The Portland daily press., 1870-10-19

John Knowles OF Maine, who has been in
jail at Guildhall, VI, for burning the Norton
Mills, had his trial last week and was acauit-
ted on the plea of insanity, and was sent to
the asylum at Brattleboro, by order of the
court.
In English hotels the women servants carry
up the baggage, while the men carry up cards
and run on errands.
"A new born child was lately presented at
the Marie of the Pantheon, with the exact
image Off Prussion Leimet on its forehead.
Among the stories from the diamond
fields OF South Africa is one about a home
stead and kraal whose plastered walls were
found studded with damons.
"A veteran housekeeper affirms that the
scarcity of good servants is largely attribut-
able to the scarcity OF mistresses who know
how to keep house as one should be kept.
"A man was recently committed to prison in
England, for two months, for playing a game
of"pitch and toss" in an "isoated part of the
parish"
Fashionable idlers ON the Continent PIT
on the red cross badge and get railway trans
Poit"tioh anu passes W Tic HOnt Tree vi eX-
pense or trouble.
From the Observatory at Marseilles,
comet has recently been discovered, which is
visible only through the telescope 1t IS NOV
ing from the whale" toward the "Ram" with
great velocity. 1t has also been observed from
the Dusseldorf Observatory.
A horrible sight was recently witnessed in
the vicinity of Metz. The bombardment of
the 10Th of ptember was carried OIL during
fearful rain storm. The sudden flooding of
the adjacent plain by the force of the shower
swept the soil away from the newly made
graves OF the dead soldiers, disclosing the
corpses and allowing their sickening efluvia
to bill the atmosphere.
Matches have little history in the United
States. People remember them at price Of
nearly cent each. They all came from Eng
land then. 1t was not until 1882 that an en-
terprising Yankee began the manufacture of
matches in New York, and gave them
the name of "Locofocos.' Soon afterward
there was stormy political mee'ing OF a sec
ton of the Democratic party in the old Tam
many Hall in New York. In the coniusicn
he opponents OF the meeiing managed to
turn off all the lights in the hall and leave
the meeting in darkness. But one Merritt. a
prominent local politician, happened 10 have
box of l. ,cotocos in his pocket, and the Gas
was reit amid great cheering; and the pfo-
ceedings were continued. The incident at
tracted much notice; a triumphant song was
written in praise of Locofocos; the poIlt ical
party got the nickname of Locoocos and the
matches sold tar and wide.
Certain ladies in Jeffersonvile, Indiana,
nave established what they call "petticoat
club" Its object is to secure a hall and fit ii
up as resort for married ladies whose hus-
bands are IN the habit of staying out until
two and three O'Clock in the morning. La
dies who are unfortunate enough to have
such husbands, are to be put to bed and al
owed to sleep in peace until such time as
their husbands are in the habit of returning
home, when they are awakened, furnished
with refreshments, and then accompanied
home by half dozen or more of the sis .er
hood. On their arrival home the dprelict bus-
band is to be gone for in the host approved
style OF the late lamented Mrs. Cludle, and
this is to be kept up until the husband aban-
dons his bad habits, runs away or dies. The
club promises to become immensely popular.