The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-27
News and Other Items.


The skin of the common house cat is rapidly
rising in favor as dress fur, and 1000 pelts
sold last year.
Messrs. Henry Clews & Co., bankers, have
arranged with their creditors and obtained a
full discharge.
Prince Heretin, heir to the viceroyship of
Egypt, has decided to visit the centennial ex-
hibition, and will start for America in June.
James Lick, the California millionaire, has
been sued for $4,000 by his physician, who
claims that amount for medical services extend
ing over period of % years.
Leading poultrymen of the country have
just put in request for five acres of the GEN.
tennial grounds, and 5000 pens, next year, at
the exhibition, for the display of chickens,
ducks, turkeys, geese, pigeons and poultry pro-
pucts
The West Virginia Legislature has adopted
the design of state flag reported by the COM
mittee on military affairs. The design is nine
feet long, three feet wide, four diagonal bars
1.-TWO red and two buff, with white ground in
the upper part IF the right hand corner, with
the state arms and motto in gilt.
The coolest winters on record iu the United
1870, 1886 and 1856. in 1870 the Delaware riv-
er, bay of New York. and Long Island Sound,
were SO completely icebound as to be crossed
with horses and sleighs. The coolest year was
that of 1916, when there was ice in every month
of the year.
The New York Times does not think there
is much danger of such gas explosions as they
have just had in Boston, but points out that
every ferry boat carrying gas tank of its
own is liable to explode when the tank is being
filed. This process takes place right under
the smoking deck, and cigar carelessly tossed
at the right moment may send a whole boat
load of passengers across another river than to
Brooklyn.
An examination into the condition of Geo.
l.. Fox, the well known pantomimist, has re-
suited in adecision that he is afflicted with
that form of insanity known as general paraly-
sis; that he is incapable of taking care of him
self, and that his recovery is not probable. He
is therefore adjudged lunatie, and the usual
steps will be taken with regard b his estate.
He leaves his wife and child, a daughter seven
years of age, almost entirely destitute.
A new departure in the matter of playing
cards has been introduced into Canada. The
face cards are made to represent some modern
potentate. The four aces are: Queen
Victoria, hearts, President Grant, spades; EN-
peror of Russia, diamonds; Emperor of Ger
many, clubs. The kings are: Diamonds,
Wales; hearts, King of the Belgians; spades,
Grown Prince of Prussia; clubs, King of Italy
The qneens are: Hearts, Princess of Wales;
clubs, Crown Princess of Germany ; diamonds
Queen of Greece; and spades, Empress of Aus
tria
The Emperor of Brazil will leave that coun-
try, probably in April, for the United States
He will not only attend the centennial exhibit
ton but will travel over much of our country
for pleasure and instruction. The Emperor's
daughter, the Princess Isabel, will act as regent
during his absence. Brazil was one of the
first nations to accept the invitation to be rep
resented at the centennial exhibition, and $50
900 was appropriated for small building on
the grounds for the display of some of the nat
ural products of the country.
The duel at Augusta, Ca, between c. d.
Tilley and G. E. Radcliffe, was one of the old
fashioned regulation character, and the COM
batants meant business, though the quarrel
was very trifing one, the offence of Radcliffe,
the challenged party, being that he repeated a
remark made by an abandoned woman about
TilleY. The weapons were Colts sx-inch pis-
tolls, distance two PAGES. The men faced each
other with the utmost ccolness, Tilley care less
ly smoking cigarette, and Radcliffe as care
lessly kicking the pebbles in front of his feet.
At the word Sire" both pistols were dis
charged simultaneously. When the sound died
away they stood looking each other in the face,
and for moment it was supposed both had
missed; but it was soon ascertained that TilIey
was wounded in the groin, the ball passing
through his intestines. At last accounts he
was reported to be rapidly sinking
William Ell. Vanderbilt, vice president of the
New York Central, gave a reporter, Thursday,
this statement of the railroad freight quarrel:-
The Grand Trunk and the Vermont Central
have for long time been charging for freight
10 the West few cents per hundred pounds
more than we have. This difference has b en-
acceded to by the trunk lines, Baltimore &
onlo, pennsylvania Central and New York
central, on account of the fact that they had
oinerent gauge from the other trunk lines and
nao 70 carry 150 miles further. Now that they
nave altered their gauge and other things being
equai, VIC asked that rates should be made uni
form. ieegraphed to the officers in regard
to the matter, and received response from
Gov Smith, representing the Vermont Cen.
tral, that they were willing to come into anv
arrangement on the old basis which would in
fact give them drawback of ten cents per 100
on freights." A reduction of so per cent on
freight rates 10 the West went into effect on
The Pennsylvania Central railroad, Thursday