The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-10-03
BREVITIES.

|
The strength of an elephant is calcu-
lated to be equal to that of $50 men.
THE colleges of the country report
more new students than for many years.
FRANK p. BLAIR's monument, to be
erected at st. Louis, will cost $4,000.
TEXAS has more mineral wells and
mineral springs than any other State in
the Union.
The tax on commercial travellers in
Texas has already brought $4,000 to
the State treasury.
A BIRD deprived of food dies on the
third day, while serpent can live
three months.
In Tuskegee, Ala, there is a negro
boy as black as the ace of spades who
has blue eyes.
The tone of the book business is bet
ter this fall than it has been for many
seasons past.
MAINE has ratified constitutional
amendment providing for biennial ses-
sions of the Legislature.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA proposes to sup
plement its revenue by an income tax
and a tax upon business investments.
A BRAVE Rochester girl, who was
robbed by pickpocket on the street,
took the purse away from him and
kicked him clear around a corner.
In circus at Paris, ILL.,, suddenly
crazed young lady ran into the ring,
embraced the clown, and declared that
he must become her husband.
PONIES are brought every year from
Iceland to Liverpool and London.
They are more diminutive than those
raised in the Shetland islands, as well
as more hardy and docile.
SOCIALISM is daily extending its in
fuence in Switzerland, owing to its en-
ergetic championship by the many
Communists expelled from France and
Germany who have settled there.
THE New York papers say wild Texan
steers are so common in the streets
w-a-days that it is recommended that
a portion of the police be held in re-
serve for their capture and subjugation.
VIRGINIA creepers are being planted
10y the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
on the hill-sides along the track. 1t is
done to prevent land-slides, and will
add greatly to the beauty of the
scenery.
The importation of horses from Can
ada to the United States has increased
thirty-fold in the last four years, from
Ola horses, with value of $2S,955, in
1876, to $500 in 1879, valued at
$491,235
IT is now affirmed that not single
stalk of the Jerusalem artichoke was
ever raised in all Palestine, and that the
Canada thistle was brought into the ter
ritory of the Dominion by settlers from
the New En- gland States.
In consequence of the non-delivery
of Geographic message, the first in
formation that Scion Ill.) family re-
ceived of the death of daughter was
the delivery of her coffined remains by
the express company.
REMARK by Judge McCredy, in a
court at New London, Ct: "Tbe Sher-
if will kindly request the gentlemen of
the jury to desist from eating peanuts.
This is not circus"
THE telegram handed into German
office lately-"Can't possibly send
5000 daggers in one day; not till to-
morrow"-plunged the police into ex-
element until they found that daggers
are kind of needle.
A BRIDGEPoRT (Ct.) girl recently got
button in her ear and has suffered
terribly ever since. Some villain sug-
gests that the young men thereabouts
ought to see that the breast-buttons on
their coats are well sewed on.
GLADSTONE was a vehement opponent
of the present law of divorce in En-
gland, and one night made twenty-nine
speeches against it in committee. Lord
Palmerston told him that he would pass
it if they sat till Christmas over it.
A RANGooN correspondent says that a
pretty accurate notion of Burmese music
may be obtained by starting half
dozen lunatics to play the bagpipes, and
at the same time presenting all the chill
dren in the neighborhood with penny
whistles and kettledrIms.
The improvement in the iron indus
try all over the country is very decided.
At New Albany, Ind, merchant iron
| udS HOhC up $lf, dlhOhu llOh %1O w
$12, pig iron $3.50 to 80, and iron ore
80 cents per ton, all within the present
year. The rolling mills are now arrang-
ing to run night and day.
The large railroad companies keep as
careful record of locomotive and its
performance as ship-owners do of an
ocean steamship. The Pennsylvania
railroad does not repair one If the cost
will exceed $4,000. The engine is then
marked as dead on the record, and is
either sold or broken mp.
1T has often been wondered where all
the cast-off clothing of the British and
continental armies was disposed of,
but, in passing through Maritzburg,
South Africa, one may see numerous
Kaffir stores with the uniforms of
European soldiers laid out in every
form of tempting display. Once, out
of curiosity, correspondent examined
a native, and found him wearing, in the
middle of an African summer, a Guards
mans .tunic, a Lancer's tunic and the
ample cloak of Life-Guardsman.