FEB. 28 
443 
stocks. On the 19th Smalley & Gale, No. 23 Broad¬ 
way, N. Y,, were added t a the above crowd of 
trtcksteis on the ground that they are engaged in 
fraudulent operations. It lias been ordered that all 
persons receiving mall matter under fictitious 
names shall be Identified at the P. O. before the 
mail is delivered. . . Three or four weeks ago 
the Robbln’s Washer sold by the Kissel Co. was 
described as a humbug in a prominent Western 
paper, and the fact was stated here In our Issue 
of Jan. 31. The Blssel Co. protested against the 
correctness of the description, and Invited us to 
examine the washer. We’ve done so, and find the 
charge not proved. . . The " North American 
Lightning Rod Company " seems to deserve an ad¬ 
vertisement here. Its modus operandl Is stated 
by a contributor to a Cincinnati paper to bo a3 
followsAs strangers they profess to wish to do 
a model job for a mere trifie, say, $3 to $6. For 
example, a house 24 feet high would require two 
rods, making 4$ feet with three points. The usual 
price of the rod is or 1-2 cents per foot, which 
would make a total of $32.40 for the job. It is to 
be completed however, for £3. The agent pro¬ 
duces a printed contract (that few men other than 
lawyers would understand) and writes on the 
margin a credit of $29.40, and the paper Is tben 
signed by the farmer. When the house is rodded 
it contains 125 feet instead of 4S feet as contracted 
lor, and as the farmer understood It. The cost 
then isthree points, $10.5U; one ball, |2.50; 125 
leet of rods, $S4.D7 1-2. Total, $97.37 L 2 , minus $29. 
40 . Balance, $67.97 1-2, which the farmer has to 
pay. One of the writer’s neighbors had to pay 
$12S for what he contracted to pay, as he un¬ 
derstood it, $0. 
RECENT LITERATURE. 
The Workshop Companion: A Collection of use* 
lul and Kell able Uecipes, Rules, Processes, Methods, 
Wrinkles and Practical Hints for the Household ana 
Shop. Price,So cents. New York: Tho Industrial 
Publication Company. 
There is probably not a slugle reader of this 
notice that has not at. some time or other felt the 
want of some Item of lntormallou contained In this 
book, and would gladly have given the price of the 
volume for oae of the recipes. The book covers a 
very wide range of subjects, there being no less 
than 90 main articles, some of which contain 
as many as 69 sub-headings. The pages are of 
good size and closely printed in very clear type, so 
that 194 of them contain an unusual amount of 
mat ter. The subjects are arranged alphabetically 
the work thus forming an almost complete ency¬ 
clopedia of practical, everyday information. 
-» * +- 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Vagabonds, By J. T. Trowbridge with illus¬ 
trations by K O. C. Harley, Boston; Lee and Shep¬ 
ard, New York. C. T. Dillingham. Price $1.50. 
The Breaking Waves Dashed High, By Felicia 
Hemans. illustrated by Ml. 5 L. B. Humphrey, 
Boston. Lee and Shepard. Price $r.60. 
- 
MAGAZINES FOR FEBRUARY. 
With the January number, The National (Quar¬ 
terly Review enters upon a new career of pros¬ 
perity and vigor. It Is permanently enlarged by 
thirty-two pages and hereafter the names of the 
contributors will be given In each number. The 
engagements of the Review for the present year 
include contributors from many of the most emi¬ 
nent leaders In thought and politics, both of this 
country and Europe. 
'The National Quarterly Review for January, 
presents the following list of essays and authors r 
Rise and Fall of the Bonapartes, by William Dowe; 
The Management of the Indians, by Rev, W. E. 
Copeland; Euglish Classics, by May F. Miller; 
The Hygiene of Water, by David A. u orton, M. D., 
the editor; The Workiug-CIasses of Europe, by 
David Her; The Nebular Hypothesis, by David 
Trowbridge, A. M.; Interstate Extradition, by J. 
Manford Kerr; The New Eastern Question, by 
David Ker; A Southerner’s Estimate of the Life 
and character of Stephen A. Douglas, by lion. 
James D. Waddell; and a very lull department of 
Reviews and criticisms. 
Phrenological Journal.—Contents.— Rev. Eli¬ 
jah D. Murphy, Pastor of the New York Port 
Society, with portrait; Entheasm; Studies in 
Comparative Phrenology, continued; Sayings, and 
who Eli St Said Them; William M. Lowe, Senator 
from Alabama. Pjrtralt; Agreeableness; Ancient 
Populations of North America; An Old Custom 
which ought to be Uevlved; The Young Folks of 
Cherry Avenue; Remarks on House Drains, and a 
Plan tor Ventilating Them; Chlll-and- Fever South, 
with Criticism; clean Beds; Noteslu Science and 
Agriculture; Answers to Correspondents. 
ANCIENT POl'l’LATIONS OF NOTH AMKU1CA.—Fl’Om 
an essay read before the suite Archaeological As¬ 
sociation or Ohio, by Rev. Stephen D. Peet. we 
make the roilowiog eloquent and instructive ex¬ 
tract: 
“ It 13 proper to observe that there are traces of 
a numerous prelfistorie populatlou scattered over 
nearly every part of the broad continent. No one 
who has not made a point of observing, would un¬ 
derstand bow numerous these vestiges are, or 
understand their design or purpose; yet they are 
here to present their evidence, to Invite our study 
and we ourselves are at fault If by comparing 
and analyzing and attending to their testimony 
we do not understand the tale. 
••Let any one go forth Into the fields and the 
meadows, Into the hilts and valleys, and search 
ror these records of tbe past, and he can not fall to 
trace out an alphabet, more striking than the 
hieroglyphics of Egypt, or tho Inscription upon 
the burled palaces of me East. These works are 
replete with a varied story; everywhere the decay¬ 
ing skeletons and the silent skull remind us 
mournfully of the death that has swept over the 
land; but the remains of fires, the debris of camps, 
as well as uho running stream and sparkling 
spring from which they drank, all remind us how 
recently the living have passed away. 
4 As we go threw gh the silent earthworks, and 
see all the prepar uiloris they made, the walls and 
ditches for defense, the lnclosures they erected lor 
worship, and tho monunkmts or mounds they 
erected for tombs, we are astonished at the great 
variety and the wonderful significance. 
“ If there are mo res of life which we do not un¬ 
derstand, and structures which aremtfil mysterious 
In their design, yet they are very expressive of 
the strange, unknown life of the mysterious re¬ 
ligion, the wild aboriginal state. It may not com¬ 
pute with out’ later civilized condition and modern 
ideas, for they are ODly expressive ot another 
condition than that to which we are accustomed. 
11 But the picture of the prehistoric condition can 
not be excelled. 
*• Letauy one visit one of the renowned defenses 
situated so beauilxully on the lofty lull-top, and 
commanding tho distant view of stream and val¬ 
ley, of hill and forest, and then look about him 
and behold the wonderful adaptation for defense 
and protection, and he wlH appreciate what were 
the dangers from the secretfoe, and how the war- 
whoop must have startled the peaceful Inmates. 
44 Let him visit again the quiet vlUage lnclosure, 
and see the surrounding wall, and trace the pali¬ 
sades, or tread the path to the unfailing stream, 
aud walk over the happy hunting-ground and the 
dellghtrul valleys, aud he has a picture of peace 
which nothing else can give. 
44 Let him then enter tne corn-fields or the gar¬ 
den-beds, or surmount the elevated platform, or 
enter the ancient courts anil court-yards of tlie 
agricultural people, and he again has a view of 
another state ot life which he did not know. 
Again, let him enter one of tne sacred lnclosures 
and look about him and see the altars and the 
temple platforms, and ail tne complicated struct¬ 
ures, wherever the social fires were lit and the 
victims of a sacrifice were offered, and even if he 
knows not tho worship that then prevailed, it is 
not dfilcult to imagine something of the religious 
customs of the people. 
“The grand pageant of the assembled multi¬ 
tudes passes before him as they gatner at theLr 
religious ceremonies, or their great burials, or fur 
their war expeditions. In Imagination he sees in 
one place the merry-making and the dance, he 
hears the music and tho laughter; but at, uuother 
he looks upon the smoke and the slaughter aud 
the many mysterious rites. Here he beholds the 
-very great onming,’ the solemn mourning, the 
sacred burial; there he sees the plumed warriors, 
armed with their stone axes aud hint spears aud 
maoes, either lu fiects of canoes, navigating the 
waters, or in long hues traversing tne forests. 
Everywhere the scene la suggestive of a life that 
has passod away. Whether one stands on the 
lofty pyramids ot Mexico, which once recked with 
toe gore of human victims taken in battle aud 
slaughtered as sacrifice, or among the extensive 
dwellings of the Pueblos’ where such multitudes 
gathered for ileienso or lor reeulencH,or among tne 
sacred lnclosures of the Mound Builders, where 
a still scrauger people once lived and tolled and 
worshipped—yet each structure Is suggestive of a 
life which ouce prevaded, but which has passed 
away, and of the prehistoric condition of this 
continent .—Phrenological Journal for Pel), 
Tue Amebic an Aj.manac and Treasury ot Facts, 
isso. statistical, Financial, and Political; Edited 
by A. K. SpuHord, Librarian of Congress; Pub. 
fished oy American News Company, mice, 25c. 
The title aptly indicates its contents, being a 
‘•treasury of facts,” and Its autnor should be the 
necessary criterion of reliability. Twenty-five 
cants would be profitably spent in Its purchase. 
Sokibnbk’s Monthly ; St. Nicholas; Demarest’s 
Monthly; Domestic Monthly; Delineator, E. 
Butterick and Co. The above have been received, 
but further notice la unavoidably crowded out. 
Tue American Antiquarian also received. 
' giflmesiir (Srmtorajr. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
PEN-THOUGHTS FROM EVERY-DAY 
HOUSE. 
MUS. ANNIE L. JACK. 
44 There now!” 1 said. 44 Why not practice 
w hat we preach ?” The family gave a question¬ 
ing look ail round, it was ouly papa's boots 
that had been wclthrough by accident, aud now 
when dry, were found loo tight lor his feet. 
’' I lenmo better,” said I. 4 4 They qnght to have 
been filled with dry oats, which gram is fond 
of dampness aud would have absorbed it, aud 
formed a sort of 44 last,” keeping the boots iu 
good shape, aud drying without hardening. 
But, then, one cannot think of everything.” 
I have louud a very good way to take out 
indelible mk, which is to cover the spots with 
strong sall-und-water. After soaking a tew 
hours wring out, lay oua shallow plate aud 
cover with ammonia. In this way I oblit¬ 
erated some uumes from table linen, when the 
markings of a tamily name needed the change. 
I do not say it will apply to all kinds of mark¬ 
ing ink, but in my case it proved successful. 
We were making cuke the uifier day u lu our 
pouud weight was missing so 1 hunted out au 
old book iu which iu the early years of my house¬ 
keeping, I had joLied down useful notes, and 
fount! this libt, that nmy bo of Value to some 
Who have uo scales aud cuuuot always guess : 
10 eggs weigh a pouud ; a quart of powdered 
6 ugar is equal to a pouud aud scvju ounces ; a 
quart of grauulated sugar is equal to a pouud 
aud nine ounces; a pint of closely packed but¬ 
ter equals a pound; as does a quart of sifted 
flour. Butter the size of an ordinary hen’s 
egg, is about two ounces. These seem 44 trifles 
light as air” but they help to make up items of 
domestic economy. 
-*~*-o- 
AT THE DOOR. 
M. G. RAND. 
Some visitors, when about to leave a house, 
are so thoughtless as to stop to talk, unneces¬ 
sarily, with the hostess at the outside door. 
Hall’s Journal of Health calls such a habit 
“hanging to the door-handle,” which is cer¬ 
tainly a very comprehensive way of express¬ 
ing it. 
When a lady is so polite as to accompany a 
friend to the hall-door, it is in bad taste for 
the visitor to linger, particularly iu winter. 
The lady of the house may have been sitting 
in a comfortably-heated room, or perhaps 
she is warm from working in the kitchen. 
Not expecting to be kept in the cold, she does 
not put on extra wraps when she goes out 
with her caller to the door. The latter. In her 
heavy cloak and furs, does not mind the cold— 
it is ratber agreeable to her than otherwise. 
The hostess is the one who suffers from the 
sudden change from a warm room to a cold 
atmosphere. The shock often leaves her with 
a cough, chills, or neuralgia. These evils are 
not imaginary, but hard facts, as many a vic¬ 
tim of door-handle- talk could testify. A lady 
who is liable to have calls from persons who 
are so forgetful of the comfort of others, 
would do well to remind her friends of the 
dauger of beiug kept shivering at the door. 
Surely uo oue would give offense for so rea¬ 
sonable a suggestion, unless it be the minister’s 
wife, who. for some unaccountable reason, is 
expected, as a rule, to endure all things. Per¬ 
haps the best way for her would be to keep a 
shawl near the door, and make use of it should 
she have oceasiou. 
There is another thing of common occur¬ 
rence that ought to he changed. It is the 
habit that some people have of asking to see a 
friend at the door, for " just a minute .” If the 
call should not extend beyond the specified 
time, it might be well enough, iu most in¬ 
stances. Generally, the call of a minute is 
lengthened to one of five, ten or twenty min¬ 
utes. When a lady receives suck aperemptory 
summons to the door, she answers it as quickly 
as possible, naturally thinking that her friend 
is “in a harry.” She fails to discover any 
rfgr >ri for nndue haste, and secretly wishes 
one had waited to finish her half-made [cake, 
or the garment that lacked but live stitches of 
being done. It may be that she is tired, aud 
would like to rest in an easy chair while talk¬ 
ing, as she could, if the caller would only come 
into the house. “She don’t want to go, and 
she don’t want to stay," as Jostah Alien’s wife 
said of the 44 Widow Doodle,” so what can the 
hostess do ? 
These things happen every day, and will 
continue to, until ladies reflect a little upon 
the evil of what at first seems of little conse¬ 
quence. Visitors should finish talking while 
indoors, aud when they make a move to leave, 
they should go without delay. 
Clinton Co., Iowa. 
WASHING BLACK CALICO, GINGER CAKE. 
DOUGHNUT POTATOES. 
If H. M. S. will starch her mourning or any 
dark calico in skimmed milk and iron on the 
wrong side, she will find it almost equal to new. 
Should there be on aroma of scorched milk about 
it when iroued, thorough airing will entirely 
dispel it. Calicos soaked for half an hour in 
cold salt water before washing, are less liable 
to fade. I called on a neighbor last week, who 
is a practical housekeeper. While there she 
treated me to a generous piece of hot ginger 
cake, which was so nice that I asked for the 
recipe, which she gave me. It is as follows: 
One and one-half cup sorghum molasses; 
one cup sour milk, one-half cap lard, or fry- 
ings; one egg ; two tcaspoonsful ginger; two 
even teaspoousful soda; a little salt and flour 
to make a batter not too stiff, 
For a change we have, occasionally,what we 
call 44 Doughnut Potatoes.” Peel them, leaving 
the small ones whole and cutting the larger 
ones lenghthwise so that they will be all about 
the same thickness. Wash sufficiently, wipe 
dry and fry in hot fat as you do doughnuts. 
I allow fiftcecn minutes for cooking. When 
done a nice brown lake out aud over each layer 
sprinkle a little salt. Serve hot. 
I heartily agree with the decision of the 
Kitchen Club in regard to dressiug girls. I 
have three to dress, aged 11, eight and six 
years, and I am particular that their lower 
limbs shall be protected from the cold. I wish 
to have them grow up strong and healthy and 
think this one of the first requiakcb. 
Mrs. E. R. F. 
-*--*-♦-- 
DOMESTIC RECIPES. 
Graham Gems. 
One pint of sour milk; one egg; one spoonful 
of sugar, and one spoonful of soda. Graham 
flour to make a stiff batter. To be baked in 
iron gem-pans with a quick, hot fire. 
Soft Molasses Cake. 
One cup of sugar; one cup of molasses; three 
cups of flour; one-half cup of butter; one-half 
cup of buttermilk; two eggs; one teaspoonful 
of soda; a pinch of 3alt; half a teaspoonful each 
of cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Bake very 
6 lowly. 
Baking Powder Cake. 
One enp of sugar; two eggs; one-third enp 
butter; one-half cup milk or water; one enp of 
flour; two aud a half teaspoonsful of baking 
powder. 
Hickory-.\ut Cake. 
Two cups sugar; three-fourths of a cup but¬ 
ter; whites of six eggs: three-fourths of a cup 
sweet milk; three teaspoousful of baking pow¬ 
der; one pint rolled hickory-nut meats. 
Jelly Cake. 
One cup sugar; two eggs; one-half cup of 
milk; four tablespoons butter; two teaspoons 
baking powder; one and a half cup flour. 
Hamlets. 
Two eggs; one and a half cup of sugar; one 
cup of raisins chopped fine, two-thirds of a 
cup of butter; one teaspoon each of cloves, 
cinnamon and nutmeg; one teaspoon soda dis¬ 
solved in two tablespoonsful of sour milk. 
Mix stiff and cut out like cookies. 
Tapioca Pudding. 
Four tablespoons of tapioca, soaked for 
several hours in a little water; one quart of 
milk; four eggs (leaving out the whites of two 
for frosting); three tablespoons of sugar. 
Boil the milk and turn over the tapioca; add 
when it is blood warm,the sugar and eggs well 
beaten; bake about an hour and after it has 
cooled a little add the whites of the eggs, well 
beaten with half a pound of sugar. 
Mrs. t. s. Aldrich. 
Railroad Cake. 
One teacup of sugar; three eggs; two table- 
spoousful of new milk; one teaeupful of flour; 
one teaspoonful of cream-of-tartar and one- 
half teaspoonful of soda. Bake 10 minutes. 
Soda Biscuit. 
One quart of flour; one teaspoonful of soda; 
two teaspoonsful cream-of-tartar; a little salt, 
and new milk enough to mix soft. Dissolve the 
soda in the milk and mix the cream-of-tartar 
in the flour. Clarissa K. 
Hard Soap. 
I would like to send a recipe for hard soap, 
which I found in your paper several years ago 
and have used it for three years. 
One pound of concentrated lye dissolved in 
two quarts of soft water; pour into a large 
pitcher to cool. Melt five pounds grease of 
any kind, have it milk-warm and pour in the 
lye slowly, stirring rapidly until it begins to 
thicken. Add one or one-halt ounce oil of sas¬ 
safras. Pour into a box one foot square and 
cover it, leaving it in a warm place for three 
or four days. Cut into squares and it is ready 
for use. Try it. Mbs. W. W. Hunt. 
Bread and Butter Custard Pudding. 
Three pints of rich milk; eight eggs; one good 
sized loaf of baker’s bread; one cup of sugar; 
one cup of molasses; one cup of stoned raisins; 
one teaspoonful of ground cloves; one tea¬ 
spoonful of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon¬ 
ful of salt. Cut the bread into rather thin 
slices and butter thickly. Butter a deep, 
earthen, pudding dish; put in a layer of bread, 
neatly fitting it to fill the bottom of the pan. 
Scatter a few raisins over, then put in alter¬ 
nate layers of broad aud raisins until all are 
in. Bring the milk to a boil; add the sugar, 
molasses aud salt; then turn gradually on to 
the beaten eggs aud spice. Pour the custard 
over the sliced bread until covered; let soak iu ; 
then add more—stirring the custard that the 
spices may not settle. Do this until all is in. 
Cover with a plate a little smaller than the 
dish, press down aud let stand au hour before 
putting iu the oven. Bake coveted, very 
slowly, one hour. Remove the cover at the last 
to let the top brown. Eat with a hard sauce. 
Mary B. 
QUESTIONS ANSWERED. 
Buffalo Robes and Furs Infested with Moths. 
Please inform me how to destroy moths in 
buffalo robes and in any kind of furs ? 
A Subscriber. 
Ans.— They may be subjected to a heat suffi¬ 
ciently strong to kill the larvae without mate¬ 
rially injuring the fur; or, sprinkle liberally 
with rectified spirits of benzine and roll np 
tightly tor a day or so. It may be that exposing 
them to the fumes of sulphur may hare the 
desired effect. We merely offer this sug¬ 
gestion. 
Furniture Polish—A Correction. 
Mrs. M. J. Galpin desires to change her 
recipe for polishing furniture as published in 
Rural of Feb. 7, as follows: The proportions 
are one ounce spirits of turpentine to two of 
raw linseed oil. 
