The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-10-09

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The twenty-ffth anniversary of the deatl,
of William Ellery Channi ng was marked Sun
day evening by commemorative services at the
Arlington street church, in Boston, over which
he was settled at the time of his death.
Mr.. James Piper, OF Barre, probably the
Oldest person in Massachusetts if not in New
England, died ON Thursday last at the age of
hundred and four years and twenty-one
days.
MIR. Charles Dickens lately paid a high
compliment to the London proof-readers. He
said that he could gratefully acknowledge
that he never went through the pages of any
book he had written without something being
presented to him by areader-something over
looked, some slight Inconsistency, some little
lapse he had made; in short, without having
set down in black and white some indication of
having been followed by trained mind, and
not merely by a skillful eye.
johnny is just beginning to learn geogra-
ply. He says the Poles live partly at one end
of the globe and partly at the other. He
knows it is so, because they are marked on the
map.
"A case Of courtship OF forty-fve years
standing is reported at East Lynn, Mass The
gentleman has paid his visits on each alternate
Sunday evening.
An eght-foot alligator recently made his
debut at West Baton Rouge. A crowd with
axes, revolvers and guns surrounded him, and
after hard fight, killed him.
The jenkins of New York Evening pa
per, in describing the "ladies' reception held
by Gen. Sheridan in that city, observes that
some of the fair visitors were not dressed fully
up to the fashionable exigencies OF
the occasion. This is dreadful to
think of but jenkins kindly relieves
our feelings by adding: However, the
General was extremely affable to all, and
many of the young ladies were delighted with
the hand-squeezing they had received" We
have always thought Sheridan aremarkab le
man, and this lofty impartiality proves it be-
you'd all cavl.
The lead mines Of Dubuque and vicinity
have yielded over fifty million dollars, and the
surface has only been scratched
An organ grinder at Norwich, Conn, dis
plays on the sides of his instrument, neatly
framed divorce from his wife, letter of dis
missal from church, and a recommendation
of character.
f Eighty persons have been killed this year
in Italy by infuriated peasants, who suspected
them of scattering poison, and thus produc-
ing cholera.
The Gar of Russia is thought by the Eng
lish to be suffering from mental disease" be-
cause of the extraordinary condescension
shown to American tourists in the Crimea."
Two .menageries met in the town OF
Chelmsford, England, few weeks ago. A
grand struggle took place on the entrance OF
the rival establishments into the town, things
being planned SO that when one proc ,ssion
was on its way it was net by the other coming
up the town. The rival managers, one of them
aScotchman, and the other an Irishman, met
on foot face to face, and bitter war OF words
ensued, while the lions and tigers and other
beasts in the various caravans roared and bel
lowed defiantly, as though eager to espouse
their masters cause. There was a final ur-
derstanding, and the professions passed each
other peacefully. ...
"A trial of potato diggers took place near
Bishopbriggs, Scotland, last month. One con-
sisted of broad scoop for opening the drill
with revolving grape behind, by the action OF
which the potatoes and soil were thoroughly
separated and thrown to one side against a
netting attached to the side of the machine.
Another was on a similar principle, but with
the revolving grape placed in different posi-
ton, and without the netting. lr 4T
In Germany. some of the railways are now
constructed without wood. The rail is made
about nine inches high, with broad fiat base
which rests on a well prepared bed of ballast
and when properly placed is further supported
by layer of gravel. Thus constructed, th'
ierky motion of a train, oceasioned by numer
Gus cross sleepcrs, is done away with, the ham
mering sound becomes steady continuou'
roar, the longitudinal bearing is distrlouteC
over q greater distance, and the need ior is
pairs occurs butrarely.
"A felon escaped from the jail in I0rOn.0 10
Canada. bv picking the lock of his cell viii
the wire of water-bncket.