The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-05-23

This, Monday morning, large excursion
party Of about one hundred and thirty-five
persons, embracing members of the Boston
Board OF Trade and their wives and daugh-
ters, will leave that city for an excursion TO
California via the Pacific railroad. Mr.. Full
man has charge of the party and has had ele-
CANT cars built expressly for The occasion.
This train. il is safe to say, is the finest ever
built. and in Europe would only be used for a
"royal progress" 1t comprises eight cars, as
follows: a baggage car, a smoking car, two
commissary cars, two hotel and drawing-room
cars, and two saloon cars, each OF these con-
tanning fine Burdett organ. The train is to
leave on Monday morning, and will be due at
San Francisco on Saturday evening. The party
will spend two or three weeks in California,
visiting The 70 Semitic, the Geysers, the Big
Trees, &c, and on the return trip will stop at
Salt Lake, Omaha, Chicago and Niagara.
Hon. John b. Brown and wife of Portland
are to be of the party.
A public dinner given in Boston recently
afforded opportunity for novel designs fin the
display of tempting viands. Wild ducks
stood at the brink of miniature pond, 5x2 IL
feet in size, bordered with moss and contain
ing live trout. Snipe were standing by the
edge OF another pond similarly bordered and
inhabited. Upon pigeon-house built OF
bark in rustic style and shaded by willow,
pigeons were percbed. An enormous goose
occupied the centre of the table. All these
birds had their feathers on, and presented
lite-like appearance; but a touch OF the knife
removed the feathers and revealed cooked
BIRDS ready for eating. This we presume, is
matured pre-raphaelism in the art of the cui-
sine.
A young lady's trosseau is the subject of an
inexpIicable mystery in New York. The own
er, young lady of Philadelphia, brought it
home with her in the steamer, and on arriy-
ing in port, expressed desire TO be relieved
OF the annoyances and delays of the Custom
House, saying she would be glad if she could
pay The duties at once and take it along with
her. An ex-Liverpool sea captain with whom
she was acquainted, offered his services, say
ing that he was acquainted with the officials
and could arrange the matter. So the precious
materials were entrusted to him with the re-
quest that they be sent TO her address in Phil
adelphia. They were not received, and the
lady came back to New York aad found the
captain, but the treasure was gone. The GUS
tom house officials are now investigating the
matter.
The Reu0lutiOn Of last week argues for
Male Magdaen Asylums. 1t asks: Why not
Male as well as Female? Certainly for every
Mary Maedalen there must have been David
Maedalen, Solomon Maedalen, an Abraham,
an Isaac or Jacob Magdaen. There may
have been many more. Poor Mary Magdalen
was possessed of seven devils, all males, of
course, for the Bible always makes devils mas
culine. Witches there were among women,
and sorcerers, but nothing worse. Mary Mag
dalen probably had lovers more than seven.
Had he who cleansed the temple with
"scourge OF small cords" taken these in hand
also, while he cast out the devils, the hope for
poor Mary would have been brighter yet. Or
perhaps they were one and the same plague.
Devils is good enough name for them if they
were. But why Magdaen Asyums Tor the
Marys and none for the tempter, the serpent,
the devil that caused their fall?
A meeting of the policy holders in the Mu-
tual Life Insurance Company of New York
was addressed Thursday in the Boston Board
of Trade by Mr. McCullocb, of New York.
who characterized the action of the officers as
In some respects irregular, but at the same
time expressing entire confidence in the sound
ness OF the company. He was replied to by
John V. l.. Pruyn, one of the trustees, in ex-
PLANTATION and defence of the management
alter which the meeting voted that commit
tee OF three prominent citizens of Boston be
appointed to represent the policy holders of
Boston, to receive proxies, and attend the next
election OF officers in New York, and also to
have power to investigate on behalf of the
policy holders, in accordance with the sugges-
ton made by Mr.. Pruyn.
There are in Stka about 800 Russians who,
if reports he true, are starving 70 death. FIRE.
quent deaths from that cause are reported in
the Stka papers and official reports received
here. An order from here caused the dismiss
sal of all civilians from government employ
there The Russians miss the work furnished
them heretofore by the Russian American
Company, and as they have no means of as
sisting each other and all avenues of support
have been cut off, they are truly in a distress
ing condition. They are loud in denunciation
OF the government at Washington for not ex-
tending some aid, to let them gather saw logs
and haul them to the government saw mills.
or any work at equal chance with the Indians-
They cry out in their-DtorvfnS condition for
aid of some kind, or to be sent to Russia where
they can support themselves and get plentyto
eat. The indians too are in deplorable con-
dtion. The United States Quartermaster
there occasionally distributes food among the
people, but OF course he cannot make regular
practice of it: The people will probably ere
long realize the value OF our purchase in those
icy regions. The showing thus far is not very
flattering. We have received no benefits from
the acquisition, have added continued expense
to the original purchase, and feeling Of hu-
manity calls for some measures of relief for
the distressed inhabitants of Alaska. 1t NAV
be different when Congress shall permit the
fisheries and fur stations to be worked over.
but just now, if we may believe reports and
local items in the Stka papers, the distress OF
the inhabitants is terrible.-JV Washington Cor
respOndence.