The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-12-30 00:00:00

GENERAL ITEMS.

A destructive fire broke out at Aldershot on Wednesday,
some patroleu vi stores being a part of the property
attacked The damage Is estimated at many thousand
P°:lna-a• - -

.-17,;,..-t—week the total number of paupers in the metropolis
nu 91913, of whom 47,030 were in workhouse., and 44,881
received outdoor relief. Compared with the correspond.
leg periods of 1878. 1877, and 1878, these figures show an
increase of 9,308, Br 3 and M. respectively.
'The Dempeey family, who were on the 12th instant
'evicted at Balla for eon-payment of rent, are now
again In possession of their holding,; the amount due,
together with the costa, having been raised by subscrip-
tion. _

THR RUSSIAN EXPICOMON IN CENTRAL ASIA.—At
Tchikislar steamers have discharged their cargoes of
forage and other stores. Everything betokened active
preparation for the re-opening of the campaign, and
fresh troops are daily expect.
WORK IN THZ GUN YACTORT.—An order has been
received at Woolwich for the forges in the Royal Gun
Factory to resume full work on Monday, involved in
the order is the introduction of breechloading artillery,
and it is understood that the Government ham not only
sanctioned the manufacture of a large number of guns
with breechloading action, but has also made an extra
grant to meet the necessary expenditure.
THZ SOCIZTT OF FRIENDS' evangelistic missions, in
the East-end of London, are supplemented by temporal
relief of a most welcome and substantial kind; and
many benevolent labours are being carried out In that
densely-crowded part of the metropolis.
Tux CHILL and humid atmosphere of boxing day was
not favourable to outdoor recreation. The early
morning was damp and foggy, and the majority of the
holiday-keepers !preferred indoor amusement*. There
were about 21,000 visitors to the Crystal Palace, and a
very large number to the Alexandre Palace, while
0,400_ persons went to the South Kensington Museum,
or AOOlO over the return For last year.
The National League has voted an address of
Mr. Gladstone on his seventieth
congratulation to
birthday. It expresses an earnest hope that Mr.
Gladstone's services will for very many years be placed
at the disposal of the Liberal party.
On Wednesday morning the Euphrates left Ports-
mouth with reinforcements for India. The men were
drafts from lesions corps who are going out to join
their respective regiment*. Altogether there were
about 1,200 men.
Foo ON CHRISTMAS DAT.—A dense fog veiled all
over London, and the use of artificial light had
generally to be resorted to. On the suburban lines
railway traffic was greatly Impeded, and In many
nutmeat after dusk omnibuses and tramcars mowed to
run. At Gravesend the fog was so dense that at eleven
o'clock the railway boats ceased running, a slight
collision between one of these steamers and a Thames
Conservancy lighter having already taken place. The
fog appears to have been very general. At Nottingham
it Is described as having been the densest experienced
for many year.; while at both Strathern and Help-
done, akar Norwich, railway accidents occurred. At
the ftneemeotlamdictr a num employed on the Mee
wee rua over sod