The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-08-08
Varieties.
NJ. G. PALMER.

The New York Evening Post thinks the
postoffice system in that city needs reforming
altogether. 1t would do away with the box
delivery plan, which the business of the CITY
has completely outgrown, and have all letters
delivered by carriers. This change would save
innumerable blunders, enable persons to get
their letters much more promptly than at
present, and greatly facilitate the business of
thenoffice
Cardinal Antonelli is down with the gout.
Too much goose-liver pie is his weakness.
The Boston Transcript says: Persons
who are annoyed by dust upon the great organ
at the Hall are probably not aware that it
takes six or seven men nearly week, and in
wolves an expense of upwards of one hundred
dollars, to give the instrument single thor
ough dusting."
The dramatic version of "Foul Play" Just
brought out in New York, is generally con-
demned by the newspaper critics as trash and
and clap trap. The playwright would seem to
have retained all the absurdities of the novel,
with none of the brightness and sparkle which
made them endurable.
"A writer in the London Herald asserts
that little girls of good caste are still publicly
sold in India for wives
"A Chicago paper propounds the weighty
question, whether when man becomes in
sane his mind is affected"
"A Richmond lady sent a silver urn to an
auction to be sold. 1t was the last Of her once
great wealth. The people present who knew
her made up heavy purse, put it in the urn,
| and sent it back to the owner.
-Homeopathists will be aghast to learn that
| they have been burning incense at the wrong
shrine. Whatever claims Hahneman may
have upon their admiration and gratitude he
did not discover the principle that "like cures
| ike" The learned Synd Ahmed Bahador as
serts that the slmila simlibus maxim is only
little more modern than the Himalayas; it is
| laid down in the sacred books of the Brah-
Minis, and has been current among the Arabs
from immemorial times.
Prussia has forbidden any more celebra-
tons of the victory of Sadowa. The shrewd
government thinks it may sometime want to
annex one or two of the States which were in
cluded in the defeated party in that battle. and
wishes to have as little bad feeling as possible
between itself and them.
In compliance with joint resolution of
Congress, passed towards the close of the ses-
sion, intended to prevent the use of the Capt.
tol as show room for works of art of an infe-
rior grade, General Michler, the General Su-
perintendent of Public Buildings has issued
an order requiring the owners to remove with
out delay, all statuary, paintings, Sc, in the
rotunda and other parts of the Capitol.
| The Owl says: "The Duke of Edinburgh
will shortly proceed in the Galatea on foreign
service. 1t is expected that during his cruise
his royal highness will visit China, japan, and
| New Zealand"
| Father Secchi of Rome, in q communica-
ton to the Royal Astronomical Society, Lon
don, ION the great nebula of Orion" states
that the nebula is seen much better in moon
light than on dark nights. This surprising ef-
feet he accounted tor upon the optical princi-
pie that the difference of two lights is more
easily appreciated when they are weak than
when they are strong.
Poor Albert Edward is INDECENT and ap-
plies to Parliament for trivial annual addi-
ton of e25,000 to his wages as Prince
| "A Vermont volunteer writes the Tribune:
II have great respect for carpet-baggers, bav-
ing been one myself part of the time during
the late onpleasantness.' My carpet-bag was
| marked u s.
What old English poet does our roast beei
remind you Off" asked an epicure at his
boarding house. "Chaucer, no doubt" was
the prompt and undisputed reply
"A timely hint-Avoid unripe and overripe
fruit during the dog-days.
An old lady, while admiring Bradford's
painting of "Crushed by 1cebergs," inquired
if it represented "the landing of the Pilgrims. y
Schuyler Colfax recently said the most OF
| his life had been passed among his fellow-citi-
| zens at South Bend in the editorial profession
where he thought he was no sluggard-
generally the editor, the publisher, the proof
reader, the mail-boy, and the collector, all roll
| ed into one.
The Mankato, Minnesota Record has a re-
markable story OF the death OF woman in
Faribault county, who had gathered quanti-
| ty of potato bugs, burned them in her cooking
stove. and while leaning over the stove inhal-
ad no;sonous fumes. She fell to the floor in.
sensible and died in about ten minutes. Her
husband inhaling the fumes, was only saved
, bo timely medical aid.
| "A Philadelphia firm has a safe which has
been three times broken open by burglars. 1t
is dummy" the firm keeping their money
and valuable papers in another place.
A boy who was bathing near the New York
Battery on Mondry, was attacked by shark
and severely but not dangerously bitten.
The house immortalized by Whittier in MS
spirited poem of Barbara Fritchie, from
4 which the brave old dame waved tine nag III
4 the faces of Stonewall jackson ana MS army
e as they entered frederick town. was under
a mined and partly washed away oy the late
= storm in Maryland.