For life eternal at Thine own right hand, 
O Lord, accept our praise. 
Walworth, N. Y. 
- » ■ — 
A SURGEON AND A PRIEST, 
A French journal says that a famous French 
surgeon, lately deceased, who was brusque and 
unpolished, found, oil entering Ills house one day, 
an aid priest, who had been loug waiting his return. 
"What do you wantof me?" “I want you to look 
at Mils," meekly replied the priest, taking off an 
old woolen cravat, which revealed upon the nape 
of Ills neck a hideous tumor. " You’ll have to die 
with that,” coolly remarked the surgeon. "I 
t hank you, doctor,” simply replied the priest, re¬ 
placing his cravat, *• and am much obliged to you, 
for warning me, for T can prepare myself, as well 
as my poor parlshonors, Yvho love file very much." 
The surgeon, u’ho was never astonished at great 
things, looked upon this priest, who received his 
death-scntenco unmoved, with amazement, and 
said: "Come to morrow, at eight.o'clock to the 
Hotel Dleu, and ask for me.” The priest was 
prompt. The surgeon procured for him a special 
room, and in a month tho man went out cured. 
When leaving, he louk out of a sack thirty franca 
in small change. ‘‘It Is all I have to offer you, 
doctor,” he said: “ I came here on foot from 
Rouen In order to save tblu.” The doctor looked 
at the money, smiled, and drawing a handful of 
gold from his pocket, put It. In the bag along with 
the thirty francs, say lug, " It's for your poor,” 
and the priest went away. Nome years later the 
surgeon, feeling death to be near, bethought him 
ot the priest, and wrote to him. lie came at once, 
aud the surgeon iceelved at his hands the last 
consolation of religion. 
---■ 
Do NOT YY'a it.—" 1 wish 1 Yvas a big tvoman to 
help you, mother," said a little girl. 
" Bring mother’s thimble; that will help me,” 
said the mother, smiling. 
Just as if God meant for little children Lo wait 
until they grow up before helping their parents! 
No, no! God gave them Iyvo nimble feel on pur¬ 
pose to take .slops for mother, and eight. lingers 
and two thumbs on purpose to bring and carry 
for her. 
THOUGHTS FOR THINKERS. 
True grace makes all new—the inside new, and 
the outside new. “ If any man bo lu Christ, ho Is 
a ucyv creature.” 
Ik you have built eastles tn the air, your work 
need not be lost—that is where they should bo. 
Now put foundations under them.— TJiorttau. 
Principles will penetrate where the bayonets 
Of armed men cannot; they ride upon the ele¬ 
ments, and defy the whirlwind and the storm. 
It was the saying of an old saint that he was 
more afraid of his duties than of his sins; for the 
one made him proud, the other made him ahvays 
humble. 
Affliction? make a divorce between the soul 
and sin. It Is not, a small thing that will work sin 
out of the soul, It must be the spirit of burning 
afillcttons sanctified. 
Heart and tongue must go together; Yvord and 
work, l|p and life, prayer and practice must echo 
to one another, or else thy prayers aud tby soul 
will be lost together. 
Edccation is a bettor safeguard of liberty thau 
a standing army. It we retrench the wages of the 
schoolmaster, we must raise those of the recruit¬ 
ing sergeant,— Everetu 
Half the sorrows of Yvomen would be averted 
It they could repress the speech they kuow to be 
useless—nay, the speech they have resolved not 
to utter.— George JStiol. 
I like cultivated people, but I detest intelligent 
ones. 1 can only endure intelligence In the second 
generation, when It has been soltoned dOYvn Into 
the habit ot khOYvlug.— Kismet . 
Ambrose yvas wont to say, "1 am never less 
alone than when I am all alone; for then I can 
enjoy tho presence ot my God most freely, fully, 
and sweetly, Yvlthout interruption. ’ 
Tus whole force and pertinency of tho example 
ot Jesus consists in supposing that he was a sharer 
with us la t be same dangers and sorrows, that he 
was tiled as we are tried, that he suffered as Yve 
suffer, that he triumphed as Yve might triumph. 
Unless Yve begin by assuming this, his virtues, 
much as we may admire them, are no more an 
example to us than bis miracles.— Reu. Dr. James 
Walker . 
