672 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
OCT:49 
flomfstir toitffmj). 
OOMDUOTED 3Y EMILY MAPLE 
MOP HANDLE PAPERS, NO. 6. 
MAY MATLE. 
DO RAB CARPETS PAY' 
“ Does it pay to make rag carpets, when one 
must pay from fifteen to twenty cents a yard for 
weaving ; and when one can buy store carpet 
at fifty cents per yard?’' inquired Mrs. W., as 
she finished winding a large ball of carpet rags. 
“ indeed I think it is economy to make rag 
carpets; for they last so much longer than 
others. A good one will last for years,” was my 
reply. 
« Not when one has a houseful of men and 
boys to tear around as toe havesaid Mrs. W. 
« of course not,” said Mrs. Edaon, our host¬ 
ess. “It is very different at May’s ; you know 
there is only a small family there, and carpets 
and furniture last much longer with her folks 
than they would with you or me. For my part, 
I don’t think a rag carpet would pay ns for the 
time spent in getting the rags together. If one 
has a spare room that is only to be used once in 
a great while, it may pay very well. But with 
our small oottages, there iB no economy about it, 
in my estimation.” 
This bit of conversation was between ladies 
who were living in a newly settled country. A 
few of the neighbors in the vicinity had been 
“putting on airs,” by having their floors car¬ 
peted. and others were making preparations to 
follow in their wake ; though, as in the case of 
Mrs. W, with some doubts and misgivings as to 
the economy of “the move.” 
I did not feel oalled upon then and there, to 
reply to Mrs. Edson’s part of the argument. 
But I kept up a “ desperate thinking for I 
was sure that a good substantial rag carpet did 
pay, and in many ways. In nine cases out of 
ten one who lacks energy to make a rag carpet, 
will not have the means to buy a store carpet, 
even at fifty cents per yard, when it must be 
cash in hand, and then, if purchased, it is a poor 
thing and will not, with the best of care, endure 
the wear of every day use for oue season. But 
even that would pay by giving the house a more 
habitable appearance; for a house with bare 
floors, though it be ever so well furnished other¬ 
wise, looks naked and barn-like. But a rag- 
carpet pays better in an ordinary farm house, 
because it wears better and is better adapted to 
the circumstances of the family, and corres¬ 
ponds with the usually plain furniture. 
It pays by subduing the noise caused by the 
tramp of boots, the moving of chairs, the rat¬ 
tling of dishes, and in softening the tones of 
voices. Indeed, a rag oarpet has a softening and 
refining influence upon every member of the 
family. Even those rough boys forbear to 
souffle in the house, beoause it will injure the 
oarpet that mother worked so bard to make, and 
they hate to see the pleasant room grow shabby. 
Boys as well as girls, like to have their home 
look cheery and “ stylish.” and thus the rag car¬ 
pet wears much longer than the matron im¬ 
agined it would. 
Mrs. Friendly had long contemplated mak¬ 
ing a carpet, and had her rags all prepared. 
But her husband, though a model man in most 
habits, had contracted in the days of “ keeping 
back,” the fearful habit of spitting upon the 
floor. And during his married life the habit had 
remained unchecked, perhaps, beoause his girl 
wife was all too timid to let him know that she 
could see his faults. And on acconnt of thiB 
distressing habit, she had delayed having her 
carpet woven. 
The third summer after their marriage they 
paid a visit to a wealthy brother of Mr. Friendly. 
Here every room in the house, except the little 
box of a “ store room,” was elegantly furnished, 
and Mrs. Friendly dreaded to have her husband 
come into those elegant rooms for fear the beau¬ 
tiful velvet carpets might be deseorated by his 
presence. She was agreeably surprised to see 
that he invariably used the spittoon. In less 
than a month after her return, Mrs. Friendly 
had her rag carpets upon her floors, and a neat 
little box of sawdust placed in the neighborhood 
of the arm chair, was all the hint her husband 
needed ; his bad habit WS6 at once cured. 
Indeed if one had to make a carpet every 
spring, 1 believe it woulfl pay ; just for its re¬ 
fining influence, for it certainly paves the way 
for taking care of more elegant furnishings. 
And then it does save such au amount of hard 
labor, bringing water from some far-off spring, 
or drawing it from Borne deep, deep well or in¬ 
convenient cistern, to wash and scrub the floors 
six times a week. 
___ 
A QUESTION OF FACTS. 
I have been looking over Miss Corson’s Cook¬ 
ing Manual, of which I have bought several 
copies, and find iu it many valuable hints and de¬ 
tails as to cooking to the best advantage the 
simple food that is in every house, without 
waste aud with a relish that is not alwayB to be 
found even in elaborate cookery books. And it 
has oocurred to me to ask why it is that phy¬ 
sicians do not take np the subjeot of health in 
diet more, and enlighten the world as to the 
truth of many things that are in doubt at pres¬ 
ent. Are tomatoes healthful? Of course, you 
will say, “ No one doubts it.” Yet I know peo¬ 
ple who affirm that they are sure to encourage 
cancer if eaten in large quantities. And while 1 
do not believe in their injurious effects, I am 
led to consider these things by a statement from 
the London Globe concerning a boy who died 
from eating peach kernels. Yet how many 
times, in making these preserves, have I broken 
the Btones and put. in the meats iu order to give 
a flavor to the canned or preserved peaches !— 
We should surely have the facts proved and at¬ 
tested, if it is true that one ounce of peach 
kernels contains a grain of pure hydrocyanic 
acid, and less than a grain of this poison will 
kill an adult, two-thirds being sure death to a 
child. Annie L. Jack. - 
■-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Boston Brown Bread. 
One heaping ooffee-cupful each of Indian, rye 
aud Graham mealsift and beat together with 
two cupfuls of molasses, two cupfuls of sweet 
milk and one of sour, adding a tableHpoonfnl of 
cream; one dessert-spoonful of soda and a little 
salt. Beat thoroughly aud pour into a tin form ; 
steam four hours and then place in the oven to 
brown. 
Pickled Pears. 
Seven pounds of fruit; three and a half 
pounds of sugar; one pint of vinegar; cloves, 
oiunamon and allspice tied iu a cloth. Put the 
sugar, vinegar and spice into a porcelain kettle, 
boil up and skim; then add the fruit; which 
should be peeled and left whole, and boil until 
fully done. Put into cans, pour over the syrup 
and screw down air-tight. 
Graham Paste. 
Mix lightly one pound of Graham flour with a 
pint of thick, sweet cream; add salt, roll thin 
and bake as other pastry. 
Horse-radish. 
If horse-radish be prepared in the fall as fol¬ 
lows, it may be kept all winter : 
To each coffee-cupful of horse-radish allow 
one teaspoonful of salt; one tablespoonful of 
white sugar and a pint and a half of good vine¬ 
gar ; bottle and seal. e. m. 
Tomato Catsup. 
Wash green tomatoes and slice them rather 
thin; weigh them ; allow three or four sliced 
onions, or not as preferred, four pounds of sugar 
and a gallon of cider-vinegar to eight pounds of 
tomatoes. Pnt the vinegar to boil in a porcelain 
kettle with the sugar, stir it, and wberT it boils 
np, set it t ff, and let it stand a few minutes 
until the scum can be removed without wasting 
the vinegar; then add the onions, two tea¬ 
spoonfuls of salt, a tablespoonfnl each of pow¬ 
dered cinnamon and cloves, and a grated nut¬ 
meg ; then set it upon the fire, and immediately 
add the tomatoes. When the vinegar begins to 
simmer, press the tomatoes gently down. Let 
them boil only two or three minutes. Pat them 
into covered jars ; or when cool enough, into 
wide-mouthed bottles. When the piokles are 
all used, the vinegar need not be lost, as it is 
excellent upon baked beans, and oold Balt meat 
or in mince pies, etc. 
“Young Housekeeper's Fbiend. 
Monday, Oct. 13,1878. 
POLITICAL. 
The results of the October elections held last 
Tuesday In Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and West Vir¬ 
ginia seem to be highly satisfactory both to the 
republicans aud democrats, judging by the loud 
huzzas aud congratulations or their newspaper 
organs. Since the news came from Maine of the 
unexpected strength shown by the greenback 
party, both of the old parties were much alarmed 
by the “ unknown quantity ” represented by the 
new candidate for popular suffrage ; and now 
both or them are not a little relieved by discov¬ 
ering that it is much smaller than their tears had 
pictured it. It entered so strong Into the present 
campaign, winning three seats in Congress from 
the Pine-tree State, that it was naturally sup¬ 
posed It would be a formidable opponent In the 
Western States In which the greenback doctrine 
originated and where it has always had Its ablest 
and most numerous supporters. The surprise to 
the old parties was as great therefore as the dis¬ 
appointment must have been to the new, to find 
that in the four States that cast their votes for 
congressmen on Tuesday, only two greenbackers 
were elected, and these only by democratic sup¬ 
port. While republicans and democrats share 
equally the satisfaction arising from the discov¬ 
ery of the weakness of this third party, each has 
some special grounds tor self-congratulatlou. 
The tide of unpopularity that was rising against 
the republicans at the last presidential election, 
has evidently reached Its flood, and begun to ebb. 
The majority of 20,000 against them at the last 
election In Ohio has been wiped out, and they 
have carried the State by a plurality of about 
10 , 000 , making a gala of 30,000. In Iowa also they 
have probably increased the vote on their State 
ticket, although the greenbackers, by joining with 
the democrats, have there wiested from them two 
seats In Congress. In Indiana they have about 
held their own on the State ticket, and in an 
" ofr ” year, with the loss of many farmers who 
usually supported them but who this year voted 
the greenback ticket, they are disposed to rest 
content with a drawn game. On the other hand, 
though the democrats have lost the State ticket 
In Ohio, they gerrymandered the electoral dis¬ 
tricts so skillfully In the last legislature, that 
they have won three congressmen, the republi¬ 
cans electing only nine congressmen this year 
Instead of twelve at lasl election, and the demo¬ 
crats eleven Instead of elgnt. In Indiana the 
latter have been still more fortunate; for. In 
addition to having gained three congressmen, 
they have secured a majority of the State legisla¬ 
ture, thus Insuring the reelectlon of Voorhees, 
the present Senator. By latest uccouuts the leg¬ 
islature stands, on joint ballot, 79 democrats; 65 
republicans; stx nationals. In West Virginia, 
though the greenbackers cast a heavy vote, the 
democrats succeeded, as usual, In gaining all 
three congressmen. The greenbackers only 
polled about 30,000 votes In Ohio, about the same 
number In Indiana, and nearly S5,ooo in Iowa. 
It, should be borne In mind, however, by the 
“ hard money ” men that most ot the democrats 
elected aie “soft money ” advocates, so that many 
democrats who believe In the “Ohio Idea,” find¬ 
ing they could support It within their own party, 
did se without joining the straight-out green¬ 
backers. 
It tickles the antl-Butler papers of Massa¬ 
chusetts—and nearly all the papers in the state 
are In that category—to be able to point out 
features In his business career Inconsistent with 
his present role as the workingman’s friend. 
Since 1857 he has been a large stockholder in the 
Middlesex Woolen Mills at Lowell, which. In 1862, 
paid si per cent, on the capital invested, 45 per 
cent. In 1S63, and an average of 20 per cent, since 
the first date mentioned to the present time, yet 
the wages of the workingmen there have always 
been low In comparison with the amount paid 
elsewhere. Card-strippers la the Middlesex Mills 
now secure only 86 cents a day to support their 
lumllles, while at the mills owned by Gov. Tal¬ 
bot, the republican candidate, at Xorth Bellerlca, 
the lowest wages paid to any man Is $1.25. And 
yet Butler expects a heavy vote at Lowell. Then, 
these papers get hearty anathemas from Ben. for 
reiterating the old charges with regard to his 
enormous tee for securing the Farragut prize- 
money for the capture of New Orleans. The 
total sum obtained wa3 $123,478,000; total ex¬ 
penses $142,111, of which Butler and a couple of 
subordinate lawyers pocketed $123,472; thus heav¬ 
ily mulcting the sailors to whom It was due. The 
Urge number of candidates In the Held through¬ 
out the country Is a pretty fair indication of the 
contusion of parties, the multitude of would-be 
statesmen the nation Is blessed (?) with, and the 
probability or no small amount of scratching at 
the coming elections. There are altogether 292 
representative districts and over 800 candidates, 
and as less than halt the members of the present 
House have been renominated, and a good many 
ot these will fall ot election, there will be many 
. new laces in the next Congress. Among the 
promlnet absentees from It will be Gen. Banks, 
who missed a renotninatlon by a single vote, and 
Mr. Sayler, a prominent rival of Randall for the 
Speakership, who has j ust been defeated at Cin¬ 
cinnati. Several republican campaign meetings 
having been broken up by the democrats In South 
Carolina, Alabama and Louisiana, Attorney-Gen¬ 
eral Devons baa instructed the district attorneys 
and U. 8. marshals in those States to Impartially, 
but firmly enforce the laws for the punishment 
of all combinations or conspiracies tor such at¬ 
tempts, by the arrest and Indictment of all guilty 
parties. This Just measure has given rise to the 
charge, in a number of democratic papers, that 
Hayes Is about to change hla conciliatory policy 
towards the South. But surely conciliation does 
not mean permission to persecute political op¬ 
ponents and resort to the “ shot-gun ” policy. 
The Convention to frame a new Constitution for 
California, consists ot 78 non-partisans, 62 work¬ 
ingmen, 10 straight republicans, 9 straight demo¬ 
crats, 1 farmer and workingman and 1 independ¬ 
ent. 
The past week has been rather unfortunate lor 
Mr. Tllden’s ohances of being again the demo¬ 
cratic candidate for President. On Tuesday last 
the Tribune of this city published, with transla¬ 
tion, a series ot cipher dispatches relating to the 
Florida count during the last electoral troubles. 
Of these the most Important bear dates between 
Nov. 30 and Deo. 6, 1876, and passed between Col. 
Pelton, Tlldeu’s nephew, and H. Havemyer In 
New York, and Manton Marble and others of Tll- 
den’s friends In Florida. They leave no doubt but 
that negotiations were entered Into with one or 
more of the republican members of the Florida 
Returning Board, for the sale of their votes to 
Tllden. The decision of the Board and the Gov¬ 
ernor’s certificate were offered for $200,000. Mar¬ 
ble telegraphed this; but the figure was consid¬ 
ered too high. An offer of a single member ot the 
Board, however, to sell his vote for $ 00,000 was 
accepted, hut by some mistake the cipher dis¬ 
patch authorizing the payment arrived too late. 
The general opinion seems to be that It will be 
hard for Tllden to convince people that he knew 
nothing about this project of bribery. The same 
day these dispatches were published, Tammany 
Hall succeeded in organizing the State Demo¬ 
cratic Committee In its own Interest and agalust 
Tllden by a vote of 17 to 14; and on last Friday 
Harland, Tllden’a lawyer In the Government’s 
suit against him for unpaid Income tax, was In¬ 
dicted at Marquette, Mich., for being an accom¬ 
plice in the theft of the bookB belonging to the 
New York Mining Co., lu which Tllden was Inter- 
ested, au account of which theft whb given here 
the week before lust. Here again there were in¬ 
culpating cipher dispatches from Col. Pelton; aud 
It Is boldly said that the books show that Tllden 
cheated the Government. Yet, after all, public 
opinion should “give the old man a chance”—to 
explain. What kind of republican arguments 
were werful enough to nullify the liberal dis¬ 
position of the-democrats to bribe? Can any 
one guess ? 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
On Monday last eight, drunken, disreputable 
negToes entered a house of 111-fame at Mt. Ver¬ 
non, Ind., and robbed and abused three of the 
female inmates. On Tuesday four of the mis¬ 
creants were arrested and put In jail; on Friday 
morning at 2 o’clock the deputy sheriff with a 
posse surrounded the house of an old negro, 
named n arris, for the purpose of arresting his 
son, one of the criminals. Harris shot the deputy 
sheriff dead, but was arrested by his assistants. 
At night a party of masked vigilantes overpower¬ 
ed the guards ot the Jail; broke Into the building; 
cut Harris to pieces, threw the fragments Into 
the privy, and then dragged the four other 
wretches Into the neighboring square aud strung 
them up U> the branches of the trees, where they 
were allowed to hang until taken down by the 
coroner next day. 
FOREIGN. 
There has been a negro rebellion In the island 
of Santa Cruz, West Indies. The whites number 
3 , 000 , the negroes 22 , 000 , and there are only 50 
soldiers on the Island. French and English men- 
of-war, however, lauded troops, killed 300 negroes 
on one plantation, and have suppressed the 
trouble. A small part only of the negroes rose In 
Insurrection. On Friday last a couple of roughs 
began to flglvt In the pit, of Liverpool, England^ 
theatre; a cry of “Fire!" was raised, the au¬ 
dience stampeded, 30 men and a number of 
women and children were crushed to death. The 
outlook In Europe is anything but bright, in 
Groat Britain the failure of the City of Glasgow 
Bank has caused a number of other heavy fail¬ 
ures, the last of which is that of a large Mancnes- 
ter shipping house with liabilities of from $ 5 , 000 ,- 
000 to $10,000,000. Strikes are In progress In sev¬ 
eral parts ot Scotland and England, while la Ire¬ 
land the National pari.j are Jubilant at England’s 
troubles with Afghanistan, Telegrams last 
Monday that, war had actually commenced were 
premature, and news to the same effect yester¬ 
day Is contradicted to-day by hints that a peace¬ 
ful settlement is yet possible. England Is collect¬ 
ing a heavy force so as promptly to crush the 
enemy ; the Ameer Is already prepared, well sup¬ 
plied with Russian ofiiCBrs and arms, and In pos¬ 
session of the passes through the mountain range 
that separates his territories from British India, 
in Frace there la a prospect of a coalition of all 
other parties against the republicans, and a 
stormy time Is anticipated, in Germany Bis¬ 
marck is sternly pressing the passage of itie laws 
against socialists, seeking supporters now from 
the Liberals, now from the Ultramontaues, while 
the Socialists declare that If driven to the wail 
the discontent ot a military-ridden and tax- 
oppressed people will find vent In revolution and 
warn Bismarck of a repetition of the scenes of 
bloodshed and revolt in 1848. 
In Austrlo-IIangary, the Hungarians are bitter¬ 
ly opposed to the occupation of Bosnia and Herze¬ 
govina, and refuse to supply money to pay the 
invading army ; although the country Is occupied 
almost entirely, yet the population Is Intensely 
hostile; there Is danger of Turkey taking a part 
in the struggle, should the Austrians attempt to 
occupy Novi-Bazar, a step they Insist on taking. 
Russia Is still lingering as close to Constantino¬ 
ple as possible; with England at, war In the East, 
and Austria embroiled with Turkey, the Czar 
may think hlmsolt strong enough to treat the 
treaty ol Berlin In 1878, with the same contempt 
with which he treated that of Paris, In 1871. 
There are a good many Jokes about the love of 
savages for missionaries, but five Methodist 
ministers who were recently eaten by the 
bush natives near Mallcota on the coast of New 
Zealand, round It no joking matter. Urged on 
by a holy wrath traders andicbrlstlantzed natives 
killed 80 of the tribe In retaliation. Tbe close 
of the Paris Exposition Is again definitely fixed— 
this time for Nov. 20 . Mi-. Krantz, the chief com¬ 
missioner of tbe Exposition has arranged for a 
fete at the Trocadero on tbe 15th Inst, for the 
benefit of our yellow fever sufferers. The Al- 
oanlans who slew Mehemet, All and hla escort 
have added another to their deeds ot blood. 
The commandant, of Podgorltza fh the territory 
given to Montenegro by the Berlin treaty, an¬ 
nounced the receipt of Instructions to surrender 
the fortress and Btralghtway he and his whole 
garrison of 156 men were massacred. Monte¬ 
negro la likely to find troublesome subjects In 
her fresh acquisition. The Inhabitants of the 
Dobrudsoha are so bitterly opposed to the Rou¬ 
manian rule, to which they ave been handed 
over, that the Roumanians dare not for the pres¬ 
ent attempt to take possession o< the country. 
The Porte has begun refonns by removing a 
number of Pashas who are aocused of corruption, 
arresting others aud ordering tae (xecutlon of a 
number ot Kurds aud Begs for atrocities they 
have committed. Herman. 
Every American has freedom, and almost 
every American has catarrh. It is the national 
complaint. No surer index to its prevalence can 
be desired than the myriad remedies proposed for 
its cure. One meeting with great success is that 
recommendod by the Rev. T. P. Childs, whose 
announcement appears elsewhere in this issue. 
This gentleman gives a very accurate description 
of the onuses of the disease aud the dire results 
of inattention in the preliminary stages. He 
also explains his manner of su'.duing the dis¬ 
ease, which iH simple, and it would appear should 
be effective. Inhalation iH very generally con¬ 
ceded to be the most direct way to apply medi- 
oine to the lungs and air passages, and with the 
knowledge of the inhalants that are indicated, 
which Mr. Childs’ success would Beem to show 
that he possesses, the disease should yield to 
treatment. 
