The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-10-30 00:00:00

THE CAME HEAMON.

According to market return., not for many years
has game been so scarce and dear, and, we must add,
in such poor and small condition. The shooting
season has now lasted long enough to enable a perfect
estimate to be formed of its prospect, and these are
bad all round. Grouse are very scarce, and indifferent
in size and quality. Of partridges the name may be
said. Some exceptionally k, xxl birds do find their way
to market, lint the bulk are insignificant thing., not
much better than young pigeons. The supply of
pheasants, too, in, very limited, and consists almost
entirely of thin and small birds ; and hares me scarce
and thin ; and, in fast, our late and inclement spring
this year has told most severely on all the ground an.
feathered game. The result has been to send up the
price of poultry, which had previously been griev•
ously low. This, again, will react on the price of
meat and then of fish, so that no cheap food supplies
can well be looked for this winter. In addition to all
this, the turnip crops have so completely failed in the
north that the sheep, after being half starved, are
being killed off in all directions, and sent to market
more like thin lambs than sheep. These are the
animals that should arrive about Christmas time ; but
they will not be forthcoming then, and high prices
may undoubtedly be looked for.—Meat and Provision
Trades &rive.

POLICEMAN FINED FOR FORGERY.
At Wolverhampton, Dennis Kinsella, a policeman,
wax charged with forging a character. In August he
obtained a situation in the borough police by a
certificate purporting to be signed by Sir Henry Lake,
commissioner of the Dublin police, stating lie had
been in the force seven years, and had voluntarily
resigned with exemplary conduct. Evidence from
Dublin proved that the certificate was forged, and
that, after serving thirteen years, prisoner was
dismi4sed for drunkeness. A fine of £2O and c tots, or
two months' hard labour, was Imposed.

A PETRIFIED GIANi

A remarkable din very has just been made in Colo-
rado—namely, a petrified giant, supposed to be pre
historic. The discoverer was a Mr. Conant, a mer-
chant of many yearn standing in New York, who once
represented the county of nuffolk in the State Leg's.
lature. On the 16th of September he drove out from
Pueblo to a place 20 miles distant, where he had often
found petrified fish, sea turtles, serpents, and fruit.
He was accompanied by his son, and while eating his
luncheon under a tree his attention WM attracted by
something .protruding from the ground, which looked
like a mans toes, With the assistance of Mr. Conant,
jun. he commenced digging, and Noon unearthed a
petrified man of enormous size. 'lle giant wax in a
reclining position. the left knee being slightly drawn
up with the left arm resting on it, while the right hand
was laid 'crows the left breast. The length of the
figures is 7ft. 54in., its arms 41t. long, and the hand is
12 inches long from the wrist bone to the end of the
longest finger. One foot has been broken below the
toes. The other foot in quite perfect, and is 18 inches
long. The toes are somewhat flattened out, The
features of the face resemble those of an Indian.
The forehead recedes from the eyebrows, and the head
in large. After being removed to Pueblo, the giant
WU taken to the Colorado Springs, where he was ex.
hibited gratuitously for three days. He was then
carried to Denver, and has created intense excitement,
thousands:of persons fd wiring to see him. By a strange
coincidence Mr. Barnum was at Denver when the
giant was found, and some people were 111. natured
enough to suggest that there were some mysterious
connection between the two. Mr. Barnum, in a letter
to the New York Tribune indignantly denies that there
Is the slightest truth in this rumour. He has, how-
ever, seen the giant, and wan so much struck by his
appearance that he offered 20,000 dollars for him.
This offer being refused, Mr. Barnum made a further
bid of 25,000 dollars,provided that upon examination
Professor Marsh, of Yale College, or any other equaffy
competent authority pronounces It to be • genuine
petrification. Mr. Conant, however, declines for the
present to come to terms, and will not sell the giant at
any Price.—Po2l Mall oa,:a4c.