The Portland daily press., 1868-06-03
XariefiRa.

Tho Northern Monthly has ceased to exist,
and will hereafter be merged in Putnams
Monthly. 1t was first started as the New Jer-
sey Magazine, and seemed at one time to give
much promise, but for several months has been
visbly declining.
One of the Early English Text Society
prizes at the University of Copenhagen has
been adiudged to a lady who is not only learn
ed in Early English, but in Anglo Saxon, Moe-
so-Gothic, Morse and Icelandc.
"A little fat-boat, containing young man
his wife, boy and a dog, arrived at Baton
Rouge, La, few days since, all the way from
Venango, Penn. They were thirteen weeks
on the way.
Strawberries are selling in Baltimore at
twenty-five cents box.
In New Orleans few days ago an ice cart
was struck by lightning. The bolt descended
on block of ice, shivering it into a thousand
pieces and scattering it in all directions. Sim
gular to state, the driver, mule and vehicle es-
capped without injury.
II am transported to see you," as the oon
vict said to the Kangaroo.
Why would the sea make a better house,
keeper than the earth? Because the earth is
exceedingly dirty and the sea is very tidy.
During the performance at theatre in
Salt Lake the prompter detracted somewhat
from the stage illusion by exclaiming in
voice audible to all present, "Hurry up that
thunder and lightning, there, you"
81 say, Mr.. Pilot, amt you going to start
soOn?" said nervous traveller on steamboat
lying to during fog. GAS soon as the fog
clears up" replied the captain. "Well, it's
starlight now overhead" said the man. "Oh,
yes but we are not going that way"
"A novel feature in the celebration OF In
rine walking match by two or three expert
enced divers. They will cross from the city
proper to East Boston, and just before starting
barrel of gunp0wder, cont aiming two hum
dred and fifty pounds, will be exploded mid
way the course, which will throw a volume of
water and smoke some one hundred feet into
the air.
Upwards of twenty millions of dollars
are invested in the wine interest in California.
Nearly all of the first brood of sparrows in
New York have perished in the parks from the
excessive wet and cold weather of this month,
and the impossibility of obtaining their natural
food, the insects and the worms.
Butter new sponge and feed it to the rats.
Then give them plenty of water. The sponge
will swell and the rats will die in consequence.
This is the latest advertised method of getting
rid of the rodents.
Granite OF excellent quality is coming
north from Virginia.
John Burns, the hero of Gettysburg, has
been stricken with paralysis.
An of Shakespeare's plays are published
in single volume in England and sold for a
shilling.
The California Farmer of April 16, says
that hay-making has already commenced, and
that strawberries and green peas are in the
market. 1t takes off the bloom little to add
that the Strawberries were two dollars pound.
Eight days later they were fifty cents pound.
Tho Montreal Telegraph says the present
rainy term, besides doing good to the farmer,
has carried joy to the hearts of some old coun-
try people lately arrived, who slap their
breasts, walk about in the rain, and delighted
ly exc,aim "Come, this is something like
'ome." Accustomed as they are to an amphib-
ious mode OF existence in the mother country,
the rain is to them a source of pleasure.
"A Paris correspondent of the Boston Ad-
vertiser says the scheme for making railway
bridge across the Channel from Calais to Do
yer is very seriously taken up by the French
government. Marshal Vallian, the minister OF
the Emperor's household, and General Fave,
one of the Emperors aides-de-camp and the
director of the polytechnic school. lately had
several ;nteryiews with M. Boutel, the project.
or and in consequence of their report that his
| nlan was feasible, the Emperor received M
Routel at a private audience on April 80. tits
said by the Independant of Douai that an
American engineer who has seen M. Boutel's
plans is so much struck with them that he has
written to Mayor of New York recommending
the adoption of his system for the construction
of bridge between that city and Brooklyn.
The last number of Punch has an excel
lent sketch representing fashionably dressed
lady at conaArt, standing near the drum
mer and demonstrating with him-fra my
good man, don't make that horrld noise'
can't hear myself speak" The hint is as ap-
plicable here as in London.