Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-01-24
Obe Nous Gleaner.
Notes and Comments.

A RENEWABLE CoNvERsIoN.--The ring
eader of the Catholic mob, or gathering, who,
eyeral wears ago, it will be recolected, collect
a all the Bibles that had been distributed by the
Missionaries in Chamble. Canada and vicinity,
md made public bonfire of them, has recently
renounced Catholicism and joined the Pro tant
church. This case is made the more remarka-
BILE and striking by the bitterness and spirit OF
persecution he manifested on the occasion al-
luded to--he having presided over that disgrace
Cul cereniony, and stood BY with pole and STIR
red up the pile till he had seen the last OF the
burning books entirely consumed. There Is a
sermon in this fact; for this is not the way man
would have dealt with the transgressor. But
=" His ways are not our ways"
PRorEssoR GRIMES, the chronological, laugh
inc philosopher, is this winter delivering course
Of lectures in Boston. He has added MEsMER-
ISM to Phrenology, since he lectured In Vermont
and is now, like an exper: circus rider standing
ON two horses, riding both hobbies at full galloP
Those who have seen him on one, will easily
ina gine the SHINE he will cut on BOTH
ns"Is 1850 the beginning of the last hal
of the century, or the ending Of the first half?'
This, strange as it may appear TO some, Is queS
ton that is being seriously mooted among many
off the leading journals of the country some
Learned ones contending one way g. others equal
" learned, the other way The Rev. DR.. Peters
in communication to the N. Y. Evangelist
thus correctly, in our opinion, settles the matter
and explains how those believing we are now oil
the last half Of the century, have been led int
+ the error:
"Cardina numbers, instead Of their ordinG''
are commonly used to designate the passing
year So, in reckoning from the beginning q
ihe Christian era, we say the year l, the year
&C.. when we should say, the lst year, the IN
I wear. &c, The cardinal numbers |, 2, 3, &c
are properly applicable only to years that ar
cnmnleted and past, while the Ordindt number
lat. 2nd, Bird, Sc, properly enuuerate the year
NJ thew are passing. This Is the common usag
o in res1ect to centuries. We do not say of tn
+ nasslng century, that it is century 10, but tn
II 10Th century. So, five would adopt the ord
nal enumeration Of years, what is now common
!, " written 1850, would be written l85Oth, aud
!, ,yould see that the hafcentury will not be pas
Il until the 50th year shall run Its round oftwel
Is months. Count your fingers, Mr.. Editor,
i these two modes of enumeration, and you wi
e easily see how you have been led into the mi
l. take.
d Nv attention was called to this subject, son
: years since, by friend, who was born in Il
n, wear 1900. The question had been raised, whct
o er he was born in the 18th or 10Th century !?
d NV friend was in doab,; and the soothsaye
c. and astrolopers were divided i'll opinion. era
r. pled with the kn0tty question, and though &C
Tess it gave me some trouble, | settled 1t to
,d satisfaction of all concerned, and placed
n. birth of my friend one year earlier, on
- scale Of thne, than he and many others had 81
~ posed"
IN. L1RERIA.-The Washington Union says
ed, Mr.. Gurley, who has just returned from L'oe
irt "comes charged with glad udlngs OF great lo
. Il Mr.. Gurley describes in animated terms the
Tho periy ofthe people, now occupying about u
'ne hundred miles Of the sea coast, and penera
0U or W miles lutu INV lheSilo' hV "'9" "
IN with him various specimens ofthe production
Liberia. Her coff,e, which some suppose
ctor to the Java-bIocks Of her most precious VIC
airs, cotton stuffr, &C., &C: he IS unders'ooG
dino preparing a report of his mission for Gov
, ment
the FiRE IN CoLERAlNE.- The barn Of Mr.. Fl
8 OF lin Newell was consumed, with its conienl
clnding valuable horse, on Thursday 10
The barn was set on FIRE by litrle girl abe
years old, living with Mr. Newell. In IN
sence Of the other members of the family
first set FIRE to the house, and then carried
rived to the barn. which Mr.. Newell, on his
team found in ashes
er is Loss about $500, one half of which wal
If the cred by insurance in the Washington Con
,;.eIle Granville, N. Y.
wo' TAG NIcARAeuA QuEsrIoN ALMOST
cOun- rLED.-A dispatch from Washington stat
mt of Sir Henry Bulwer, the British Minister
with ready opened negotiations with our Cove
..rno. mon the question that has threatened I'M
'"os III The two countries, relative to affairs 10
pres aqua The Representative OF Great
'ibune viii il is said, guarantee the right OF w ".
- The territory CLAIMED by the Mosquito X
n s;ze ,or a shin canal, Tree to both governn'en
" lsJ Sll oIao disaynw Mr.. ChatReld's acts
"e"U Honduras coast, in seizing Tigre Island
unteh- ether Doin,s lately occupied by the Brl'
essiOn. ~ ranort IN true as we ardenty hope,
I'd del .sr of = rupture with Great Britain wl'
brown, s;no,ad !. the canal will be made to unite
lin and lantic with the Pacihc' ana WI. ~ ~ OP'
; ewes. commerce of the world, as 1t should DO