The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-01-22

tions about Bactria, and the parts where
we have supposed Noah finally settled,
able to repulse them.
AN ENTERPRIsING CoRPs.-An inter
esting will case, which has been pending
in the courts in Franklin county for years
past, rivals in its nature anything OF the
sort, possibly ever heard of in the history
of the present age The circumstances,
as gathered from one of the attorneys
engaged for the defense (outside of the
court room) arc briefly as follows: Some
time ago there lived in the town of Wash
inston an old bachelor, who possessed a
considerable amount of property, and had
no relatives save one who, 1t Is SAID. was
needy. The individual (bachelor) was
taken quite i'll, and was advised to make
his will, which he did, bequeathed all of
his estate to the children of a friend. The
news became generally known IN the
town of the manner in which the testator
had disposed of his property, leaving out
any consideration to his kindred friend.
While the man still fingered on his bed
of sickness, it was made up among some
of the friends of the relative that three
of them should visit the sick man and
advise him to make a second will, with
provisions for the relief of the kinsman.
Consent being given, the parties, who, it
is SAID, were all on = tight and who
had no personal interest IN the matter
save the good feeling they entertained
for the neglected friend, appointed one
of their number to write. The table was
drawn up close to the bedside OF the sick
man, who, as well as he could, dictated the
nature of his bequests. Before the con-
clusion and signing of the will the man
died. One of the party remarked to the
scribe g that it was useless to go on, as the
man was dead as HI" However, after
its conclusion, the dead man was lifted
up in a sitting posture and held, the pen
placed between his fingers, and made to
trace his name. after which the question
was asked, g Do you acknowledge this
to be your signature and last will, etc-z
The dead man, by the aid of those who
held him up, nodded assent The corpse
was then quietly laid down, and the in
dividuals signed their respective names
as witnesses to the instrument. The trio
who witnessed the will are now all dead,
and the only seeming trouble is the prop
er construction of the will, which, under
the circumstances and under the influ-
ence of an intoxicated brain, the scribe
somewhat blended In meaning.
| Big SHIPS FOR JOHN BuLL.-The
keel of one of the typical first class Brit
/ ish war ships for the future has just been
| laid at Portsmouth. She bears the sug-
gestive title of Devastation, and along
with her consort, the Thunderer, to be
/ shortly commenced, will take precedence
of all 1.-THE existing grades in the British
navy. Her length is 2S5 feet, her ex-
treme breadth 62a feet, mean draft 26
feet, and tons burden 4,406, old measure
ment. She is to be worked by two en-
/ gines of 500 horse power, and her esti-
mated speed is set down at 123 knots per
i hour. She will be able to carry 900
| tons Of coal, sufficient for three weeks
/ cruise. She is to be built on the genu-
inc turret principle, with no attempt to
unite, by the addition of masts aud sails,
i the characteristics of the distinct fighting
ships. Being, then, neither adapted for
cruiser nor guardship, she is simply a
/ floating battery of enormous power.
/ She will carry two turrets, and on each
witt be mounted two thirty-ton guns,
| capable of throwing shot of six hundred
pounds weight. Her sides are to be COM
posed of teak and iron of nearly three feet
/ in thickness, constituting an armor plating
/ which is intended to make her the most
| impenetrable ship of any navy, while her
armament is claimed as the heaviest vet
attempted. Owing to the absence of any
work aloft, crew of $50 men will, it is
said, be sufficient to work her. She is
to cost 81 ,450, 900 in gold.