The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-02
The Wide World.

The railway superintendents of roads run
ming into Boston have refused to sell tickets at
half price to persons in the rural districts desr-
GUS of hearing Mr. Moody preach and Mr..
Sankey sing. The objection made to the plan
was at once lamentable and funny. 1t was
urged tnat business men would come to the
city on halt-rate tickets under guise of going to
the tabernacle, and would then 90 to their
places of business.
General Pleasanton's blue glass theory is as
sailed by the Scientific American. His idea
that electricity is generated by the passage of
light through the glass is declared to be absurd.
Nor have coored rays any beneficial effect on
life, the reverse rather being the truth, as a
pure, white light is the best The oily good
that can possibly come of blue glass is 10 its
use as shade for decreasing the intensity of
solar light.
The prospectus of Coming Events, new
London daily paper, promises exclusive in
formation upon everything that is of interest to
the general public of London and suburbs of
the occurrence of which previous Information
is to be obtained The couteuts will be ar
ranged under three heads; To-day "To-mor-
row" and "After Tomorrow" The new jour-
nal Will take no account of past events, with
the exception of birtns, marriages, Deaths Eng
l,sh stocks and funds. This must be the Jour
nalism of the Future.
The Commune of Laekin. Belgium has de-
cideG that hand organ is not a nuisance. A
little man nnmed Torcq keeps public house
and occasionally gives dancing parties in the
ining-room, the orchestra comprising one or
gan-grinder. The neighbors could not sleep,
and finally sought relief from the courts The
local magistrate took the part of the beer-seller
on the ground that it is impossible to treat as
a nuisance that which is the simple result of
the exercise of calling within its due limits;
that such noise ought to be tolerated in
large town; and that a tavern-keeper who gives
balls in his own establishment, and closes at
the usual hour. is strictly within his right.
Upon the appeal OF the public officer, this de-
turn to the Tribunal of Louvain, and won his
point. The learned judges decided in effect that
the neighDors, as rule, went to bed too early
A German paper says that Monsieur N, the
director of Partisan theatre, owns silver
watch which, though worth hardly 30 francs,
has saved for its owner ~t i1a5s 10000 fraucs
during the twenty-five years for which he has
owned it, Monsieur N. is very rich and known
throughout the theatrical world, and nothing
is mole natural than that when some DOOR
devil of an actor is hard up he should apply to
Monsieur N for assistance. He tells his story.
"Ah, says the great man, that is sad-very
sad, Would L could help you, but I've just
made some heavy payments, and haven't 10
francs about me. But hold, my friend, here is
this watch; take it; truly it is not much; but it
is all have" Generally, of course, the proffer
is not accepted, but if by chance the poor fellow
takes the watch Monsieur N. adds: "And
bring me the pawn-tcket tomorrow, and I'll
redeem the watch myself 1t is indeed value
less, but have had it long and it has grown
about my heart. l am attached to it, as in
deed he should be, seeing how much it has
"stood him in"
January and May with Chinese variations:
A wealthy old Chinaman living near Shanghai
was unhappy. His wife was nearly as old as
himself. Weary of December, January pined
for May. He went to Hangchow to get a young
bride, but the marrageable maidens as we'll as
their fathers gave him cold shoulder instead of
warm heart He was rich and respectable but
SO old as to be ineligible Leaving his old wife
at home, he took with him his grandson, a
comely lad of nineteen, and set ont for 500
chow, where he commissioned middleman to
select for him pretty maiden. The lady ex-
pressed desire to see her future husband, and
cunning old January sent his handsome grand
son to her house to do the wooing. The court
ship prospered, bargain was struck, and the
young lady embarked with the two gentlemen
for their native place. Poor little May was an
noyed by the attentions of January, and finally
exclaimed, 81 really wish, sir, you would be
good enough to get out of the way. 4 married
your grandson, not you" keep cool, my
dear" quoth the old man; ''the pretty youth
whose wife am I?'' mime, darling" ''Yours!
yours! you dreadful old grsybeard?" gasped
the bride; put me on shore this minute" She
threatened to scream and expose bis trick and
he finally consented to release her. She went
home and her father kept the old mans money.
London, the new conservative weekly, has
ment. 1t says: "Fhere is general impress
sion that the Americans have neither the Ion
gevity nor the endurance of the native Anglo
Saxon. They work like steam engines, body
and brain at high pressure, while they are
young, and, of course, make their fortunes much
sooner than we do; but the strain put upon
their early years is too much, and many die
comparatively early Bear witness veracous
excharge-table, to the longevity of Americansl
The colored valet who brushed Marlon's boots
in the swamps of the Csrolinas and peeled p0-
tatoes for him when there were potatoes to
peel, died in Tennessee last summer at the adj
vsnced age of ITO, Halt dozen Western
farmers, who had fought 10 the French War,
the Revolution, the War of 1872, at Tippecanoe,
the Mexican War, and the Fenian invasions.
retired from action last autumn after service
in the battle of life ranging from l05 to 135
years, more or fewer. 10 Connecticut,
the blessed realm of steady habits, there are
more centenarians to the square acre than can
be found anywhere else on the face of the
planet. But London admits that there are some
old people in the United States. Ii says: "Mr.
Evarts the counsel for the Republican party,
is over TO- and Mr.. OConnor, who represents
the Democrats claims, is over S0.'' If IL years
years be taken from Mr.. Evarts's ace and
from Mr. OConor's, and the superfluous ''n''
be elded from the latter's name the paragraph
will border upon accuracy Doubtless it is too
much to expect new paper to be exact as
we'll as sprightly.