Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-04-27
NO. H..
MIsCELLANEOUs

1t IL said that Mrs. Gaines, after forty
years Of litigation, has received a favorable
decision on her claims against the city OF
New Orleans. 1t involves millions of dol
lars.
-Chief-Justice Taney was a slave Of to-
bacco. lie ate and drank little, but smoked
necessarily, and when his physician pre-
scribed short allowance he would reduce
the supply to 80 or 40 cigars day.
"A law has just been passed in Indiana
requiring the doors ofevery theater, church,
school and every other public building to
be made TO swing outward within sixty
days under penalty of $1,000
"A Washington dispatch announces that
Presiden, Hayes will not have wine upon
his table ordinarily, but that he considers
1t a requirement of official etiquette that IL
should he furnished at state dinners.
-Irrigating by windmill power from
wells is being successfully attempted on a
small scale in Colorado. One farmer near
Evans irrigated by small mill last season
an acre of vegetables, besides drawing wa
ter at times with the same power for so
head OF stock.
philadelphia is reported to have 5000
houses untenanted or occupied by families
who, unable longer to pay rent, are per-
mitted 10 remain in them on condition that
they protect the premises from the ravages
to which unoccupied buildings are liable.
Wonderful discoveries OF prehistoric
remains have been made at Arkadephia,
Arkansas, 20 miles south the II OF Springs,
consisting OF a road from 800 to 1000 years
old, skeletons OF primitive giants seven
feet high, ETC., all constituting an archeo-
logical bonanza which is 10 be Immediately
and thoroughly worked.
The product of wax in the United States
is stated 10 be 20,OOO,OOO pounds annually,
and increasing-worth in money al least
100000. OF this about S70O,OOO worth is
exported, and about 81 200, 900 worth OF
honey also goes abroad. The total product
of honey and wax is worth at present in
the United States nearly SIS, ,0O0, 600.
More than 1,OO0, 900 copies OF the Bible
are printed yearly. This is equal TO more
than 1900 every week, more than 5000 ev-
cry day, 800 every hour, or 5 every minute
of working time. More copies of the sacred
Scriptures are demanded in the English
language than in the languages OF all the
other nations Of the world.
Charles Fox of New York city gave
his entire real and personal estate to the
United States government 10 aid in paying
the public debt. The New York courts
decided that man may devise his person.
al property TO the government, but not his
real estate, and the United States Supreme
court has sustained this decision.
An amusing case was tried in a New
York court recently. A firm of tailors sued
to recover S75 for a suit of clothes made for
a customer, who refused to pay for them on
the ground they did not fit him. The clothes
were tried OH in court, and the coat found
TO be too tight-waisted. The jury decided
for the customer.
Gen. Grant is not going TO write his
tory of the war or of his campaigns, but
cousin OF Mrs. Grants, a Mr.. Smith of
Pennsylvania, has had all the generals
official and personal records placed in his
charge, and he is 10 write the book, with
the understanding that the publication is
fully authorized and indoIs by the ex-
President.
40 years ago lost a shilling that his father
had given him TO pay his teacher for
school book. Last month the boy. now
neaAly so years old learned where his old
tescher is living, and sent him letter, de-
failing all the circumstances connected
with the unpaid for book, and inclosing The
amount of the little debt, with 40 years in
terest.
Burlington Hawkeye: "When a San
Franciscan gets to be immensely wealthy
he builds a palace of a stable, with marble
halls, Brussels carpets, and hot and cold
water in every stall; Chicago millionaire
builds a hotel nine stories high New
Yorker builds hospital; a Bostonian
builds college, and a Burlington man
builds another bay window to his house
and paints his front fence.
"A natural bridge, far more wonderful
than that in Virginia, has recently been
discovered in Elliott county, KY. 1t is Of
solid stone and forms a magnificent arch
1852 feet long and 15 feet wide at the top, the
river, the Little Clancy, rolling over 100
feet below. Fifty yards above the bridge
is waterfall, sixty feet high, and the view
from the bridge is said 10 be extremely
beautiful,
"A San Francisco Chinaman who was
recently indicted for murder was instruct
ed by his counsel TO attempt TO prove an al
ibi as his best line of defense. According
ly, at the trial couple Of Celestials appear
ed and swore that at the time of the MUIR
der he was at work in a wash-house, two
more swore that he was at boarding house
in bed, and several others were prepared to
prove him in several other places, when
the lawyer interfered and stopped further
testimony.
All lovers of Charles Dickens will be
interested in knowing that st. Nicholas for
May contains an exact fac. simile Of a char
acterstic letter from the great master, new
er before published. 1t was written to two
little American girls from Mr.. Dickens's
home at Gadshill, and has a touch of his
brimming jollity in fine pun, alluding to
the probable matrimonial fate of his young
correspondents. The autograph and writ
ing are very clear, and the interesting sto-
ry of the letter is absolutely told by one OF
the parties to whom it was written.
TIE BAR-RooM BELL PUNoH.-The Vir-