The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1841-06-01

addressed the meeting, with much force and
effect. They are themselves living witnesses Of
the efficacy of total abstinence the only eectu
al preventive and cure for drunkenness, and
are therefore peculiarly qualified 10 urge with
| responsiveness and sincerity, Its practice upon
others. Mr.. Wright related the history Of his
downfall and wrelchedness with paihos and Ell
oquence 4; he is a mechanic, and became early in
youth victim 10 the destroying fiend, and was
carried downward, and downward, until he was
only rescued from death by The timely appear
| ance of a friend TO wrest from his hand the razor
he had graSped to destroy his own life. How
sincere and pc uted, the warning and monition
from the lips of such an one
This meeting was followed by another, last
evening, at the Reformed Du,ch Church. The
speakers were Messrs. Shepherd, Locklin, senr,
and Locklin, junr., members of the Washington
Temperance Society, of New York. They 100
told the simple aud unaffected story other down.
al and restoration, and urged, from their own
experience, the virtues of the total .4bsistence
pledge upon the sudience.
Another meeting will soon be held, when Mr..
Wright is expected to be present.
The distinguished feature oil the new temper
ance movement is the evidence it gives of the
reclamabilly Of the drunkard-a work whose
prarticsbility has been so generally questioned,
that scarcely an effort has been made for its &C
csmpishment. But now, it would seem there
is no death fl ON which they may not be saved;
no extreme too utter to remove them rom hope.
| Thousands have been reformed, and now, like
patriots and phianthropists. they themselves are
engaging heartily in extending far and wide
the gonh they have experienced. Con speed
them.-Jersey City .adr.
The GREATEST NATURAL CURIOSITY.
e 4 oc.Lo Il
Louisville Journal the following very curious
account of what is, 10 one sense at least the great
est natural curiosity ever known to man:
The MIssoURIUM.-This gigantic wonder Of
the animal creation has al length arrived in oul
CITY, and will be exhibited at the Washington
Hall as soon as the bones. Which are contained
in fourteen large boxes, can be put together. In
the mean time we endeavor, from the data fur
nished us in printed description of The skeleton
10 give our readers some idea OF this IN ghiy
wonder of creation !; as such it may well be re-
garded, for in comparison with the MiSsourium
mammoth, mastodons, and all other hitherto dis
covered monsters are but small affairs.
The skeleton measures thirty t,co feet in length
and fifteen IN height. The head measures from
the tip of the nose TO the spine of the neck, G
feet. From the edge of the upper lip, measuring
along the roof OF the mouth, to the socket Of the
eye. is 3 Ieet /; from the lower edge Of the upper
lip 10 the first edge OF the front tooth. 20 inch es
Each jaw has teeth and The upper jaw has be-
sides two enormous tusks. The teeth are each
4 inches broad. The nose projects Is inches
over the lower jaw. The tusks are 10 feet long
exclusive OF foot and inches, which forms the
root and is buried in the skull. The right tu>k
was found firm in the head, and remained fixed
in its socket during its excavation and its trans
portation TO ST. Louis, which fortunate circum-
stance enables US to know the exact position and
situation which the tusks occupied IN the head
of the animal during its life. They were carried
BY him almost horizontally, bending somewhat
down. and then coming with their points up sgain
making. a sweep from extremity 10 extremity,
in straight lIue across the head.o Is feet. The
| longest rib measures feet 1-2inches in length
the shortest feet inches. The scalpula. or
shoulder blade, is feet one inch in length, and
2 feet inches in breadth. The length oil the
humsrous, or fore arm is feet 1-2 inches and
its greatest circumference 3 feet 3 inches. The
femur, o:thigh-bone, is feet and hall inch long
and 1-2 inches in diameter. The feet of the
animal appear 10 have been webbed. The fore
foot has four Toes and thumb. The longest
toe measures foot Sinches, The shortest one
foot, and the thumb inches. All the bones of
| the animal are firm, and contain no marrow
| The cavity The brain is quite large.
The proprietor, Mr.. Koch, 10 his printed de-
scription of the animal, makes the following re-
marks on his supposed habits and nature:
| "The animal has been, without doubt an IN
habitant OF waer-courses, such as large rivers
and lakes, which is proved by Il e rmation of
| the bone: 1st his feet were webbed 81, all his
bones were solid and without marrow. as the
aquatic animals Of the present day Sd, his ribs
were too small and slender TO resist the many
pressuIes and bruises they would be subject TO
on land: 18th, his legs short and thick; 9Th,
his tail is fiat and broad 9th, and last, his tusks
81 situated in the head hat it would be utterly
III possible for hun 10 exist in tmbeIe ed country.
His food consisted as much Of vegetables as flesh
| although he undoubtedly consumed great abun-
dance of the latter, and was capable of feeding
himself with his fore foot, alter the manner Of
The beaver or otter, and possessed, also like the
hippOpo,amus, the facility of walking on the
bottom of waters, and rose occasionally 10 take
air.
'The singular position of the tusks has been
very wisely adapted by the Creator for the pro-
lection of the body from the many injuries TO
which it would be exposed while swimming or
walking under water and. in addition to this, it
APPEARS that the snimal has been covered with
the same armor as the alligator, OF perhaps the
mega:herium."
AYANKEE ADMIRAL.-It is stated in New
Hampshire paper that former citizen of that
State, THOMAS F. WILLIAMS, has become an
Admiral, Count ZINzEcHoFF, in the Russian
Navy.
1t seems that he was, in early youth, a clerk
in store at Meredith Bridge. Being natu.
rally of generous. hold and ardent temoera.