The Portland daily press., 1870-02-12
General News.

The British residents of New York com
pain that Prince Arthur gave them the cold
shoulder during his recent trip to that city.
A lady visitor at Washington says people
have to learn to love that city, just as they ac-
| quire taste for tomatoes.
A subscription recently started in New
York, for the reliefof the Townsend family,
the head of which was so cruelty murdered ia
his store on Hudson street, a few weeks ago,
now amounts to $1,000.
Another brutal child-whipping case is re-
ported as having occurred in one of the Chi
cago public schools. A policeman interfered,
or the infuriated teacher-a girl of Is years
might have killed the child.
In Michigan there are certain criminals
doomed to solitary confinement for life
Their prison is at Detroit, and is described as
being unhealth and gloomy in the extreme
Nine of the occupants are insane. The disel-
pline is such that convict who has served
ten years is unfit to take care of himself
A minister in New England, receiving
salary OF $500 year, wears an overcoat made
from cloak he wore in 1884. His wife has
one cloak only, and it is thirty-ive years old.
AS was the case with the Israelites in the
wilderness, so it is with them, their garments
wax not old.
Jonathan Jenness, who died at Rye, N. H.,
the other day, at the age of II, had never
been over sixty miles from home, never miss
ed voting on election days, and never failed
to wind the eight-day family clock every Sun
day morning for more than forty years.
The New York Herald says that Napoleon
never was more completely master of France
then he is at this moment. He is not willing
to shed blood. He does not need to when
the Chambers are with him almost to man.
But if he isprovoked, if his lenentand patient
policy is persistently misunderstood or mis-
represented, he will have no choice but to
again reveal himself. He can and will, If need
be, sweep the streets of Paris with grapeshot.
He can and he will, if need be, accomplish
| another coup d etat. The Emperor is try
ing the people, testing constitutional govern
ment To be compelled to go back to person.
algovernment will be a triumph to the En-
peror, but damaging blow 10 France.
The policemen of Boston had ball at Fan.
euil Hall Wednesday night, to establish
fund for the relief of those members of the
department who from sickness or other cause
become incapacitated for duty. Two thou
sand tickets were issued and the net proceeds
werc S250O. The police of Charleston pro-
pose to get up similar affair.
The girls in Spinners bureau at Washing
ton are the handsomest in the Treasury
building. Beauty is always one of the points
which decides whether they shall or shall not
| be employed An ungainly, i-favored wo-
man is as obnoxious to Spinner as Wall
street gold gambler. The Treasurer has an
idea that handsome woman can do her
work better than homely one.
A new dodge of the confidence menn in
New York is to wait upon merchants at their
busiest hours with what purports to be reg
ular summons for their attendance as iu,ors
Of course the merchant thus summoned ex-
presses great chagrin over the fact, as his
business will suffer in consequence. AT this
the reputed officer intimates that for $40
bill he could make return on the summons
"out OF town." or some other valid excuse
The merchant is only too glad to comply
with the intimation, and the confidence man
departs well pleased over the success of his
| little game
Commissioner Capron is alive upon the
subject Of fbers, and is introducing several
new varieties, which promise to be of great
value. He has procured in Spain some seed
of the Esparto grass, which fibre Eow con
stitutes more than two-thirds Of the British
imports of paper stock, or about 10000 IONS
per annum. 1t is believed by many N 'uIs
country, and by Americans in spaln' 'ii"' 1t
will flourish on the sunny slopes OIL our
southern mountains. The Department has
also disseminated the ramie plant, which
makes the beautiful glossy sea-srass goods,
almost equal to silk in luster, and which sells
at $3.50 to $500 per ton when properly pre-
| pared.