The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-10-26
Gossip and Glenninys.

The largest raft ever floated on the Missis-
sippi river was landed recently at Musca-
tine, La. 1t tcontained 1886, 756 feet of lumber
with top lading of 100000 of lath and 40,
ooo pickets, covered space of four acres and
was worth S42,O69,71.
The new constitution of Illinois, which
compelsa residence of ninety days in every
voting district, disfranchises over 100 Metho-
dist ministers who are compelled to move,
this fall, by the action of the conference.
"A man claiming to be John Jarvis who
was carpenter of the United States ship Le-
want when she was lost in the Pacific in 1861
made his appearance at his old home in Nor
folk, Va, last week. He states that he was
cast up on an uninhabited island, and was
picked off only short time ago.
On Election day, November s, proximo
the citizens of Boston will be required to vote
'yes" or mo" on the question of accepting
the act of the late Legislature in regard to the
establishment of one or more public parks.
"A municipal notice has been issued, an
nouncing the opening of eleven fresh depots
for the sale of horsefesh in Paris. The daily
consumption Of horses, which at the Begin
ming of the siege was only twenty or thirty, is
now from $50 to 250.
Among the many grotesque means of
saving the country proposed in France, the
formation of corps in the department of
Gers is the most remarkable. Its members
are all dressed in black, and are under the
VOW OF strictest silence. All commands are
given by signs. Their banner is skull.
"A Canadian paper tells lively yarn of
man who was in pursuit of a deer in Luther
township, Ontario, recently. 1t appears that
the animal had taken refuge in a pond, and
being without firearms, the young Nimrod
jumped upon its back, and away over the
fields sped the heet-footed deer with its nm
accustomed load, leapinS fences and clearing
at bound objects which would be a decided
setback to an equine under like crcum-
stances. During the run, the Young man
slipped from his seat and his head came in
contact with fence post, receiving bad cut
o'er the temple; but nothing daunted he
chung to the caudal appendase of the deer.
ana nhaliy' with the assistance of neighbors,
captured the animal. '''
"A new system Of mountain railway has
lately oeen lald down in Hungary. The line
requires no permanent way at ALL Square
bearers OF oak, eight inches thick and four
teen broad, are laid on the ground, and only
at rare Intervals are cross-sleepers used. On
the two edges of the bearers are rails only
weigh one pound per foot. The trucks run
on pair of wheels eight lnches IN uiameter.
| The bodies of the trucks are thiee timeS tue
| width of the rails, and placed so low on the
wheels that they have just room to move.
This system was originally proposed by an
| Enalis6man. The cost is about one thousand
dollars per mile.
| A Young lady in Quincy, ILL.,, who had tray
| eled from Indiana in quest of husband be-
| came discouraged lew days ago, and at.
tempted to put an end to her life with bell
| rope. But her strength of will was not equal
to the emergency, and she became discouraged
with that also, and is now on her way home.