The Portland daily press., 1877-01-08
News and Other Items.


1t is stated that the supply of mineral oil of
Pennsylvania and elsewhere will give out in
two years.
Cleveland young women write comments on
the margin of the library novels they read. One
emotional creature writes, "the pangs of love is
CRATE have ben there my SELF"
Texas bears the most unique post Office in
the country-a candle box placed on a pole set
where two roads meet, and two miles from a
human habitation. 1t is at West Beknap,
Clay county.
The finances of New York city are in an in
teresting condition. Mayor Ely states that
some portion of the city debt sis SO involved
that 1t is difficult to estimate its magnitude.
lie thinks the grand total is not far from $685.,
100000.
There is a prominent divine in New
York who grieved so much over the loss of his
wife that his congregation had to make up
purse and send him to Europe to marry anoth-
er woman, wnam he had met on a previous
trip. 1t is but fair to add that this news comes
by way of Chicago.
The marine disasters to vessels belonging to
or bound to or from American ports during
last year, numbered 449, the total value of the
lost vessels, exclusive of their cargoes, being es
timated at $7,8900O0. This is an increase,
compared with 1876 of 76 vessels, and of $780,
GOO value. Both 1874 and 1873, however, show
ed greater list of disasters than 1876 the total
of 1873 having reached the large figure of 459
vessels, valued at 81, $4,000
Journalism is the rage with San Francisco
school boys. About dozen schools have their
representative papers, each an organ of the
most extreme type, independent journalism
being as yet unknown. The pioneer sheet is
the Peanut six inches by four, devoted to
heavy politics and facetious paragraphs, the
Thunderbolt is noted for its fearless utterances
aud the Bombshell and Torpedo are also infiu-
entail.
An odd legal question has been decided in
England. A stockholders meeting was called,
and only one attended. He took the chair
passed several resolutions, including an assess.
ment, and, after a vote of thanks to the chair
man, adjourned. The assessment was contest
ed, bat three judges agreed as there was no
provision in the bylaws respecting quorum
a the resolutions were valid. This decision was
reversed on appeal, on the ground that one man
cannot "meet."
A cricketers widow living near Sheffield Eng.
mas erected tombstone to his memory. A set
of stumps about a foot high, with a bat and
ball, were carved thereon. The vicar and church
wardens are Mortified beyond measure. They
declare that the stone was surreptitiously in
troduced, and have ordered its removal The
crcketer's sporting friends sympathize with
the widow and protest that there is no impro-
priety in making the ruling passion strong 10
death.
Solomon Miner, New Brunswick lumber
man, started to go to lumber camp about two
weeks ago. and was lost in snow storm. He
built fire in the woods, using the only two
matches in bis possession, and it was a week
before he reached the camp, having been with
out food since starting, and six nights without
fire. He kept walkiag the whole time, being
afraid to lie down for fear of being frozen to
death. His hands, neck and feet were badly
frozen, aud he will lose all of his toes.
A very novel, and at the same time inter.
esting experiment, according to the Lockport
papers, is soon to be attempted in that city by
Mr.. Holly, the successful water-works pump
inventor. This experiment is to heat the whole
city with steam, after the same manner as it is
lighted with gas. The city is to be divided into
district, and each district is to have its separ-
ate boiler. Mains from each boiler are to run
to the different houses. and all the occupant
has to do is to turn on faucet and obtain all
the heat he wants.
Washington papers report that since the
close of the gambling bells business has i'm
proved very perceptby in every branch of the
city trade. Grocerymen, butchers and other
dealers have been surprised by the payment of
bills which were long ago put down in the
profit and loss column as good for nothing
The golden stream that formerly flowed into
the gamblers Golfers has been turned into legi-
innate business channels and infused new life
into the trade of Washington. Business men
who see what results have come from closing
the doors of the bells will never permit them to
be reopened.
Devious are the paths Of Mexican Justice, as
certain Californian found out, recently, when
he tried to prosecute a native for stealing his
valise. The court ct once ordered the arrest of
the entire crew of the vessel on which the theft
was committed, and made the prosecutor pay
two successive fees of SIG and 1922 for the priv
ilege of making the complaint This struck
him as rather losing operation and he took
the advice of the court and cleared. At last &C.
counts the captain and crew were still in du-
rance, and the court was rapidly absorbing
the value of the schooner.