The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-04-12
Gleanfngs from the Mails,

AT Charlottesville, Va, widely known as the
home of Thorn as Jefferson, the seventy-ffth
birthday of James Alexander has jusr been
celebrated. Jefferson chose him for printer,
and, Notwithstanding the disparity of their sta.
tions, close intimacy existed between them.
After the death of Jefferson, Alexander start
ed a newspaper called afuer DIS patron, wnlcn
survives to this day. Alexander continues to
flourish and set type as readily now as away
back in 1917, when he entered upon his
work.
A letter was received by Attorney General
Devens few days ago from we'll known ci.i-
zen of Boston, earnestly recommending the
appointment of son of Fitz-John Porter, of
second Ball Run notoriety. for an appoint
ment to be cadet at West Point The writer
argued that the appointment would serve in
part as compensation for the injustice ard all
that sort of thing suffered by the boys father.
Gen. Devens wrote formal endorsement op
the letter and forwarded it to the Secretary of
War.
Murat Halsted of the Cincinnati Commercial
has sent $340 to the negro emigrants at St.
Louis to help them 60 West.
1t is stated that the Norfolk City Guards
visited Washington Wednesday afternoon and
were received by Congressman Blackburn of
Kentucky and Goode of Virginia, and by the
Washington Light Infantry of Washington.
The Norfolk company had only a Virginia
state flag, carrying no American flag. The
Washington Light Infantry carried no flag.
Thursday evening some one hundred
and fifty veteran Union soldiers met
Of ba Han
es by Coils Ford, TomasoD, Dunning, Clifford
and Others, resolutions were adopted denounc-
ing the neglect to bear the American flag by
either of the companies Considerable feeling
was manifested, as tits alleged that this is the
second time within year that visiting mill
tary organization has avoided carrying the
American flag in the streets of Washington.
The captains of the two companies state that
they are not entitled to carry colors, being only
companies aud not regimental organizations.
Mr.. Williams of Wisconsin is trying to secare
action on an amendment to the rules of the
House providing that in calling the roll only
surnames shall be called with the prefix "Mr."
as in the Senate. This would reduce the time
for taking the roll-call about one.half. Under
the present method in the House about one.
third of the time of the entire session is occu.
pied in calling the yeas and nays.
Trenches are being dug in New York city to
lay pipes to spread network of channels for
delivering city news to the city papers belong
ing to the associated press. They ere to b.
driven by pneumatic process and will to the
extent of their nse supersede messenger bows
This digging up of the ground suggests the DOS
sibility of some day also laying the telegraph
wires there instead of on poles as now: and
with severe, gas'pipes, pneumatic tubes, steam
pipes, telegraph wires all packed in under the
highway there is likely to be even more digging
and street tiukering in the future than in tho
past.
The Wisconsin divorce, obtained by an nm
MARI ed New York reporter, through an ad.
vertising divorce lawyer, turns out to be no
divorce at oil, but tolerably skillful forgery.
The form of the decree in use by the Wiscon-
SIN court was closely followed, but the record
showed no such case; what purported to be the
seal of tbs court was counterfeit, and the |
signature Of the judge and clerk were forgeries.
How many such spurious divorces have been |
supplied to persons who really supposed them |
valid and acted upon that belief, no one can |
tell. The lawyer who engineered this system
Of fraud, will be prosecuted under the laws of
New York.