The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1874-08-08
HOME AND FOREIGN GOSSIP.

but thought he was patronlzlng an honest
poor boy in buying them.
A PENNSYLVANIA toad swallowed fire
f1y. The local paper says: p" WINE tne
latter was exploring the interior OF the
toad. the light Of his lantern was visible TO
outsiders through the skin OF the detesteo
reptile"
A ROCHESTER drunkard erawled under
a bush on the verge of Genesee Falls, ana
slept there until his uneasy tWlsuhgs
brought his legs over the abyss. A po-
liceman found him just in time to save his
life.
THE poormaster in Troy was called upon |
Inv a woman who said that her husband
was dead and she was destitute. A visit |
to her home found the body in slXty-dol- |
lar casket. and three carriages in the fun
eral procession.
IT pays in France to feed horses for the
butcher. From $26 to $50 is given for an
animal in fair condition, and about thirty
thousand of these animals are eaten annu-
allT. Horse meat is sold for about half
the price of beef.
FRENCH statistics show that there are
cities of fifteen thousand inhabitants in that
country without physician. The same
figures also indicate that the percentum OF
mortality is lightest where there are 1eW-
est physicians.
THE Chinese, hitherto rather coy about
adopting the manners and customs OF the
Americans, once in while take kindly TO
the ways of the ''outside barbarians." One
Lon Fat. who ran a shoe and slipper fac
tory at Sacramento. has absconded, leav-
ing debts unpaid to the amount of $4,000.
Several confIding Celestial creditors levied
attachments ON the concern, but Mr.. Fat
left very lean stock.
THERE is society in London for pro-
noting window gardening among the
poor. Under its auspices show was re
Gently held, at which prizes were awarded
for the best boxes of plants. Books on
horticulture were also given to those sug-
costing the best plans for floral decora-
ton with growing plants. The poorer
districts are said to have been greatly
beautified and improved by the encourage
ment of taste for flowers.
Now is your chance for nice long poem.
Not long ago break was discovered In
one of the large reservoirs OF the Bliss
Brothers, at Indian Hill, California. MIR.
r. FL. Bliss discovered it. and instead of
flying down the valley, shouting words OF
warning in theatrical manner. he plump
cd his own body into the breach. Being a
large man-220 pounds is his fighting
weight-he stayed the torrent until the
water was drawn off by the gateways.
A FEMALE slave is still held in Covert,
NY. She lives in the Tunison family,
and is probably over 100 years old, al
though her exact age is not known. 1t
seems that the act emancipating the slaves
I'm that State contained humane clause
providing, in effect, that no persons above
a certain age, or unable from any cause to
maintain themselves, should be liberated
and turned out upon the s'cold charities of
the unfeeling world In accordance with
this provision the person alluded to was
held and is kindly and tenderly cared for
in her old age.
In Minnesota the new railroad law Great
ed Board of Commissioners t0/regulate
charges, who have just issued "a circular
fixing the rates. The general maximum
rate of passenger fares established for the
Minnesota railroads is four and one-half
cents mile. Five cents q mile, however,
is allowed on the completed portions of the
Northern Pacific and the st. Paul and Pa
cific Railroads. On the "river division -
Of the Milwaukee and st. Paul Railroad,
which is the most Travelled line in Minneso-
to. the lowest maximum rate is fixed, three
and one-half cents mile.
A BILL has been introduced in the Brit
ish Parliament to limit the amount of
work required of children. young persons,
a and women in factories. The bill provides
8 that young persons or females shall not
work in factories more than nine and halt
hours day, children not over five and a
half hours; that neither of these shall
work before seven in the morning; that
after September l, 1876, no child under
ten shall be employed in any factory; and
after this same date no young person shall
be employed in a factory otherwise than
as a child may be employed, unless he or
she shall be certified by an inspector OF
schools to have received certain amount
of schooling.
THE following is said to be the form OF
pledge taken by the members of the
"Anti- Treating" Society of Albany, n.
Y: ssSince it has been acknowledged by
every thinking man that treating is the
great sore of public social life, and the
main cause of excessive drunkenness in
America, we, the undersigned, do solemn
ly declare and promise by our signatures
never to offer or accept treat of any arti-
Gle consumable after May l, 1874, the fol-
lowing cases accepted: First, it is allowed
to receive treats and to treat persons from
other places who are on visit, but only
such persons: and, second, it is allowed to
offer such articles consumable to ladies.
And further, it is allowed in cases where
the strict adherence to the rule would in
terfere with the transaction of business u
MARRIAGES in Kentucky are not always
performed according to previously-ar-
ranged programmes. Quite an unexpect-
ed interlude occurred in a ceremony per-
formed by Squire Payne, in Franklin
county, few days ago, between very
small lady and a six-and-a-haIf footer.
When the magistrate asked the question
sswhether there were any lawful obiec-
tons why the two should not be joined in
the holy bonds of wedlock," one of the
company stepped forward, and, with much
gravity, objected to further proceedings in
the case, on the ground that one of the
party was too short and the othertoo long;
that it wouldn't begin to do, as there was
no match in the case. After some eonftl-
sion with the Justice and commotion in
the company present. the Squire overruled
the objection as frivolous, and proceeded
to perform the marrisge rites.