The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-04-06

| tip of its tail, and six feet four inches from
tip to tip of its outspread wings Mr.
Maxwell was about leaving the poiut,
great distance from him, and wishing to
empty his gun, he fired at it aud broke its
wing. Being only wing broken he at first
thought of bringing it 20 Elkton alive, but
! its courageous nature prompted 1t to fight
and he was forced to kill it.
A strange genius, who registered as II.
| Thompson, Inventor stayed last Tuesday
night at the hotel kept by Sheriff Boulder
near the railroad. He is the inventor of all
sorts Of queer devices and labor saving
machines, aud, like most Of his class, was
in an impecuuious condition. He was
! travelling in order 10 dispose of part oi his
interest in his paten: rights. Among the
mauy curious things he had TO dispose vi,
was an interest in the - Keeley Motor" 4
patent coffee pot, and a peculiar anger
that lie assured the Sheriff would bore u
square hole. He was on his way to New
York, where he contemplates opening an
office for the sale Of patent rights.
Some river pirate or pirates, rot hay
lag the fear OF the law before their eyes
broke open the fish house Of Vim. p. How
ard, Esq, at South RanGaiia, on Saturday
night last, and stole therefrom three gill
ing nets, one of them new one. They
seem to have been malicious thieves as well
as intent on plumber. Mr.. Towards fish
pound was visited, its contents appropri
atei It's ropes cut and destroyed gouer-
ally. Another pound near it, belonging to
another person. was also the object OF at
tack, the marauders emptyiug into it 4
boat load of stone, and performing other
pleasant little tirst of April jokes. III their
leave taking, a hound was left upon the
shore, which it is hoped will lead To The
detection of those that escaped.
The first Of April being 8 All Fool $
Day brought with it the usual amount of
nirth provoking jokes. The morning mail
brought one Of our popular attorneys a
letter with check enclosed, asking him
to make a search among the records OF the
county for au important document. The
attorney admiring tie business prcmptness
Of lis correspondent, took the check to
Bank, where he learned that his correspon
dent had nothing to his credit. One
OF our enserprising liverymen received ii
dispatch. requesting him to have his best
double team at the depot to meet the 80
p. NJ. train. The liveryman was there
and also the " other man." not however to
use tue team, but to laugh at the Joke he
had perpetrated. One of the venerable
officials of the county also received :. letter.
purporting to be from Philadelphia, making
inquiries in reference to IN estate OF de,
ceased person, which had long been closed.
The letter referred to other letters of in
qniry upon the same Suhiec and closed
with some remarks not at all complimentary
to the officials of Maryland, the effect Of
which was to create much merriment among
the limbs of the law, who planned and ex-
ecuted the joke.
This extraordinary April weather, fol
lowing close upon the departing footsteps
of 4 still more extraordinary Winter, Will
mark this as one Of the most remarkable
years, meteorologically speaking, of which
we nave any record. There have been. il
is true, sudden, severe aud far-reaching
storms on both sides of the Atlantic. but
the general current of mild weather has
been steady and equable On both the Euro
pe,n and American continents, aud the
season is probably month at least earlier
than usual.
An English paper commenting on the
extraordinary mildness of March, says:
" Winter this year, seems to have slipped
out of the calendar, so that instead of the
crocuses shyly blossoming, as usual, where
the last snow drift in the garden fingered
long in March, they have come and we'll
nigh gone before the first week of this
month. Indeed not a au4Imnal blossom
remained to welcome Spring, and the con-
fusion of the seasons which resulted might
suggest TO a poets fancy that the west
wind, like the handsome prince Of the fairy
tale, had kissed the new year, the true
sleeping beauty, before her old father had
slept his allotted time
'sThe balmy airs through which the
thrush's song resounds: the faint green
mists gathering on the lower branches Of
larch coverts, and then tmidly venturing
further down TIE hedges which encompass
them; the lengthening days, putting ont
as the rustics say like the leaves: the
light blue skies wreathed in many tleecy
rain -dritt-he must be a devoted student
who can withstand these temptations in
the country. A glance from the window,
too, shows Chaucer's favorte marguerites
beginning TO star the lawn"
Remember, too that this is a picture of
the English. Spring as it had advanced
nearly two weeks ago. Our own Spring
season presents as yet no bright pastoral
beauty that will compare with this, but it
is in a corresponding stage of early ad-
vancement, and will probably remain for
many years to come as the wonderful sea
son of 1878, from which the coolest inhab-
tant will always draw his siInile, and the
calendar maker will for long period mark
IL Will luS WulleSj Ol stones.
ANCIENT SCALES. -Riclett' Mill, but a
short distance from Elkton, is itself a very
ancient structure, and doubtless has con-
nected with it many historical reminis-
cences Of a highly interesting character.
We noticed particularly during a hasty
visit to it, this week, a very old pair Of
scales, now in use, and which have possibly
been employed since the erection of the
mill. They date ID far back as the year
1861, and are as curious in construction and
appearance as were the customs of the dis
taut times from which they come.
THE p, ". & b. Il. r. IN CcUEr.-As
is already known, the cases of the Phla-
delphia and Ba timore Central Railroad
Company against the United States, and
the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore
Railroad Company against the United
States were some time aTo sent to fbe