The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-07-02
EN- ERAL e w 8.

GENERAL NEWS.
Mr. Vaudeville highly eseemed citizen of New Jersey
recently celebrated his 18th birthday by great family
gathering From widely separated homes they came TO
greet and congratulate him and his aged partner who has
shared with him nearly 60 years When all had arrived
and were numbered they counted 49, representatives Of
agriculture the mechanical branches and all the profess
sions except the The greatest harmony prevailed
the festive meeting and it noted remarkable fact
that from large posery death had as yet claimed less
than dozen.
grecn-looking individual was picked up in Cincinnati
few nights since by noted watch suffer- named Myers
at coee-honsc Fifth street. who forthwith commenced
the old game ropng the apparent suckern by pleading
poverty and producing the lever After little haggng
about price, the sucker paid $5 for the article and de-
parted The stuer short time afterwards to his dsmay,
discovered That his moneya ten and five the State
Bank of Ohio-was counterfeit
Mrs Louisa Andrews, wife of Mr.. Jacob Andrews, Of
York Pennsylvania, returning from visit TO Lancas
ter on Wednesday, fell under the cars and had both legs
badly crushed TO require amputation She died how
ever, soon afer, leaving husband and six children
The annual commencement of William and Mary College
will take place Williamsburg, Virginia. the 4th of
July John Randolph Tucker esq., of Winchester will ad
dress the literary societies on the 3D..
TARGET SHOOTING IN PuIAsKThe Nashville Gazette Of
the 9Th says As the fact of shooting ut target
mans head to be the order of the day. OF
bhoys have practising with pistols and of them
offers to bet that he can, at distance Of thirty feet
hit an object three inches in diameter placed the head
of another Those wishing to put up their pile that it
can't be done requested to call G. G. Little. The
shooting to take place Saturday, 9th instant The
gentleman who proposes to shoot the above match shot
smalsized percusson-cap box from between the finger
and thumb of another few days ago.
An Austrian journal estimates the number of deaths in
the Russian army from typhoid fever since their entrance
into Dobrudscha at the enormous number of $4,000!
Tines cnASGEs-The lapse of fifty years has worked
wonderful change in the relations between Great Britain
and the family of Bonapares. About half century ago
the British government utterly refused TO recognise Napo
leon as invested with imperial rankwaged war against
him rs usurper and person dangerous TO the webeng
of Europe and desisted from hostes till his power
completely crushed Now, mark the change that time
has wrought. Some six weeks ago entertainment
given in London by Count Waewsk the French ambassa
dor the Queen of Great Britain made the circuit of the
rooms leaning on the Of the Count and on retiring,
saluted the Countess the check Count Waecsk
agitiote Of the great Napoleon By British countess
Detroit Free Press.
One of the abolitionist leaders here stuffed his pockets
full Of lampooEs the Hon. Harry Hbbard and hung
himself the other night upon derrick in this village.
Upon post norton examination he found to be- like
49, : - [Coos IN ny Democrat.
A LOST woRLp-The Dayton (Ohio) Herald states that
Dr. Van Tuy of that city in his extensive geological cab
met has areoyte mcteorc stone which is about cgh-
teen inches in diameter 1t is globuain FORM and possesses
all the characteristics of a miniature planet 1t feel in
swamp some miles west Of Dayton-owng to which cir
cumstance it not broken. II was discovered about
seventeen feet beneath the surface There is knowing
how long this little world careering through nfny
with lightning speed before it bump up against the
earth
LONGEST pAYt has been said that the 2ls Of June is
the longest day in the calendar and So indeed it is usual
y held to be- But il is not in strict reality The 2ls
odd 23d and Gath nearly of equal length but rec
oned that the enters the solstice the 2ls
as on tho 2lst Of December enters the winter sostice
Midsummer day is tho oath of June, and In English
reckoning held be the middle day though before
the alteration of the style in the year. the festival of ST.
Barnabas which is the 18th of june considered
the longest day. In Rays "Book of Proverbs find
allusion to
Go nrnaby bright,
The longest day and shortest night
The longest day. at the Observatory of Greenwich is 6
hours "a minutes seconds and the shortest is hours
A minutes II seconds allowing minutes l6 seconds for
rcacon on the longest day, and minutes seconds for
rcraction on the shortest day.
In connection with this subject nay be curious to the
reader to reflect that the old Saxons, from whom de-
rive 80 many of CUSTOMS well much of
language used make their calculations of time by rec-
oning from the longest night whence get the terms
fortnight fourteen nights enngh, nights,
week The old French word anua signfed to-day OF
the existing durna division of time And the longest
night held in particular veneration being considered
the parent of other nights well as of the days AMI
thence termed Mother Night and the years counted
as beginning from thence.
This mode of reckoning suggests Brady, in his famous
Claws Caendarisn probably originated with the Jews
for il agrees with the Mosaic account the evening and
the morning" being the first day.
The same quaint chronicer relates Illustrative anec-
doe of Sir Thomas Moore who, no says being remnrka-
bic for his wit INDUCED in cervesccnce of fancy by
a sportive sally the title Of this day
A gentleman who had wrongcd q poor widow Of a sum
of money ordered by Sir Thomas forthwith to make
restitution Of the property with the costs attending the
suit al hope them said the gentleman, your ordship
will grant long day to pay it, II will grant your
notion instantly replied the chancellor next Monday
is St Barpabas the longest day in all the year pay the
widow that day. sir without fail, or will commit you To