domestic (ftonomij. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE 
SUMMER SIFTINGS. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
I dined in the city lately, and was surprised to 
hear the lady of the house apologize because 
they had ham for dinner. The half-grown 
daughter of the house, with all tho airs of a full- 
grown young lady, discussed tho question with 
her mamma, telling her, with tho sanitary wis¬ 
dom that fourteen years of life had taught her, 
that “ ham was not good food, and should not 
be eaten.” While I perfectly agreed with her 
that too much pork, ia hot weather, might not 
be wholesome, I thought no one could lind fault 
with good, sweet, home-fed, home-cured bacon 
or ham, if thoroughly and properly cooked. 
The contrary opinion was lately expressed by a 
gentleman of the writer’s family, who, when 
Buffering from a disturbed state of the stomach, 
attributed it to “ too wuoh/resh meat.” Moder¬ 
ation in these matters ia very necessary in hot 
weather, and I add to these notes a recipe that 
forms a choice and dainty dish in summer, much 
to be preferred to tho hot joints so much used. 
Presuming that every housekeeper reserves 
tongues in good pickle for summer use, I sug¬ 
gest that one be soaked over night, and the next 
day boiled aud skimmed. Then dissolve an 
ounce of gelatine in a quarter of a pint of water, 
add a little good gravy, and a little burnt sugar 
for coloring. A pint of boiling water is then 
added and stirred thoroughly. Gut the tongue 
into slices aud, when the jelly begins to thicken, 
pour into a large mold a layer of jelly; then one 
of tongue alternately; and soon till it is all in the 
mold. Wbon cold, it can be instantly removed 
by dipping the mold into hot water aud invert¬ 
ing quickly. We garuish it with nasturtium 
flo vers and leaves, and find it a tempting dish 
for breakfast or dinner. Cold meat can often bo 
utilized in the same way, especially mutton or 
veal, the only difference being that they require 
the usual seasoning—of which the tougue retains 
enough after its curing in pickle. These cold 
and easily-prepared dishes are more appetizing 
than the usual fry and boil that make the sum¬ 
mer diuuer hour a terror iu many a farmer's 
hot kitchen. 
- 4*4 - 
WASHING. 
I have never owned a washing-machine, but 
I have learned to wash on the same principle 
and like my new way very much. 
It was taught me by a friend who has lived 
West for many years and, as help there is 
very poor and hard to get, she has had to 
rely on her own strength and wits to get 
through with the wash of a large household. 
It is as follows • Pat all the pieces that are to 
be boiled in soak tho night before, using only 
clear, cold water, the coarse ones underneath and 
the finest on top. Pat the boiler on early in 
the morning, about three-quarters full of water, 
and shred about two inches of a bar of soap in 
the water. Meanwhile wring out all the fine 
clothes and, laying them on the table one by one, 
rub the soiled parts with soap, and when the 
water in the boiler comes to a hard boil, put 
them in, a few at a time. Do not fill the boiler 
too full, as the water must wash through the 
clothes to extract the dirt. Let them boil from 
twenty minutes to half an hour, not more. 
While these are boiling, you oan be preparing 
the coarser pieces iu the same way as the first. 
Take out the fine pieoes into a tub and put in 
the other clothes, adding water if necessary and 
a little more soap. You now begin to see the 
advantage of the new system ; for when you be¬ 
gin to rub the clothes, you find that they need 
very little rubbing, indeed the napkins aud table¬ 
cloths seldom need any. Rinse the same as 
usual, and I, for one, will be surprised if you 
do not own how much less labor your washing 
has cost than in the dayB of old. Ma y Day. 
• 444 
QUERIES ANSWERED. 
Recipe for Soap. 
-Please give recipe for a good hard soap, and 
oblige, Rubal Readeb. 
Ohio. 
Ans.—C oncentrate lye by boiling until a me¬ 
dium-sized potato will not sink below the sur¬ 
face. Fill an iron kettle two-thirds full of this 
lye; add melted fat—the firmer sorts of fat like 
that obtained from cattle or sheep are best—a 
ladleful at a timo, stirring constantly until the 
mass becomes creamy; then add salt iu bmall 
quantities at a time ; boil gently until it thickens 
aud becomes ropy, or until a perfect ring can be 
made on the surface with a stick ; let the lire go 
out aud the soap will rise to the surface and 
harden as it cools. The lye may he drawn off by 
tilting the kettle, or the soap may he lifted off 
and laid out to dry until hard enough to cut into 
bars. Resin is sometimes used to make it 
harder, and one pound and a half to six pounds 
of grease, form good proportions. When it is 
added, dissolve it in the melted fat before adding I 
it to the lye. I 
Another good domestic soap is made as fol¬ 
lows : Dissolve Bix pounds of washing soda in 
four gallons of warm water; slack six pounds of 
fresh quicklime iu a tub, using only enough 
water to crumble it nicely; then add to the dis¬ 
solved soda; stir well together and add about 
four gallons of boiling water; let settle and pour 
off the clear lye into a clean iron kettle; stir 
constantly and add, little by little, t welve pounds 
of clarified grease; dust in four ounces of pow¬ 
dered borax, and boil fifteen minutes or until it 
thickens. Line a tub with a piece of cloth, let¬ 
ting the ends hang over to allow of the soap 
being lifted out when cool; pour in the Boap 
and let it stand a few days, when it may be 
turned out and out into bars with a thin wire. 
Ammonia, 
Is liquid ammonia used in making cake, if bo, 
is it injurious ? Please give a recipe in whioh it 
is used, giving the quantity ? 
Mbs. Maktha Hinds. 
Ans. —We have never tried liquid ammonia in 
cake, neither do we know of its being used. 
Baker’s, or salts of ammonia is, however, used, 
aud we do not believe it injurious when used as 
direoted. The following proportions for oookieB 
—we have not a recipe for cake—will be found 
good; one pound of sugar; one pint sour cream; 
one ounce of salts of hartshorn; a little salt and 
nutmeg to tatite; add flour sufficient to roll. 
The hartshorn must he pulverized and dissolved 
in the cream. 
Regilding Mirrors, etc. 
(1.) Please give directions for regilding mirror 
or picture frames ? (2.) A recipe for coloring 
a light Japanese silk dress brown. 
Rubal Subsobibeb. 
Ans.— (I.) Implements for gilding are: A 
gilder’s cushion, which is an oblong piece of 
wood stuffed with several thicknesses of flannel, 
and covered with rough calf-skin with a border 
of parchment, about four inches deep, at one end 
to prevent the air blowing the gold loaves about 
when on the cushion; a gilding knife; several 
camel's-hair pencils of assorted sizes, and a bur¬ 
nisher. Turn the gold leaves out of the book, 
one at a time, on to the cushion, and with the 
gilding-knife cut it into the size required; place 
the frame in nearly a horizontal position and, 
with a loDg-haired camel's hair pencil, dipped in 
water, go over as much of the frame as the piece 
of gold is to cover; take up the gold leaf with 
the tip of a pencil and carefully place over the 
wetted frame; breathe on it aud it will adhere. 
Do not attempt to cover too much at a time, and 
the part of tho frame to whioh the pie^e is ap¬ 
plied must be sufficiently wet. When covered, 
set by to dry for ten or twelve hours ; wipe the 
burnisher and only burnish an inch or so in 
length at a time, taking care not to lean too hard, 
but with a gentle aud quiok motion apply the 
tool until the frame is equally bright in every 
part. (2 ) If you care to color your dress your¬ 
self, I should advise you to try Aniline Dyes 
acc irdiug to directions. 
ftttos of t|f S3M, 
POLITICAL. 
On Tuesday the Potter, or as It Is often called, 
the Butler Investigating committee, had before 
them Mr. Boulds Baker of Texas, who Is sup¬ 
posed to have influenced by a lengthy tele¬ 
gram the appointment of Key to a Cabinet posi¬ 
tion. Since his bankruptcy, as commission mer¬ 
chant In Galveston, lu l.soe, Baker has been dab¬ 
bling In politics, with but little Influence In 
Texas, and less elsewhere. He Is an employe of 
the Post Office, and having declined to give evi¬ 
dence, missed Ills only chance of becoming 
famous or even notorious. A batch of letters ho- 
tween Mrs. Jenks aud Anderson was handed In 
by the former. They are all spicey, especially 
the female’s, although these are, now and then, a 
trifle ungrammatical. Neither party seems to 
have formed a very exalted opinion either of the 
good sense or the morality of the other. On 
Wednesday E. L. Weber, brother of D. A. Web¬ 
er, Anderson’s “pal,” took the witness stand. 
He alone of all the Louisiana crowd seems never 
to have sought an office as a reward for services 
lu 1876. He testified that before the election in 
Louisiana, it was the intention of the republican 
politicians, In whose hands rested the entire ma¬ 
chinery for controlling the returns, to secure vic¬ 
tory by throwing out some parishes on fabricated 
protests of intimidation, and to have no republi¬ 
can votes cast In others, so that they might be 
rejected by the Returning Board, on similar 
grounds; that In his position as republican 
sheriff, and Intimate of Kellogg, Packard, and 
all the other republican politicians, he knew of 
this Intention and protested against It as regards 
East and West Feliciana, but that his protest was 
disregarded, and the original Intention dis¬ 
honestly carried out, although there was really 
no disturbance during the election. 
He also swore that he saw the notorious Sher¬ 
man letter; that he read It repeatedly and knows 
It to have been genuine; aid that after his 
brother’s assassination, he hunted It up among 
the dead man’s effects,and destroyed It late lul8T7, 
so that It could cause no more trouble and lest 
ot hers should proflt by what was his brother’s 
disgrace. He adds that both Mr. and Mrs. Jenks 
knew ol the letter; set up claims to be “taken care 
of" because of that knowledge, that Mrs. Jenks 
visited the dead Weber’s wife at Baton Rouge to 
get hold of the document; and that, until that 
sprightly woman testified that she had dictated 
the letter, he had never heard her or any one else 
advancesuch a claim. He also swore to affidavits 
made by Capt Jenks In New Orleans directly con¬ 
tradictory of bis evidence In Washington, and It 
Is s&td the Committee Intend to prosecute the 
Captain for perjury. 
Here is a copy of the so-called Sherman letter, 
the genuineness of which the committee have 
speDt most of their time In trying to establish. 
New Orleans, Nov. 20,1876. 
‘•Gentleman: Your note of even date has 
Just been received. Neither Mr. Haves, myself, 
tho gentlemen who accompany me, nor the coun¬ 
try at, large can ever forget the obligations under 
which you will have placed us. should you stand 
firm in the position you have taken. From a 
long and intimate acquaintance with Gov. Haves, 
I am justified In assuming responsibility for 
promises made, and will guarantee that, you 
shall be provided for as soon after the 4t.h of 
March as may bo practicable, and In such man¬ 
ner as will enable you both to leave 1 .oulslana, 
should you deem It necessary. Very truly 
yours. “John Sherman. 
“Mr. D. A. Weber and James 15. Anderson. 
Gov. Noyos, In the opinion of all candid men, 
has cleared himself of the charge of trickery 
In the Florida election. His evidence was clear, 
and emphatic that he went South without com¬ 
municating with Hayes, made no promises while 
there; and only sought that no Injustice should 
bo done to his own party, and that It should have 
fair play. Hls testimony Is fully supported by 
that or Gen. Lew Wallace, his companion down 
South; and Is hardly contradicted even In details, 
by that of Dennis, McLtn <te Co. It, was evidently 
a mistake, and still worse, an Injustice, for tho 
democratic managers to have mentioned hls name 
specially In the resolution asking for the appoint¬ 
ment of the Investigating Committee. Noyes re¬ 
turns as American Ambassabor to Paris on Au¬ 
gust l. fully vindicated, whatever may be the 
action of the committee. 
The sub-onmmlttee swelterlDg down In New 
Orleans have eltcited little, except that Anderson 
was culpably backward In registering votes In 
East Feliciana: that In 1874 the parish gave 800 
republican majority In a vote of 2.600; that An¬ 
derson complained of not being paid for hls work, 
and during the election sought to trade with the 
democrats, and that these would not believe him 
under oath unless hls testimony were corrobo¬ 
rated by other evidence. Reed, the republican 
member of the sub-committee, has to leave for 
home on business, so that the two democratic 
members will. In future, have their own sweet 
way. 
Much discontent Is shown by the democratic 
press at circulars sent by the republican Con¬ 
gressional Committee to republtcan office-holders, 
requesting them to contribute a small percentage 
of their pay towards the expenses of the coming 
political campaign. Money Is not demanded 
under penalty of dismissal as In past times, but 
It is urged upon them that funds are needed, and 
that those who benefit most by republican suc¬ 
cess should bo wllLlog to contribute mianclally 
towards it. It grieves the democrats & rely, how¬ 
ever. that by this means the rules of Civil ser¬ 
vice Reform may be infringed, though there is no 
doubt but they now tax all their own employes 
for political purposes, and that In case of their 
success in the national contest, they would not 
hesitate to deprive of their entire wages, the 
very men whom they now protest should not be 
even asked for a small part of It. Gen. Hartranft 
declines to be a candidate for the U. S. Senate for 
Pennsylvania; this leaves the course clear for 
Don Cameron, so far as the republicans are con- 
concerned. 
Now comes a strong rumor that E. L. Weber, 
the great witness for the democratic side before 
the Investigating Committee, while senator In 
the Louisiana Legislature, sold out for $2,&oo to 
Plnehback, while the latter was trying to get 
elected to the. United States Senate. Immediate¬ 
ly afterwards he Is said to have turned about and 
sold out again for * 10,000 to Kellogg, anxious to 
obtain the same position; while it is reported to 
be capable of proof that hls present testimony In 
favor of Anderson’s stories, has been purchased 
by a purse of *7,000, deposited In the hands of a 
New Orleans broker. So utterly corrupt has the 
present Investigation shown Louisiana poli¬ 
ticians, that one la ready to believe of them an 
amount of turpitude incredible with regard even 
to politicians elsewhere. 
miscellaneous. 
Among the economies of Congress has been 
the stoppage of allowances for the keep of horses 
to all army officers east or the Mississippi, from 
Sherman downwards. This causes much discon¬ 
tent and some Inconvenience,as officers of cavulry, 
while on foot, will have to drill their men on 
horseback. Sherman has had some of hls old 
war-horses shot, and grumbles vigorously and 
somewhat profanely at this cheese-paring parsi¬ 
mony. Grain Is now being shipped on boats at 
Kansas City, to be sent, via St. Louis, to New Or¬ 
leans. In future, the Missouri Is to be in this way 
utilized as an outlet for the Immense grain crops 
of the West. Out In Oregon there has been more 
fighting with Indians, who are constantly being 
reinforced by belligerent stragglers rrotn other 
tribes. Lately the Umatlllas, having placed their 
women and children In safety,'on their reserva¬ 
tion, to be fed and guarded by Uncle Sam, have 
gone on the war-path themselves to fight the old 
fellow’s troops and scalp hls defenceless children. 
In Idaho, also, the red-9kJns are busy stealing 
horses and cattle, and that ohronlc bug-bear, a 
general Indian war, la once more threatened. 
Gen, Buter has come out flat-footed la favor of 
the National and Greenback party as against the 
republicans and democrats, and will, probably 
be their candidate for Governor of Massachusetts 
at the next, election. In the Allegheny Valley 
near Pittsburg, on the fourth, there was a terrific 
thunder and rain storm which struck the city In 
the afternoon doing considerable harm. Hall aa 
large as chestnuts fell, and many large treeB were 
uprooted. A large one of these fell on a plc-nlo 
party who had fled to It, for shelter, Instantly kill¬ 
ing ten, and seriously Injuring fifteen, four or five 
of whom will probably dJc. On the same day, 
lightning also struck and killed a woman nearNew 
London, Conn. It is said that Attorney-General 
Devens has finished bis opinion on the eight-hour 
law, holding that It was Intended to give men 
working for the Government ten hours’ pay for 
eight hours’ work, and should be so construed. 
The maligned mother-in-law has been unfortu¬ 
nate this week—three of her having been shot or 
otherwise killed In different parts of the country. 
The pleasure of Gov. Van Zandt, of Rhode Is¬ 
land, and still more that of hls wife, during their 
summer stay at Newport, will he somewhat 
spoiled by the robbery from their house of $35,000 
worth of jewelry, wnlle they were at tea on Satur¬ 
day last. Most people are too careless In leaving 
windows and doors open In summer time, and 
some people are too extravagant in the Jewelry 
line at all times. 
Joseph P. Carr, who married the daughter of 
George Knapp, proprietor of the St. Louis Re¬ 
publican, and after her death married Lillie Mor¬ 
rison, daughter of Col. Don Morrison and the belle 
of St. Louis, and who was himself called the 
handsomest young man in the city, has forged 
the name of Morrison to a note for *5,000 and 
disappeared. Gambling and other dissipations 
were wbar, led to tue crime. 
Kansas claims to be the banner state for grain 
this year, good Judges estimating that It will send 
fully 4a,ooo,ooo bushels or wheat to market, or 
about 35 per cent, above tho largest yield hereto¬ 
fore known In any one State, California having 
had the honor so far, with a crop of 30,000,000 
bushels. Col. Reno of tho 7th cavalry, Is ordered 
to go to St. Paul, Mlnu., and report to Gen. Terry, 
commanding In Dakota, with a view to an In¬ 
vestigation of hls alleged misconduct and cow¬ 
ardice at the battle of the little Big Horn, where 
Custer and hls men were massacred. 
The farmers of Ohio who have lately suffered 
severely from communists and tramps, are said 
to be busy forming secret organizations for mu¬ 
tual protection. Every member Is to have hls 
gun at all times ready, and be willing to use It. In 
defence of hls own property and that of hls 
nelgfc hors, and to be constantly on the look-out 
for fire. The following Is a sample of the notices 
served on some of thorn; all such threats being 
much of the same style: “ You better look out; 
it you don’t stop usin’ that machine for bludln’ 
you will never hev any grain to thrash out. Wo 
are watching you" 
On the fourth, at Lexington Ky, old John 
Harper’s Ten Broeck and Mollle McCarthy, the 
celebrated California m are, ran a four-mile race 
at which great speed was expected. This expec¬ 
tation, however, was disappointed, for the mare 
was distanced In the first heat aud the race was 
won In slower time than she had previously 
made. Some attribute the laggard space to the 
extreme heat of the day, while others—and 
among them the trustworthy editor of the Ken¬ 
tucky Live-Stock Record—insist that Ten Broeck 
was drugged Just before the race and that this 
could not well be done without the knowledge 
of hls owner. 
foreign. 
The London News agrees with MehemetAU 
that Turkey would have been better off to have 
accepted the treaty of .San stefano as it stood 
and never gone to Berlin at all. Yet Beacons- 
fleld Is said to be the only person at Berlin who 
denies that, the dissolution of the Turkish em¬ 
pire is Inevitable and will have It restored. 
Schouvaloff, who descends from a line of princes 
older than the czars, seems to have supplautcd 
Ignatleff la the Imperial favor and Is a likely can¬ 
didate for the seat of Gortschakoff. All persons 
arrested In connection with Nobllng’s attempt 
upon the life of Emperor William of Germany 
have been liberated. Including Noblllng’s young¬ 
est brother. 
Gen. Phllllpovlch, the Sclav general of the Aus¬ 
trian army In Bohemia, has been summoned to 
Vienna to take command of the army about to 
occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina. Turkey asks 
that the term of occupation be fixed at two years 
But In view of the uutoreseen circumstances that 
may arise, Austria declines to be hampered by 
any distinct engagement. The troops will not 
cross the border until the Congress Is over. It Is 
highly probable Austria will so manage matters 
that the occupation will be permanent. There Is 
a rather reliable rumor that, England intends to 
acquire the Island of Cyprus, as her share of the 
Turkish spoils. In Berlin and throughout, Ger¬ 
many, numerous arrests still continue to be made 
of prominent socialists and of hot-headed revolu¬ 
tionists who express chagrin at the failure of the 
nefarious attempts of Hoedel and Nobfling. The 
organic, municipal, and provincial laws In Spain 
are to be provisionally enforced in Cuba. 
On the 4th there was a series of boat races on 
the Thames at Henley, near Oxford, England. 
Two American crews, the Slioe-wae-cae-mettes of 
Michigan, and the Columbia of Columbia College, 
New York City, took part in the races for the 
Visitors’ cup and the Stewards’ race. The Jaw¬ 
breakers of the northwest won In the latter the 
first heat, but lost the second and the prize, the 
following day, owing to one of the crew suddenly 
falling sick, when near the goal, In the middle of 
the contest. On the 5th, Columbia won the Visi¬ 
tors’ cup, boating the picked crews of Oxford and 
Cambridge Um verslt lea. The star-spangled eagle 
has been soaring away up the empyrean and 
shrieking himself hoarse ever since. For the 
China, during which It Is calculated upwards of 
past year there has been a terrible famine In 
five million people have been starved to death, and 
now comes Che news that In Brazil the springs, 
brooks and rivers In throe Important provinces 
have dried up; crops have not grown on account 
of the drought, and the people are perishing by 
thousands. In the city of Aracat.y, from Feb¬ 
ruary 10th to 18th, 664 persona died of starvation 
and at least 10,000 people have perished of hunger 
