The Portland daily press., 1871-12-30

land than anything else during the year. At
one time it seemed likely that difficulty with
Prussia would grow out of the desire of the
latter to lay hold of the little rock of Heligo-
land which lies off the German coast, but
nothing came of it except ''the Battle OF
Dorking" Great Britain has added to her
territorial possessions during the year New
Guinea, coded by Holland, and the diamond
fields of South Africa.
On the 18th of June the Pope enjoyed. the
singular glory of completing the 25th year of
his Pontifcate, st. Peter alone of his prede-
cessors having enjoyed similar distinction.
But ON the Sd of July he underwent the hui
initiation of seeing Rome become once more
the capital of Italy. bai HeiE 's'@3i
On the I'd of January Amadeus, second
son of Victor Emanuel, King of Italy, be-
came King of Spain The government OF the
latter country has not yet succeeded IN put
ting down the revolt in Cuba, and the con-
duct of the authorities OF the island must
eventually lead to trouble with the United
States unless it is materially changed.
OF course Mexico has been unquiet. 1t be-
came evident early in the year that the re-
election of Juarez to the Presidency was in
evitable. On the 25th of June the prelimin-
airy elections took place and resulted as was
anticipated. This result being afterwards
affirmed by Congress, as provided by the Mex
can constitution, Juarez entered on his sec
ond term on the first of December. But
Porfirio Diaz, one of his opponents, had Or
ganized a revolt, and Trevino had already
taken up arms in Nuevo Leon. The revolu-
tionary movement afterwards spread to the
adjoining States, and the malcontents had
some successes. The last news, however, is
to the effect that the government has tri-
umphed and that Diaz is fugitive. IN
The continued absence of DR.. Livingstone,
the sad loss of Sir Samuel Baker and his par
ty in Africa, and the partly successful polar
exploring expeditions sent out by the Ger
man and other European governments make
up the foreign record of the year. .f
f.c. THE YEAR IN MAINE. y, ...-t;,
Maine has not been without its sensations
during the year. There have been two
earthquakes, one on the 30th of July and the
other on the 18th of October. There have
been five serious railroad accidents, besides
several of minor consequence. OF the former,
one occurred at Freeport on the Goth of
June, and resulted in the loss of two lives.
AT Hallowell on the 9th of June two were
killed; near Bangor on the 9th of August two
were killed and thirty injured; at Vassalboro
on the It'll Of August five were injured, and
on the Ogdensburg road, June 2Sth, six were
injured. =. t-,r-ae.i ,. -, ..,....i, ,,,4I
The railroads have made good progress.
The Ogdensburg road has been extended to
Conway and the, Portland & Rochester to
Rochester. The Knox & Lincoln road has
been opened to travel. The Maine Central
leased the Portland & Kennebec road by con-
tract dated May 18th. 1t has also leased the
Androscoggin, the Dexter & Newport and the
| Belfast & Moosehead Lake roads. The Eu
ropean g. North American road was opened
to st. John on the 18th of October, the occa-
| sion being formally celebrated and the Presi-
| dent and a large, number of distinguished
strangers being present. agq asr ,lqr..
| Two of; our Maine colleges have made a
"new departure" this year. sold Bowdoin''
now offers to students scientific course te
which persons may be admitted, who, like
Shakespeare, have .'little Latin and less
Greek '-indeed the scheme of the new Pres.
ident of the institution, Ex-Governor Cham
berlain, contemplates admission with ''fit''
every way below the standard hitherto adopt
ed in our Maine Colleges. Colby University
| has taken the important step of admit
ting girls to the regular course. The
| young lady who has entered the Freshman
class of last year, is sustaining herself admi
This liberal policy cannot failt prove an ad.
! vantage to an institution which is now gem
| erously endowed and has as able board o.
instruction as any institution in the country
| The schools of the state have improved some
what during the year, according to the report
| of Superintendent johnson. though the aver.
age attendance still remains at the lamenta-
bly, low rate of fifty per cent. ' 9d biD7H 81
The drought Of the past two years had seri-
| GUS effect ON the prosperity of the agricultu-
raj community last fall, there being almost
an entire failure of the hay ana some other
crops. ,.,.,l ..... .g1 a~.e ',R l III,
Among the prominent citizens of the State
who have died are W.A.P. Dillingham; of Sid
ney, formerly Speaker of the House, Mayor
Dale of Bangor, Toppan Robe of Gorham, Rev.
DR.. Wilson of Waterville, DR.. II. ID. Irish, OF
Turner, DR.. F. @. Stoekbridge of Bath, E. f.
Beal Of Norway, Walter Brown, the oarsman
formerly of this city, N. NJ. Whittmore ID OF
Gardner, Peter C.'Virgin of Rumford, e. B.
Burns, of Calais, James M. Deering of Saco,
Geo. III. Knowlton of Biddeford, Francis Ba-
con of Kittery, VIM. McLoon of Rockland,
Seward M. Baker Of Windham and Dr. Cyrus
Briggs of Augusta. esnsl 1tadl ID dial