Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-06
DAILY EVENING STAR.
CITY ITEMS.

= o'clock in the evening, IN unknown man came
;,,o the store of Messrs. Forrest and Newman, on
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, between 10Th end 18th streets,
and asked Mr.. Fsrre+t TO lend him a half dollar,
which he wanted 10 make up SUM ri money Mr.
Forrest rather surprised at tsic singar;iy of the
request on The part OF stronger. and dsmurTed OBJ
serving that IT was no; usual With them to lend
money TO people with whom hey were not acquainted.
The unknown individual was not however, so
tasty rcbuffed, and replied, that ALTHOUGH not per
sOnally known TO Mr.. Forrest, he well ac-
quaInted with the firm. Finding, however, that Mr..
Forrest was not to be persuaded by these arguments,
10 comply with his request, he offered TO leave a
ELK umbrella which he had with him as a security
for the money, promising TO redeem 1t IN the morn
Ins. Mr.. Forrest, although reluctantly, was at Ia
induced to comply with his request, and opening his
: dcsk took out the money, which he handed over
10 the man, who departed, leaving the umbrella a.
s"cunty for lis payment. Shortly after, between
eight and nine O'Clock, the same evening" somebody
catered the store unperceived, and took out of the
same desk the money that was ia ill., namely: SIS in
gold, and about - in silver. From the cuInstances
attend INT, suspicion falls upon the above mentioned
individual who has returned for the umbrella
which Mr.. Forrest shrewdly suspects stolen. Ii
Is in his possession, and the owner, by identifying it,
Will have IT returned TO him.
.7rothcT iHsujshed .irriucI-The man who
taken up on sunday last, at Baltimore, for
preaching abouonism i'll the public Streets made
biz appearance, this morning, IN Washington, and,
having blown his horn, like Gabriel, a. he is some
times called, soon collected crowd of idlers about
hum. n
rarsnty native of Scotland, but has been wander
ing from his own account, for many years, through
the United States and British America. After having
again gwen three blasts his horn, he drew forth
bundle of papers, from large tin case, which he
carries slung his shoulder, ard read long &C
count Of his imprisonment, in Philadelphia, a year
ago last September, in which he was severe upon
Mayor Gilpin and the police Of that city. While
reading it, lie also mentioned his being taken up in
Baltimore, last Sunday, and confined in a place
worse than pIggery. lie was very severe upon the
Irish Roman Catholics, and complained that on going
yesterday tn the Presidents hOusS, TO present him
with copy of his works, an Irish Roman Catholic,
who acted a. doorkcepcr, had shut the door in his
face. Une Of these works was poem, some extracts
from which he read. 1t of a religious character
but we did not hear whether il was one of the
Latham prlze poems.
After he had done, he offered his publications for
sale, and collected good amount of dimes in the
course of few minutes, selling three difTeren,
papers for twenty cents, the poem being worth all
the money, for who would not give twenty cents for
poem ofsome hundred stanzas. At the conclusion.
our poet and travelling orator. played few notes on
his trumpet, and proposed TO the crowd three cheers
Z, Hail. vS,I,,
with the mother Of abominations." They were
gwen by the boys IN the crowd, who appeared par
iicuaTly delighted with their acquaintance and
ItInerant preacher marched along the avenue to
pay another visit, we should imagine to the Presi-
dent. He was down upon all Goldfish arstocracy
office holders, &c, and particularly upon Roman
Catholics and the magistrates of various places who
had put him in limbo. To show how he had been
treated he took Offhs hat and exhibited several scalp
wounds which Inc had received in Canada from the
mob while preaching his doctrines. The singular
appearance and dress Of the man attract n crowd
wherever he goes, and, although he complains of the
name Gabriel, as applied to him, IT is the one by
which he Is known wherever he presents himself
Nsrr Inrention.-Among the multitudinous new
proofs Of American ingenuity, that are continually
oelneSrousht before the public, we have been much
pleased with Iii,le invention for fastening unpro
rected doors, which may be highly recommended to
the travelling community. This convenient little
pocket companion is 30 arranged as to lamb between
the door and the side Intel, thus causing point d.
cPPm, by which the entrance of any intruder is
hTmly opposed. II consists of four metal plates
winch are united together at one end by rivet but
sufficiently easy to admit OF their working around i,
The two middle plates, which are twice as long n.
the outer two, intended jamb between tile door
and Intel, as already mentioned On one of these
plates there teeth which grip into the side
post, and the other is arranged (havns tendency
10 spring Outward,) that the very action of CLOSING
the d'or, fixes firmly the position of the instrument
Inc outer plates are then moved that one OF them
may butt against the door, and for this purpose they
nave rim or iange, so that the door IL completely
fastened, for the inner plates hold in its place the
outer one, which projects the edge of the door
The article is the invention of s Z. kIttle of Ruk
falo, New York, and Ii entitled the "Unpickable
Door Fastener" The agent Of the pitentce IL now
IN this city.
Congressional Li5rGry-Thc Congressiona! Library
Il filling up rapidly. At The time of the destruction
or the main portion of the Library by fire, some
twenty thousand volumes were saved IN adiopip,
iOohlS, 10 which as nucleus, as many more have
Oeeh ADDED, making the present number amount to
ABOUT forty thousand volumes. Of the specialapnro
Piia'iohs winch have been made to supply the bum,
portion OF the Library-Se5, 900 in aIl-onIy about
one nan mas been expended although We understand
that orders are now out which W n nearly con.,,.
ue balance. The statement of Washington cor
'esPohdeht some time since, that the purchases Tor
us Library cost 81 per volume il will be perceived
"as quite wide Of the mark. The average cost of
uese editions, as learn from the Librarian, is
only si.5 per volume, which, considering The num-
per oil rare and costly works which have been Sc
cured and the supenO, and durable style in which
'he entlre library is Lound, must be regarded as
very moderate expenditure. The further books
which have been ordered will more than fiji the
ne" room. They expected IN the course of
u" months, and when received il is believed that
The old library will be fully restored both as to num-
beT> and value.
.fnntrcTsGTy Of the battle of Ne-r Orieans-I,as,
night, highly respectable meeting, composed of
several OF the most influential citizens Of Washing
ton, wa held at Jackson Hall, for the purpose of
taking preliminary steps 20 celebrate The annIyer-
sdry OF the ABOVE distinguished day a suitable man
her. On motion, w. w. Curran, Esq, was ap