The Lake County star., 1876-05-18
MINOR TOPICS.

MARY HARRIS, who shot and killed
Burroughs, Treasury clerk in Wash.
ington, some years ago, and was acquit-
ted ON the ground Of insanity, still lives
at the Capital. About quarter of her
time she is incarcerated; then released
till she chooses to return again, which
she does quite regularly. Her face looks
hsggard and aimless.
THE San Francisco courts have decided
that a man undertaking to pass to the
left with an umbrella in his hand is
liable for all damage inflicted. In the
case wherein the decision was rendered
the plaintiff lost an eye from sudden con-
tact with the ferule of the umbrella,
and the jury gave him $299,99. If it
had not been for slight cast in the eye
the owner would have recovered 5000.
The TeviOtdale district of Scotland is
at present suffering from most extraor-
dinary scourge of mice. 1t is supposed
that the indiscriminate slaughter of
hawks and other birds of prey has dis
turbed the balance of nature, and al
lowed the mice to multiply to 80 over
whelming an extent that the conse-
quences to the farmers are likely to be
serious. The Duke of Buccleuch's head
keeper has given orders that the hawks,
ETC., are hereafter TO be preserved-a
remedy that will take effect in time, but
cannot recoup the farmers for present
loss.
A SHANGHAI paper states that three
new ports in China are to be thrown
open to foreign trade, to-wit: Ichang,
Wehu and Wenchow. Ichang is situated
toward the western portion of Hupch,
and may also be said to be in the very
center of the empire. Wenchoy is in
the Province of Chekiang, half way be-
tween Ningpo and Foochow. 1t is on
the borders of Fokien, and is q seaport
town. Wehu is a district city in the
Prefecture of Tal-p'ing, in the Province
of Ngan-hui, and lies few miles up the
Yangtsee, beyond. Nankin. 1t is the
center of somewhat extensive trade.
MILAN has made arrangements for the
regular practice of cremation, the au-
thorities having caused "pyre" to be
erected in the public cemetery, for the
use of those who desire, and can afford
to avail themselves oft. The pyre is the
invention of two Milanese professors, and
is 80 constructed that in few hours the
remains can be reduced to handful of
ashes, and that without making any
disagreeable spectacle or disseminatin
any smoke or odor. The apparatus is in
the form of the ancient Roman
sarcophagus, within which is receptacle
for the body, upon which upwards of FIVE
hundred lighted gas jets are turned, and
kept ablaze until il is reduced to ashes.
The Chinese Government, upon think
ing the matter over, has determined to
Gust the Portuguese from Macao. Por-
tugal has held this island, which is situ-
ated near the Chinese coast, for over
three hundred years, and quite lucra-
tive trade is carried on with the main
land. The Chinese want to place GUS
tom house there to collect revenue,
hence the difficulty which commenced
several weeks ago. As China has sew
eral formidable Instructions in progress
in the interior provinces, and the Por-
tuguese have pluck, skill and a good
navy, the issue of the impending con.
Aict is not doubtful. Portugal may add
further territory to her dominions, a
proceeding, however, which would not
be relished by England, who, it is said,
has instigated the Chinese to molest the
d. Portuguese.
The London Spectator calls Mr.. A. T.
Stewart "the Emperor of shopkeepers,"
and pronounces his reported estate of
8l6,OOO,OOO sterling perhaps the largest
fortune that ever was at one mans en-.
tire disposal, and certainly the largest
that wasever made out of shop or &C.
cumulated by trade of any kind in one
mans lifetime. 1t is four times the for
tune acquired by the late Mr.. Morrison,
five times that of Mr.. Thornton, two and
half times the highest estimate ever
formed of the wealth of Mr.. Brown of
Liverpool, and probably exceeds that of
any business man now alive and without
partners, except, perhaps Commodore
Vanderbilt, the American railway specu-
lator, who is credited by rumor-which
may, however, be exaggerated--with
larger accumulation still.
THERE appears to be fine opening
for terrier dogs and active cats in Brit
ish Burmah, which, according to the an
nual report of the chief commissioner
on the administration of that country
for 1S74-75, lately issued, is in some
parts overrun by rats. These animals
make periodical visitations to certain
districts, where they are not only seri.
GUS nuisance, but, owing to their vorac.
ity, reduce the inhabitants to a state
bordering on starvation. The Karen
district, east of the Sittang river, was
lately afflicted with visitation in the
shape of a rat plague, which caused
alarming raysges and such deficiency
in the food supply that the unfortunate
inhabitants we're reduced TO a precarious
subsistence on green bamboo shoots and
jungle roots. Their affection for their
ratinfested homes was, however, 80 great
that they could not be induced for some
time to emigrate to the district of Toun-
goo, where ample provision had been
made for their sustenance, and lived, or
rather died, on their bamboo shoots and
jungle roots; for, owing perhaps TO the
.s..I. l.