COLL. "VJVJST CLEVE.
ALBANY,
OREGON.
A -RACE JOi A WIFE.
A Thrilling Elopement Advestcbe is
Michigan. 1;
From the Adrian Timea.1
The actors in this little domestic dra
ma were Rensselaer Mills, a wealthy
farmer, living about a mile west of the
village of Clinton ; his daughter, Ida
31 ill 8 ; Alonzo Mills, his son, and Sam
uel Lazaleer, who has for the past three
x years been Miss Ida's affianced. It
seems that the father of the young girl
objected to Lazaleer as a son-in-law.
wnicn seemed to mase tne joung peo-
pie more determined than ever; ' The
preliminaries which led to the episode
occurred during the first of the week.
'They had expected to be married about
the 17th of last month, but the old gen
tleman got an inkling of what was going
on and thwarted their designs. It is
rumored that on Thursday Lazaleer
went to the house of Mr. Mills for the
purpose of accompanying the daughter
to Toledo, they proposing to have the
marriage ceremony performed on the
route. But Mills put a stop to this
- proceeding, and the daughter remained
at home. .The following day.
Friday, the daughter repaired ' to
the residence of a neighbor, George
"Wilson, and sent word to her
lever where she could be found, Laza-
leer received the word about three
o'clock in the afternoon, and was soon
on hand with a team, and a few mo
xnents later, in company with his soon-
to-be bride, was taking a circuitous
route to the village, to avoid passing
the house of the parental Mills, which
was situated on the direct road to the
village. While driving leisurely along,
judge of their surprise when suddenly
a horse and buggy dashed by containing
the father and brother. Young Mills
sprang to the ground and attempted to
seize Lazaleer 's team by the bits. Tak
ing in the situation at a glance, Lazaleer
turned his team suddenly around, and
before the Mioses could get under way
the object of their anxiety was out of
sight. This was near Franklin Centre,
the young couple having perambulated
the town of Franklin here and there be
fore this until they bad already driven
twelve or fifteen miles. The pursued
party were headed for tne village of
Clinton, and now began the most ex
citing portion of the race. The
Messrs. Mills entered the race in
earnest. Lazaleer s team was a young
and spirited one, while the other was
scarcely less so. Before starting out.
Xiazaleer had made arrangements with
Dr. Alvord to be married at his house,
provided he was fortunate enough to
get possession of the young lady. The
intention of the fleeing couple was to
gain time and reach Dr. Alvord's resi
dence in season to have tne marriage
performed before their pursuers came up.
To circumvent this was the old man's
aim. The news of the chase had reached
thevillage soon after it began, and Dr.
Alvord, thinking that time might be
precious, had procured the services of
the Methodist minister. Rev. Mr.
Fraree, who was awaiting the result of
the race at the doctor's residence. At
five minutes before five Lazaleer drove
Tip. The young couple sprang from the
buggy and rushed into the house. The
required time was gained, but none to
spare, for Mills was close at hand, but
before he could get out of his buggy
the nuptial knot was tied.
By this time a crowd had collected
about the house, but it was soon looked
and Messrs. Mills refused admittance.
After trying every door and using some
; extravagant i language, they assurred
themselves that the marriage ceremony
had actually been performed by an in
terview with the minister. They then
-went away. The appearance of the
young couple, as the ceremony was be
ing performed, is said to have been ex
tremely singular,, and, under the cir
cumstances, rather ludicrous. So short
was' the time that no preparation could
be made. They were dressed in com
mon clothes, and literally covered with
mud, the result of their drive. ' The
parties are all well connected, and out
' aiders cannot see why Mr. Mills should
object bo strenuously to the match.
The affair, as it terminated, caused con
siderable excitement. What the ulti
mate result will be, whether a disin
heritance or a reconciliation, " has not
yettranspiredT ' " - -j
SING ULAR ,SU1 CIDE. -. 'V ,
A young girl named Durant recently
killed herself at Bristol, England, by
jumping over the suspension bridge
. there. The queerest part of the story
is the way in which the girl jumped
over. She went upon the bridge, and
the toll-taker, noticing her loitering-
about, ordered her off to the other side.
Then she ' went down the bill to the
ferry, crossing it, climbed the zigzag at
the Clifton side just below the bridge
and again presented herself at the Clif
ton end of the bridge. She smiled to
the toll-taker, tendered a penny and
passed on; but the gate-keeper sus
pected her and gave chase. The girl
had about 100 yards start of her pur
suer and ran, as the man says, " like a
deer, ; past the pier and along the
bridge itself. When she had gone
about a quarter of the way she looked
back and again smiled, but did not
stop. The .man turned round for a
moment, and while he did so the girl
mounted the trellis work of the bridge,
clambered down the rail at the other
side and hung from the footpath only
by hat hands, her body swinging in the
air. -' The gate-keeper was two or three
yards distant when she did bo, and he
rushed forward and attempted to seize
aher. Directly I couched her hands,"
said the man in His evidence, " she
looked in my face and smiled, and then
she dropped." This is the tenth suicide
which has taken place from the bridge,
and the jury suggested that some
method of preventing people from
climbing the railing should be adopted.
VOUDOOI8M.
We have heard of a Nashville man
swallowing a crooked piece of wire, and
not been relieved of it until many years
had passed and gone, but that was not
half as singular as the case of ahegresa
at Shellmound, who, nine months ago,
took into her stomach, as she avers.
without knowing it, ten pins tightly
wrapped in a ball, composed of African
wool. The negress is the cook in the
house of Mr. Samuel Ingersolh She
says at the time she provoked the enmity
of another negress, who in turn and
out of revenge resorted to a stratagem
to render her: wretched the remaining
days of her well-spent life. They were
together one day not long after a hot
dispute which had arisen between them,
when her enemy handed her, at her in
vitation, in a pint cup, some water,
which she drank down, having become
somewhat thirsty from the passion
which had been aroused in her by the
severe tongue-lashing of her opponent,
From that time on until last Sunday
she had constantly felt an uneasiness
in the stomach, and often grew sick
from the " charm" which she believed
her enemy had'given her in the water.
At times she seemed almost ready to go
into convulsions, when she would re
cover from them and not be troubled
again for several days. j
Last Sunday she was more violently
taken than ever, and was seized with
vomiting, emitting blood, and finally a
small piece of something having a re
semblance to . a hard wad. When it
was examined it was found that it was
composed of the wool of a negress,
tighly wrapped around ten pins, which
were so bent, point to head, as to pre
vent sticking in the flesh, and thereby
producing death from 'any irritation
that might ensue. It is supposed the
continuance of the wad in the stomach,
however, did produce more or less irri
tation, and that the brass contained in
the pins doubtless had the effect to pro
duce temporary sickness.
Since she was relieved of the "charm,"
which she still persists in calling it, she
has shown signs of decided improve
ment as regards her health. Nashville
TennJ) Banner. . .. !
' PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. '
The various express companies, hav-
ing in view a further increased security
for their messengers and the valuables
intrusted to their care, have submitted
the following suggestions and guards
to the various railroad managers in the
country : That both the end doors of
all baggage and express-cars be per
manently closed ; or, if there are seri
ous objections to this, then that the ex
press companies be allowed to furnish
and have put on by the mechanics of
the road what is known as a " chain
door-fastener," and when that is done,
that peremptory orders be issued to the
baggage andVexpressmen requiring the
fastener to be kept in constant use at
all hours, day and night; posting the
order in one or more places in each car,
and forbidding those men to allow any
persons rstrangers, or others not con
nected with the train to enter the cars
for any purpose whatever, particularly
after dark. ' These precautions seem to
be a necessity to protect tne express
companies against tLe repeated acts of
desperadoes, who enter the baggage
and express-cars in force by the end
doors when the train is in motion, at
tacking ' baggage : and express-messen
gers, overcoming; securing, and gag
ging them, robbing the safes, and, by
checking the train, escaping without
detection.- - '
AN' INTERESTIN F AMIL Y. '
A family of English colonists, consist
ing of a father, six sons and one daugh
ter; have for some time past kept their
native town in a state of uneasiness on
account of a family weakness for mur
der, i According to the story, in a brief
s$ ace of time, the eight persons com
posing the family managed to commit
over one hundred murders. Out of this
number, some of the gentlemen of the
family, were each responsible for thirty
murders, .while the ' young lady only
committed twenty-five, though, but for
premature interference of the authori
ties, it is considered probable that she
would have completed an equal number.
The predecessor of the present Gover
nor, most .ungallantly caused her to be
arrested, .together with her amiable pa
rent and four of her brothers. - It is not
stated, what became . of the remaining
brothers, j but : the poor old gentleman
was hanged about . three months ago,
and two of his sons met with a similar
melancholy accident on the 25th of last
month. The other two and the young
lady are still languishing in captivity,
and much anxiety is felt on their behalf ;
or .unless the local judges take a len
ient view of their offenses on account of
their youth, they have but a poor chance
of resuming their position in society.
There were Beven gentlemen of Cin
cinnati who formed themselves into the
" Last Man Society " on the 6th of
October, 1832, and vowed to meet an
nually until death claimed them all., A
bottle of wine was sealed up in a box,
audit was mutually agreed that the
last 'man should' open the box and
drink " the; wine. They' met for
four'' 'years ' together. The first
death occurred in T 1837, and in
October, "1856, 'the last 'man sat
down alone. The 'wine bottle was
opened', and in silence the last of the
seven friends drank the health of his
departed companions.: Every year,' on
the 6th of October, the last man holds
the anniversary alone. He is yet alive.
OUR . NA TIONAL EXHIBIT.
According to the President's message,
delivered to Congress on the 7th of De
cember, the receipts of the govern
ment from all sources for the last fiscal
year were $322,186,231.29, and the ex
penditures, on all accounts, $302,633,-
873.76 showing an excess of receipts
over expenditures of $17,552,357.53.
MILBS OF BAXLiBOAD BUILT.
There have been nearly 30,000 miles
of railroad constructed within the past
five years. i
POSTOFPICK OPERATIONS.
The revenues of the Postoffice De
partment for the year were $24,596,560,
and the expenditures $32,126,415 an
increase of revenue over the previous
year of $1,674,411, and of expenditure
of $3,041,469. The number of dead
letters received was 4,601,773, contain
ing valuables to the amount of $4,637,
420. The postal service, at the end of
the fiscal year, consisted of 69,734 miles
of railroad ; annual transportation,
72,460,545 miles ; annual cost, $9,113,
190, or about 12 cents per mile. The
annual transportation on steamboats cost
over 26 cents a mile, and on all other
routes about 11 cents per mile. The
foreign mail service has been increased
to four mails per week. During the
year $74,uuu,uuu were transmuted
through the money-order department.
There are 34,294 Postmasters in the
United States. There were established
during the year 2,318 new postoffioes,
while 1,268 were discontinued. " Nine
hundred and seven Postmasters were
removed during the year, and 5,354
resigned.
OPERATIONS OF THB LAW DEPARTMENT.
There were judgments during the
year in civil suits in favor of the United
States of $2,021,724. Of the criminal
cases, 6,01a were terminated, including
2,623 convictions, of which 102 out of
966 were for violations of the Enforce
ment act.
THB ARMT AND NAVX.
Our navy is represented to be in a re
markably efficient condition. It con
sists of 163 vessels, with 1,354 guns.
The army consists of about 30,000 men,
and is represented to be in an efficient
condition.
' THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.
During the fiscal year over nine and
a half millions of acres of the public
lands were disposed of, a quantity less
by three and half million acres than
were sold the preceding year. There
were surveyed during the year 29,492,
110 acres, making with the quantity
previously surveyed, 649,393,052 acres,
and leaving yet to be surveyed 1,185,
605,348 acres. During the year, 3,
264,314 acres of the public domain were
certified to railroads, against oyer six
million acres the preceding year.
Nearly a million acres were entered
under the Timber act, which augurs
well for the treeless prairies of the
great West.
CUSTOMS.
The collections from customs during
the year amounted to $165,480,503, the
cost of collecting which amounted to
$7,319,407.
AGBICULTUKE. j
The business of the Agricultural
Bureau is rapidly growing, and the de
partment grounds are being enlarged
in order to meet the increasing demands
upon their capacity. Over one and a
quarter million packages of seeds were
distributed during the fiscal year, i j
. PENSIONS. ' ' ' j
During the year 5,733 new applica
tions for army invalid pensions were
allowed, at an aggregate annual rate of
$39,332. There are now 102,457 army
invalid pensioners on the rolls, who
draw annually $10,058,377 ; and 107,-
516 army widows and dependent rela
tives, drawing $13,357,195 annually.
The navy invalid pensioners number
1,551, at an annual rate of $169,492, and
1,785 pensioners on the navy roll of
widows and dependent relatives, at a
total rate of $287,534. There are 17,
620 survivors of the war of 1812 on the
pension rolls, at a total annual rate of
$1,691,520 ; 646 of the 1812 veterans
died last year. There are 5,312 widows
of soldiers of 1812 on the pension rolls.
The total number of pensioners of all
classes is 236,241, and they draw an
nually from the Treasury $26,254,071.
The roll contains , the names of 410
widows and soldiers of the Revolution
ary War.
- INTERNAL REVENUE.
' The total receipts from internal reve
nue were $102,644,747.
' EDUCATION.
The past year has been one of sub
stantial progress in educational matters.
This progress is particularly manifest
in the growth of special schools for the
training of children. There are 113
ncrmal schools, having 877 instructors
and 16.620 students. Eleven of these
have been established during the year.
The following statistics are interesting :
Number , of , theological schools in the
country, 110 ; deaf and dumb institutes,
40 ; blind asylums, 28 ; orphans' homes,
400 : scientific - schools, 68 ; reform
schools, 34. ; " :
INDIANS. .
There are in the country 255,248 In
dians, about 90,000 of wnom are wild,
and tractable only to the extent of be
ing willing to take blankets and rations.
About 51,000 evince a disposition to
undertake labor and accept the assist
ance of the government agents. There
are 14,000 classed as vagrants, j The
remaininghundr&d thousand own landed
estates, and are wholly r partially civ
ilized. ' -
PATENTS. ;
The business of the Patent Office
shows a steadv increase. Since 1836
OVer 155.0ftrt nafunta Ti avA tiAAn issUAcL
DurinOT ttlA tm, origin) Rant 8(1 .1874.
there were 21,077 applications for pat
ents ; during the same period, 13,541
patents' were 'granted; caveats 'filed,
8,121 ; patents expired, 5,281 ; patents
extended, 204.
RUNAWAY HUSBANDS.
In the fifth year of the reign of
George the Fourth was paseed -an act
entitled the Vagrant act, which holds
that every person running away, and
leaving his wife; or his or her children,
chargeable, or whereby she or they, or
any of them, shall become chargeable
to any parish, shall be deemed a rogue
and vagabond."" Other supplementary
acts passed during the present reign
provide that any woman deserting her
natural child shall be equally deemed a
rogue and vagabond, and punished ac
cordingly. Acting by authority of and
upon the terms of these acts, there is
published in England a small weekly,
entitled the JPoor Law Unions' Gazette,
which is posted to every union through
out the country on the Friday evening
of every week. The scope of this
weekly -is very simple. It describes
every man who has left his wife and
children, his age, height, trade, cloth
ing, habits, mode of speech, haunts,
and every particular , concerning him.
Through its means the light of outraged
justice is cast upon every skulking
renegade. He cannot escape it without
leaving the country, and it is lawful for
any person to apprehend him, to lay on
a hand, 1o turn him over to the nearest
constable. The pages of this little
paper are full of the most, curious
statistics. It includes men of very de
scription, trade, and calling ; men of all
ages and complexions, dark and sallow
being the rarest, the generality being
fresh, ruddy, light, florid, freckled, and
fair. There are gardeners, colliers,
sawyers, blacksmiths, tailors, miners,
butchers, cabmen, quack doctors, oos-
termongers, sailors, servants, and men
of every conceivable trade and special
ty. Some of the irregularities, or
things to be made a note of, are quite
singular and amusing. Thus we find
that one man has a scar at the corner
of one eye ; another, a mark from the
kick of a horse ; a third, projecting
teeth ; a .fourth, a tumor on the right
arm ; a fifth, a hare-lip ; a sixth, a burn
on the left cheek ; a seventh, a mark
on the nose ; an eighth, a down-cast
look, a stoop, a lame walk, or only one
leg. Singularly enongh, the majority
of runaway husbands have blue eyes.
We are also told that one runaway hus
band is an efficient musician, that
another speaks through his nose. Some
are fond of dancing, while one man
plays the bones in a negro minstrel
troupe, and another plays the piano,
frequents betting houses, and hawks
pies.
There can be little doubt that such a
law and such a periodical must exercise
a very salutary influence upon the class
of worthless vagabonds it is intended
to reach. There is nothing which peo
ple dread so much as notoriety when
their deeds are evil, and with the
chance of having his name branded
about ; his person and habits described;
a prioe, as it were, placed upon his
head, a m ait will think twice before he
deserts his fome and family. It is true
that the poor woman, in her little pride,
will slave and toil to keep the wolf from
the door, in hopes that the husband,
however drunken and useless, may re
turn to save her from the pity which
every woman dreads. She will not
make use of this powerful organ until
every other method has failed her. She
has one held, at all events, on her faith
less spouse; a hold which will justly
show the craven idler up to public
ridicule and contempt. Mr. Gladstone
has proposed to try the effect of shame
in the case of drunkards, by publishing
the names of delinquents in a black
list, to be kept specially for the pur
pose. It seems to be an excellent idea,
because when young Mr. Fitz-Noodle
knows that his young lady friends may
read in the morning paper that their
dashing exquisite has been seen the
night before drunk and incapable, he
may think twice before risking his pros
pects and reputation. Human nature
is unfortunately weak, and while the
philanthropist, the millionaire, the au
thor, the actor, and men generally
dearly love notoriety for its own sake,
the criminal, the vicious, and the fool
ish have every reason to dread it for
exactly opposite reasons.
OF ITSELF A NATION.
The statistics of Paris for 1873, just
published by the Prefecture of the
Seine, give, in figures, a good idea of
what the great busy world there was
about during the twelve months desig
nated. The births that year amounted
to 55,905, of which the greatest num
ber, 250, occurred oh' April fool's day.
The largest number1 took place in the
poorest arrondissement, the smallest in
the Faubourg St. Germain. The mar
riages numbered 10,520, in which there
were several curious unions. Two were
between 1 nephews and, their aunts,
twenty-six between uncles and their
nieces, one hundred and three between
brothers-in-law and , sisters-in-law, and
one hundred and eighty between cous
ins. The number of deaths amounted
to 41,732, of which nearly eight thou
sand were from consumption,, and six
hundred were suicides. Paris ate 5,435, -732
chickens, and 2,865,241 tame rab
bits, besides nearly a million and a half
of larks. : The beef, mutton and veal
consumed were valued at 177,000,000
francs,, and other substantial in like
quantity., Of beverages - to assimilate
ail this food, the City absorbed 407,868,
450 litres (rather less Jhan an Imperial
quart) of wine in the piece ; 1,704,935
bottles and half bottles of finer wine ;
.9,016,030 litres of brandy and spirits;
3,536,584 litres of cider, and 32,500,000
litres of beer. In regard to the weather
there was rain for seventy days, high
winds for thirty, snow for thirteen, fog
for fifty-four and hail for seven. .',
It cost a Denver sport $43 to cut off
the pig-tail ornament of a Celestial resi
dent in that city.
HOW HOLIDAYS ARE KEPT UP IN
. BELGIUM.
The great holidays in the Low Coun
tries are kept up with noisy and, to our
eyes, rude merriment. In t he olden
time, the staid New Englandere, who
forbade Christmas celebration under
severe penalty, and, as Hudibras hath
it, "blasphemed custard through the
nose, and even went so far as to dis
parege that best and dearest friend.Jplum
porridge," looked with a holy horror at
what they deemed the utter godlessness
of New Netherlands But even the au
thorities of the Dutch colony - after a
time thought that some limits were to
be set to this wild merrymaking, and
the earliest city laws contain enact
ments against some of the favorite
amusements, such as the cruel sport of
goose-pulling ; and, if we mistake not,
pail-tipping also fell under the ban.
Some of the Flemish sports at Ter
wooren, in Belgium, are peculiar, as,
from a sense of woman's rights, or be
cause it is mere ludicrous to see women
bo engaged, the actors are almost en
tirely of the fair and now self -asserting
sex.
Our boys in army times gov much
sport out of races in sacks.
Another sport is a kind of blind-man's-buff,
in which the women, one by
one, blindfolded, try to strike with a
pole an egg suspended from a cord,
which is kept swinging, and a drum
beating to prevent her hearing too
keenly. The occasional cracks which
over-eager spectators get while en
deavoring to obtain a close view do not
in the least detract from the merriment.
In fact, as we always, more or less,
enjoy the misfortunes of our friends and
neighbqrs, it is only due to the truth of
history to record the fact that these
mishaps draw ferth hearty laughter and
shouts of applause.
Another sport is to range a'number of
women on a platform, with their hands
tied behind their backs, while a num
ber of small loaves, well covered with
molasses, are kept dangling before
them. A prize is given to the woman
who first contrives to get hold of one
with her mouth.
MISTAKE OF A MILLION.
Parents sometimes make mistakes by
trying to live their children's lives as
well as their own. Duty is a sensible,
respectable thing, but sometimes chil
dren, after they reach men's and wom
en's estate, may err in allowing their
parents to live their lives for them.
Two years ago Mr. Otis O. Hall was a
bank-teller in San Francisco, at a salary
of $2,500. He was his own man, if
years could make him such. He saw
and loved Miss Sharon, daughter of the
wealthiest miner and- banker on the
Pacific slope. She loved him, or at
least she said she did, and was willing
to prove it by marrying him. Her
parents were also consenting, although
Hall was a poor young clerk. But
Hall's parents had to advise their son
for his good. He was too young to
marry, they said, and had not- seen
enough of the world to make it proper
for him to tie himself down to one spot
and one woman. They advised him to
travel two years, and then return and
claim and take his beautiful bride with
their blessing. All was arranged satis
factorily. He left his situation in San
Francisco, did Europe on $8,000 bor
rowed money, and a short time ago he
returned, the period of his probation
having elapsed. He got back just in
time te read in the newspapers of the
marriage of Miss Sharon, his betrothed,
to T. G. Newlands, a young lawyer of
San Francisco. It was also stated for
Hall's further edification that Newlands
had received a million dollars in ca-h
with his beautiful bride. 5 Hall got a
position as clerk in a hardware stor,
but he is not happy. He was a dutiful
son, but he isn't worth a cent as a hus
band. His kind parents may try to
console him by telling him that he is
better off without that fickle woman,
but he will never think himself . better
off without the million, and the pros
pective harvest of the jiJharon estate.
The only mistake Hall made was that
he did not marry the girl and take her
with him on his travels. He did not
live his own life, and is now living that
his parents marked out for him.
THE LONDON AND NEW TcORK
CLEARING HOUSES.
London has hitherto been supposed
to be the great financial center of the
world, but the following transactions of
the clearing-houses of London and
New York shows that the balance of
financial transactions is largely in favor
of the commercial metropolis of the
New World. We take the figures from
a table supplied by the Financial
Chronicle of New York :
Total transactions of the clearing
houses of New York and London for the
years undermentioned :
London. Xevtiork.
' - $15,287,000 000 $28,484,000,000
",670,000,009 87,407,000,000
1870.... 18,608,000,000 27,804 000 000
8J1 " 20,092,000,000 " 29,800 000 000
If 28,748.000,000 35,272,000,000
J3 30,010,000,000 88,988,000,080
187 29,970,000,000 SlOOoiooO
The figures for New York are of
course in American currency ; those for
London are sterling reduced to gold
dollars.
THE NEXT SPEAKER.
The New York Herald has set its
numerous "interviewers", at work in
finding out the sentiments ot the Dem
ocrats elected to the next House of
Representatives' upon the subject of
the Speakership. From the data thus
obtained' it makes up the following re
capitulation, showing the strength of
the candidates named as nearly aa can
be ascertained :
M. C. Kerr. ......
........ 61
.. 10
......f. 18
S. S. Cox
Fernando Wood. . .....
N. P. BBh.,;,',.,;.i ....
Gilbert Walker... . . . . ; .
P. F. Thomas. . .
Milton Sayler. ...... .j .... ,
Doubtful
17
.. V 1
. 4
as
81
Total.
.164
SPELLING MATCH IN CLEVELAND.
The Clevelanders have had a great
deal of fun recently out of spelling
matches.' A reporter of the Herald
has stood the longest on two occasions.
Wednesday evening the reporter and a
lady stood alone, all the rest over
thrown, when the lady missed isosceles.
The falling of the reporter, who was
the last survivor, is thus described by
himself:
" Now, said Mr. James, . I have a
few words for you, to tackle,' as . his
eyes gloated ov;r some orthographical
conglomerations that were not even
printed in his blue book,' but which
he had dug out of dictionaries and
medical works and with which he had
frescoed in pencil the margin of his
book. Colocynth,' exclaimed he, with
a triumphant spell-it-if-you-can air,
and if you want to know what it
means, it's a medicine for the babies.'
The luckless chap scratched hia pate for
a moment, thinking the word was
enough to kill any baby in Christendom,,
to say nothing of the medicine, made
ene wild effort to spell it and then his
corpse was added to the pile of the
slain. ;
" Some of the blunders in spelling
were of course laughable and excited
much merriment, though doubtless
many of those who laughed would them?
selves have made even worse mistakes.
At one time Mr. James gave to the Her
ald the word pronounced 4 lock, giving
also the definition a lake. 'L-o-u-g-h
lock ' and there was a general-laugh
at the stupidity of spelling ' lock ' in
such an absurd way. The pencil slinger
stood serenely confident, while the
spectators waited to hear Next 1 from
the master of ceremonies. But when
the noise had abated and Mr. James,
who was standing on a chair, said, with
a wave of the hand, ' he is entirely cor
rect !' the newspaper man had the laugh
on his side and the room resounded
with applause."
AMERICA THE TOMB OF RACES.
Dr. Edward H. Clarke, author of
"Sex in Education," brought forward
at the Detroit meeting of the National
Educational Association a paper on the
"Building of a Brain," in which he
laid down the problem of life which the
American nation confronts, as follows :
No race of human kind has yet ob
tained a footing upon this continent.
The Asiatics trace back their life, in
Asia so far that the distance between
to-day and their recorded starting point
seems like a geologic epoch. The
descendants of the Ptolemies stil
linger about the Nile. The. race that
peopled northern Europe when Greece
and Rome were young, not only retains
its ancient place and power, but makes
itself felt and heard throughout the
world. On this continent races have
been born, laid lived, and disappeared.
Mounds at the West, vestiges in Flori
da, and traces elsewhere proclaim at
least two extinct races. The cause of
their disappearance remains undiscov
ered. We only know that they are
gone. The Indian whom our ancestors
confronted was losing his hold on the
continent when the Mayflower anchored
in Plymouth Bay, and is now rapidly
disappearing also. It remains to be
seen if the Anglo-Saxon race that has
ventured upon a continent that has
proved the tomb of antecedent races,
can be more fortunate than they in
maintaining a permanent grasp upon
this Western world. One thing at least
is sure it will fail as previous races
have failed, unless it can produce a
physique and a brain capable of meet
ing successfully the demands which our
climate and civilization make upon it.
THE TWO COURTS AT ROME.
It was predicted, late in 1870, after
Victor Emmanuel had established his
court and the government of Italy in
Rome, "the Eternal City," that for
eign powers would not long continue to
have two embassies there one Am
bassador to the King and the other to
the Pope. The difficulty arose from
the fact, scarcely to be wondered at or
condemned, that the Pope refused to
receive, as diplomatic representative
at the Vatican, any person also accred
ited by a foreign power to the King of
Italy. Of the great powers only France
and Austria are now represented at the
Vatican. Englind has not sent an
Ambassador to the Pope since the time
of James IX, nearly two centuries back.
Germany has withdrawn her Ambassa
dor Bince Pius IX. refused to accept
Cardinal Hohenlohe in that capacity,
The diplomatic relations between Russia
and the Vatican have been suspended
for some time, and those between the
Pope and Spain have ceased since the
dethronement and expulsion of Queen
Isabella II. in 1868. In February,
1872, the Parliament of Holland abol
ished its Papal legation, though a Papal
nuncio still remains at the Hague.
Belgium, Bavaria, Holhmd, Brazil and
the South American Republics are Btill
represented at the Vatican. The trouble
is that. the Ministers of this country
have nothing to do in the Leonine city
except with regard to the religious in
terests of their states, whose Apolitical
relations with Italy are properly looked
after by ' Ambassadors accredited to
King Victor Emmanuel.
A youno couple in Worcester, Mass.,
got married and retired to their boarding-house.
When midnight came, so
did two "peelers," who arrested the
pair, swearing that the marriage cer
tificate was a forgery. - The "happy
couple" spent the night in adjoining
cells. Now the police officers say it
was a mistake. Married people will
avoid Worcester till after the honey
moon. TLe bridegroom says such
treatment is more irritating than one
would think.
Hydbophobia has made its appear
ance among the sheep in Texas,
CHRISTMAS-TIDE IN BER VIA.
The Servians call Christmas Eve asidl
Christmas Day Log Evening (Badnji
Veoer) and Log Day (Badnji Dan), a
yule-log forming, as in England,.
France and " Westphalia, a prominent
all Christmas Eve before, the fireplace,
and as the night progresses,, the head of
the house sprinkles it in tbeorm of a
erosp. saving : Welcome, O Log
may God bless thee I" and strews it
with wheat, Indian corn and other
products of the earth. As the family
respond Amen, the young men outside
fire off guns and pistols, and the birth
dnv of the Lord is ushered in.
In Rizano and other parts of Dalma
tia the girls dress up the pale-log ' with
ribbons and flowers. i
In Stueck'ttie log is kept till New
Year's Eve, when it is committed to the
fire with due honors.
.In some parts the table is spread,,
with the Christmas cake in the center,. .
a flagon of wine, plates and glasses..
All the men and boys then surround the
table, each holding a lighted taper in
ins hand, while the head of the family
pronounces a blessing. Then the cake
is eaten, and a merry Christmas toast,
drank with hearty good-will.
Thus each country has 'its own cus
toms for celebrating the great festivaP
of the Christian year ; each applied to
it, on embracing the religion preached1
by the apostles, some of the ceremonies,
attending their former joyous holidays,
and have continued down to our time,,
relics of the olden heathen days of pa
gan ancestors, just as our names of the
days of the week remind ub that we are
descended from men "who once wor-
shinerl the KfvnoTiinirv deities of.the-
North, Tuisco, -Woden, Thor, Freya
and Sator. t
WARLIKE PREPARATIONS.
The friends of peace and arbitration-
will be rather disheartened when they
hear that a contract has been offered to
an American firm for the manufacture,
of 3,500,000 . pounds of saltpeter a
transaction which certainly smells more-
of gunpowder than of peace. It is not-
certain that the order has actually been
gi ?en, but there can be no doubt that
one of the great European powers ha
been inquiring in New York whether
the above quantity of saltpeter could'
be had by a given date in 1873. . Some
continental nation is clearly preparing
for a wholesale manufacture J of gun
powder next year ; but wheher it is-
merely another of Prince ' xismarck'sw
measures to better secure tiie peace of"
Europe, or whether it is France, or per-u
haps Russia, that is making ready for
coming events, we are not told. What
stock of gunpowder England may have
on hand is likely to be reduced rather
than increased, if it be true that Japan,
despite the settlement of the Formosa,
difficulty, is sending to Liverpool for
2,500 barrels. J
The sisters Smith, of Glastonbury,.
Conn., who don't believe in taxation,
without representation, are determined',
to fight it out on that line. Abby has
written a letter giving an account of
their attendance at a town meeting,,
which was held to consider the ex
penses of the town, and she comments
very sarcastically on the proceedings.
They were treated very civilly, though
no bod v seemed triad to am them. Thiw
were anxious to conform to the cus
toms of, the place, and so pulled off
their gloves when they noticed the men
x . , , . .
wure none, lue tax collector BSC, m
a corner, apparently not daring to look
the resolute sisters in the face. They
found it cost $317 to have nine men to
look after the school, . and think a
smaller number of women could do it
better. They are living now in daily
expectation of having their furniture
sold for taxes.- They thought they
owned it, they say, but find it belongs
to the town, and there is no knowing.
when tite owners will take it away.
The weird sisters do not seem to he
happy. ' " -
A had report comes from a prayer
meeting way down in Georgia. It is
the report of a pistol. -They were
worshiping, , as .was their- weekly cus
tom, and it appears that while they
were in communion with the saints on
high they kept their powder dry. The
leader of the exercises flopped upon his
knees, and flopping, his pistol flew out
of his pocket and was discharged. Pep
per, who sat near him, was shot. The
boys picked Pepper up and carried him
out. Passing down the aisle Pepper
smiled sadly and said : "Take care,
hoys, don't let mine drop. Some one
else might be shot." How many
more pistols were in that prayerful:
ngregation is left for the reader to
oonjecture. So far as appeared they
"were pretty well fixed for fighting thfr
cmnA xi i v. .1
keeping the faith. N
Tan libel suit of Mr. Ross, father of
the missing boy, against the Reading.
(Pa.) Eagle has. been decided, the
court sentencing the proprietors of the
paper to pay a fine of $1,000. Their
plea was ignorance of the libelous arti
cle, but the court, in pronouncing judg
ment, said : " If, because it cannot be
proven that an editor or publisher did
Actually write an article that is libelous,
he is to go free, this is to establish a.
very dangerous principle. " What a man
and if he were 'permitted to fold
his hands and say, I did not do it, but
mv acent did." no family in the com
munity would be Haie."
A veobo in Pittsburgh , fell from the
roof of a three-story 1 house last week.
but, striking square on tne top oi tug
head, his life was saved.
A iouho lady fearful of becoming
stout devotes two hours to every meal,
because she had read somewhere ihvi
Haste makes waste,"