Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-02-17
News Brevities.


80. A letter from Philadelphia, dated the 9th,
announces the death by suicide of Geo. G. Watson,
the celebrated carriage builder.
80. More than one million Of dollars has been
gathered from a single county in nlir os, the past
year, to invest in Iowa lands speculation. Far
mers, mechanics merchants, Everybody, has the fe-
yer. No wonder that money is scarce in that quar-
ter. AZ this rate Uncle Sam will soon bankrupt the
entire West
49, private letter from Mr.. Simonton, re.
ceived from Washington, says that the report of
the investigating committee will criminate at least
three members of Congress from New York so un-
equivocally that no defence will be made. and that
their expulsion will probably follow the reading of
the report.
-. The Cincinnati Commercial says:-"A lady
possessing in an eminent degree the charming sc-
cents supposed to belong to race once highly Gu.
logzed by Gen. Scott, happened yesterday, in per-
ambulating the smooth boulevard or guard of a
steamer at the landing, to slip in her gait and went
over, strait into the bubblng and boiling deep.
Danger and death were imminent, but, behold a
power not looked for or suspected there, by man,
came to the rescue, and the lady was
Sustained by her crinoline in majesty exte nded,"
TIL small hawser restored her to the steamers
deck"
-. The Louisville Democrat of Friday, tells the
following yarn about haunted wig Am old
lady up town, the capillary substance of whose
head has long since departed, rendering it a mat
ter of necessity for her to resort to artificial head
adornments, has recently pure ased a new wig
Since she has into its posse ssion her nightly
rest has been broken by the most frightful apparis
tions, and her wakeful moments have been render
ed dreadful by anticPstions ofnghtIy disturbances
She is now convinced that the hair from which her
new wig was manufactured is from the head of some
unfortunate individual who has died by outrage or
violence, and long she retains il she is DOOM
ed to be troubled by the presence Of the spirit
Of the natural owner Of the wig. In short she
wears a haunted wig. Although a beautiful new
auburn, she is willing to part with it at great
sacrifice. Who bids for a haunted wig at half
price3"
-. From the army and navy diet scaler of
France and England, which, of course, are based
men in active life, it s inferred that about two and
one-fourth pounds avoirdupois of dry food, per
day, required for each individual; Of this about
three fOurths vegetable, and the rest animal.
At the close Of an entire year the amount is up.
wards Of 800 pounds. EnumerAting under the title
Of water all the various drinks-cofee, tea, aco-
hol, wine, &e.-its estimated quantity is about
De ~. To- -
BY breathing may be taken at 500 pounds. With
these figures before US says the Medical World,
we are able to see how the case stands. The food,
water and air which man receives, amount, in the
aggregate, to moro than 5000 pounds a year; that
is, 20 about ton and half more than twenty
times his weight This enormous quantity may
we'll attract our attention TO the expenditure of
material required for supporting life. A living be-
ing is the result and representation Of change Oh
prodigiOus scale.
1.-THE English chemist, Thornton 7. Herepath,
has been taking advantage of recent trip to
South America TO collect and examine fresaies, in
order to get at the secret of the luminosity The
commonly received opinion in regard to the source
of the light emitted by insects is that it is due to
the slow combustion of phOsporous resembling
that produced by gentle rubbing match with the
hngers. Mr.. Herepath denies this, however, as he
was unable, the application of the most delicate
tests, TO detect the smallest trace of PHOSPHORUS
in the bodies Of those curious little creatures. His
opinion that the light is caused by the burning of
peculiar compound ofcarbon and hydrogen from
ed in special gland.
The Scientific american publishes a com.
munication from Gillian Beach, formerly of Auburn
now Of Leslie, Michigan, in which he infinitely de.
scribes stone which has been in his possession
for twelve years, and which, during that time, by
simple exposure to the air only, has been perform
ing feats of progressive character. When he
obtained 10 twelve years ago, it was little more
than half inch long and three-eights 10 diameter
Il has now grown fve-eights of an inch long and
20 half an inch in diameter The most curious fea.
ture of this increase Of the stOne is not equal
expansion, but particular emsnation from one
side Of the parent stone. The stone, he says, sis
che most perfect white transparent, will cut glass,
and increasing in size and weight with no other food
but common air." He has never yet found per.
son who could tell what ID was, or give him any s1>
PLANTATION as to the cause of its growth.
-. The Louisville Journal of the 18th says
"Judge Johnston announced yesterday in the city
court that if the police would Srrest all persons
ound walking about after 10 o'clock at night. he
would hold them TO bail to be Of good behaviour
unless some valid excuse was offered for keeping
such unreasonable hours. Young gents who are 10
the habit Of running all night and not going home
until morning will please make a note Of this order
Of His Honor and keep within doors"
.... Mad. Cora De wlhOrst is dangerously III
of optical Inflammation and brain fever In eonse>
quence she will not be able to sing at the New
York Academy again daring the present season.
-. A letter from sSbastopOl states that the
city lie gradually becoming rs.peOped. Il now
contains about 1000 inhabitants; Kamleseh 1000.
Three hundred houses partly destroyed during the
siege have been REBUILT and eighty new ones con.
structed.
The St Louis Republieas Of the 10th says
THE water aud ice in The Mississippi come down
with tremendous impstaosIty. Everything is car.
risd With it, Large lots OF logs from the Wiscon-
sin pineries, likely 10 be lost We hear Of one
lot which has been EiHsriAg some miles above Al
ton, all OF which are lOs, The RATS we're broken
to pieces, and the logs took their chances with the
ice and went rushing down the river. These loss
were intended for w. G. Clark 4 CO., aud we're
worth $1,000. We understood there were hun.
dreds Of thousands Of dollars worth OF logs lying
above the rapids, all Of which e liable TO be Ostby
'he'sedden riss and breaking up Of the ice ia the
Iiver"
-. Las week the farming stock Of B. v.