Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-05-23
NEWS ITEMS.

Victoria present 10 the landlady OF the ho-
tel at Baveno Italy, where she was enter
tanned on her recent visit there.
L. Laugbehm, a German living near An
tioch Cal, recently beat his boy and girl,
and years old, to death, cut their throats,
and then shot himself dead in a fit of insani.
ty.
Elijah McClenahan, Sigourney Ga.)
father, is being congratulated on his 25th
child; / ! of the 25 were boys, and all but
five of the family are living now.
1t shows how fast Kansas is filing up
that the books in the general land office at
Washington record 2,2jO, 900 acres taken up
under the homestead and presumption laws
in the last nine months.
Queen Victoria of England is a great
grandmother A daughter was born on the
18th to Princess Charlotte of Prussia, wife of
Prince Bernhard of SAKE Meiningen and the
daughter of the crown prince of Germany.
Miss Virginia Hicks, young lady of
Wyandotte, Indian Territory, was thrown
from her saddle by her horse the other day.
She struck on her head, and a high tortoise
shell comb which was in her hair was driven
into the brain, causing almost instant death.
Farmer Bostwick of Collamer, N. Y.
lost his wife n short time ago, and, being con
WINGED that he would soon follow her paid
sexton $40 to dig his grave. Bostwick then
went to an undertaken and paid him $50 to
bury him, which had to be done right away,
as he fell from his wagon on his way home
and died.
A tree 1926 feet high, in the neighbor-
hood of Stockton, Cal, has hitherto enjoyed
the reputation of being the highest in the
world but an official in the forest department
in Victoria, Australia, lately measured a fall
ed eucalyptus in Gippsland, which was 49,
feet long, while another tree of the same spc-
ces, still standing is estimated at $50 feet
A subscription has been started at New
York for capital to form stock company to
lay cable from the Pacific coast to the
Hawaiian islands and Japan. Cyrus w.
Field heads the list with 800. 600, the Haw-
allan government is expected to subscribe
Sl,OO0,OO and large subscriptions are ex-
pected from Europe.
The father of the lost boy has been to
the mountains of North Carolina to look at
another child and to find that it was not Char
lie Ross. 1t is now five years since search
for the boy began he has seen GOO children
and written thousands of letters and all he
knows about the mystery is this: the lad was
alive when the burglars Mosher and Douglass
were killed.
Wallace Wilkerson, a murderer, was ex-
ecuted by shooting at Provo, Utah, Friday
lie sat in chair, and three concealed rifle
men, thirty feet away, fred at him. He
leaped from the chair excaming 20 God :"
and fell forward on his face and continued
writhing, breathing few gasps, for twenty
minutes, when physicians pronounced him
dead.
Next month an unusually interesting
conjunction of Mars and Saturn will take
place, the space between the two planets be-
ing SO small that it is quite probable that
Mars will actually conceal Saturn An oc-
Ia. Al.
most the only one on record being an occul-
tation of Jupiter by Mars on January ..
1881
As an incident of the celebration of the
silver wedding of the Emperor of Austria,
81 prisoners whose offences were committed
through indiscretion or poverty were pardon
ey, and 10 university donations were made
by the Emperor amounting TO 300, 600 for
ms, and providing yearly 40 purses of 300
horins each for poor students and 20 free
places in schools for officers daughters.
The centennial celebration of Mad An
thony Wayne's greatest exploit is to be held
on July 1G. The works at Stony Point are
to be fortified, a sham battle is to be fought,
and the anniversary will be of unusual inter
est. The Wayne Monument association is
making stirring appeals for subscriptions for
amemoral of the hero from the people of the
counties adjoining the scene of his exploits
Dan Edmunds of Livingston county, Ky,
who two years ago eloped to Arkansas with a
neighbours daughter leaving a wife and fam
lily, started back to his old home a short time
ago with the woman and child, and when
near the Mississippi river killed and buried
both, and return I'd to his lawful wife. The
bodies of the murdered woman and child be-
ing found and identified, search was institut-
ed for Edmunds and last week an officer
from Arkansas arrested and took him back
to the scene of his crimes.
A singular phenomenon is observed at
st. Lawrence county. n. Y. On a farm To-
Gated in what is known as the big Swamp"
which was until recently composed entirely
of level or low land small hills are gradually
rising one or two have grown to be or 10
feet high and about % feet in width. Rocks
are also upheaving all over the farm. A rum
bling sound is heard and a quaking of the
earth constantly felt. The farmers have be-
come alarmed and are trying to sell out at
extremely low prices.
A terrific thunder storm resulting in
much damage and destruction to life and
property passed over Washington county,
Ind, Thursday night of last week. Near
fredericksburg several farm houses and
barns were blown to the ground and John
Dornell and Silas Moren were instantly kill
ed. At Lavonside the storm inflicted much
damage. Three farm houses were struck by
lightning and completely demolished and
three persons were killed The storm was of
short duration, but extended over quite IA
large area.
A poor Hungarian lately showed black
pearl to a Pesth jeweler, and begged him to
value it and give him what he could for it.
He was told that the pearl was of great value,
and that he would better take it to Biederman
of Vienna, which he did, and was naturally
asked where he had obtained possession of
such a rarity. The Hungarian answered that
he had got it from the valet of the late Count
Louis Batthyani. 1t turned out that it was
one of three black pearls which, more than
$50 years ago. were stolen from the English
crown, and which were for long time vain
ly sought for it being at that time supposed
that these were the only three black pearls in
existence. The British government has bought
the black pearl for $4,000.
Judge Asa Packer, the Pennsylvania mil
lionaire, died Saturday evening, May II,
aged 73. Judge Packer was born at Mystic,
Conn, and when 1G years of age went from
there on foot to Susquehanna county, Pa, TO
learn the carpenters trade of his uncle. At
the time of the opening of the Lehigh canal,
in the spring of 1888, he became a canal boat
driver. With his earnings he gradually was
enabled TO buy interests of his own in num-
Der of boats, and retaining these he gave up
driving and opened store and boat yard.
In 1888 he built boats at Pottsville for the
transportation of coal to New York direct.
In 1852 he alone began the building of the
Lehigh Valley railroad In 1855, when il
was completed, he was all but ruined, but,
aided by Commodore Stockton, he survived
his temporary embarrassments, and his road
rewarded him to that extent that for many
years he has been accounted the richest man
IN Pennsylvania. Mr.. Packer was twice
In
administration of Mr.. Pierce. He built for
himself abeautiful residence at Mauch Chunk,
which was his home.
Nine Weeks of 1t.
MI