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

Westinghouse alr-Drake.
"A French woman has bequeathed sl7,-
600 TO Marseiles for horse and dog hospi-
tai.
Over 81 million feet .of lumber were
shipped from Ottawa, Canada, 10 the Unit
ed States, last year.
"A Lockport, (Pa.) young man fatally
shot himself, the other night, while dream
ing he was fighting burglars.
"A DR.. Wozencroft proposes to turn the
American desert into a fruitful field by
means of the Colorado river, after the Sahara
pattern.
-Old-lashioned long purses are in use
again for holding coins, and are made of
gold threads knit in colored silk and held
by silver rings.
There have been several cases of hy-
| drophobia in and about New York during
the last few weeks, which confirms the
view that this malady is just as likely to
appear in cold weather as hot.
Two Frenchmen lately had a duel up
in balloons. Principals, seconds and doc
tors went up on cloudloss day, and. at a
height OF 900 feet, blazcd away. The gas
bag of one balloon was pierced, and the &C.
cupsnts were unceremoniously but not IA
tally pitched into,a stream.
j. L. Ford & Co., of New York, pub
fishers, have failed again, this time with
liabilities of $4,000. Tho nominal assets
are S3i, 900. Included in the assets is the
contract with Henry Ward Beecher TO
write a life of Christ. 1t is endorsed, "val-
nc uncertain
The Railroad Gazette reports tho new
railroad mileage for the year 1876 as 2l42
miles, Of which 3SS was in Texas, $50 in
California, go in Ohio and 15j in Colorado.
this is the largest of any year since 1873
There was also built j37 miles OF narrow
gauge in 1876. The total mileage in the
country Of broad gauge is now 1860.
A writer in Scribner's Monthly is au-
thority for the statement that the cost Of
sermon as compared with that of popular
lecture is as $40 to $3.50, while the expense
to the individual who hears them is as i've
cents 10 fifty cents. What have those who
complain of the cost of supporting the
preaching of the gospel to say TO This?
"A great landslide is reported at Stein
bruck, Austria, 100000 meters OF earth
having already fallen and the railroad be.
ing covered TO depth of so feet for 200
yards, so that communication cannot be
made by it for weeks. Two houses con-
tanning families were overwhelmed.
A plot to blow up a Nevada mining
shaft was discovered one day last week in
season to prevent an explosion and conse-
quent loss of life and property. The en-
CINE had been tempered with by some
scoundrel, and had the discovery been
made few moments later the result would
have been fearful
The New york Legislature has passed
law 10 protect its rural population against
the wles Of the patent-rsht vendors who
perambulate the country, selling rights and
taking promissory notes for bogus patents.
The words "given for patent right" must
be written or printed across the face Of the
note, and any person who takes or sells a
mole without this Endorsement is to be gull
ty of a misdemeanor.
louisville, KY, has had a little seusS-
tion over dispute between ex-Secretary
Brstow and the local editor of the News
about an item the latter had written saying
that Hayes had promised to "yindicate"
Il.
insisted upon knowing who furnished the
information, the editor refused to tell, and
vigorous language was being used. when
other parties stepped in, and the difficulty
was settled.
"A seasonable and notable decision has
been rendered by the New Hampshire SUI
preme court, giving Lucy Garland ver-
diet of Si70S damages against Nancy Towne
of Manchester, because of injuries received
by an icicle falling from the Towne build
ing upon the Garland woman's head. The
case has been pending since 1873, was sharp
ly contested, and furnishes precedent of
justice likely to benefit the public.
Great suffering is reported to have been
| occasioned among the cattle in the freight
cars imprisoned by the late snow block ade
on the New York Central. Over 1000 head
were abandoned by their owners and the
company has them TO pay for. Many of the
poor brutes died from the cold and ex-
posture, others had their tails and ears fro.
zen 50 that they dropped of. Thirteen
horses were taken dead from the cars at
Syracuse in one day, and hogs were found
eating one another in their hunger.
The price of kerosene oil, which, as
everybody who uses the article is fully
aware, is more than double the price of a
few months ago, is due wholly to the oper-
atoms of the Standard Oil Company. That
corporation, by buying up numerous re-
fineries, and by persuading or coercing all
the rest which could compete with it, has
gained control Of the oil trade of the coun-
try aud the world. The only limit 10 the
price consumers must pay, is the price
they will pay.
Tho funeral ceremonies over the I'M
identified dead of the Lake Shore railroad
disaster took place at Ashtabula, o., Fri
day, 10Th, according to previous announce
ment and 10 bodies were buried in COM
mon grave at Chestnut grove cemetery.
| General funeral services were held at the
Methodist church at 1890 and an Episcopal
service at st. Peters at ? p. M, while the
clergy at Ashiabula, assisted by two Eps-
copal ministers from Cleveland, held joint
services with the Masonic order at the
grave. Three bodies still remain in the
vault in the hope that friends may yet
identify them by the pieces of clothing
cliugiug 10 them.
An electric battery, famous because it
was once owned and operated by Benjamin
Franklin and other distinguished phiosph-
ers, has been in constant use for years and
is seven now employed almost daily for class
room experiments in physics. 1t was at
one time in the hands of the celebrated DR..
Priestly, the discoverer of oxygen, but af-
| ter while came into the possession of Dr.
Prince OF Salem, from whom it was obtain