The Portland daily press., 1868-01-17
" al.ietieS.

its artistic execution.
-Goethe, whom hardly any one knows ex-
eept as poet and novelist, considered himself
oest as man of science, and hoped his repu-
tation would rest on that speciality
Luther was very fond of music. He call
ed it the grandest and sweetest gift of God
to man." "Satan hates music" he said. "ba
knows how it drives the evil spirit out of us"
He was extremely interested in all natural
things. Before the science of botany was
dreamt OF, Luther had OWNED the principles
OF vegetable life. "The principle OF marriage
runs through all creation" he said; "and flow
ers, as well as animals, are male and female"
garden called out bursts of eloquence from
him; beautiful sometimes, as finished piece
of poetry
The sale or manufacture in Munich OF the
much admired crystalized or "mother of pearl"
visiting cards has been forbidden by law.
For short time subsequent to their introduce
tion into that city, these cards had great pop
ularity, the demand far exceeding the supply,
but falling under the notice of the medical di-
rector of the sanitary department of Munich
he caused an investigation to be made con-
cerning the composition of the crystalized sur.
fessor Wittslein, to whom the examination
was committed, the tabooing order was issued.
The crystalizing material the professor found
on applying the necessary tests, is a soluble
salt of lead, poison the more dangerous, es-
pecially to children, from its pleasant sweet
taste.
The English papers received by the Nes-
torian give accounts of an apalling state of
destitution in southern Russia Mr. Kenny,
British consul at Archangel, writes that the
peasants are starving, and if speedy relief is
not afforded them great numbers must perish.
-Campana, the popular composer of cham
Der music, has written an opera entitled "Notre
Dame de Paris" which is about to be produced
at Milan.
The Paris correspondent Of London
daily paper has the following: "The star Of the
hour at the Italiens is the American canta-
trice, Miss Harris, whose graceful manner and
expressive countenance, combined with voice
OF marvellous tiexibility and sweetness, attract
immense popularity"
"A rich man made his will leaving all he
had to a company of his fellow-citizens to dis
pose of, but reserving to his rgiht heir "such a
portion as pleaseth them" The heir having
sued the company for his share of the proper
ty, the Judge inquired whether they wished TO
carry out the viii of the testator, and, il so,
what provision they proposed making for the
heir? HE shall have tenth part" said they,
"and we will retain for ourselves the other
nine" Take, them" said the Judge, "the
tenth part to yourselves, and leave the rest to
the heir; for by the will he is to have what
part 'pleaseth you.'"
"A machine for making wrought iron aud
brass butt hinges has been invented in Paris,
and has lately been brought to this country.
Sheet iron or sheet brass is employed, of prop
er thickness. The hinges are made complete
for market in one single machine. Two strips
OF metal enter the machine ON one side from
coils on the opposite side is placed coil OF
wire, which enters and forms the hinge riyets,
the screw holes and countersinks all being
made in one operation. One hundred hinges
of the smallest size leave the machine per min
ute, in condition TO be packed for market.
One machine will make five different sizes of
butts-four-inch hinges being made at the rate
of from % to 80 per minute.
"A band of italian brigands, twelve in num-
Der, tired of their native soil, have been for the
the last six months committing the most ferc-
ciOus crimes in the departm' nts of the Bouch-
es-de-Rhone, the Maritime Alps, Var, and in
the suburbs of Marseilles. They were all cap
tured, tried before the Criminal Tribunal OF
AK, and sent to toll with the stubborn oar in
the galleys at Toulon for life.
"A rich but irrascible old gentleman, who
is passionat~ly devoted to Mrs. Battles favor
lite game, has cut off his son with whist.
marker for putting " no cards" after the an
nouncement of his marriage.
The editor Of the Church Monthly tolls a
curious story of the magazine: "The periodi-
cal called the Radical is bound at the same
bindery with the Monthly; and somehow or
other forty-six copies of that periodical got
bound up in the covers of the Monthly. The
wolf in sleeps clothing was, however, soon de-
tected, and the mistake has been corrected so
far as has been known to u.s.
The international boat race between Eng
lish and American residents at Shanghae re-
suited in favor of the former. The betting was
) to in favor of the Americans, but the Eng.
lish won by boats length and a half.
Mr.. Gladstone spent Christmas at Hawar-
den Castle. On December % he was watching
the cutting down of a tree on the grounds
when "A splinter flew and struck him on one of
the eyes. The pain was very severe, and at
first it was feared that the sight was imperil-
led. 1t has since been ascertained that the
only effect will be that for a short time il will
be necessary TO use the eyes very sparingly.
Professor Halford, of Melburne Universi-
ty, has been investigating the cause of death
from snake bites. He found the blood of the
victim in all cases dark, very fluid, without
any tendency to coagulation on exposure and
containing a large number of foreign cells,
which, under the microscope, were seen to
contain nuclei He concluded that when the
person is bitten, molecules of living germnal
matter are thrown of, which speedily grow in
to cells and multiply wirh astonishing rapid
ity. This sudden increase takes place at the
expense of the oxygen absorbed into the blood
at each respiration; hence the gradual decrease
and ultimate extinction of combustion AMI
chemical change in the body, followed by cold
ness, drowsiness, insensibility, slow breathing,
and finally death. Professor Halford claims TO
notice strong comparison between the effects
resulting frow snake bites and cholera, and
considers the above explanation probable
clue to the study of zymotic diseases.
The New Orleans Crescent assails Edwin
Booths conception of the character of Ham,
let az radically false. 1t says that Mr.. Booths
Hamlet is baced ON Goethe's famous criticism
of the character in "Wilhelm Meister," and
that this is entirely opposed to a true reading
of the text. Goethe and Booth have, however
the vast majority of critics on their side.
In recent sermon in London, Dean Stan
ley said that explorations were to be made in
Jerusalem by digging, to discover some of its
ancient monuments. One of these is the Holy
Sepulchre, around the present assumed loca-
tion of which doubt is thrown. Another is
the catacomb containing the tombs of David
and the Kings of Judah, the prototype of all
royal tombs of the modern world Apart from
anything that might be found in the tombs, its
would be OF an immense value as
fixing the position of the "City of David The
last time it was seen was when Herod the
Great broke into il in search OF treASurei
but there could be no reasonable doubt tthe
Dean thinks) that il was still buried beneath
the rubbish and still recoverable. Men to pro-
caed with the work are on the spot
The recent visit of Lord Clarendon to
Italy has attracted much attention. Several of
the French journals pretend that he is charg-
ed with mission from the English Govern
ment, and that it is to try TO bring about an
understanding between Rome and Italy.