From The New York Times. THE LESSON OF BARNUM'S LIFE.

his only effort is to make the public appear to have been an accomplice in his plans, instead of their victim.

In this country, more perhaps than in any Mr. Barnum's profession has been that of a other, success is regarded as the test of worth: showman-a business that may be honestly -and Barnum is the embodiment and imper- pursued. But he takes special pains to prosonation of success. From being poor and claim the fact, that he pursued it dishonestly. obscure, he has rapidly made himself very He never recognized the slightest obligations, rich and very famous. As a natural conse- in the prosecution of it, to tell the truth, or quence he is watched, admired, and envied, offer his exhibitions to the public upon their by hundreds of thousands who are as poor as merits. He said that Tom Thumb was eleven he was, and who are anxious to be rich as he years old, when he knew he was only five.is. Young men, especially-that vast army He represented Joice Heth as having been of our American youth just entering upon ac- the nurse of Washington, when he knew she tive life, and embracing more of intellect, of had not. He proclaimed that the Fejee merintelligence, of active energy, and enterprise, maid was the remains of an actual anintal, than can be found, perhaps, elsewhere in the when he knew that it was a base fabrication. world-look to Barnum, with eager wonder He asserted that the Woolly Horse was capand emulation. How has his splendid suc- tured by Col. Fremont, in the Rocky Mouncess been achieved? To what qualities of tains, when he knew that there was not one character to what business faculties, is it syllable of truth in the assertion. In all these due? Mr. Barnum has written his life in or- schemes, as well as in all the others in which der to satisfy these interrogations. He has he has been engaged, Mr. Barnum coined narrated, step by step, the history of his ca- and promulgated the most distinct and delibreer- -pointing out, for the amusement of the erate falsehoods, and solicited and received curious, and the instruction of the ambitious, money from millions of individuals on the the path by which he has risen from poverty strength of them. This was the way in which to wealth, and from obscurity to conspicuous his fortune has been acquired. Other men influence. Of course the book will be eager- do the same thing on a small scale. They ly and widely read. It will produce a very sell sand for sugar-chicory for coffee-counmarked effect upon the sentiments and the terfeit bills for good ones; they seldom get conduct of the great body of the youth of rich, and more frequently get into the State America. It will do much towards guiding Prison. But this is not the fault of the princitheir ambition-shaping their plans and di-ple of their action; but only of the mode in recting their career. What is the lesson it is which it is carried out. They do not act upon likely to teach? a shrewd knowledge of human nature. They

and with a flourish of trumpets-steer clear of the embarrassments which jealous laws have thrown in the way of such pursuits-and take courage from Barnum's success, as well as lessons from his experience. Then if they fail, the fault must be their own.

The great fact which Mr. Barnum sets do not enlist the weaknesses of their victims on forth in this biography of himself, is that his their side. They neither pique their curiosisuccess has been achieved-his wealth acquir-ty, nor tempt their credulity, nor give them ed-his reputation and consideration estab-any chance to laugh at the cheat, as a good lished, by the systematic, adroit, and perse- joke. They are mere prosaic, common-place, vering plan of obtaining money under false and therefore unsuccessful, swindlers. Let pretences from the public at large. This is the them study Barnum's life; master the whole beginning and the end of his enterprise, and art and mystery of their business-learn the the great secret of his success. He seems, oc- advantage of doing things on a grand scale, casionally, conscious of the fact, and seeks to cloak it under phrases and forms of speech. He calls it humbug-and, under the seeming candor of confession, palliates it by a variety of apologies and explanations. We must take men as we find them :--human nature is full of weaknesses, of which it is our right to take Nothing in this book is more remarkable advantage; men like to be deceived, if it is than the obvious insensibility of Mr. Barnum so cleverly done as to seem amusing-no wrong to the real character of its disclosures. He is done, if they get what they consider an takes an evident pride in the boldness and equivalent for their money. These are some enormity of the impositions by which he has of the moral maxims and reflections which are amassed his fortune. He does not confess brought forward to palliate and excuse the them, he boasts of them. He has written his leading fact, that his wealth has been acquir-life for the sake of convincing the world-not ed by a complicated system of falsehood and that he is a moral or an upright man, not that fraud. Mr. Barnum does not deny that the he is capable of generous acts and of manly representations which have made his schemes conduct-but that he is just the shrewdest and successful, have been false and fraudulent-sharpest Yankee that this hemisphere has yet

produced. This is with him, the highest point | We confess our surprise, that Mr. Barnum of ideal greatness. Whenever he chronicles should have published this Autobiography, for an apparently noble and generous deed-such we had given him credit for better judgment as his voluntary offer to make a more advan- and more discretion. He had amassed a fortageous contract with Jenny Lind than the tune, by means generally suspected to have one she had accepted-he takes special pains not been scrupulously honorable, but which to add, that he did it on calculation, and from were very likely to be overlooked or forgota selfish motive, and not from generosity, or ten in the more creditable and legitimate entera sense of justice. He seems to fear that he prises of his more recent life. His engageshall be suspected of having sometimes acted ment of Jenny Lind was universally regarded without an eye to the main chance, and inter- as a public benefit, and evinced a bold sagapolates disclaimers into his narrative when- city which won him very great credit. He ever they may seem to be required. There is was establishing a reputation as a business an occasional intimation, that this is done man of marked ability, and was fast outliving from an excess of candor, and to prevent the the questionable reputation which public sussuspicion that he is claiming more credit than picion, rather than any known facts, had givbelongs to him; but this is intended only to en him. He seems to have felt himself in make the impression more effective. Mr. some danger of subsiding into the commonBarnum is proud of his sagacity-of his tact place character of an enterprising, honest and in playing upon the weaknesses of others, and successful man; so he has written this book to of his skill in profiting by the public creduli- prevent the possibility of such a catastrophe. ty. He feels that his strength lies in this He has chosen his means with his usual sagafaculty, rather than in strict adherence to city; he will be quite as successful in this delofty morals, and a nice sense of the rule of sign, as in any of the others by which his life right. He accordingly sacrifices all other con- has been distinguished. siderations to the desire of standing before the The book will be very widely read, and world as the most remarkable product of will do infinite mischief. It will encourge the American genius in the art of making money. tendency, always too strong in the young men The whole book is written for this purpose, of this country, to seek fortune by other and all its incidents are skilfully adapted to means than industry in the worthy pursuit of produce the desired effect. He has shown the honorable business on which the welfare very great invention in the variety of stories of society depends. It will stimulate an eagerof his childhood and youth, his early experi- ness for dashing experiments on public creence, and the various steps by which he ripen- dulity, and multiply the numbers, already too ed from very small beginnings, into the stu- large, of those who live by their wits, and pendous and magnificent master of the art of seek fortune by pandering to the vices or the deception, which he has since become. Judg-weaknesses of the public at large. We do ing from his book, he seems to have been a not suppose it was Mr. Barnum's intention to humbug from his cradle. He would have it exert such an influence when he wrote his understood, that he was born to the greatness life-for its prevalent tone shows clearly his he has since achieved. He cheated in long entire unconsciousness, that there is anything clothes, and had become an adept at practical in his career, which the noblest minded and jokes, before he reached the dignity of a the worthiest might not admire and emulate. roundabout. In all this, there is a good deal But the book will have that effect, so far as it that is amusing, though, of course, no one is has any beyond the indulgence of that vapid required, and probably not expected, to be- curiosity which it has been the business of lieve it. It is all part and parcel of the sys-Mr. Barnum's life to stimulate and gratify. tem which the book is written to reveal.

FREE TRADE REACHING EGYPT.-SAID PASHA, as the natives, who are keenly alive to their own we are told by a letter from Alexandria of Nov. interests, only require to be left alone to extend 7th, in the "Times," "has been availing himself and improve the cultivation of the land." This is of the high prices of grain to sell off his stocks, and a most important step towards extending cultivahis Highness has declared his intention of not hav- tion in Egypt. If Said Pasha has the wisdom to ing in future any Government produce. He is not follow it up it will, ere many years have elapsed, to interfere at all with the cultivation of the land, make Egypt again a great corn-growing country, which henceforth is to be quite free, and he will and enable it to supply the manufacturing counallow the growers to sell directly to the merchants, tries of Europe. A better time for such a measure as best suits them, and he will levy the taxes and than the present-when corn, after a great harvest, tithes in cash. The extensive lands cultivated di- is dear throughout Europe-could not be selected. rectly by the Government will be leased to the na- The certain success which must now attend it will, tives, and there will no longer be any Minister of we trust, secure the continuance of this policy. Commerce. This measure, if fully and perma- Economist nently carried out, will vastly benefit the country,

From Chambers's Journal.

MUSIC IN METAL.

the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. The rocker here mentioned is an instrument bearing some resemblance to the bevelled soldering-iron used by tinmen. Imagine a piece of brass, four inches long, somewhat similar in shape to the outer half of a broad old-fashioned sash-bar, with a thin groove passing from end to end of its narrowest edge, and with a slim, straight handle of the same metal, terminating in a knob, and you have the rocker. The mode of using it will be presently explained.

No one who lives within hearing of Bow-bells, or of any other such tintinnabulary distributers of sound, but knows that metal is sonorous. Some people like the sound of bells; some the clang of cymbals; some the click of a smith's hammer on the anvil; while others find no metallic music so pleasing as the ring of gold and silver coins on the counter. Every silversmith knows that a piece of bent sheet-silver, heated, Professor Farraday next took up the subject, will hum and sing when placed on a block of and made it the theme of a lecture which he decold iron, which is a different sort of music to livered at the Royal Institution, embodying an that produced by percussion, and thus it might explanation of the phenomenon-lucid and apappear that the subject of music in metal is prehensible, as his explanations always are. He speedily exhausted. But in this last-mentioned confirmed Mr. Trevelyan's view as to the tones fact a property is involved of a very remarkable being due to an alternate expansion and connature-namely, that metals, under certain cir- traction caused by the heat. This it is that sets cumstances, produce their own music, and sing the rocker vibrating; and according to the rain such a style as to surprise the listener. pidity or slowness of the vibrations, such is the The thing was discovered in a curious way in pitch of the tone. The particular way in which a stirring year that which saw the battle of the expansion takes place is, that the groove in Trafalgar by Mr. Schwartz, an inspector of the edge of the rocker makes it a double edge, smelting-works in Saxony. He had melted some and whenever the heated rocker is placed, restsilver in a ladle, and being impatient for it to ing on a mass of lead, a couple of little promicool, turned out the hemispherical mass as soon nences or hills rise up, immediately under the as it solidified, on a cold iron anvil, when, to his points of contact, being the natural effect of exastonishment, musical tones came from it similar, pansion caused by heat. At the same moment as he described, to those of an organ. The the rocker begins to vibrate, and no sooner is strange occurrence got talked about, and a one side raised than the hill on that side suddenly learned German professor having heard of it, sinks, owing to the rapid absorption of its heat visited the smelting-works, and had the experi- by the surrounding mass of lead. The consement repeated in his presence. He, too, heard quence is, that the rocker descends through a the sounds, but he did not think them equal to greater distance than it rose, whereby the other those of an organ, and noticed that they were ac-edge being raised, the same effect is produced on companied by vibrations in the lump of silver, and that when these ceased, the sounds ceased also. It was a curious fact, and there the matter rested.

the opposite side; and thus the vibrations continue as long as there is a sufficient difference of temperature between the two metals. The movement, as here described, affords an instance of a curious maintaining power; for "the force which really lifts the rocker is on one side of the centre of gravity, while the rising side of the rocker itself is on the other; and the point under process of heating is always moving towards the other, which is under process of cooling."

Twenty-five years later, the same phenomenon was discovered, but in a different way, near the foot of the Cheviots, by Mr. Arthur Trevelyan, who, to quote an account of the incident, "was engaged in spreading pitch with a hot plastering iron, and observing in one instance that the iron was too hot, he laid it slantingly against a block Although, as yet, there does not appear to be of lead which happened to be at hand. Shortly any way of turning these experiments to a pracafterwards he heard a shrill note, resembling that tical use, they are of much importance in a sciproduced on the chanter of the small Northum-entific point of view, as shown by the researches berland pipes-an instrument played by his father's gamekeeper. Not knowing the cause of the sound, he thought that this person might be practising out of doors; but on going out, the sound ceased to be heard, while on his return he heard it as shrill as before. His attention was at length attracted to the hot iron, which he found to be in a state of vibration, and thus discovered the origin of the strange music."

Here was something to set an ingenious mind at work; and as nothing happens without a cause, except the breaking of domestic crockery, Mr. Trevelyan, having asked the advice of Dr. Reid of Edinburgh, set himself to discover the cause of the music. He make a number of careful experiments, during which he ascertained that a "rocker," as he called it, brought out the loudest and clearest notes, and he described his proceedings so well, that they were published in

of Dr. Tyndall, professor of natural philosophy at the Roaal Institution. He has repeated the experiments, and extended them to other substances, basides metals, finding in all of them a confirmation of Mr. Faraday's views, and prov ing, what had been denied-that a tone can be produced by two metals of the same kind in contact; for instance, silver on silver, or copper on copper. In this case, however, the silver or copper rocker is made to rest on a very thin slip of the same metal held in a vice. Agates, and some other gems, rock-crystal, fluor-spar, fossilwood, glass and earthenware, will also give out tones to a heated rocker-the only condition of success appearing to be a clean and even edge in the substance under experiment. Among this class of substances, rock-salt exhibits extraordinary effects. Desirous of trying this mineral, Dr. Tyndall, whose remarks we have quoted

above, placed a partially cooled rocker on a mass | Rockers of various kinds may next be introof it, when, as he writes, "to my astonishment, duced, made as above described, and placed so a deep musical sound commenced immediately as to rest horizontally during the experiment. the temperature of the rocker being at the time With a hand-vice, such as will fasten to the edge far below that of boiling water, and when the of a table, after the manner of a lady's pinsinging ended, was scarcely above blood heat." cushion, the thinnest slips of metal may be seIn this case, the want of an edge appears to be curely held while testing their quality. The efof no importance, for when "the heated rocker feet, too, may be tried of pressing slightly with was laid on a large boulder-shaped mass of the a knitting-needle on the back of the rocker imsalt, it commenced to sing immediately. I mediately above the groove: it will be found that scarcely know a substance,” adds Dr. Tyndall, a whole octave of tones may be produced by "metallic or non-metallic, with which vibrations varying the pressure; the lowest with least prescan be obtained with greater ease and certainty sure, and shrillest with the highest. than with this mineral."

Perhaps, after all, there may be more in the Now, here is something to furnish occupation music of the spheres than a dream of poets or for evening-hours during the coming winter, the philosophers. We have all heard how that the experiments being such as may be tried by the statue of Memnon used to sing in the morning fireside, and even in the drawing-room. A com- sunbeams, and who shall say that out of the exmencement may be made in a rough way by periments we have suggested may not come a heating a poker, and placing it with the knob musical instrument on which heat shall be the resting on a table, and the heated end on a block only performer! Wind will then have a rival. of cold lead. The singing will at once be heard.

From the Literary Gazette.
BABYLON.-TOWER OF BABEL.

This also.

M. Oppert has discovered the Babylonian and · Assyrian measures, and by means of them has ascertained exactly what part of the city was inTHE French government, two or three years habited, and what part was in fields and gardens. ago, sent three gentlemen to make scientific and On the limits of the town, properly so called, artistic researches in Media, Mesopotamia, and stands at present the flourishing town of Hillah. Babylonia. One of them, M. Jules Oppert, has This town, situated on the banks of the Euphrajust returned to Paris, and it appears, from tes, is built with bricks from the ruins, and many his report, that he and his colleagues thought of the household utensils, and personal ornait advisable to begin by confining themselves ments of its inhabitants are taken from them to theexploration of ancient Babylon. Beyond this town is the vast fortress, task was one of immense difficulty, and it was strengthened by Nebuchadnezzar, and in the enhanced by the excessive heat of the sun, by midst of it is the royal palace-itself almost as privations of all kinds, and by the incessant large as a town. M. Oppert says, that he was hostility of the Arabs: After a while M. Oppert's also able to distinguish the ruins of the famous two colleagues fell ill, so that all the labors of Tower of Babel-they are most imposing, and the expedition devolved on him. He first of all stand on a site formerly called Borsippa, or the made excavations of the ruins of the famous Tower of Languages. The royal town, situated suspended gardens of Babylon, which are now on the two banks of the Euphrates, covers a known by the name of the Hall of Amran-ibnand he obtained in them a number of curi- contains most interesting ruins. Amongst them Ali; space of nearly seven square kilometres, and ous architectural and other objects, which are are those of the royal palace, the fortress, and destined to be placed in the Louvre at Paris, and the suspended gardens. In the collection of cu which will be described hereafter. He next, in riosities which M. Oppert has brought away with obedience to the special orders of his govern-him, is a vase, which he declares to date from ment, took measures for ascertaining the precise the time of one of the Chaldean sovereigns extent of Babylon-a matter which the reader is named Narambel, that is, somewhere about one aware has always been open to controversy. He thousand six hundred years before Jesus Christ; has succeeded in making a series of minute sur- also a number of copies of cuneiform inscriptions veys, and in drawing up detailed plans of the im- which he has every reason to believe that he will, mense city. His opinion is, that even the largest be able to decipher. calculations as to its vast extent, are not exaggerated; and he puts down that extent at the astounding figure of 500 square kilometres, French measure (the square kilometre is 1196 square yards). This is very nearly eighteen times the size of Paris. But of course he does not say that this enormous area was occupied, or anything like it; it comprised within the walls huge tracts of cultivated lands and gardens, for supplying the population with food in the event of a siege.

What further honors may await Lord Raglan we cannot say; but Her Majesty has already conferred on him the rank of Field Marshal, and in due time the country will no doubt see him rewarded, as other great commanders have been, by elevation in the peerage and a large addition to his income.-Economist.

From Household Words.
MR. WHITTLESTICK.

worked out is all stuff. He does not believe in luck; attributes his own good fortune to innate force of character. Believes that he IN the San Francisco newspaper, entitled would have got along anywhere, and that any the Wide West, Mr. Whittlestick amused the man who really works in the mines can do people at the diggins with a sketch of Califor- well. Never wearies of writing home to his nian character. The diggers liked to see their friends, especially to those who always told every-day acquaintances in print, and called him, etc. Thinks the unsuccessful miner for a corrected and revised edition of Whittle- rather green in his speculations, but sees clearstick's works. This has duly appeared in twenty-four pages large octavo, from the press of Bonestell and Williston, Court Block, Clay Street, one door below the Post Office, San Francisco."

ly that his own losses in quartz mining and town lots were unavoidable. Has an interest in one or two stores, in different parts of the mines, and is very apt to mention those localities to the new-comers who may ask his Herein the miner may read about himself. opinion, as the likeliest places at which to If he be an unsuccessful miner, this is his begin. Considers prospecting a very good character-He knows California to be a hum- thing; but as long as he has a claim affording bug. In his judgment the mines must soon an average yield, prefers that some one else give out. He thinks that if he had arrived should do it. Is confident that he can wash in '49 he could have made his fortune. But a pan-ful of dirt quicker, and get more gold not in digging. No! Head work is what he out of it than any other man in the mines. was cut out for. There was a fine opening in Claims to be the original inventor of the long '49 for any man of talent and energy to spec- tom, and knew that a sluice was first-rate for ulate in real estate. He don't believe half washing gold long before it was introduced. the tales told about profitable mining. People Looks upon sleeping in a tent as an enervatcan't fool him with their stories. California ing luxury. Give him a blanket and a stone. being a humbug, he would go home if he Another kind of digger, is the digger Inhadn't to admit when he got home that Jim dian. He is clumsy; has black, matted hair; and Tom knew just how it would be-that is coarse featured; wears any thing or noth they were right and that he was wrong. He ing-that is to say, wears whatever clothes won't admit that. He will starve first. He he gets and all that he possesses. If he has is pretty nigh starving. He could go and been fortunate, he may be met attired in sevwork by the day for the Rattle Gulch Water eral shirts, coats and pantaloons, one over the and Mining Company, but he likes independ- other. If he has not been fortunate, he wears, ence; and as he has his mind to cultivate, perhaps, nothing but a single pair of stockobjects to doing forced labor for more than ings. Of soap he has no knowledge-water eight hours a day. Prospecting is, in his touches his skin only when he goes into it for opinion, the only way to strike a lead. The fish. He eats acorns, and grasshoppers crushbig strokes are what he is after. He don't ed together, when fresh, into a pasty mass, or want merely to make a living-he could have sun-dried for winter use. He gets up dances, done that at home. His luck will turn some at which he appears not in full dress, but day. It is all luck. Brooks went home with strictly and always in full undress, while his a fortune, and told the unsuccessful miner's wives and his daughters appear in the usual friends that the unsuccessful miner hadn't half variety of costume. He gambles deeply, at a worked. It isn't work that does it-it is game known by our children as "which hand luck. Brooks would have worked for nothing will you have?" He eats no pork, but rejoices if he hadn't been so lucky; besides, Brooks with his whole tribe at the stranding of a was avaricious. The unsuccessful miner has whale. He takes a wife, or a family of wives, slaved it in California long enough; Austra- by exchange of gifts, giving a jug and taking lia is the place for him; wishes he had gone in exchange a net. His body, when he dies, there at once; want of capital is the only thing is burnt, and it is a point of honor with his that hinders him from going now. Too many relatives to stand in a ring as near as possible persons are allowed to come into the diggins, to the burning pile until it is consumed; his In his opinion it is immigration that has ruined bereaved wife puts on a widow's cap of pitch, the mines. He believes in quartz mining. which she wears on her head for several Thinks that the directors of a quartz mining months, according to the digger Indian way of company make a snug thing of it, and wouldn't going into black. mind starting such a company himself, if he could find purchasers for stock. Seldom

writes home.

The glass is next presented to the face of the successful miner:-In the opinion of the successful miner, the idea that the mines are

Another of the noticeable characters is the Chinaman. Wherever there is money to be earned, John Chinaman is earning it. He is butcher in Dupont street, a merchant at Sacramento, a fisherman and fish-drier on Rincon Point, a washerman at the Lagoon ;