The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-12-11
News and Other Items.

"Gipgerbread Germans are the newest and
most reasonable entertainments in and about
Boston for young ladies who have not ''come
out" No gentlemen are invited, gingerbread
and lemonade are the viands, and the girls go
home to their mothers before midnight.
The members of the new Legislature of Samoa
are so ayerse to wearing a respectable amount
of clothing that it has been found necessary to
adopt rule imposing fine of 800 upon any
of them who enter the hall in complete or
partial state of nudity.
A Washington despatch says: SIT is believed
that nearly all the stories concerning the retire
ment of Mr.. Jewell have been started by Post
master Burt and his friends, and until within
few days they have been confident that the
Postmaster General would be forced to resign
DR.. Charles A. Lindsey, member of the
New Haven health board, has Investigated the
question of garbage in rs different cities, and
reports that Philadelphia spends annually $49,-
600 for its removal; Baltimore $125, 900; Chica-
go $4,000; Boston 1884, S9; Bangor, Me-, $780,
900; Cambridge $4,000; Portland, Me-, 5000;
Norwich, Conn, $1,000; New London, Conn,
$500.
A New York man is fighting gas company
which is much livelier than wind mill. 1t
arged him too much. He said the meter
was wrong. The company denied it; and the
next bill was bigger and the next bigger yet.
Now he refuses to pay, and the company adj
hitting that the meter may be wrong, has sent
to take it back He refuses to let the gas peo-
ple into his house, and has secured an injunc-
ton against their trying to take it away. He
intends to prove the meter fraud, and that the
company was using it to cheat.
The st. Louis Times says that Gen. Babcock
explains as follows the despatch to McDonaldy
signed "Sylph,' and reading, 81 succeeded.
They will not go. will write YOU The des-
patch sent by Babcock alluded to the appoint
ment of Thomas Walsh of st. Louis, as super
vising architect in place of Mr.. Mullett, who
had resigned. Walsh's commission had been
made out and was ready to be signed, when
Babcock ascertained that Mcdonald was very
much opposed to the appointment, and this
despatch conveyed the information to Melon
aid that Babcock had Succeeded in defeating
Mr.. Walsh, and had no reference to "whskey''
matters whatever.
The San Antonio (Texas) Herald tells the
story thus: ga few days ago class was being
examined in the Flores street school about the
geography of the state, and particularly in ref
erence to the public institutions, &C., of Aus
tin. But the children all forgot to mention the
lunatic asylum. The teacher inquired: ''Now,
boys, is there not another institution at Austin
where those unfortunate persons who have been
deprived of their reason are provided with per
manent homes at the expense of the state?'
Yes answered the class. What is it called?'
inquired the teacher. The constitutional con-
vention, howled the class, in chorus. No won.
der the convention is opposed to free schools. u
There is already grand rush of winter visi-
tors to Florida, and the hotels and boarding
houses are rapidly filling up. The Jacksonville
papers say that half dozen northern steam
boats are to be sent to St. Johns, and two OF
three fine yachts, tAstor's and Buffers includ-
ed) are to be there for the winter. The Saint
Johns will be lively and brilliant winter
scene, even the present winter, and more yachts
and steamers will 60 there each succeeding
winter. New hotels are in process of erection
at several points on the river. Among the
prominent arrivals are ex. Treasurer Spinner and
ex-senator Fenton of New York. The wealth
er continues free from morning frost, and the
noon temperature rises daily to about 700 in
Jacksonville.