Somebody lays down the following rules to young men in business. They will apply equally well to young and old. 'Let the business of every one alone, and attend to your own.—Don't buy what you don't want. Use every hour to advantage, and study even to make leisure hours useful. Think twice before you spend a shilling; remember you have another to make for it. Find recreation in looking after your business, and so your business will not be neglected in looking after recreation.—Buy fair, sell fair, take care of the profits; look over the books regularly, and if you find an error, trace it out. Should a stroke of misfortune come upon you in trade, retrench—work harder, but never fly the track; confront difficulties with unflinching perseverance, and they will disappear at last, and you will be honored; but shrink from the task, and you will be despised.'
In Russia, coffins are generally brown, but children have pink, grown up unmarried girls sky blue, while other females are indulged with a violet color.
Barnums Safety Apparatus.
Introduction.—Much has been said of late in and about New York on the subject of the adoption by steamboat proprietors of some apparatus that will in some measure secure the passengers against such casualties as have occurred on board the Excelsior and several other boats. There have been a great variety of inventions introduced for the purpose of preventing explosions; but from the best information we can obtain on the subject, we are of the opinion that Mr. Barnum's apparatus takes a general preference over all others. It consists of an arrangement of machinery, partly within the boiler, and which is constructed on such a self-regulating principle as to keep up a supply of water within the boiler, without any attention from the engineer; and in case that the apparatus itself should become impaired or cease to operate regular, the engineer becomes instantly notified thereof.
Explanation.—It is inexpedient for us to give a full and minute description of the several points and peculiarities of the mechanism of this apparatus; but we may so far explain as to say that a horizontal lever inside of the boiler, being mounted on a pivot near its centre, and connected to a buoy or float at one end, as represented in the engraving, (a part of the surface of the boiler being omitted for that purpose, and not, as some might infer, to represent the apparatus attached to a boiler already burst by an explosion.) One of these floats is placed within a small enclosed box within the boiler, that it may be secure from the effect of foam which sometimes pervades the surface of the water in a steam boiler.—This lever, near its bearing, is connected to a short valve-rod, which governs the valves in a small valve-chamber, whereby the steam is occasionally admitted to operate a small steam engine, placed directly over the boiler; and this engine puts in motion a pump, by which the water in the boiler is replenished. This engine, it will be understood, is never put in operation except when the water in the boiler becomes too low: and when the water rises, the elevation of the encased float closes the valve and stops the engine. The ball on the end of the lever acts as a counterpoise to the float, (which is of stone) that it may be freely influenced by the rising or falling of the surface of the water.
The small engine constructed by Mr. Barnum for this purpose, is well adapted to its place, and has several peculiarities whereby the valves, and consequent reciprocal motion of the engine are regulated without the use of a crank or fly-wheel: but of these we cannot at present give a minute description. The whole of this apparatus evinces much scientific ability of the inventor, Daniel Barnum, Esq., resident at present in this city, and who has received many certificates from the first scientific men in the Union, in commendation of his invention.
A Piggish Parvenue.
A proud porker, fancying that it was degrading to his dignity to root in the gutter, came upon the sidewalk, and full of his consequence, promenaded from morning till night, leaving his humbler companions to munch corn, husks and potatoe parings. He fared as people usually do, who from vanity assume a station they are not qualified to fill. In the gutter he would have lived in unnoticed enjoyment. On the walk he got kicked by every passenger and bitten by every cur, till hungry and bruised he was glad to return to his proper station.—[Ex, paper.