Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-12-29
GENERAL NEWS.


we see it stated that J. Ross Browne will
leave California on the lst of January, at the
head of an exploring and surveying party, to
commence operations in Lower California, for
company of Americans, who have purchased
that extensive territory of the Juarez govern
meDt The parties interested in the operation
are said to be General Ben. Butler, Richard
Sc hell, of New York, George Wilkes, Of the
Now nrk Spirit of the Times, Ben Holiday,
of overland 'aai route renown, and several New
York capitalists.
The merchants and business men of San
Francisco will give grand inauguration dinner
in honor of tbs departur, OF the steamer Col
oraao, the first of the great China line. The
departments of tie State, municipal and ma
tional governments, The New York aud San
Francisco Chambers Of Commerce, tie faclnc
railroad and the Chinese merchants Will De rep
lreseated.
A man styling himself Colonel Brantley, VINO
by real estate operations, negotiating notes,
and procuring endorsements on others, recent
y vctimized some citiZens of st. Joseph, one
and dccampcd has been traced to Chicago and
arrested, and was returned 10 St. Joseph on
Thursday.
The account of Ex-Governor Lyons, who re.
Gently reported the loss of $40, 900 on the New
York train, has been made up, and Is in the
hands of the solicitor of the treasury tor the
purpose Of commencing suit. Whilst Governor
Of Idaho, Governor Lyons was ex- oficio Indian
agent
! t. estle work on the Cincinnati, Hamilton
and Dayton Railroad gave way on Thursday as
the express train bound west was crossing pre-
c,pitasiug the engine, tender and baggage car
to the bottom. The engineer and fremen were
seriously hurt, but no one else was injured,
The President has received from Jas. Lyons,
of Richmond, cane made of a piece of the
old frigate Constitution. The inscription on
the gold head of the cane compliments Andrew
johnson as d" the rcstorer of the Constitution.
A freedman, known as Horace Greeley,
charged with the murder of Mr.. Rhett OF
South Carolina, who escaped from jail several
week since was recaptured on Tuesday.
~CnE TALLoW TREE-The tallow tree of
tChipg which gives rise to 4 vast trade IN the
.northepG parts Of that empire, has been intro
duccd into india. 1t grows with great luxriance
lin the Dhoons and in the kohistan OF the
northwestern Provinces and the Pupjab, and
there are now tens of thousands OF trees IN
the Government plantations OF kowlaghlr,
Hawul, Baugh and Aver Tolle, from which
tons Of seeds are available for distrbutlon.-
Dr. Jameson prepared from the seeds !OO los.
ot taow and forwarded 50 lbs. to the PunJab
Railway, in order to have its properties as
lubricator for railway machinery tested. FOR
burning the tallow is excellent, 1t gives clear
bright, inodorous flame and is without smoke
The tree fruits abundantly both IN the Dhoons
and plains and grows wleh great rapldlty, many
trees raised from seeds introduced eight years
agn he;np now feet in circumference and 3
feet from the ground. The timber IS white
and close grained and we'll fitted tor printing
blocks The leaves, too, are valuable as uye.
FR1cT1oN MATCHES. = In 1882 man by the
name of Phillips, living in Oakland, Conncctl-
cut. invented and patented match that would
ignite by friction. He made them upon
small scale, as his means We're limited, put
them IN tin boxes OF one Hunulcu ea011' o"0
sold them to the inhabitants about, carrying
them in pocket handkerchief. Many per-
sons still recollect the fear and CONSERVATION IN
the minds of the people at the time lest their 1
houses and barns would be burned by the hano
of the incendiary, and many thought that :. ne
shouId be restrained from scattering, his hre-
brands in the community. Phillips afterwards
removed to Springfield, Massachusettes where 1
be formed a copartnership with man by the
name of Chaplin, under the title of ''Chapln q
Phillips . when they largely increased the pro-
tduction of matches The first matches were
made and dipped singy BY hand; afterwards
Phillips invented the card matches, Such. IN
brief, is the early history Of this little article
that is now considered en- indispensable ne
cessity.
SEIZURE OF DIsTILLERIEs.- "A letter dalee
New York, December 26th says:
The dealers in whiskey to day have put W
the pree fifteen to twenty cents per gallon, II
consequence Of the alleged scarcity OF the artl
Gle, resulting from the extensive seizures OF DIS
tilleries by the government for violations O