Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-08-04
mIsCELLAsEoUs AND NEWS ITEMS.

Hon. Henry Stanberry has been
confirmed as Attorney General.
Nearly one thousand gentlemen in
Baltimore have organized a rifle shoot
ing company, aud purchased grounds
and buildings at cost of over $50, 600
-General Sickles having declined the
appointment to the Hague, the name
of General Dix was sent to the Senate
and confirmed.
Gen. Sheridan reports that French
troops are still arriving at Vera Cruz.
He says his observations convince him
Napoleon is not sincere In the promise
to evacuate Mexico. go.
The value of rations issued to refu-
gees in Mississippi, Arkansas and the
Indian Territory during the last three
months was $50, 379 80; for the CORES
ponding period last year $33. 037. 90.
Great restitution and suffering still ex-
lists.
The assistant commissioner of freed
mems affairs in Alabama has forwarded
the following as an estimate of rations
necessary to be issued to destitute peo-
Pile in the month of August: Hunts
vile, 5000; Montgomery, 1899; Mo
bile, 1,O90; Greenville, 500; TuscalOO-
sa, $50; Demopolis, 40; Talmadge,
7S0; Selins, $40. Total, 10000.
A New York city correspondent
says that the residence of A. L. Stewart,
corner of Thirty-fOurth street and
Fifth avenue, is nearly ready to move
into. 1t eclipses any private building
on the continent, SO it is said, and wilt
cost without any furniture, $4,000, GOO.
The losses by fire during the year
1866 have been enormous, and they ex-
coed the aggregate losses for any pre-
viOus year. The reported losses for
1866 amount to $I4, 2S6, 900, while those
for the entire year 1865 were S43, l39,
600, and no previous year reported an
aggregate over S30,0O0,O00.
Here are a few of the incomes of
literary men: ]. G.. Whittier, SIG; ].
T. TrOwbridge, 3, I31; LOUIS Aggassi2,
81, S94; j. r. Lowell, 81, 304; H. W.
Longfellow, $33, 2GO. Prof. Long
fellow received fortune with his wife,
and therefore Is so much richer than
his friends.
"A very easy method of detecting
| whether the color of wine is artificial or
genuine, is to take a small piece of
bread or sponge that has been well
washed, dip it into wine, and then place
1T in water. Ii the color is artificial the
water Will at once be coloiej, while, if
the color be genuine, it will not be APP
10 hoE4
1t is reported that a marked change
in the Horse Shoe Falls at Niagara has
occurred within a few days. Large
portions Of rock have given way III the
centre OF the shoe, giving the fall more
OF triangular appearance, which Is
said to add To its besnty. 1t has been
demonstrated that the Falls TEcede ten
OF twelve inches year.
The Secretary of War reports the
number of prisoners held and who
have died on both sides during the war,
as follows: Number of Union prisoners
in the South, 269, 400; number of rebel
prisoners in the North, 200, 900; mum
Der of Union prisoners who have died,
q, $40; number of rebel prisoners who
have died, 20. 436.
"A cnrious combat took place last
week in the Sciota river. IN Ohio. TWO
young men were discovered engaged iii
trying to drown each other. Finally,
alter struggling some time one of the
comhatants disappeared, while the other,
hastily swan ashore, aud dresaing him
self, made of. The other was alter
some time rescued, and was with diff
Guilty restored to consciousness. The
cause of the encounter is not known.
When Portland was burned by the
British, in 1775, an infant but few
weeks old was removed from a house
on Fore street. and taken out of town
for safety. The house was burned
down. During the cOnfagratiOn on the
Fourth, the same infant was removed
from house erected on the same spot
where stood the one burned by MOwatt,
from which ninety years ago she had
been removed, and she was once more
taken to a place of safety. 1t was the
venerable Miss Hannah ThOrlo.
A baggage master on the Hudson
River Railroad, a Norwegian, has made
an offer to go against the POughkeeps;
four cared shell boat with any crew that
may be put on her, a distance of five
or ten miles, for the sum of s., 900 or
Sc, 900, he to navigate with any kind of
boat he chooses He proposes, if the
challenge is accepted, to enter into the
contest with las he describes it, two
"water shoes" each shoe twelve feet in
length and about six inches In width.
In each shoe is an opening of about the
size and shape of of his foot, aud both
shoes are fastened together at proper
distance apart. and both sitting on the
surface, drawing scarcely an eighth of
an inch of water, being perfectly air
tight. He will stand upi in these shoes,
and, using paddle, striking the water,
first on one side and then on the other.
will so through the contest. He is
confident that he can beat any four
cared crew in the United States.