The Portland daily press., 1877-05-30
News and Other Items,

NEWS anu UCner Items.
Texas has local-option prohibitory law, and
about one-third of the counties in the state
have decided by popular vote against the grant
ing of licenses.
A woman who undertook TO walk a thousand
miles in thousand hours at Chesterton, Eng,
recently, was stopped by the authorities after
she had been two or three days on the track.
There isla Methodist church in Colorado
which has not one male member. The business
is controlled entirely by womep and there is a
balance in the church treasury.
One Of Brigham Young's wives has been au-
daciously writing for the Gentle Tribune, and
there is great scandal thereat in the prophets
household, and an attem pit to ferret out the Of
fender.
The iron which covered the confederate IRON
clads destroyed in Charleston harbor in 1865 IS
still being recovered and the other day large
section of the bow of a gunboat, with 40 pieces
OF bar-iron plating weighing several tons, was
fshed up.
A novel semi-benevolent, semi-advertising
enterprise has been set on foot by Mr. Norman
Munro, publisher of New York story paper,
running mammoth stage drawn by 10 horses.
from Brooklyn to Coney Island every Saturday.
The stage carries from 80 to 100 passengers, and
tits free ride TO whoever may be on hand to
take it.
In reply to letter asking her if Rev. Josiah
Henson was really the original of 'sUncle
Tom," Harriet Beecher Stowe writes: "No one
person is described as in biography. Traits and
incidents of various people are combined. The
life of Rev. j. Henson furnished many of these
but not all. He was not Uncle Tom. neither
was any other one person that know Off
The wife of Congressman Phillips Of Kan
sas, during her husbands absence the other
day INDUCED in the queer freak of blackening
her face with burnt cork, dressing in cheap cal
leo, and the launching out for an excursion to
Kansas City. The congressman overlook his
fighty wife the next day and escorted her
home, the explanation of her escapade being
slight temporary insanity.
Mary Barker of Brooklyn, an ex.ballet dane.
er of Jim Fisk's opera house, sues to recover
her fathers estate of $250,OO0 in Titusyil]e.
Pa, now in the possession of his alleged second
wife. The daughter, however, claims that her
father deserted his first wife and child num-
Der of years since, leaving them destitute, and
that the woman who now holds the inheritance
was married by him while his lawful wife was
yet living.
1t came out incidentally during a recent trial
at London that Joe Jefferson was to have as
compensation for acting at the Princess, two
thirds of all the receipts of each night, after
deducting $500 from the gross sum. The thea
ire holds at least $1,000, SO that:if it were full
Mr.. Jefferson's salary would be 5000 NIGHT
Half that would not: be bad pay, nor would
even $500, which is the sum Jefferson would
get if the theatre were only half full.
Joe Johnston made speech to some compa-
MES of volunteers at Dallas, Texas, few DAYS
ago, during which he said: sit was long cues.
ton in the United States whether an army of
volunteers or an army of regulars were most
efficient. But that question is settled. The
contest of four years decided the question to
the satisfaction Of all American military men
and the militia or volunteers are the men to ba
depended upon"
Mr. Matthew Baird, one of the proprietors of
the Baldwin locomotive works at Philadelphia
died last Saturday. He came to America from
Ireland in his childhood. and in 1884 became
Mr. Badwins apprentice. He staid there 80
years, and then retired with ST. $3.50, 000 to which
he had added enough to make his estate So
100000. He had had three wives and leaves
heirs by each. Awhile ago he gave his chill
dren each 100000
Rev. Messrs. Charles and A. Murray of Cane
Colony, OF South Africa, who have been intro
ducing into Cape Colony the Mount Holyoke
system of education for women, have lust come
to this country to obtain more teachers and
RtudV educational
RES besides several preparatory schools, have
already been established, and are in fiourisbino
condition, under the charge of American teach.
ere.
a number OF unaccountable discharges of the
electric exploders used in the blasting opera-
tions on the Sutro tunnel, whereby several men
have been terribly manned, has brought ont
the fact that explosions are sometimes caused
by electricity from the human body. Having
ascertalned this fact, Mr.. Sutro has provided the
tunnel-men who handle the exploders with rnb.
Der gloves, and makes. them stand on iron
plates, thus neutralizing the dangerous bodily
electricity that in their former ignorance rem.
dered them constantly liable to being blown
up.
Edward King gives this curious illustration
OF Turkish customs service; There is -four
mill just beyond this stream, where flour for the
supplies of Rustchuk is manufactured. Once
when the stream was high the miller broupbt
his Hour around by water to the lower wharf of
the town. distance of perhaps mile and a
half. When be arrived there he was informed
that he must pay duty on his flour at the GUS
toms, and was shown the regulation-"An
goods entering Rustchuk by water must pay
customs Dues He explained. The official
said it made no difference. The miller flew into
rage. and refused to pay; whereupon the off.
Gals confiscated his flour, and doubtless sold il
for handsome sum to their own profit Such
absurd things happen in Turkey perpetuallv.