736 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NOV. 46 
iouustir (grottomu. 
CONDUCTED 3Y EMILY MAPLE 
NOTES. 
When making coffee, add a pinch of salt. 
In poaching eggs, if the bottom of the dish 
be greased before pouring in the water, it will 
prevent their sticking. 
A pinch of brown sugar added to stove black¬ 
ing canBOB it to stick and polish easier. 
A friend tells ub she was told by an excellent 
oook, to thin her buckwheat cakes in the morn¬ 
ing with a half teacupful of cider. 
To prevent wooden bowls from cracking, 
either pour Bweet, hot lard over them or i? ri¬ 
mer se in cold water, bring to the boiling point, 
boil an hour or longer, then let the water cool 
gradually when the bowl may be taken out. 
-- 
PEN THOUGHTS FROM EVERY-DAY HOUSE. 
ANNIE I>. JACK. 
"Old Stranger is failing in her milk,” said 
the milkmaid one morning in November. " Give 
her carrots and corn straw,” said I, “and she 
ought not to fail yet. ’’ There is a great deal in 
the way a pet cow is cared for at this time of 
the year. A few hurried dayB of careless feed¬ 
ing will reduoe the milk both in quality and 
quantity, and at no time of the year are milk 
and cream more appreciated than during the 
autumn mouths. How delicate the custards! 
what rich squash pies we can make 1 and at no 
other season is a bowl of bread and milk so rel¬ 
ished by the children, for the days are cool and 
bracing, and their appetites are good. Iu mak¬ 
ing custards, a little gelatine improves the ap¬ 
pearance, and the secret of making them well, 
is to stir sufficiently. A little cream is a great 
improvement put in with the flavoring. All 
these things one cannot get if the cow fails in 
her milk. 
It was something like thiB that formed the 
subject of our breakfast-table talk, and looking 
round I detected the amateur cook smiling 
dreamily. "Let ns share,” I said. "I was 
thinking,” she said, “of the party last summer 
when I was assisting some ladies to prepare 
trifles. Each one chose her task, while I waited 
for orders, and the whipped oream fell to my 
share. 1 was told it was bard work, though I 
had never fvuud it so at home, but then we had 
never whipped more than half a pint at a timfe. 
Well, I began, and slowly the half gallon swelled 
and foamed, became little globules floating in 
the dish, gathered and came forth soft, pale 
butter. More cream was sent for from another 
dairy. This was three times repeated and each 
time with the same result. Had I placed the 
dish iu ice before commencing and put in the 
merest pinoh of soda, this would not have hap¬ 
pened; but then one never does know or re¬ 
member a thing till too late.” 
“ Did you taste that apple trifle the other day 
at Mrs. Stairs ?” asked the family epicure. “ Yes, 
yes,” was answered by those present with every 
gesture of intense satisfaction, and as it may be 
useful to those who have apples in profusion 
during this season of plenty, I shall pen it for 
my readers : 
One dozen tender apples of good flavor; a 
large oup of sugar for the custard, and a large 
tablespoonful for the apples; of milk not quite 
a quart; three eggs and the juice of one lemon; 
a pint of cream beat with powdered sugar. Slice 
the apples, place in a jar, cork lightly and set in 
a kettle of warm wator, bringing to a boil grad¬ 
ually. When the apples are tender and clear 
beat to a pulp; sweeten with the tablespoonfui 
of sugar, add the lemon juice and place in a 
glass dish. Make a custard of the milk, sugar 
and eggs, with a little isinglass ; boil till it 
thickens and put it away till cold. Then, when 
the apples are cooled and Arm, pour the oustard 
over, and lastly your whipped cream. Is is a 
pretty Autumn dish, and well repays the trouble 
of preparing it. 
-- 
RAG-CAEPETS. 
Allow me to give my experience in the 
making, wearing and durability of rag-carpets. 
To my mind they are exactly what a plain fami¬ 
ly room, inhabited by several healthy, restless 
children, ought to have on its floor. I am sure 
I do not know how I should have done without 
them, when I waB bringing up my little oneB. 
Now, if a lady conoludes, all at once, to make 
a carpet of rags and devotes her whole time for 
some days, or perhaps weeks, to the preparation 
of “ rags and chain," she will weary and disgust 
every one and not enjoy her carpet when she 
gets it. Let me suggest a better way. I may 
say here that I tried the bustling way at first, 
but experience taught me better. 
When one's husband or boys have really “got 
all the good," as the old ladies say, of a suit of 
olothes, and you feel that you do not need to 
lay them by for future possibilities, rip up the 
garments, shake and brush well. Choose some 
dull, rainy evening when you are tolerably cer¬ 
tain of having no visitors for the work. Then 
ent your rags, trim corners, tack with strong 
thread, make into large balls, bow some strong 
ootton material on the balls to keep away moths, 
and lay them by. When another pile of old 
things accumulates—six mouths later perhaps— 
do the same. I assure my sister readers of the 
“ Rural,” that in a surprisingly short time they 
will find, upon weighing the nice balls, that the 
rag-carpet is no longer doubtful. The shears 
or scissors have not been used long enough at 
auy one time to hurt the fingers, nor has any 
weary disgust been experienced. Cotton cord 
may be bought from many factories already 
dyed in bright colors, and one’s taste may be 
gratified by the contrast of stripes. But to 
those who wish to do things in the cheaper! 
way, I will say that coarse factory yarn doubled 
and loosely twisted, makes an excellent warp 
and can be dyed at home. Every farmer’s wife 
knowH the virtues of maple-bark set with cop¬ 
peras for dying a purple or slate, also of cop¬ 
peras-dyed ootton thread, set by dipping in lye 
of wood ashes. These are, I think, tho cheapest 
and easiest dyes for cotton. I’reJty they are 
not—but I am writing for those who prefer 
comfort to appearance. 
Perhaps some do not know that an apronful 
of peach leaves boiled in water, will make a yel¬ 
low dye for cotton (which will wash out, how¬ 
ever), and tho said decoction of peach leaves, 
with the addition of some of the above-men¬ 
tioned lye from wood-ashes, will dye wool a 
good bottle-green, which can’t be washed out at 
all. I am speaking of strictly domestic dyes 
which are almost of no cost. There are, how¬ 
ever, many experienced old ladies who are only 
too happy to Instruct less informed matrons in 
the more elaborate arts of dying. I have cut, 
trimmed and tacked, at odd times, the rags or 
filling for one hundred and fifty yards of nice 
rag carpeting, without ever feeling the work 
burdensome. And now that my boys have 
grown up and gone off into the world, I have 
no longer the old clothes to cut np, nor do I 
need to exercise such oIohb eoonomy, Btill, I 
recommend it to others who are in the morning 
of life, as it were, and who wish to be indus¬ 
trious and economical. 
One item of information I must not omit. It 
is not the masculines of the family alone who 
can contribute cast-off clothing for tho carpet. 
The worn out aprons, dresses and under-clothing 
of the little girls, properly managed, make an 
excellent filling, and the carpet is smoother as 
well as prettier. Tear them up into as fine Btrips 
as you well can, tack and make them into balls. 
If the olothes are white or light-colored, make 
the long strips into hanks or skeins and dye 
them in maple bark before wiuding into balls. 
No matter bow streaked or blotched they look^ 
it will not Hhow. Then have your carpet woven 
with alternate threads of pantaloon and dress— 
a coarse thread of the heavy wooleu cloth, and 
then a finely beaten up strip of the cotton. It 
will wear longer and look better than if made 
entirely of the thiok heavy rags. Iam writing 
cf carpets striped in the ehalu only. Of coarse, 
there are those who prefer a cheeked carpeting 
and who choose to arrange a pattern or check 
according to their own fancy. These can be 
made very pretty, bat are a great deal more 
troublesome to devise and carry out. 
My aim in writing is not to assist those who 
have abundant time, means and appliances for 
gratifying their various tastes in domestic man¬ 
ufactures, but to assure some of the burdened 
housekeepers that with proper management, 
they may have neat, plain carpets without any 
great trouble or expense. I am supposing that 
the weaving is entrusted to some one skilled in 
such work. I never had anything to do with 
that part of the business save to pay the bill, 
which always seemed to me ridiculously small. 
Mrs. S. 
Summerville, N. C. 
-»-*■■»- 
DOMESTIC EECIFES. 
Corn Bread, No. 1. 
Two teacupfulB of sweet milk; one-half tea- 
spoonful of soda and one of cream of tartar ; 
one good-sized handful of prepared flour; but¬ 
ter the size of an egg ; mix sufficiently stiff with 
Indian meal; sweeten with sirup to Buit the 
taste. Bake one-half hour. 
Oorn Bread, No. 2. 
Two cups of milk ; two and one-half of Indian 
meal; one-haif of prepared flour; two table- 
spoonfuls of sugar or molasses ; a teaspoouful 
of soda and two of oream-of-tartar. 
Mrs. M. Randall. 
■-♦ »♦ ■ ■ - 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Ginger Snaps. 
M. L. B. wishes directions for making good, 
criHp ginger snaps. We append the following, 
knowing it to be au excellent recipe : Two cups 
of molasses; one-half cup of sugar ; one and a 
half oup of melted lard ; two thirds of a oup of 
cold water; two toaspooufuls of saleratus ; two 
teaspcionfuls of ginger and one of salt; flour 
enough to roll thin. Bake iu a quick oven. 
Raised Biscuit. 
Please give a reliable recipe for raised biscuit ? 
Ithaca, N. Y. a. e. m. 
Ans.—O ne quart of rich milk; one cup of 
butter ; one cup of yeast; a cup of mashed po¬ 
tatoes ; a teaspoonful of salt and flour enough 
to make a stiff batter; let rise over night and iu 
the morning knead, adding flour but no wetting; 
let stand until light; then knead into biscuit; 
again let rise for about twenty minutes and 
bake. 
aSjtftos of % Mffh, 
Monday Nov. 11,1878. 
POLITICAL. 
The returns from the elections held last Tues¬ 
day, though not yet officially announced In most 
of the States, are known with sufficient accuracy 
to Indicate pretty clearly the results. The fol¬ 
lowing list, made up according to the latest dis¬ 
patches, shows the political affiliation of the 
members or the House or Representatives elected 
from the different States to the next or forty- 
sixth Congress: Alabama, democrats. 8. Arkan¬ 
sas, democrats, 4. California does not elect Con¬ 
gressmen until September, 1879. Her present 
delegation stands, republicans, 2; democrats, 2. 
Colorado, republican, 1. Connecticut, republi¬ 
cans, 3; democrats, 1 Delaware, democrat, 1. 
Florida, democrats, 2. Georgiy democrats, 9. 
Illinois, republicans, 12; democrats, 6; greenback, 
l. Indiana, republicans, 6; di-mocra's, 6; green¬ 
back, 1. Iowa, republicans, 7; greenbacks, 2 . 
Kansas, republicans, 3. Kentucky, demolrats. 
id. Louisiana, democrats, 6. Maine, republicans, 
3; democrats, 1; greenback, i. Maryland, demo¬ 
crats, 5; republicans, 1. Massachusetts, repub¬ 
licans, 10; democrats, l. Michigan, republicans, 
9. Minnesota, republicans, 2 ; democrats, 1. Mis¬ 
sissippi, democrats, 6. Missouri, democrats, 12; 
greenback, 1. Nebraska, republicans, l. Nevada, 
republicans, 1. New Hampshire, republicans, a. 
New Jersey, republicans, 4; democrats, 3. New 
York, republicans, 25; democrats, 8. North Caro¬ 
lina, democrats, 6; republicans, 2. Ohio, demo¬ 
crats, 11; republicans, 9. Oregon democrats, 1. 
Pennsylvania, republicans, 17; democrats, 9 ; 
greenback,!. Rhode Island, republicans, 2. South 
Carolina, democrats, 5. Tennessee, democrats, 
9; republicans, I. Texas, democrats, 6. Ver¬ 
mont, republicans, 2; greeeba k, l. Virginia, 
democrats, 8; republicans, 1. West Virginia, 
democrats, 3. Wisconsin, republicans 6; demo¬ 
crats, 3. Wyoming Territory, republicans, 1, 
Dakota Territory, republicans, l. 
According to the above Use the next House of 
representatives will consist of 1S1 democrats; 
130 repuollcans; 8 greenbackcra and 4 to be elected 
in Cailiornla. Later returns of a more accurate 
nature may slightly change these numbers, iqi* 
In some districts the votes for the several can¬ 
didates are so close that the official count only 
can decide tbe matter. Tho tendency of the re¬ 
turns, however, la considerably in lavor of the 
republicans, and many ot their oeat Informed 
organs Insist that the lull returns will show a 
considerable reduction of the democratic major¬ 
ity hero Indicated. Despite tho fact that the re¬ 
publicans lost 11 congressmen in tne October 
elections, they have made steady gains nearly 
everywhere In the Stato and national contests 
at tbls time. In this State, besides carrying their 
State ticket by about ll,uoo majority, they have 
carried the Legislature by a majority of t!t>—me 
heaviest majority they have ever had In that 
body. This triumph secures the unoposed ro- 
electlon ofCoukilng to the Wet,ate; and if the 
peace within the party lines continues, the vic¬ 
tory may make the senior Senator from the Em¬ 
pire State “a bigger man than old Grant"as re¬ 
publican candidate ror the Presidency in 1880. 
'They have also secured a U. 3. .Senator Instead oi 
Barnum In Connecticut, haring elected a major¬ 
ity of the legist,ure of that Stale. 
In this city Tammany Ball has been completely 
overthrown, Schell, Its nominee for Mayor, hav¬ 
ing been defeated by a majority of upwards of 
19,000 In favor of Cooper, tbe candidate of the 
republicans and anti-Tammany democrats; the 
former having cast about 62,000 votes and the 
latter about 23,000, against Tammany's solid 61,- 
ouo. As the combination also elected a strong 
majority of the Board of Aldermen, all Cooper’s 
nominations to offices will be confirmed, so that 
during the next two years the spending or the 
$ 40 , 000,000 annually laid out here, will be chiefly 
in the hands of the new mayor and his backers. 
The remainder of the combination ticket was also 
elected by majorities varying a trifle In numbers. 
Many of the most important Tammany officials, 
however, hold over for different lengths of time, 
and cannot bo removed, except for cause, and 
with the consent of the governor. Chief among 
these la John Kelly, the successor of Tweed as 
Tammany Boss, who now holds the offloo of 
Comptroller, the most Important post in the city 
government, and whose term does not end for 
nearly two years. As Tammany has been TU- 
den s bitterest enemy, Its defeat Is regarded as a 
triumph for him, and It la said lie will probably 
ruu as democratic candidate for governor or the 
State at next, election, so as to keep prominently 
before the people with a view of again securing 
the nomluatluu for President In 1880. 
In Massachusets, Butler has been defeated by 
a majority of about 26 , 000 , although the old 
man managed to poll 110,000 votes, in view ot 
the tremendous odds or respect ability, money aud 
Boclal us well us political Influence against lilm, 
he certainly made a stout light; but both an ac- 
count of his record, character, platform and 
methods. It Is to theltonorof tho old Bay State 
that she did not allow him to triumph. Talbot, 
the republican candidate, won by the union of 
the respectable class of democrats with the same 
class of republicans: Abbott, the demoor&tlc nom¬ 
inee secured only about 10.000 votes, the remain¬ 
der of that party having split In lavor of either 
Butler or Talbot, the former having secured the 
most of them. 
The democrats will have a good working ma¬ 
jority In both branches of the next Congress. On 
the fourth of next March the terms of 25 U. S. 
Senators expire; or these 17 are republicans and 
8 democrats. As the legislatures which elect tbe 
successors of these, are already chosen, tt, is possi¬ 
ble to state with almost entire certainty the 
political complexion ot the new senators. Tho 
following states will send republicans : Colorado, 
Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, New Hamp¬ 
shire, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Ver¬ 
mont and Wisconsin. Democrats will be sent by 
the following: Alabama, Arkansas. California, 
Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, 
Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Ore¬ 
gon and South Carolina. Or these California, 
Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon and Vermont 
have already made choice of senators. 
It may possibly happen that the next election for 
President may be made by the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives, as it has already been twice In the his¬ 
tory of theUnlon,and as nearly occurred at the last 
election, tor a third time. This lias hitherto oc¬ 
curred when there have been more than two can¬ 
didates In the Held, and none of them haH secured 
a majority of all the votes cast, though one or 
other of them tnaj have gained a pluralttj,or 
more than either of ids competitors. In such a 
case, tue President is elected from tho candidates 
by the vote of the members of the House, acting, 
not In their individual capuelly but as represen¬ 
tatives of tho States that, elected them; In other 
words, each State has one vote in making tho 
election, and a majority of the Representatives 
from the state previously decide la whoso favor 
that vote shall bo cast. Thus, in such a case, Ne¬ 
vada, which has only otto Representative, would 
have precisely the same influence In deciding the 
Issue as New York with her 33 Representatives 
end a population proportionally greater. At 
present the democrats hold congressional major¬ 
ities In nineteen States, or In Just half t he whole 
number, namely, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, 
Florida, Georgia. Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, 
Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Ore¬ 
gon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia 
and West Virginia. The republicans control the 
delegations from 18 of the States, leaving Cali¬ 
fornia still In doubt. If the republicans should 
carry that State next year, dividing thodelega^ 
tlons evenly between the two parties, some novel 
and perhaps dangerous results would arise In the 
event of the Electoral college falling to elect a 
President lu 1830. 
An Impartial view of the elections shows that 
the greenback party wilt hardly ever amount to 
much In American politics; that though the peo¬ 
ple are not content wir.u me republican party, 
yet they are scarcely wlUIug to throw It over yet 
a while tor Its rival; that a Bolld South has a 
strong tendency to bring about onoo more a solid 
North; that the hard-moncy doctrine galn3 ad¬ 
herents as it Is more freely explained to the mul¬ 
titude ; and that tho A merican People are suffi¬ 
ciently Intelligent and honest to act on the whole 
for their own best Interests. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
It’s fortunate for Miscellaneous and Foreign 
news that, like Christmas, a general election 
comes only rarely, for it forem other news out. 
Indeed there Is buL little of geuvral Interest to 
tell In either, this week. Abroad news with re¬ 
gard to the Eastern difficulties Is still very con¬ 
tradictory. With regard to Turkish affairs, Rus¬ 
sia speaks fairly of her intention to comply with 
the terms of the treaty or Berlin, having some 
four months yet to do so; but all the time sho Is 
said to be massing troops towards the south, to 
be ready for any contingency. In India, Great 
Britain Is still waiting for au answer to an ulti¬ 
matum she has sent to Shere All, forbidding his 
allance with Russia and demanding an apology. 
At home the great news of the week, hereabouts 
at, any rate, la the theft, of the body of the late 
millionaire A. T. Stewart. The tomb in this city, 
In which the body was temporarily deposited un¬ 
til the completion of the grand cathedral being 
erected fur Its reception at Garden City, L. I., 
was broken open on Wednesday night, and the 
corpse removed. A reward of $23,000 for its re¬ 
covery was stimulated all the detectives and 
thief-catchers, but, as yet no clue la known to 
have oeen found to the outrage. 
The Cheyenne Indiana, lately reported on their 
way to Join Sitting Bull, have been captured In a 
halt-starved condition. When surrounded and 
required to surrender, they positively refused to 
do so, If they were to be sent back to t he reserva¬ 
tion from which they had escaped to avoid starva¬ 
tion. They will be handed over for trial to the 
authorities ot the States and Territories In which 
their late depredations were committed, Just ns 
Santa Anna and Big Tree were some y ears ago. 
Gen. Sheridan, lu a report on the Indian ques¬ 
tion, dwells strongly on the hard and thankless 
task which a small, Insufficient body of troops 
has on hand In keeping the rcd-sklns lu order 
over an enormous extent of territory, lie lays 
the blame of most iudlau troubles on gross mis¬ 
management, In the Indian Department or rather 
among Us subordinates; says that the appropria¬ 
tions made by Congress, If properly spent, are 
ample to supply Ihe aborigines, whereas these 
are now In a miserable, half-starved condition. 
Ho is strongly of opinion that kind treatment 
administered with tact, steadluess and Justice, 
would remove from our western frontier all the 
appalling horrors arising from Indian outrages. 
Owing to the heavy expense It entails on the na¬ 
tion, the suffering and loss tt la constantly caus¬ 
ing our frontier settlors, and the horrors that 
periodically arise trom It, this Indian ques 
tlon urgently demands some permanent settle 
ment. 
Herman. 
