The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-20
Gossip and GIennirgs.

During the month of July there were
seventy fires in Chicago, which entailed loss
OF SAT ,4S9. Out of this amount the insurance
companies had TO pay $40,417.
Fares on the Metropolitan Railroad of Bos-
ton have been reduced. Five tickets can now
be purchased for twenty-five cents, and twen-
ty for dollar
"A Sdrant az indianapolis grayely anoup-
ces that ice melts faster in moonshine than
sunshine. He has probably bad occasion to
use it more frequently when the moonshine is
brightest.
An enthusiastic lover of music at ST. Paul,
MINI. proposes to have Peace Jubilee in that
city,with all the accompaniment of electric
shocks, anvils, cannon, and mother-in law.
Two milkmen, named Iesdectively Swill
and Waters, were recently arrested in Ver-
mont on charge of disorderly conduct, and
fighting on the public streets. The disorderly
conduct and the fighting would not he worth
noticing, if the names were not SO suggestive.
"A young lady named ODonnell recently
sacrificed her life in the effort to save her two
little brothers, who had gone out to bathe and
were drowning. He body was subsequently
found in tie bed of the river with an arm
tightly clasped around each of tie brothers.
Some ogre of an editor tries to irighten
tender conscences by telling young ladies that
"when they exclam dear me! they are swear
ing like troopers" Yet such is the fact; for
the phrase as we have il, is but the corrupt
ion of the Italien words Dio Mici-My God P,
l. "a
''good gracious" and II snum."
"A plumber, on the Lake Shore and Mich
igan Railroad has invented machine for sup
plying locomotives with water. In addition
to its use tor the purpose named, it can also
be availel for watering hogs in cars by means
of revolving joint attached to the tank.
The cars can be flooded as they pass, and the
animals thoroughly cooled. In humane
sense, it is a very valuable invention.
While the Mormons were enjoying a
shower of lizards a week or two ago, the resi-
dents OF Columbia County N. Y. were treated
to shower OF toads. According to the state
ment OF reliable citizen of Copake, the AMI
imals came down with a thunder-shower, and
covered section ofground two miles in length
and nearly mile in width.
Dear mutton.-A tender line OF Lamb re-
Gently sold for thirty-seven dollars at an auto
graph sale 10 London.
The English House of Lords has voted to
enumerate, in the next census, the religious
professions OF the people.
"A ten-acre meadow in Illinois was struck
by lightning last week and completely destroy
ed. The grass was dry and ripe for moving.
-Hendricks County, Indiapa, has the
champion heavy weights,-a brother and sis
ter who weigh together over 1870 pounds.
In the life of every woman there are two
grand epochs at which she is willing to tell
her age-when she is sixteen and when she
| is one hundired.-Louisritle Courier-JournaL
Iowa plants every year forest OF 5,ooo,-
| 600 trees. Within considerable less than hall
a dozen years 25,OOO0OO forest trees have been
| planted, and are now growing in the North
west.
East Tennessee has raised this year five
million bushels of wheat, and will have sur
Mus of three million bushels for sale-more
than has been raised in that section for twen-
| ty years.