A Great Sight.

The Chicago Daily Tribune of the 3d inst., says: "A friend of ours states that one day last week he went up to the top of a hill called Mt. Zion, six miles from Janesville, Rock Co., Wis., and counted on the surrounding plain, 164 horse power reaping machines, busily cutting down wheat. There were 1.000 men, women and boys following after, binding and shocking up the golden sheaves. It was a sight worth seeing, to behold the grain falling and being gathered up at the rate of 200 acres per hour!"

THE DOLLAR MARK [$].-Writers are not agreed as to the derivation of the sign to represent dollars. Some say that it comes from the letters U. S., after the adoption of the Federal currency, and which afterwards, in the hurry of writing, were run into one another, the U being made first and the S over it. Others say that it is derived from the contraction of the Spanish word pesos, "dollars;" others, from the Spanish fuetes, "hard," to distinguish silver from paper money. The more probable explanation is, that it is a modification of the figure 8, and denotes a piece of eight reals, or, as the dollar was formerly called, a piece of eight. It was then designated by the figures 8-8.-Dictionary of Americanism.

THE USE OF LANGUAGE.-A certain Tipperary gentleman, whose name is too familiar for me to print, once called upon a country- STREET EDUCATION.-A city Missionary visman at Paris, and after ringing stoutly at the ited an unhappy young man in our jail, waitbell the door was opened by a very smartly ing his trial for a State prison crime. "Sir," dressed "maid" whose grisette cap and apron said the prisoner, tears running down his immediate seemed to pronounce her to be cheeks, "I had a good home education; it French. was my street education that ruined me. I used "Est Captain-est Monsieur O'Shea ici?" to slip out of the house and go off with the asked he in considerable hesitation. boys in the street. In the street I learned to "Ah! sir! you're English," exclaimed the lounge; in the street I learned to swear; in maid, in a very London accent. the street I learned to smoke; in the street I

Yes, my little darlin'! I was asking for learned to gamble; in the street I learned to Captain O'Shea?" pilfer. Oh, sir, it is in the street the devil "Ah! sir! you're Irish," said she, with a lurks to work the ruin of the young!" very significant fall of voice.

"So," as he afterwards said, "my French proved that I was English, and my English

that I was Irish."-Macauleh.

Be Truthful with CHILDREN.-Some people tell lies to children with a view of enjoying a laugh at their credulity. This is to make a mock at sin, and they are fools who

A CURIOUS document has just been discovered in the Library of Weimar, namely, a diploma of citizenship conferred by the French republic on the poet Schiller. The decree is dated in the year 1, (10th October, 1792), and is signed by Roland and Danton.

MACAULAY, it is said, has given up the idea do it. The tendency in a child to believe of continuing his "History of England down whatever it is told, is of God for good. It is to a period within the memory of living men," lovely. It seems a shadow of primeval in-as at first announced. nocence glancing by. We should reverence a child's simplicity. Touch it only with truth. Be not the first to quench that lovely truthfulness by falsehoods.

ECONOMY, joined to industry and sobriety, is a better outfit for business than a dowry.

EXTENSIVE and valuable discoveries of coal

and iron have recently been made in Louisiana, and near Vicksburg, in Mississippi.

ONE million barrels of palm oil are exported annually from Liberia.-Scientific American.

From "Life of John Fitch."
The Invention of the Steamboat.

vantage on the water. From that time I have
pursued the idea to this day, with unremitted
assiduity, yet do frankly confess that it has
been the most imprudent scheme that ever I
engaged in. The mechanism has been the
grandest, altho executed upon a small scale,
that was ever executed by mortal man, altho
it does not make the grand appearance that it
would in a first-rate man-of-war. The diffi-
culties have been infinitely greater, as in a
are confined to room and
small boat we
weight, therefore the works are much more
noble than if we had carried one thousand
tons one hundred miles in a day. And to re-
flect on the disproportion of a man of my abili-
ties to such a task, I am apt to charge myself
with being deranged at the time of my enga-
ging in it, and had I not the most convincing
proofs to the contrary, that I have now by me,
I most certainly should suppose myself to be
non compos mentus at that time.

In the month of April, 1785, upon a Sunday, John Fitch was walking in the street road," near Neshamony, in Bucks County, in company with James Ogilbee. They had been at a religious meeting, at which the Rev. Mr. Irwin preached, and they were now returning home slowly. A rheumatism, contracted no doubt during his recent surveying tours in the Ohio country, had stiffened the limbs of Fitch, and his progress was somewhat difficult. Whilst he was limping along, a gentleman, Mr. Sinton, and his wife, who were seated in a "chair," drawn by a noble horse, passed them at a rapid pace. The circumstance was not uncommon, but just at that moment the progress of those travellers was so much more rapid than the pace of the pedestrians, that the circumstance set one of the latter to thinking. Mr. Fitch thought that it would be a great thing to have a means of conveyance without keeping a horse. He considered within himself, whether it might not be possi-chanism, that gave me their opinions that the ble to find some force which would accomplish this important end. The expansive qualities of steam seem to have been observed by him before that time, and the idea of a steam engine presented itself to his fancy as an efficient method of propelling carriages upon land. At this time, he avers, he was altogether ignorant that a steam engine had ever been invented. Full of enthusiasm with the

idea, when he reached home he proceeded to make drafts of a steam land carriage. He worked diligently at this thought for about a week, but doubtless soon became disheartened when he reflected upon the roughness of the common roads in America—the plan of a railway not having presented itself to his imagi

nation.

His own quaint account of the consequences of that discovery is curious. He says: “I was so unfortunate in the month of April, 1785, as to have an idea that a carriage might be carried by the force of steam along the roads. I pursued that idea about one week, and gave it over as impracticable, or, in other words, turned my thoughts to vessels, which appeared to me that it might be applied to ad

27

But on examining over my papers, I find that there was 46 capital, and many of them principal characters, for philosophy and me

scheme was rational. I may add to them the Committee of the Assembly of Virginia of 7 members, of Maryland 5, of Pennsylvania 3, and to that number 27 that have engaged and advanced money on it, which are generally

men of the first character-in all 90-that has

testified either by Certificate or otherwise, that I absolutely was in my senses at the time.

What I

Yet notwithstanding all this, I should have doubted both them and myself, had not the God of Nature testified the same. call Lunecy, is a train of deranged, unconnected ideas. It is well known that a steam

engine is a complicated machine, and to make that and connect it with the works, for propelling a boat, must take a long train of Ideas, and them all connected, and no part of them disjointed; for the Laws of God are so positive that the greatest favorite of Heaven would not succeed contrary to the fixed laws of Nature, no sooner than the most profain sinner.

I have now made use of a long train of reasoning to prove that I was not a Lunitic, and doubt not but that my reasons will convince the world in general that I was not. Yet, notwithstanding the infaliable evidences which I have produced, it does not bring full con

viction with me; for had I the abilities of Cissaroe, it ought to be esteemed madness in me to have undertaken it in my state of penury. Had I been a nobleman of £3000 per year, it would bearly justify my conduct. I, on the other hand, have a right to declare myself a Madman, and I think I can prove this on the following principles:

As I know of nothing so perplexing and vexatious to a man of feelings as a turbulent Wife and Steamboat building. I experienced the former, and quit in season, and had I been in my right senses, I should undoubtedly treated the latter in the same manner; but for one man to be teised with Both, he must be looked on as the most unfortunate man of the world. Therefore I find I must leave the World and myself as much in the dark as ever about my interlects, and inform them how I proceded."

6

mile from Davisville, in Southampton township, and it realized every expectation. The machinery was made of brass, with the exception of the paddle-wheels, which were made of wood, by Nathaniel B. Boileau, whilst on a visit during vacation from Princeton College."

Beautiful Extract.

THE glory of the summer has gone by-thə beautiful greenness has become withered and dead. Were this all-were there no associations of moral desolation-of faded hopes-of hearts withering in the bosoms of the living, connected with the decaying scenery around us, we could not indulge a moment's melancholy. The season of flowers will come again, the streams will flow gracefully and lightly as before, the trees will again toss their cumbrous load of greenness to the sunlight, and by mossy stone and winding rivulet, the young blossoms will start up at the bidding of their fairy guardians. But the human heart has no change like nature. It has no second springtime. Once blighted in its hour of freshness, it forever bears the mark of the spoiler. The dews of affection may fall, the gentle rain of sympathy be lavished upon it, the sere root of blighted feelings will never again waken into life, nor the crushed flowers of hope blossom with their wonted beauty.

Discouraged by the difficulty of completing land carriages, Fitch turned his attention to the perfecting of some method of propelling vessels upon the water. He immediately set to work with ardor to perfect the draft of a boat to be moved by steam, and after two or three weeks he took his drawings to his friend, the Rev. Mr. Irwin, of Neshamony. The latter had in his library Martin's Philosophy,' in which was a description of a steam engine. "Although it was not to my credit," confesses Fitch, frankly, "I did not know that there was a steam engine on earth, when I proposed to gain a force by steam;" and he adds, that upon being shown the drawing at Mr. Irwin's, he was "very much chagrined." But upon reflection this knowledge strengthened his resolution, now being assured that the ma-daily stealing over you. chinery would not fail of propulsion, if he could gain the force.

The first and most obvious course was to try by experiment to obtain a proper method of propulsion, by which the vessel could be moved by the active power. In casting about for the best means, paddle-wheels, similar to those afterwards used by Fulton, seem to have suggested themselves. Mr. Longstreth says: "It was in this log-shop (Cobe Scout's) that Fitch made his model steamboat, with paddle-wheels as they are now used.

The model was tried on a small stream on Joseph Longstreth's meadow, about half a

THE HEART GOES TO SCHOOL.-Think not that

your work is done and your contract fulfilled when you have made your pupils expert arithmeticians and skillful grammarians; the heart has come to school to you as well as the head, and takes lessons as regular, and often far more imposing and abiding than those you assign to the intellect. You yourself feel the conviction

Why is it that you almost involuntarily suppress the careless jest, the look of levity, or the and put on the air, at least, of candor and virtue scurrility, you, alas, may elsewhere indulge in, in the presence of those little children? Is it not that you feel that eyes bright with faith and affection are scanning every moment your actions, and imitative, impressible hearts, are continually drinking in the manifestations of your mind and spirit; that your breath, if laden with profanity, would stain their souls with quick and indelible pollution.

The best mode of revenge, is not to imitate the injury.

Moral Deterioration to be Checked by Re. ligious Education.

No nation has ever yet long survived the moral element of greatness, however vast its wealth, or extensive its dominions. In the Eastern and the Western World lie the ruined remnants of nations of mightier prowess and more advanced civilization than ours.

And bright the dreams it now brings nigh, The plains of Nineveh and the tangled forests This little worn out shoe.

their idea of an heroic nature. Long after his lessons are forgotten he remains in their memory a teaching power. It is his own forfeit, if by a sluggish spirit, a callous heart, a brainless mind, or a coarse manner, he alienates that confidence and disappoints that generous hope. But the good trainer must also be what he would have his pupils become. Candor, generosity, diligence, charity, truth, kindness, are virtues which no teacher can impart in whose own life their glory never gleams. The graces he would instil, and the power he would exert, must spring from that religious reality and fervor which can affix the seal to his high vocation, authenticate his mission, and make him the minister of that Lord of Lords and King of Kings, whose unerring laws can alone insure the welfare of peoples and the permanence of empires.

Ancient Money.

of years, Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, who reigned 672 years before the Christian era, made money out of wood as well as leather; a ki.owledge of which might have influenced King John in the bold project of substituting the tanned hide of an animal for gold and silver, well known by his subjects to be exceedingly precious. Both gold and silver appear to have been in extensive circulation in Egypt, soon after their potency was understood in Asia. From thence they were introduced into Carthage and Greece; and finally, travelling further and further in a westerly direction, the city of Rome discovered the importance of legalizing their circulation.

Weight having always been of the first importance in early times, the shape of money appears to have been regarded with perfect indifference for a series of ages.

When the bits and portions of metal received as precious, were extensively circulated, it is quite probable that each possessor shaped them to suit his own conception, as practiced to some extent at this time in remote places in the East Indies. The payer away cuts off parts with shears, till he obtains, by exact weight, the stipulated amount. It was thus that men traveled with the evidence of their possessions in a sack.

But great inconvenience must have resulted from this often tedious process; and as nations advanced in civilization and the economic arts, a certain mark or impression on certain sized pieces were acknowledged to be the sign of a certain weight. This facilitated negotiations, and afterwards led to further improvements, both in the shape, weight and beauty of the external devices. By and by, the profile of the king, the date of the coinage, and the record of important events, gave still more completeness and character to the circulating article of exchange.

BEFORE the invasion of Julius Caesar, the natives of England had tin plates, iron plates, and rings, which were money, and their only money. On the authority of Senaca, a curious account is given of a period when leather, appropriately stamped to give it a certain legal character, was the only current money. At a comparatively recent date in the annals of Europe, Frekich the Second, who died in 1250 at the siege of Milan, actually paid his troops with leather money. Nearly the same circumstances occurred in England during the great wars of the barons. In the course of 1350 King John, for the ransom of his royal person, promised to pay Edward the Third of England 3,000,000 of gold crowns. In order to fulfil the obligation, he was reduced to the mortifying necessity of paying the expense of the palace in leather money, in the centre of each piece there being a little bright point of silver. In that reign is found the origin of the travestied honor of boyhood, calledconferring a leather medal. The imposing ceremonies accompanying a presentation, gave A WORD TO Bors.-Begin early in life to colfull force, dignity, and value to a leather lect libraries of your own. Begin with a single book; and when you find or hear of any first-rate jewel, which noblemen were probably proud book, obtain it if you can. After awhile another, and gratified to receive at the hand of majesty. as you are able, and be sure to read it. Take the So late as 1574, there was an immense issue best care of your books, and in this way, when of money in Holland stamped on small sheets you are men, you will have good libraries in your of paste-board. But further back in the vista | head, as well as on your shelves.