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The folks living in the back row of houses at the cage pit got a great fright recently. Not many yards from the house a noise, as of an explosion was heard. It was at once discovered that a heavy fall-m had taken place, and the earth had opened out like the jaws of some huge monster. Suddenly flames burst forth, shooting up in the air as high as forty feet, it is said, and passing close to and over Mr. Reid’s barn. The tenants in the row were greatly alarmed and at once commenced preparations for flight. Furniture of all kinds were unceremonious- ly bundled out of doors and conveyed to a row of houses luckily for them unoccupied (and unfinished)at the time. On VVednes- day the flames had subsided but not the fears of the people,and they did not return, and luckily for them they did not. On Fri- day night a large cave-in took place imme- diately under the houses rending them asunder. They are now a. lot'of ruins being contorted in all shapes. The kitchen at- tached to the house occupied by Mr. Hood, went bodily out of sight. Mr. Hood 103- ing a valuable cupboard and some ten bush- els of potatoes, and other articles. \Ve had a- peep into the house, but didn‘t presume to go much farther than the threshold, as the ground from the centre Lf the house to the side had been carried down. Before us wasayawning gulf: we peered into it but could not'seea vestigo of either the house, the cupboard, or the potatoes. They were lost in the capacious mmv. Looking across the hole one could see that the ground was undermined in some places where the surface was intact. A frozen crust about a foot thick stretched lrom one side to the other but which would likely have given way haul any one been rash enough to step upon it. Seven or eight heavy falls have occurred in all. Out of only two, however, did either much flame or black smoke issue. The fire was Well under on Friday, the operation of filling up the apertures, which gave it vent, having been prosecuted vigorously and suc- cessfull y. The railway for about a dis- tance of one hundred and fifty feet sunk from three to five feet, and double that dis- tance settled alittle. On Tuesday the rails were torn up and the work of raising the track was at once begun. The work was most energetically proceeded with, and the re-laying of rails commenced on Saturday. This was speedy work, considering the earth for filling up, being frozen, had to be blast- ed. The track has been raised higher than formerly, to make allowance in case it should settle a little more. On Sabbath the scene of the fire was visited by a large num- ber of people. Fresh smoke had begun to issue from a fall to the west of the one which had emitted the most flame. Evi~ dently the current of air had changed, the former outlet acting as an inlet and feeding the flames. Here any one with nerve enough had an opportunity of seeing how thefiro acted. While the ground had fall- en in on either side a pillar about seven or eight feet square remained. forming a bridge toss the chosm. By venturing on the fidge one could hear the flames below roar- ig, and looking down could see away be- low the immense furnace blazing and sparks ling. Large pieces of coal loosened by the heat were constantly dropping from the sides and roof and" feeding the flames. It is generally believed that the fire is confined to the working nearest the crop 'out or sur- faceâ€""Stewarton Trades' Journal. Startling Camus-1n at Albion Lines, Nova. Scotla. Bank burglars’ tools are generally of u very superior order, gathered with care and piecemeal until the kit is made up. A full kit of the best order is worth $2,000. This may all go in the event of a failure of a. job by disturbance, and generally does go when a successful piece of work is accomplished. as the booty is heavy enough to carry away in itself, so that tools are left behind. Me- chanics of a: superior class exist in larger cities who make 9. ' specialty of fashioning burglars’ tools. In the absence of such a. mechanic the tools are collected in parts, but as this is a risky way of o )tainiug them‘ it. is avoided_ if possible. Kits of tohymtan’s tools are kept on hand for hire, and a good collection can be ob- tained in the centres of business for from $100 to $200. These tool renters are gener- ally tool makers also, but often the fence has them on hand, and it is part of the busi- ness of the old cracksmen to keep them. Fifty per cent. of the noted burglars are practical smiths,and thoroughly understand the temper and capacity 0: their own tools. Sometimes a gang, each owning implements of various kinds, pool their possessions,and thus make a full“ kit.” The tool makers have their specialties. Some are famous for chisels, others for punches and jimmies. and one maker made a national reputation for a. sledge of lead and copper that entirely superseded that formerly used of steel, beâ€" cause of the dull, almost noiseless, blow it strikes. One street-sight that interests me Special- ly is the public letter-writer, who still plies his trade as in the old, old days of which I read so long ago. I had quite forgotten there were such peopnle,.but_ one morning, as We were tryiné to find a short cut to the Pantheon, we came suddenly into~a quiet little open square round which were estab- lished seven men, each with his table and writing materials, waiting for customers. Of course I insisted on waiting to see whe- ther people did really engage in this vica- rious style 01 correspondence, and I was quickly gratified by the arrival at one table of an aged woman, and at another of a. young girl who gave the scribe their senti- ments and their soldi, and sat watching his slow moving fingers with evident satis- faction. “ Is your father in ?" asked an Austin landlord in search of back rent. The little boy who was sitting on the steps devasting a. large slice of bread and butter, replied be- tween bites : “ No, he ain’t in town.” “Suppose you go in and :31; him if he ain’t in '3” “ Ho ain’t awake yet." The Price of a Burglar: Kit. A BURNING COAL MINE. Public Letter-writers. Not In. Twenty years ago a man moved away fsom Philadelphia, leaving $650 on deposit in a savings bank. Some time afterward his brother-iu-law swore that he was dead, procured letters of administration, and drew the money. Now the original de- positor turns up and wants to‘ close up the account for himself. According to areturn issued a few days ago, the value of the Irish harvest last year was nearly six million of peunds sterling less than that of the crops of 1881, four- fifths of the depreciation being caused by the failure in the potato crop. The harvest of 1882 was, however, nearly six millions more than that of 1879, which was the worst season since the famine year. The white cliffs on which Dover Castle stands are the last; objects which the travel- ler loses sight of on his way to Calais. and the first object which his eyes discover on his return journey homeward. The build- ings themselves are a. standing witness of every change in English history, from the occupation. by the Romans to the present reign, Both cliff and castle, it might have been confidently prophesied, would last as long as the English nation itself, but the cliffs are now being undermined by the ac- tion of the sea. The wave: have for many years been gradually washing away the coast line on botn sides of Shakespeare’s Clifi', and they now threaten to carry away the base of the Castle of Dover. A man inS . Louis became convinced that his soul’s salvation depended on ab- staining from food forty days, and he at once began the fast, but after five days of total abstinence from food and water the police carried him to a. hospital, where sus- tenance was forced upon him. He declares that the rpsponsibility is all transferred to his captors, who will be doomed to eternal torment in his stead. Mrs. Augustus Smith of St. Louis is one of the lightest of sleepers. She is awake twenty-two hours out of every day on the average, and when she does slumber it is scarcely more than a doze during which she is partially conscious of all that is going on around her. She is strong and healthy, with a good appttite, and not particularly nervous. The physicians are unable to bring on sleepiness except with drugs. A Maine men has perfected an invention for starting the kitchen fire in the morning without getting out of bed. Before retire- ing he empties a had of coal into the range, and then closes the dampers, so that there will be just draught enough to keep the fire from dying out. By an ingenious con- trivance a wire connects with the dampers and runs along the walls up through the floor to the sleeping room. When the man wakes he gives the wire a. jerk, the damp- ers fly open. and in half an hour a brisk coal fire is burning. Mr. Sherman and Mr”. szard own hand- some adjoining grounds at; Newport, and they quarrelled about a boundary fence. Mr. Hazard set to work to destroy it with a crowbar. Mr. Sherman hastily got out a hose, and threw a stream of cold water on his foe. A crow of spectators gathered,&11d Mr. Hazard was encouraged to complete the job despite the drenching. A military man and a. civil oflicial fell out, at Rosenberg, West Prussia, and the form- er issueda challenge for a. duel, but the latter replied: “As you are expert with weapons and I am not, 1 shall doubtless be killed. Still, I will fight you if you will bind yourself to pay my family $1,500 a. year during their lives, that being the in- come which would cease at my death.” These terms were pronounced reasonable by the seconds, but the challenger would not agree to them, and so there was no duel. An Iriah priest was standing at the cor. ner of a. square about the hour of dinner, when one of his countrymen, observing the worthy father in perplexity, thus addressed him : “0h, Father O‘Leary, how is your rivir- encg‘." ” Mightin put out, PM,” was the reply. “P91: out! Who’d put out your rivir- 81106 “Ah, you don’t understand. This is Just it : I am invited to dine at one of the houses in the square, and 1 have forgotten the name, and 1 never looked atthe number, and now it’s seven o‘clock.” ' “ 0h, is that all ‘2” was the cry. “ Just now be aisy, your rivirence ; I’ll settle that foxiyoufi “ No ; bother on Father O‘Leary. He is not here, but he has to (line here to-day, and the cook is in a rage, and says the din- ner will be spoiled. A11 is waiting for Father O’Leary." ' ‘ So saying, away flew the good-natured Irishman round the square, glancing at the kitchens, and when he discovered a tire that; denoted hospitality, he thundered a: the door and enquired : “Is Father O’Leary here ?” As might be» expected, again and again he was repulsed. At length an angry footmun exclaimed : Paddy, leaping from the door as if the steps had been on fire, rushed up to the as- tohjshgd pqstor and qriged : “All right, your rivirence, you dine at 43, Vagd a*mig_11ty_ gogd dingef you’l} get/'1’: I“ 01), Paty’ Bait? the gratefui paste}, “the blggejnga qf_a. huggry nfaa be ppon you._” I “Lozg life anduhippinoss t6 yofn‘ rivir- ence. 1 have got your malady. I only wish I had your cure,” returned Pat. Of the 249,590 miles of'railrozuls at the close of 1881, North and South America. are credited with 132,186 miles; Europe, 108,002; Asia, 10,674; Australia. and ad- jacent islands, 5.481; Africa, 3,147. The United States led all other countries many fold, it having at that time 104,831 miles of completed road. The second country in extent of railroad is Germany, which had 21,446; Great Britian comes next, with 18,281, Russia. has 14,779 miles. The United States at the close of 1881 had with- in 4 000 miles as much railroad as all of Europe. The total footing for the year will be not less than 12,000 miles. In less than three years there will be as many or more miles of railroad in the United States, as in all the rest of the world besides. 9n PITHY PARAGRAPES. The World's Railroads. Irish Wit. New Conclusions of a German Medical Commission. A medical commission, which was appornt» ed not long ago in Germany to study certain questions relating to the construction of school buildings, has made an interesting report, a step in advance in that branch of science. In the. matter of ventilation we find that the members of the commission agree with all the other experts who have investigated the subject, in increasing the quantity of fresh air which is to be regarded as essential to health. It is but a short time sincea thousand feet of air per hour for each pupil was regarded as an extremely liberal theoretical allowance for healthy children, and in practice in this country. at least, a room in which a hundred and fifty or two hundred feet per hour is actually supplied to each person is regarded as ad- mirably ventilated. Now, hoWever, those who have long submitted to be accused of foolish extravagance in insisting that this is an inadequate allowance may cite the authority or the German doctors, who set two thousand one hundred and twenty‘cu- bic feet per hour for each pupil as the mini- mum quantity of fresh air to be supplied. In the best arranged ventilated shafts, of metal, fitted with gas flames, stoves, or other artificial means for promoting the draught, the upward current will occasion- ally roach a velocity of a thousand feet per minute in cold weather, although the aver- age is rarely more than five hundred feet and generally much less; so that a room containing sixty pupils shoul have an outlet shaft of four square feet or more in sectional area to be even capable of such ventilation as pronounced essential. In regard to lig it- ing. the new commission totally denies and rejects the famous theory (f unilateral iilu~ urination, following in this respect the French authorities, who began to call it in question a year or so ago. in the language of the report, it is practically imporsible, even with lofty and narrow rooms, to obtain suflicicnt light by this method. in cases where openings can only be made in one wall, the report requires that the width of of the piers between the windows shall not exceed three-fourths of that of the windows themselves, and that the Width of the room shall not be more than five feet greater than the hoighth of the Windows, which would restrict it in such cases to about eighteen feet as a maximum. Lighting from two sides being then required undrr all ordinary circumstances, it is advised that the windou 5 should be i 1 the opposite walls, on the right and left of the pupils as seated. Light from the rear is admissible, but it is not rec-om- mended, and windows facing the pupils are prohibited. \Valls of neighboring buildings painted white and reflecting the sunshine into the schoolroom are very injurious, and the owners should be persuaded or obliged to paint them a dark color. The inside face of the walls of the school-room itself is to be painted pale blue or bluish white, and the ceiling pure white. Artificial light should be used without hesitation on dark or short days, it is more dangerous to work by insufficient daylight than by gnslight. Argand burners are preferable, as giving a steadier light, and ground-glass globes are objectionable on account of the large pro- portion of light whicl; they absorb.~Ame1-i~ can Architect. â€"â€"â€"uvo<~.’> Gobâ€"â€" Three Women Caught by One Trap. At the residence of one of our highly respectable families, a. trap had been set; on a remote shelf some time ago, for the purpose of catchingan intruding cat which was in the habit of visiting that locality, and had been entirely forgotten. The mistress of the house, wishing something which was supposed to be on that shelf, reached up. and immediately the trap closed upon her fingers. She made an etfort to extricate them, but to no avail, and the pain was so intense that she was obliged to scream for help. A servant immediately appear- ed, and in her endeavors to extri'cate her mistress‘s hand accidentally enclosed her own fingers, causing the two to scream for help. A younger member of the house, hearing the screams, rushed fo the place, seized the trap, made a. desperate attempt to extricate the fingers of the other two, when her own hand accidentally slid into the trap. and all three were fast. Their united voices called to their aid a gentle- man who opened the trap.~ â€"~Utica Observer. In the Court of Queen’s Bench. in London, the other day, before Mr. Justice Manisty and a. common jury, the court was alter lunch delayed for a short time waiting for a missing juryman. His lordship had to pro cce'l With only eleven jurors. 0n the jury- man arriving in court his lordship asked him why he had delayed the business by his absence for half an hour, to which he re- plied, “I lost myself, my lord, in the corri« dors.” [Laughton] His lordship having pointed out the inconvenience caused by the delay, the juryman replied, I can do no more than apologize, my lord.” His lord- ship rejoined that he hoped it would not happen again. The Hon. Peter Bowo is Sherifi" of the City and County of New York. Recently, in conversation with one of our reporters, Mr. Bowe proclaimed the following: fact: “ I consider St. Jacobs Oil an excellent rem- edy, and one that ought certainly to find its way into every household. Mrs. Bowe always has a bottle of it there, and makes a. family remedy of it.”-â€"New York Evening Telegram. QAn Illinois butcher slaughtereda. cow that had swallowed a. bundle of Greenbacks, and for several days afterward he was subjected to great torture in consequence of being asked by almost every person he met as to What was likely to be the effect of legal tenders on tenderloin. Extract from a letter just received (December. 1882, by Mrs. Thos. Murrai, from her hus- .han , Mr. Thos. Murray, w owns for many years’ Bridge Conductor for the Great West- ern Railway at Niagara. Falls, afterwards one of the contractors on the enlarged Welâ€" land Canal (section 12), and is now in North- ern Michigan, looking after his timber inter- ests in that countr . He writes : "Tell Sutherland am now starting for the woods with 36 men, where I will be all winter, and that I am now without ache or pain in either my knees or arms (something I have not known for years). thanks to the two bottles of Rheumatino which I procured tram him be‘ fore leaving St. Catharines. SANITARY SCHOOL HOUSES. Important Proclamation. A Juror‘s Excuse. IN-GODNI It vnll pay purchasers of seeds to send for my descriptive and priced annual catalogue or n. “ )ultivator‘s Guide" for 1883, sent free on ap- plication. Address, J. A... SIMMERSD $6.25 FOR 39 GTE. Any person sending me 39 cents and the ad- dresses of 10 acquaintances will receive by re- turn mull goods (not recipes) that net $6.25 ’l‘nis is an honest; ofl‘cx‘ to introduce staple goods If you want a fortune, act now. J. D. HENRY 1’. O. Box 127, Buffalo, N.Y. UTHORS & COX. 91 CHURCH STREET Toronto. Manufacturers of our celebrated llaw Hide. \Villow and lentlwr Legs. The best and cheapest. made in Canada. First prize 15 years in succession. Send 1’01‘ reduud price lisi' U water and steam power, in Wentworth county; b_uilding of stone; everything in good order; pnce $5.000; $1.500 cash. balance con- venient. MACKINTOBH 6‘; PETERS, Tor- CONTRACTOR VVITII AMPLE CAPIT- AL having large planing mill in thriving western city, wants a practical managing part- ner with not less than 33.000, to extend the business in the manufacturing of furniture. for which there is a. fine opening. MACK- INTOSII & PETER; Torontp. Sums of from $200 to $50,000 to mvcst in Pa.- tent Rights, Husiness Chances, Manufactures, Hotels, Saleem}. an]. any kind 01' merchanteble onto. GGfi‘e'i’alfitr FifiéficialrvAgeh’cST or exchangeablé properfy. RELIABLE SEED IIOUSE,‘ 147' Kim: Street East, Toronto ARTIFICIAL LIIVIBS. do a great many ladies still pay from two to four dollars peryenrfor high priced Am- erican fashion papers when they can not the Luclies‘ Journal one year for fifty cents? The Lmlies‘ Journal is a “image monthly fashion paper, containing the sum and substance of all the latest American high priced fashion magazines. Large full page illustrations of all the newest styles, useful household hints, shortstories, poetry, miscellaneous selections. and lots of other interesting matter, also one full sized piece of sheet music in each number. always the latest and most popular thing out. To every person who sends me fifty cents for one years’ subscription I’ll mail postpaid at once an Elegant Silver Plated Butler Knife ordinarily retailed at one dollar. Don‘t forget to tell your friends that the Ladies’ Journal contains besides the fashion illustrations, &c.. at least three to five dollars’ worth of new music in the course of the year. and fifty cents will pay for one year’s subscription and one dollar will pay for [hrcc years. and an elegant silver-plated butter-knife with either one or three years‘ subscription. Up to the nresent I have only been able to give a butterknifo to the getter up of a club or three. 1 now offer that elegant butterâ€" knife to weary yearly subscriber who sends fifty cents. S. FRANK “'ILSON, 33 and 35 Adelaide Street, IVest. Toronto. c ' ' “RELEABLE” S E E Scales for everythingâ€"Hay. Coal and Stock. All sizes of W arehouse Scales. Counter Scale of all kinds. DAIRY 8:; PARMERS’ SCALES. Fish, Pork and Wool Scales. Butchers Scales. Scales and Beams for Pedlars Waggons. All sizes of Railroad and Warehouse Trucks. Alarm Money Drawers. Every Scale warranted. All makes nroluplly repaired. 321' Send for illustrated catalogum HAMILTON. Fish, Pork and Wool Scales. Butchers Scales. Scales and Beams for Pedlars Waggons. All sizes of Railroad and Warehouse Trucks. Alarm Money Drawers. Every Scale warranted. All makes nroluplly repaired. 321' Send for illustrated catalogum snow,- ASTHMA, BRONGHITIS, NEURALGIA. Johnson’s Anodyne Llnlment (for Internal and External Use) will - instantaneously relieve these ten- , ‘ rlble diseases, and will ltlvely cure nine cases out of ten. Information that will save man lives sent free by ma . Don’t delay amoment. Prevention is better than cure. L S. JO SOl‘T & 00., BOSTON, MASB. SCALES. nnoxcmns. cmnuum, ASTHMA has an experience of 29 years’ practice in Ontario. Road the following Loner which speaks for Itself. Toronto. 4 Argyle-Sh. Dec. 11th, 1882. S. L. NASH. M. D. ;~Dear Dr.,â€"I take great pleasure in saying your treatment of my Wlfe by inhalations, for an affection of the bronchial tubes. has proved most satis- factory. After being treated by several of the most rominent physicians of Toronto. I almost espaired or her being relieved of the distressin cough. which clunxz to her in spite of the est efforts put forth by skill- ed men to relieve her. and pronounced by some as incurable. Now. after a lapse of almost nine months since discontinuing your treatment. she has passed the fall weather without any signs of her old com- plaint returning. Yourggg‘snegtjully‘.’ A personal examination is preferable, after which you can be treated at home. If impossible to call. write for uestion and Circular. “Consultation free. ‘ees Moder- ate.” Address “TORONTO PU LMONAR- IUM." 123 Church-Sh, Toronto, Ontario. “ T [l RUNTU PULMONARIUM.” s. L. NASH, M. 1)., M (11>. s.o, CONSUMPTION, CAN BE CURED NE-SET WOOLLEN MILL F91; SALE-7 BUSINESS CHANGES. For Railroads, Rolling Mills, Grist Mills and Elevators. INHALATHINS. J. l. EVANS a (10., Leader Lane. Tomnto. ours res eetfullv. JOSEP POWELL. EYE d’ EAR. DISEASES nl'lhn A GURNBY & WARE’S STANDARD SCALES, To have fragrantBreath and Teethlike sno Foolish and careless you’d be very, f you didn‘t; at once a. {rial bestow On that excellent dentifriceâ€"' "hummus: (.‘amrrh. Throat Blseascs. Bronchitis, with diseases of the Eye, 15m- and Heart suo« cessfully treated at the Ontario Pulmonury lnslitulc. 135 Clinch ‘ Street. Toronto. (mun-in. M. HILTON WILLIAMS, M. 1)., M.C.P.S.O I‘ROPRIETOR. _ Our system of practice is by Medmated In halmions, combined with proper constitutional remedies. Over 40,000 cases treated during the was! 17 years: . rfilfif: {fn‘boésiblc to call nemrmaliy for an ex- ammatlon, write for List, of Questions and Medical Treatise. Address. Indiges'mn, costiveness, or constipation. are immed atciy cured with ZOI’ESA. It stimulates, and gives activity to the liver. It increases the. dissolving juices of the stomach, and causes the food to assimilate. And the severer forms of INDIG ESTION. A small pammflef on the above most distressing n aYadju and thoirc omplete ctres, post free, 5 [~1r31813'm18. RV If. KING, Esq, Stafl’Sur- loyal Navy, England. Apply to RICHARD KIN i. Box 316. Windsor, Om, O’nt’érior VPUIr’hona'ry lnjst’ltute, CONSUMPTION! YSPEPSIA ! Sold by all drugmsts. The Rheumatine Man ufacturimz 00.. St. Uatherinma. Ont, Messrs Northrou it Lvman. Wholesale. Azts‘. Toronto EHEUMMiSM RHEUMATZNE is as: a sovereign ‘remeg? fol "all the ills that flesh is heir to," but for ; EU“ RAE/11A, SCIATICA, RHEUMA'IISBI. and commaims cf Rheumatic nature, 1 1i"! ILLUSTRATED.CHQQWFEQ‘EJE? .L' 1619., \arau'uvu. an“. a; iv vv 9‘ uwvm mailed treeto n11 lnten lng purebmra upon nvpllcation. It is the handsomest Catalogue published in Canada, and is invaluable to all who wish to buy Pun: Fun Buns. Synclfll attention given to vtepnrlnz Mxan Guns“ to: â€"â€"-._- - _.-_.‘.m n l arm'an » mu. .uuuu-.u.-.... ‘1 containing description and pficém {ho cfiizeit [nitfi’ol _- -- .. - . _. .. u fié'i‘é?Téfiéiéflféfii'i‘ibfiéifiéeé§ 1‘ .‘loel an?! full particular! will Fertound in Catalog-I». WM. RENNIB. Seedsmaal, TORONTO BN’ifif‘FifiiflBE-f And all comphints of a Rheumatic nature, 135 Church-Stu 'roro'nto. om. IT IS A SURE GUREa THE: GREAT {SURE FOR