The Portland daily press., 1872-07-08

Apr0pos OF the need OF plainness in writ
ing, good story is told of Lord Littleton
When the last reform bill was before the
House of Lords, the noble lord offered an
amendment that no one should be allowed
the franchise who could not write his name
in legible hand. 1t was the duty of the
clerk at the table to read the amendment
aloud to the House, but so badly had his lord
ship written it, that for the life of him the
clerk couldn't make it out.
telegram from Madras, published in the
London Times, stated that court of inquiry
was being held, with closed doors, ON the con
duct of Mr.. Pogson, the Governments astron-
omer, who seems to be held responsible for
the damage done by the late disastrous cy-
Clone 1t is not stated whether he is also
held responsible for not having prevented the
cyclone.
The New York Mail is discussing such
timely topics as ''What is heat? % ''Tempera-
ture of Insects" and Thermometers"
A reporter upon Western paper, speaking
of certain fair creature, remarked that the
profusion and color of her hair would lead one
to look upon it as though it was spun by nim-
BILE fingers of the easy hours, as they glided
through the bright June days, whose many
sunny rays of the light had been caught in
the meshes, and were content to 90 no fur
ther. This is better than saying the girps
hair was red
The best feature connected with the South
African diamond fields is the discovery that
the Cape country is one of the richest agri-
cultural regions in the world. From coun-
try almost barren of people it will in time be-
come one of the most thickly settled portions
of the globe.
An Indiana paper describes the feast of a
legislative delegation at railroad dinner.
The reporter narrates the facts in the case
very pointedly: ''The delegates set at 3P.
M. They upset at 81
Since the street sale of newspapers has been
permitted in Paris, the aggregate circulation
of daily papers in that city has increased one
hundred thousand
The New York World correspondent ad-
mired the regularity of the habits of the Do.
chester girl who keeled over in fit at four
O'Clock every afternoon at the Jubilee.
Michigan woman recently put her infant
child in tub water, then stuffed feather
bed over it, and surmounted the whole with
herself. The child smothered with great ia
clity.
The Omaha Bee doesn't mean anything
personal, but opines that, if the Omaha post
mater would resign, ''many people would feel
less anxious about their money letters"
The land on a Scurboro farm is so wet that
the owner hoes his corn with dipper and
digs his potatoes with hook and line.
Gambetta must be very popular in France.
Since his retirement from office he has re-
ceived nearly one hundred valuable testimo-
mails Of public favor. The most expensive of
these testimonials came from Alsace and Lor-
raine, where the Republican leader is held in
special esteem.
There has been recently established in
London Eng, an Office for Marriages, which
undertakes to provide qualified matrimonial
partners suitable for all applicants. To sup
port their statements, they publish in their
advertisements testimonials from various per-
sons who have been satisfactorily supplied
with wives or husbands by the Office, in the
same manner as the testimonials appended to
advertisements of patent medicines.
Mary Hogan was Shakeress; but she
didn't like the ways of those too retiring peo-
pie, so she eloped with and married Brother
Jackson. When interviewed by some of the
scandalized brethren, Mary is'reported to have
sad: "You can make your apple sass and
warrant it to keep; bnt gals amt apples, and
you can't bile 'em down so they won't sour
on your old rules about marrying" Too true,
too true.
DIR. Mary Walker is urging the Washing
ton authorities to furnish the policemen with
umbrellas during the hot term.
A Paris epicure explains that mayonnaise
is properly spelled mahonaise, having been
devised by Richeleu while at Mahon.
Baltimore is getting alarmed about the
spread OF smallpox, and the board of health
has provided so places for public vaccination.
Victor Hugo is going to Guernsey to work
on"Satan,' which is his only inspiration now.
1t is poem.
A rustic youth visiting Nashville for the
first time, the other day, mistook the eleva-
tor in hotel for a bedroom and got half un-
dressed before the machine started. He as
cended in terror and rnarnd ont as the Soc