The Portland daily press., 1868-12-12
" Al.iRIIR<.

There is nothing more disagreeable," re-
marked lady the other day, than to sit in
car opposite man who chews toblcco-and
spits. No matter if the window next him is
open-he never thinks of dIsposipg OF any ex-
ira tobacco .tinctured saliva through that ave.
nue.. No. he spits upon the floor, if he hits his
mark: but you ride in perpetual fear tha he is
not good marksman, and that your dress
will be contaminated. Again and again he
fires his shot, seemingly within half an inch of
your garments. You instinctvely shrink into
tie smallest compass, and find yourself invol-
unfairly estimating the brief time elapsing be-
tween the salutes. Usually it varies iIom
thirty to forty five seconds-ofien enough to
keep you in any thing but pleasant frame of
mind"
The new suspension bridge just below The
Falls of Niagara is So far completed that foot
passengers cross over from the New York to
the Canada side. 1t is expected to be com
pleted next season for carriages to cross. The
span from rock to rock is l, 100 feet. The span
between the centers or towers is 1,26S feet
Height above the surface of the river 100 feet
~ say, ma" exclaimed a little mink of
thirteen, "do you know what the pyrotechni-
cal remedy is for crying infant?" "Gracious
goodness me, no; 1 never h ard of such
thingr' "Well, ma, it's rocket"
The last male descendant of Gustavus
Vasa, NJ. de Stjerneld, died on the 14th ult.,
at Stockholm. He was man of ability, and
had been much in diplomatic life.
-Rossini and Meyerbeer greatly esteemed
each other, but seldom met. A friend once
asked Rossini Why he was not more familiar
With his German rival. "You know he ad-
mires your 'Semiramide' and 'Cenerentola,
and you admire the merit of his chefs d'euvre.'
THAT is quite true" said Rossini; "but Meyer
beer and l cannot get on together" "But
why not?" "Why, he always will have it that
sauer kraut IS better thing than maccaroni."
The New York Evening Mail thinks a
good reason for filling General Grants mill
tary Office instead of leaving it empty during
his administration, lies in the fact that we
ought to have military representative whose
rank is equal to that OF any officer in other
armies. The Mail presses this point with spr-
it and then adds: 1.-THE re ader will notice per-
haps, that the above is exactly the reverse OF
what we insisted on a few weeks ago ln's Is
interesting. The fact hasJus o''"'i.u W u.s.
re a., a.. ,,,ocars our former position, he
-, ~; .t,.;oa We argued before that the Of
:, o,aneral should be Kept vacant a sort
"Co "a " reward of merit-to encourage all
VI. I pofficers in case OF war. That argument is
a rood one. So is what we say to day. We
contract nothing. Variety is the spice of life.
Vice Z Inpudence.
The Cornell Era, just started at Cornell
University, tells the following good story
A few days ago, as gentleman from Ithaca
was riding over the country, he saw farmers
boy standing by the roadside holding horse,
which he recognized as belonging to an Itha-
ca livery establishment. Being lonely, and de-
sirino 70 converse with some one, he asked the
hov Who was the owner OF the horse. The boy
renlied 1t belongs to crazy Dutchman
looking for binds nests over yonder in the
woods" The "crazy Dutchman" was none
other than Prof LOUIS Agassiz.
The business Of silk culture is rapidly in.
creasiug in California. The soil and climate Of
that State are admirably adapted not only to
the growth of the mulberry, but o the heaith
of the worms. The advantages in this resPee'
are such that, not only is there at least an ~.
crease OF fifty per cent. in the prouuouon VI
worms over the European, but saving OF ia-
Dor aud care by at least =, pc, ~
lone person easily dong lhe WI a. U'nch mara
eight in Frauce. Tue sllH; aae' .
glossy aud firm tnan siS'