The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-01-24
Miseeu Items

TnREE INCHES or SNOW foil at Rome, Ca.
ON Sunday night.
The LATEST EUROPEAN FASHION is for ladisa
to go to church very plainly dressed In calico.
Mus. MARTHA WASuBuRS, Of Stafford, Ct.,
81 years old, has woven nearly 1000 yards q
rag carpeting within the pa two years.
Ara REGENT PAIR at st. Cloud, MINI, gives
by the German Catholics, for the benefit 0f theh
church, Protcstants and Catholics joined cordial
| lv, and raised 5000.
FoRT TKuMRuLI, New London hubor, o.,
which has boCn unoCcupicd for long time, VA
! garrisoned by Lieut. BELCm and six soldiers, lasi
| Saturday.
Tue ESGIIsH COTTON srISSERs anticipate
| Immense profits from supplying clothing to "tha
swarming millions Of Chinese" but it will b
some time before cotton can supply tho coars
and cheap silk to which the Chinese arc for ths
most part accustomed.
TmE Sons or TIMrERANCE Of Massachusetts,
have within the last three months increased
their divisions <, their memberships 1909, and
their Lady visitors 1898 they have also held 18c
public meetings. Present number Of divisions
la7, members lG,O75, lady yi'itors p, ,222
THE GRASp HAVEN CSiichigsn) fog bell pre-
vided by the Federal Government for the hsrbor
has just been hung. IL is worked by an Ericssos
engine, and will prove of great service to the
chipping interests in tho spring and fall seasons
Its weight is half ton.
A VETERAN or THE REVOLUTION, Mr.. JON
DlctiHEGoRr, lives in good health at Newport,
\. II. lie was born in Enfield, Conn, Nov. ~
1850. lie enlisted in the army April II, l77T,
and was in the service five years In all. lie VA
taken prisoner by the British, and was confined
in the old Sugar House, in New York city, eight
months, from May to January.
A vERrTAnLr MERMAID is said to have bees
brought to Brooklyn, which was caught on th
coast Of Japan. Ii is about 2S inches in length
from the hips down, II is fish closely resem
bling shad. The upper parts Of the body and
and head resemble a monkey, and arc covered
with brown hair. Ii has long arms with fu
wobbed fingers Of the same length ON each hand
II has been cmbalmed, and Is In . good state d
preservation.
DIR. GEoRGE BESSErT, a naturalist who hai
lately published an account Of his twenty twt
years residence in Australia gives descriptions
of the grandest Of all Australian birds, the j.
birn, or gigantic crane. II grows to DO hv
feet high, and is so rare that the Doctor had
seen but four skins Of the bird during his resi-
dence there. Ii is very graceful, has large and
brilliant eyes, beautiful metallic bruii.3cy u
Plumags, and is easily domesticated.
A celebrated entomologist, who has made
special study Of the structure and habits Of spid
ers, states that there is not single authentic
case on record Of q person being killed, or -
Z
stories about the fatal bite Of the famous tarea-
tula being simply fables. These insects ara
however, exceedingly ferocious in their fghh
with each other their duels invariably eadins
in the death Of one Of the combatants
VEGETABLE ARCHITEcTuRE.-Plsnts, are In
deed, broadly refcrable to two great classes.
The first We may perhaps not inexpedientiy cal
ierted plants. They live in encampments On the
ground, as lilies, surfaces Of rockA or stema
Of other plants, as lchens and mossos. They
live-some for year, some for many years
some for myriads Of years; but perishing they
pas. as the tented Arab passes; they leave no
memorials Of themselves, except tho seed, o.
lulb, or root which is to perpetuate tho race.
The other great class OF plants we may, pcrhsps,
best call building plants. These will not hve On
tho ground but eagerly raise ediices above it'
Each works hard with solemn forethought all ita
life. Perishing IL leaves its work In the form
which will be most USEFUL to its successors-iu
own monument and their iuheritency. The<
architectural edifces we call 'trees.' The
builders are divided into two great CLASSES,
builders with the shield" and '.buildsrs with
the sword Builders with the shield have ex
pauded leaves, more or less resembling shields
partly in shape, but still more In Office; for undsi
this lifted shadow the young bud Of tho nexi
wear is kept from harm. Thoss arc the gentlesi
Of the builders, and live In pleasant places
providing food and shelter for moro. Builder
with tho sword, on tho contrary, have shsT
leaves in thu shape Of swords, and the YOUNG
buds, instead Of being a. numerous as tho leavss
crouching each under lsafshadow, arc few ID
number, aud grow fearlessly, each b. tbs mids
of q sheaf Of swords. Thsss buildsrs live d
savage places, are stsrnly dark In eolsx, an<
though they give much help 70 nan by thsas
merely physical strength, they (with ~ eaosS
ti'T( give him no food and inpsrssss sA.assr'-
Raski1. raA'faI