things, and coolly see those vile posts and diabolical wires being laid on every line of railway, and especially in danger of being brought into use on that line which, for the glorious mission it has to fulfil, ought to be perpetually illuminated with torches of love, and to have travelling upon it fairy carriages, wreathed with roses, with angels for guards, and Cupids for stokers? No, you must "agitate, agitate, agitate," against this electric telegraph, and prevent its adoption.

TELEGRAPHIC TOAST.

THE following toast was lately given at a public meeting at Chicago, (Mass.)—“ Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Morse-the one drew lightning from the heaven-the other gave it voice, and bade it speak to the world."

MISTAKE OF THE TELEGRAPH.

NOT long previous to the arrival of the Rainbow and Hibernia, at Utica, U. S., an order sent by telegraph to Buffalo to purchase flour was mis-read, and in consequence 2000 barrels more were purchased than were wanted. The telegraph folks were kept in a great "fix" for some days by the unwilling purchaser, as the market was constantly declining. But before the matter was settled, the advices by the Rainbow and Hibernia sent flour up a dollar or more, and we have not heard that the holder of the 2000 extra barrels has complained of the mistake since.

THE SPY TELEGRAPHS OF PRUSSIA.

Ir is stated that the directors of the railways in the Prussian kingdom have received a Cabinet order, whereby the control of the State is established over all private despatches for the conveyance of which electric telegraphs are used. The order requires that a special book shall be kept at each station, in which shall be entered the purport of all communications. Electric telegraphs are established on many lines, and will shortly become general in Prussia. We wonder how commercial England would like such an arrangement. Imagine Mr. Rothschild and our great merchants and bankers going to an electric telegraph worked by Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer!

CURIOUS EFFECT OF VIOLET RAYS UPON
THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Ir is not perhaps generally known, that if a ray of light, of a violet colour, enter through a window in the neighbourhood of a telegraph needle, magnetism is immediately imparted. We understand that the scientific world is indebted to Mrs. Somerville for discovery of the fact that a magnet may be made by the agency of a ray of violet, probably first beaming from the orbit of the fair experimenter's own blue eyes; but in reality Mrs. Somerville has succeeded in converting a common sewing-needle, by a simple process, into a magnet by the agency of a ray of violet. Professor Morse has also given attention to the subject.

Finding that his telegraphic needles were frequently out of order, from the effect of particular rays of light, he placed before them, in order to neutralize it, a sheet of yellow glass in front of the apparatus, which does not permit the violet rays to pass; and this he has found to have the desired effect.

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HELP, CASSIUS, OR I SINK!"

AMONGST the catastrophes of the last panic, and during the late drain of gold, a curious illustration occurred of the value, in a commercial point of view, of our telegraphs in the north. The branch bank at Newcastle having urgent necessity for a further supply of gold, sent by telegraph to the sister establishment at Leeds. The transmission of the message was, of course, immediate, and the arrival of the aurum palpabile almost, comparatively speaking, as rapid; for by special train in an hour some forty thousand sovereigns came to the rescue.

"FEMALE BURGLARS, BEWARE!"

"A WOMAN in mourning, with a brown silk umbrella in her hand, has robbed Mr. -'s house at this place of gold rings and money-supposed to have gone to Exeter-look out for her, and inform the police." Such was the mandate of the telegraph between Newton and Exeter, some time after the train had arrived at the latter place. The police, on being apprized,

reconnoitred Exeter, and ultimately succeeded in lodging "the lady in mourning" in their station-house, instead of Milk-street, for which she was bound, with the stolen property about her.

THE LIGHTNING STEED.

THE following versified pedigree is from the Boston Chronotype :

"That steed called 'Lightning,' (say the Fates,)

Is owned in the United States.

'Twas Franklin's hand that caught the horse;
'Twas harnessed by Professor Morse!"

RELEASE OF THE RECRUIT.

Not long since, a recruit was arrested in Albany, for some offence committed in Rochester. The telegraph notified his arrest; when Rochester replied "Hold on to him," and in a few hours the line again replied— "Let him go; we've examined witnesses-he's innocent." He then took up his knapsack, bound for New York and the wars. But for the telegraph, he must have been a prisoner several days.

TELEGRAPH AND TRAVELLERS' LUGGAGE. A GENTLEMAN resident at Falkirk was booked at Leeds for Newcastle, by the York and North Midland Railway. His luggage was given in charge to one of

the company's servants, and ere the train started, the passenger was told that "all was right." On arriving at the York station, inquiry was made for the luggage, which contained valuable documents, but which could not be found. Application was made to the superintendent of the railway telegraph-the alarm bell was touched the vibrations reached Leeds-from which, in the course of three minutes, the following colloquy took place between the superintendent at York and his correspondent at Leeds :-"Is a carpet bag and hat-box with you, addressed Mr. ?" "Yes.""Forward it by first down train." "Yes."-"Did you not say of the luggage, 'All's right?'" "Yes." "Then forward it to the Falkirk station at your own expense." "Yes." In due course, the luggage reached Falkirk station, "all right," and free of charge.

TOO LATE FOR THE MAIL.

MR. ORBELL, a resident at Romford, left York at twelve o'clock at noon, and proceeded by railway to the metropolis, intending to reach Shoreditch in time for the mail train; but arriving too late, he telegraphed to his family, requesting that a conveyance might be sent to Stratford to take him home. Mr. O. reached the latter place about twenty minutes after ten o'clock; shortly after eleven his chaise and ponies arrived, and he reached his destination at midnight; thus performing in the short space of twelve hours, independent of stoppages and delays, a journey of two hundred and nine miles.