The Portland daily press., 1868-04-09
Varieties.

"A Chinese sword-swalower, at Marseilles.
who fired off a rifle with the hilt while it pro-
jected from his mouth, had the weapon forced
down his stomach by the resoil of the frearm,
and was so disgusted with the result that he
gave up the ghost.
New York's new post office is to cover
two acres of ground,
"A New Orleans correspondent states that
within the past few weeks quite large num-
Der of capitalists from western cities have in
vested largely in real estate in New Orleans
for the purpose of erecting warehouses, grain
| elevators, etc.
The baptism of the youngest son of the
Crown Prince of Prussia was celebrated
March I'D. He has received the names of Jo-
achim Frederick Ernest Waldemar.
Wild geese are passing northward. In
Europe it is the cranes and storks that set
forth their annual caravans in spring time,
and are the harbingers of returning warmth
and verdure.
News dated from the Pon.ifcal frontier
| the 2lst ultime states that Mr. Odo Russell
has obtained the extension of the provisions Of
| the Franco-Pontifical treaty of commerce to
England, the arrangement to date RETROSPECT
lively from the LIST November, 1867. 1t is be-
leved that the North German Confederation,
Austria, and perhaps Italy, will obtain the
same conditions.
Great rejoicings took place at Vienna up
on the passage of the Civil Marriage bill, late
ly announced by cable. The entire city was
| Illuminated.
The funeral of Daniel Manin, the noted
Italian republican, took place ON the evening
| of the 21st ult.. at Venice. The remains were
| deposited in the Church of San Zaccaro fol-
lowed by senators and deputies in state barges
and an immense number of gOndolas. The
Grand Canal and all the boats in the process
| sion were illuminated. A magnificent specta-
Gle was thus produced.
Miss Kate Reynolds sailed for England
yesterday to fulfil theatrical engagement,
The peach trees in Southern Illinois are
now in full blossom, and the gardeners there
promise ripe strawberries in about three
/ weeks.
| An Atlanta paper tells of chap who
came down from one of the upper counties
and encountered a man with hand organ
covered with green cloth. The man began to
turn and the countryman put down quarter,
which the other Immediately took up. Down
went another, which shared the same fate.
| The stranger, finding his pile getting low,
| turned to bystander and asked, "Mister,
what sort OF a game is this, any how?"
The last Partisan novelty in dress is a
puff petticoat," which sticks out in a bunch,
and causes the female form divine to look it il
SAID, like the Dodo.
Carl Benson relates, in the Round Table,
curious typographical error. On st. Pat
rick's day a speaker closed by reference to
| the time when his hearers should be gather
| ed to the bosom of the Eternal Pity" In
some way the final letter of the last word was
omitted, and the sense was slightly changed
in consequence.
Six seconds is all the time the Paris exc
cutioner requires to guillotine man, unless
the victim wilfully delays the execution. Con-
trast this with our bungling and barbarous
method of hanging the man up and choking
him to death, prolonging the agony for over
half an hour sometimes. If we must kill peo-
pie in the name of the law, ought we not at
least to do it as humanely as possible7 If we
can't abolish capital punishment let US import
the guillotine at once.
John Rogers, the sculptor, whose spirited
groups representing "The Picket Guard, .
taking the Oath" The Council of War" etc.
are so well known, is now engaged on new
work which can hardly fail to be admired. 1t
is called "Courtship in Sleepy Hollow" and
represents Jchabod Crane and his sweetheart,
the lovely Katrina Won Tassel The figures
are now being modelled in clay; and though
they are unfinished the critics declare that
the sculptor has happily caught the spirit o.
Geoffrey Crayon's nimitable creation, and hai
embodied it most successfully in this group.
Men have many faults,
Poor women have but two;
There's nothing right they say,
And nothing right they do.
"A gentleman travelled eight hundred
miles last week, in order to attend Mr.. Dick
ens's readings in Boston. After the readingi
are finished he will return to his home in tn,
West, and he says his journey of sixteen hun
dred miles he does not at all grudge.
J An old woman, over ninety years of age
passed through Charleston few days ago Oh
pedestrian trip from South Carolina to the
mountains of Virginia.
Then and now: The Berkshire (Mass
t Chronicle of 1889 says: "Last Thursday even
, | inc. Mr.. Sylyanus Bourne arrived at the seat
I | of His Excellency, John Adams, Esq, al
/ Braintree, in fifty hours from New York. will
, despatches from the Federal Congress" Now
f the same distance can be travelled in abou
!, | six hours.
+ The new Printing Office and Book Bind
E cry of d. Appleton & Co., in Brooklyn, N. Y
: is really a magnificent establishment, and
t when fully completed win be more so; show
: ing the extent of the immense business dom
: by that celebrated house. The entire space to
be inclosed is 55, 100 feet, or one and quarter
f acres. Two-thirds Of the ground will be occu
t pied by buildings and the residue left Tor al
e area. Edifces already up occupy three siueS
= and without going into details, for wnlcn W.
: want space, it may be said that eVerJ'nin'
y that can he imagined as desirable for tne niaA
o ING of hooks of all descriptions is PROVIDED 10
IT ON a most liberal and convenient plan: all IN
: ;r,,,.o,,a,,,o,,,s that could be found abroad
, ,,1.aoa.oa a. home having been adopted. Th
- a nicture of which is lying befor
Ill when finished present very fine al
.ance That nineteen powerful steaI
"a presses are at work, is one significant and sul
"a gestiye fact as to the magnitude of the prem
ID ises. -. .;,,
- The medical papers are writing agaln'
> the modern fashion OF high-heeled boots Inc
# say it causes corns, cramp, lameness at an ca
ly age, and, the worst thing of all, u iessol
n the size of the calf, makes the leg lose Tvs ~
metrv and causes the foot to spreao az "
hou Ladies' who have pretty feet ana WIS
- 20 Loen them pretty should beware OF higl
~ Kontuckian has Just pokered to deaf
y os.ossin who murdered his father some 81
T ,oon wears ago. and has been fined $50 for
=, ,vh;cb NAV be considered quite cheap.