Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-02-09
NEWS ITEMS.

dNiOa0 llit hNlhuAlNs
The New Jersey peach growers have
already sent forth their annual doleiul pre-
diction Of the total destruction Of the crop
in that State.
The ice in the Potomac above WASH
ington is from IL 10 10 inches thick, and at
Long Bridge broken fragments are piled
up in such large heaps that it is feared
sudden thaw would carry away at least
part of the structure.
-Quack doctors will probably avoid
Texas in the future, as by new law physi-
clans must pass an examination in all the
branches OF their science before they can
collect their bills.
A medical book is now in press which
was nearly ready year ago, but the author
held ii back all this time to wait the death
of man of whose singular case he wished
an autopsy.
Statistics Of the fishing trade at Gou-
cester, from 1880 to the present year, show
that in that period $40 vessels, valued at
S1,595,G have been wrecked, and 1872
men lost. The years 1873 aud 1876 were the
most disastrous.
The great Okehnokeo swamp in
Georgia, which covers ca square miles, is
TO be reclaimed from alligators aud Wild
cats, thus adding over halfs million acres
Of rich land to the productive capacity of
the State.
A farmer in Warren county, KY, rails
cd last year, II crop Of tobacco weighing
1000 pounds, not leaf Of which Is shorter
than thirty-lhree inches, not worm-hole
In single leaf. The crop was sold for eight
cents pound, the highest price paid for
tobacco in that county for some years past.
~. Gray, pack with my box Eve
dozen quilts" This is not remarkable
sentence but in view of the fact that it is
about as short as can be constructed and
still contain all the letters of the alphabet,
our young readers may be led TO try their
hand at making shorter one.
--PttsSurg is being blessed with an i'm
mense temperance revival, this winter, un-
der the inspiration of Mr.. Francis Murphy,
temperance lecturer of 20 years Standing
Some 80, COO people have signed the pledge,
and the movement extends 10 al! the sur
rounding country.
The Baptist ministers CT New York
bi'l'OSO " bhJ lOE lut uSb VI
Baptist missionaries in India. The ex-
pense will be four or tive hundred dollars.
The Object is TO prevent eXtorlious to which
the missionaries are subjected in making
tours through the country.
The royal family Of England cost the
people of that country about three and a
half million per annum. The King of Italy
receives nearly three million year, and
tho ihirty-sx sovereigns receive about six.
ty million of dollars per annum. And yet
we have an annua! row about tiay thous-
and dollars and tenement for our Presi-
| dent.
Not one farmer in Que hundred knows
what ii costs hun to make a pound of but
ter, bushcl OF wheat or round of beef or
pork, and that is why he does not set a
| price upon his product as the mechanic
does upon his, or the merchant upon his
| goods, but in all his trading says "What
will you eive?' and "What will you
take2"
Gen. James Shields, the new Adjutant
General Of Missouri, was shot through the
body with grapc-shot at the battle of
Cerro Gordo, in the Mexican war, and a
large silk handkerchief was drawn COM
petely through him TO clean the wound.
He aIterward served a term as United
States Senator from Illinois, and as Major
General during the last war.
The building Of narrow gauge railroad 5
in this country, which began in 1871, when
l79 miles of road were built, has increased
in five years TO 1857 miles now in opera
ton in America. The largest amount built
in any one year was $40 miles in 1874, and
during 1876 500 miles were put in opera
tion, or more than oue-fillh OF the total
amount Of railway constructed in the
whole country.
A correspondent of the Country GEN
tleman has found this preparation thoroL gh-
| ly waterproof: Melt together Id. each of
rosin and tuilow, and when at boiling heat
add ID. of India rubber tan old worn out
gum shoe is Good), and let il boil until the
| gum is thoroughly melted. Then put in a
can or box, and il is ready for use. Wash
the shoe in warm wafer, and when about
half dry, apply the warm mixture (uot too
| hoD with brush.
Many valuable discoveries are the re-
| Not long ago farmer in the north of
France, having been driven by the scarcity
| Of fodder to use whatever he had to feed
his cattle, proved that hopleaves were val
liable food for cows when mixed with other
substances, aud that his own cows Il us
provisioned always gave more milk, while
the animals ihrove better than usual. For
this purpose the leaves must he used fresh
ly plucked.
The locomotive is still deemed an I'M
welcome visitor in China. Although the
short, experimental line between Shanghai
| and Woosung Is in lime TO become govern
ment property, the Chinese rabble regard
itwilh hostility, and have interrupted its
traffic. In Japan, on the other hand, rail-
roads are regarded with popular favor, and
| several lines are TO be built, this year,
which may afford an opportunity for Amer
lean enterprise.
-Ex- Postmaster General Jewell, while
minister 10 Russia, Investigated tho bust
ness interests of the country, and was re-
warded by the discovery of the secret of
making Russia leather. There is no secret
in the tanning, but the peculiar scent Of
the genuine Russia leather is what troub-
led the Yankee tanners 10 initiate. Gov.
Jewell found il 10 he impaired by the use
Of birch bark tar in dressing tho skins, n-
stead off allow or other grease. 1t is not an
expensive article, costing about $40 bar
rel, and Mr.. Jewell sent len barrels of the
tar to various leading leather manufaclnr-
ers in this country, with instructions, and
the result is that genuine Russia leather
goods are now made in America, and
doubtless will soon be sold at nearly so per
cent. below former prices.