San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-10
HERE AND THERE.

THE San Francisco Alta estimates
that the drought has cost California
1920, OOO,OOO.
A WOMAN in Wareham, Mass, being
distrustful of savings banks, has hidden
away in her house 800 silver half dimes,
the result of many years of saving. She
has two bank accounts, but says she
keeps a reserve in case of the banks
failure.
A MAN whose manner did not indicate
insanity ordered steak in Sacramento
restaurant. He deliberately cut off a
piece of the meat, four inches by two in
size, and tried to swallow it whole. 1t
stuck in his throat and choked him to
death. "..t. '.''..,.a.
ATLANTA's offer to Georgia is, if she
is selected as the permanent capital, to
give the State any ten acres Of unoccu-
pied ground in or near the city,, or the
City Hall lot of five acres in the heart OF
the city, and to build Capitol as fine as
the one at Milledgeville.
THOMAS T. PRENTIs, United States
Consul to the Seychelle Islands, made
Miss Thayer, of Waitsfield, VT, believe
for six years that he intended to marry
her. Recently he returned to Waitsfield
with a wife and two children. Miss
Thayer has brought a suit for damages.
IT is said, in an article in Harper's'
Monthly, by writer who has lived ten
years in Alaska, that the land there is
worthless, and the seal fisheries likely
to soon be exhausted. There are, ac-
cording to this authority, only 100 white
persons in the country.
If you belong to the "tonies," you
must give up note paper, and use large
elegant cards, about four inches by
three. You are at liberty to write on
both sides of the cardboard. The
envelope fits closely over the card, and
has monogram in color on the back.
THE Davenport Democrat says an
other outrageous swindle is working its
way into Iowa. The plan is to give a
farmer 80 rods of new fence, if he will
put it up along the road where it will
be seen and serve as an advertisement,
get him to sign an order, etc.
THUS far the dramatic season
throughout the country has been finan--
cially bad. Out of 40 travelling COM
panies that started from New York in
September, the Sun says that seven
have already collapsed, while many
more are struggling along on the verge
of going to pieces, and very few of them
are doing well.
IT is related of young man en-
gagged temporarily to act as private Sec
rotary to a certain railroad official in
Pittsburg, that he made special effort
to be early the first morning, reaching
the office at Z o'clock. To his surprise
he found his chief there, about to light
his second cigar, having finished his
MALL and read the morning papers.
"Well, young man. said Mr.. -, "I'd.
like to know where you have been spend
ing the forenoonP"
/ A SECRET drawer in an old bureau in
| New Orleans was found to contain an,
explosive machine, intended to demol-
ish any body, but the owner attempted
an opening. Age had destroyed the
effectiveness of the device, however, so
that when the drawer was pulled out
there was no explosion. The contents
consisted of old papers, of no value or
interest, and it is supposed that the ar
rangement was a result of somebody's
insanity.
FERNANDINA, Florida, has a large
sea-bull, Manatee, or Lamantin. Itwas
captured near st. Lucie, on Indian Riv-
er, is 10 feet in length, and is estimated
to weigh about 1000 pounds. The
Manatee, or sea-cow, once numerous in
South Florida, is now comparatively
rare animal. Its food consists of ma
rine plants and alge. They are man.
mails, and the females show great affec-
ton for their calves. The Manatee is
perfectly gentle, and submits quietly to
the handling of his keeper.
AN ingenious use of carrier-pigeons
is on record. They were employed in
Belgium to smuggle tobacco into France.
Each bird carried from ten to fifteen
grammes of the weed, and two dozen
pigeons per day were regularly dis
patched. How long the new industry
had been established is not stated; but