The Portland daily press., 1875-07-22
News and Other Items.

The Fourth of July celebration at San Fran
cisco does not prove a pecuniary success-the
Celebration Committee having but $4,000 on
hand with which to meet bills aggregating
$4,000. The extent to which the greed for
gain has infringed upon genuine patriotism
may be inferred from the bill of a local poetess
Miss Fanny Marston, who presents charge of
$3.50 for two sentimental illusions.
Mr.. Blanton Duncan has temporarily resisted
the enticements of poll tics to engage in con.
test with the managers of the Kentucky Lii
brary lottery scheme. He has just taken the
legal preliminaries for enforcing full payment
of the prizes reduced by the managers, and has
in hand cases involving several hundred thou
sand dollars.
Elihu Burritt, the "Learned Blacksmith"
who for ten years made efforts in England for
the establishment of universal ocean penny
post has just received an ocean postal card
stamped zone penny" from an old friend in
London, mailed July 1, 1875, the day when the
ocean penny postal card system went into op.
Grafton.
There has been a new system of checks in
troduced into the cash room of the Treasury,
by which such theft as took place a few
weeks since will be impossible in future.
A new presidential ticket is presented by the
Wilmington Commercial of Delaware: "We
hear that new ticket, designed for 1876, talk
ed of in Pennsylvania. 1t is: For President,
Benjamin Ell. Bristow of Kentucky; for Vice
President, John f. Hartranft of Pennsylvania.
There would be life, spirit and young blood in
that ticket beyond doubt, and if the conven-
ton should nominate it the people would give
it their ratification
1t is said that Professor Alexander Agassiz
has not given up completely his fathers plans
for the school on Penikese Island. 1t is not
probable that the school will ever be opened
again on its present site, but it is probable that
similar institution will be established on the
main land within year or two,
Mr.. G. W. Beckwith of Stafford Springs,
Conn.,, is the owner of sword, which, it is as
serted, descended fIom William the Conqueror.
But il has the date 1414, and has an ancient
coat of arms upon it. Mr.. Beckwith refused
An offer of $1,000 for it several years ago.
Recent estimates of she estate of the late
Robert II. Ives of Providence place it at more
than $4,000, 900.
Gen. Longstreet finds that the war records of
the Confederacy fully exonerate him from all
blame at the battle of Gettysburg and the
official documents show that he merely carried
out under protest the orders of Gen. Lee.
A daughter of Robert Dale Owen denies that
spiritualism caused his insanity, and says the
cause was an over-worked brain. She adds:
"May my fathers fate be a warning to the un
disciplined brain dyspeptics who are so nu-
merous throughout this morbidly active
land
1t appears that Gen. Frank P. Blair, unlike
many modern politicians, left no estate, and at
the time of his death was dependent for sup
port upon his office of insurance commissioner
OF Missouri. He leaves wife and eight child
rem. One of his sons has just accepted bust
ness situation in Boston.
On account of the empty state treasury, and
various other weaknesses of Democratic man
agement. the Hon. w. 6. Brownlow predicts
Republican revival in East Tennessee which
will sweep the Democrats from power.
Jefferson Davis, Alexander HI. Stevens, and
all the ex-oficers and soldiers and sailors of the
Confederate army and navy, have been given
a general invitation to attend national re-
union of ex-federal soldiers, soon to be held in
Caldwell, Ohio.
Mr.. Plimsoil, M. P, the seamen's friend,
quotes with pardonable satisfaction the fact
that of the total number of vessels detained by
the board of trade last year under the act of
1875 for alleged unseaworthiness, there were
found seaworthy, 10; unseaworthy, 1854; survey
pending, IS; total. 497. Forty-eight more were
stopped for alleged overlooking, and the return
states that sin no instance in which the act
hoa ham mt in forna hos fba oil
overlooking or improper loading been found
groundless.
Chief Clerk Avery is preparing to leave the
department. He says he does not feel like
longer embarrassing the Secretary of the Treas
ury.
The Secretary of the Treasury has received
additional offers of compromise in some of the
largest whiskey cases on hand. Somelof the
parties interested were assisted by members
of Congress in their efforts to induce the Sec
rotary to accept the compromise. They have
all been assured however, that no proposition
OF the kind will be entertained under any Cir
cumstances, that every case has been turned
over 10 the courts, and the Treasury now will
do nothing except to give the courts all the as
slstance IN Its power in the prosecution.
A tcolored woman named Hami lion was
married in Carleton, N. B., nine wears ago to a
man who afterwards went to sea and if was
supposed he was drowned. He has lately writ
ten home that he was captured by savages on
the African coast and will soon return Tn
the meantime his wife had married and has
several children. She now requests husband
No. to retire, but he refuses. and the much
married woman is in quandary, and her
friends likewise.
The Thorne wooden mills lately burned at
Patterson, N. j., will be rebuilt at Port Char
lotte, CT.