Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1869-01-30

FREE NAsoNs.-It is estimated that tho
Masonic order, ct present, contains about
1,25O,OCO menl ers. OF this uumbe. sc, ,O0C
are in England, loo. 900 in Scotland, ard
80, 900 in ireland. There are about COO, ,0U0
on the continent of Europe, 800 900 in the
United StatUs, and so, 900 III other parts ot
the world. In England there are two CT
three thousand persons initiated every year,
and the Masonic body is said to be every
where Increasing.
a gentleman who has lately explored sh5
islands of Pyramid Lake in Utah, which are
, avoided from some supcrstitious fear by the
Indians, says that it is impossible in the
incubating season to walk Cn the islands
without stepping on the eggs of gulls ducks,
/ pelicans. aud other aquatic fowl. Two small
rocky islands arc alive with rattiesnaxes,
which bask in the shade of almost every
! stone; so that an intruder is often treated
J to q sercnadc by llugen or more rattles Of
! various degrees Of power and shades CT tone.
! The DEMON OF KEROSENE. Prof. Chan
dlcr, in his report to the New York Board
| of Health, says that out of seventy nine
samples of kerosene oil purchased at various
! places in the city, bat one Was found TO be
at all 6t for use. The OF! bought at a shop
in East Broadway, part of thg city where
! propoItionately as little gas aud as much oil
| is used by private families as in any part Of
the world, contained ten parts of burn ing
oil and ninety parts of explosive oil. The
professor remarked that guupowder would
be safer in lamp than this oil, because the
powder would not ignite until the fire, by
some accident got to it, but the volatile and
gaseous part OF the oil is seeking the hana
Of the lamp as long as it is burnt
The Bank of California, in San Francisco,
employs Cinnamon, in half dozen gangs, TO
count silver coins. They work under the
leadership of u seventh Chnaman, aud work
with wonderful rspiaity. large number
of the coiEs are taken in one hand and
passed TO the other so skiiifully that any
failure in weight, ring, or surfaces detected.
Cinnamon can never be cheated by C0iifor
mans, it is said, with spurious money.
Trr report of the Ohio Commissioner OF
Immigration shows that 32,G20 emigrants
arrived in Columbus last year, being about
1000 less than in 1867; 1914 of these pro
posed to settle in Missouri. 5,7s5 In Illinois,
1851 in Ohio, 1869 in Wisconsin, 2,e03 in
Indiana, 2, 2DI in Kentucky, 2,l9S in Micli-
gan, and the remainder III Tennessee, Minne.
sofa, Iowa, Kansas Nebraska and Louisiana.
: There were fewer Irish among the cmigrau,s
than heretofore. About two-thirds wera
' from the North German Confederation.
> There is much curiosity in Pelham, N. II.
about tomb owned Jointly By several talni'
lies, which was lately found with the lock
!, broken or wrenched off Upon entering the
tomb strange coffin was found, containing
the body Of young woman. Nobody can
recognize the body or tell who paced il
there.
The valuation Of the personal estate in ,ho
several counties of this Commonwealth. tax.
able for State purposes, amounts to S2O2,-
500, ,94i.40, according to the report OF thu
Auditor General. The tax assessed foots up
to S567, 7,sl6.70, and the special half-mill tax
to SeS, The population of the Com
monwealth for 1868 is placed at 1921 ,046,
and the number of taxables at 7I3,2S4. By
the act Of Assembly, approved April l5, 1865.
the above amount OF tax is reduced fifty pee
cent.
Contributions arc TO be raised in this
|, country for the purpose OF restoring the
church in John Bunyan's native village and
making a sort of memorial Of it, so that il
might hereafter be a kind Of Christian Mecca
or monument Of the pilgrims progress.
The Springfield Republican says the first
! through train on the Pacific Railroad will be
made up of one locomotive, six passenger
cars, two sleeping and one baggage car, aud
will start from Springfield and run through
to Sacramento without change.
A citizen of Portland, Maine, thinks the
world is to be visited by second deluge
He is accordingly converting his entire pro-
perty- $6000--into an ark. The boat will
be fifty feet long, fifteen wide, fiat bottomcd,
square sterued, round bows, with house
just aft of midships. The proprietor is plan
J ning and building the affair himself lie
, does not intend to launch it but will simply
J store it with provisions and proceed to keep
house in it prepared, at any time, for the
, rising of the waters.