The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-04
VarieCieS.


Dickens says Il have known vast quanti-
ties OF nonsense talked about bad men not
looking you in the face. Don't trust that con-
ventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty
out of countenance any day in the week, ii
there is anything to be got by it,"
A California exchange says that the vim
tage of Los Angeles county will this year pro-
duce one million and half gallons of wine,
to make no account OF the value of table
grapes shipped from there to San Francisco
and other markets This wine will average at
least half dollar per gallon. Los Angeles
will, therefore, realize $75O,OOO from her wine
product. Probably the entire area of land
from which this wine has been made does not
exceed 5000 acres. 1t is estimated that In
that region about q 900 acres in grapes will
yield as much in value, in wine alone, at fifty
cents per gallon, making no account of table
grapes or brandy, as 100000 acres Of the best
wheat land cultivated in wheat. Acre tor
acre, the advantage is nearly five to one in IA
vor of grape culture
1t is said Cardinal Antonelli forced the
Pope to execute Monti and Tognetti. Howev-
er that may be it is plain they were ferocious
brigands, and richly deserved death il anybody
does. One is quite at loss to understand
why thould be held up as martyrs
The Paris Moniteur, no longer official, has
engaged Victor Hugo as correspondent.
-Rochefort calls the Marquis de Mouster
"the handsomest Ounce he ever met with"
The "Bee Cholera" is an epidemic in Gin
ton county, Ohio. One bee-raiser has lost 80
out of 80 hives He has discovered that the
bees are attacked with violent purgng, the
matter evacuated being of glutinous quality,
clings to the bees in such a manner as to re-
tard their motion. Their wings become glued
up, and in attempting to fly they drop down
short distance from their hive and perish.
When the doctor told the King and Queen
of Belgium that there was hope that their son
the Duke of Brabant might recover, the King
piously dropped on his knees, and, weeping
thanked God aloud, for his mercies, while the
Queen raptu-ously clasped the doctor in her
arms and kissed him repeatedly.
A cautious Californian declined to receive
a telegraphic dispatch sent from a town where
small pox was raging.
The New York Worlds Commissioner
has been among the candy shops, and procured
samples of all sorts of plain and colored can
dies. The chemist, Professor Seeley, reports
upon them and says he finds nothing obiec-
tonable in any OF the samples, and should not
hesitate to give such to his children. The
truth is it is difficult to adulterate caudes, a.
the fraud is easily detected BY the taste. So
the children may indulge their Sweet tooth
with less fear of harm than they have hereto
fore had.
Since the death of the Prince Consort OF
England-seven years ago-Queen Virtorlas
private band have had full pay and scarcely
any work but their holiday is over, as the
Queen now consents to listen TO music again.
A London Justice has decided, very alb
surdly. that the "Cruelty to Animals" statute
does not apply to birds. This decision arose
from a complaint against bird-dealer for cru
city to a canary. He sold it as "tame cana
ry." Its purchaser discovered that its "tame-
ness" had been produced by swapping its
wings. A decision in 1858 placed fighting
cocks within the statute, aud the present de-
cisiOn is considered very unjust.
The editor of the Troy Times was the first
TO nominate Grant. He was two days, seven
teen hours and forty-seven seconds ahead OF
the editor of the Rochester Democrat, In war,
time is everything; it remains to be seen
whether it is also everything in politics.