St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-01-19

battles the argus-eyed emissaTies of the
press, and although it was reported to
have come off on the 9Th, no one has
yet been able to find out any of the
particulars of the occurrence, or even
to know certainly that hostile meet
ing has taken place. The most con-
fiicting reports prevail. Mr.. May is
wounded and Mr.. May is not. Mr..
Bennett is here and is lying concealed
outside of the city, and has gone to
Europe, and is nobody knows where
else beside. DR.. Phelps, the surgeon in
attendance at the supposed meeting
has been cited before the Grand Jury
to testify regarding the performance,
but refused to say one word about it
and was therefore promptly committed
to Jail for contempt. Resort to habeas
corpus has got him so far out that he
can visit his patients under guard of a
deputy sheriff, but it is proposed to hold
him till something definite is learned
regarding his course in the matter.
Nothing has so completely got the bet
ter OF the newspaper men IN years, I'M
less perhaps the destination of Tweed
at the time of his escape. The whole
thing is about as badly mixed as the
elections.
The French steamer "Amerique,n
which had already been wrecked or
stranded twice before during her vari-
GUS trips between Havre and New York,
is now lying in the quicksand near Long
Branch, having been beached by care
less pilot during the thick weather of a
week ago. Three lives were lost, and
the cargo is being slowly removed by
wreckers.
One of the periodical auction sales
held by the Custom House, of seized
struggled goods, came off this week.
The various articles, mostly cigars,
liquors and fancy goods, found, as is
always the case at these sales, eager
purchasers of this class who are always
hunting for bargains in such goods, and
who in their eagerness paid more than
retail prices for stale and damaged
goods. 1t is an oddly of human nature
to commit such follies, but it is almost
always the way. Put up a good piece
OF improved real estate for auction, and
it will go for the cost of the fence around
1t; but advertise a lot of musty cigars
and some demijOhns of doubtful liquor,
and there will be crowd ready to fight
for the privilege of paying two prices
for them.
Our novel and fascinating resort, the
New York Aquarium continues to bear
witness to the untiring energy and en-
terprlse OF Its management through its
steadily increasing popularity and at
tendance. People in this country have
got so accustomed to exhibitions OF
animals that only the younger por-
ton OF the community can get up much
enthusiasm over menagerie, but here
the most hardened sight seer expert
ences all the keen delights of novelty.
We have all read Verne's "Twenty
Thousand Leagues under the Sea- and
sighed with vexation to think that we
could never enjoy the thrilling sensa-
tions of these fabulous navigators who
walked at pleasure on the bed of ocean,
and saw the wonderful teeming life of
the depths as Familiarity as we see that
on the earth's surface. But the miracle |
has been brought to pass, and now right
here, on Broadway, in this big, busy
city, one can have in some respects |
even greater advantages than those en-
We'd passengers of the Nautilus. They |
had to wear their cumbrous diving
dress, and could see but very little at a |
time, while the visitor to our Aquarium |
can in an hours time behold the won
ders OF river, lake, arctic seas and trOp-
lcal waters, and that without so much |
as wetting his shoes.
The Aquarium is a large, well lighted
structure, occupying the site of the iron
coliseum" (nOw in PHILADELPHIA Oh
the corner OF Broadway and 35th street.
Once inside its broad portals, the visitor
finds himself face to face to face with
sights which, if he has drop of fisher
mans blood in his veins, will set it
tlngling out to his very finger ends.
There, all about him, within easy reach
were it not for the thick plate glass
which protects them, lie poised in lazy
security such trout, pickerel and other
game as he has only seen in dreams.
How they wave defiance at him with
their tanning fins and stare at him out
OF their unwinking eyes! What would
he give for Il chance to throw hook
INTO those clear waters That an angler
is aroused to such improper feelings by
his first look at the scaly attractions of
the place | can testify from personal
experience; but these soon wear off and
become lost in the intense interest which
further inspection awakens.
In an immense tank 60 feet long swim
some OF the most interesting denizens
Of the ocean. Slowly traversing and
retraversing the length of his domicile
glldes shark, whose dull eyes, horri-
BILE half-open mouth and CHASTITY white
belly hold the observers gaze in IA sort
OF shuddering fascination. MOtionless,
in the partial Obscurity of the bottom
of the tank, may be discerned the bony
armOr OF an immense sturgeon. Up
and down the sides of the glass walls {
travel with grOtesque springs and wrig- S
gGngs, small army of skates, sur {
rounded by an amused crowd like that {
about a cage of monkeys, which indeed
5he long tails and antics of these queer {
1at-tish in some degree recall. {
Most of these tanks are built into the
wall, the bottom and three sides of each |
being of rocks, shells and sand, and the c
ourth of glass as before mentioned. / e
must just mention the great white 1
whale which still spOuts and plunges in a
he central enclosure, the splendid sea
ion who rOars and gambols in his rocky t
,OOl, and the sleek, intelligent seals v
Who claim large share of the ladies' a
attention, many one of whom no
lOubt would like to transfer their shin
ng coats to her own shoulders. C
The two most recent additions to the r
objection are queer looking unwieldy S
ippopotamus with mouth like that fl
f his own river Nile, and a marvellous +
apanese fish with the eminently char e
cteristic name of Kingiyo, having Il
ody like FURNISHED gold, and a long I;
ripple tail looking as though woven Of a
Ihite silk and fringed. This latter b
henOmenon is said to be the product