Connecticut western news., 1879-09-17
NOTES AND COMMENTS.


 spider was placed in tin yeast can with punctured ends and addressed to the practical joker's lady friend in San Ra- fael, Gal. In addition to the address the wrapper bore the danger signal: "Cau. tion-a live tarantula," and the recipi- ent was advised to use ammonia and drink lots of whisky. The package at- tracted the attention of clerks in San Francisco, who drowned the tarantula, and special agent referred the matter to the Post Office Department as an out rage and violation of law. The Arizona postmaster excused his action by saying that first-class postage was paid by the sender, and he had no right to investi- gate the contents.
 We have heard a great deal from Eastern travellers of the wonderful at tachment which exists between the horse and his master in Oriental lands, but we doubt if anything more interesting has ever been told than the following story of Goldsmith Maid: Recently, Charley Cochrane, who was for many years her faithful groom, arrived from California, and wishing to see the grand old trotting mare and her colt, called on MT. Smith, her owner, to obtain his permission to visit Fashion Stud Farm in New Jersey. MT. Smith accompanied Cochrane to the farm, and on arriving there remarked: Charley, the Maid is very jealous of her colt, is very cross, and will permit no one to approach it." Cochrane ar- ranged that the Maid should hear his voice before she saw him, and, although they had not seen each other for two years, loud whinny assured the visi- tors that the mare had recognized the mans voice. Coohrane next showed himself, when touching scene occurred. The old queen of the turf, who for months would not allow any one to ap. proach her, making use of both heels and teeth if it was attempted, rushed with bound to her old friend, forget ting even her colt, and rubbed her head upon his shoulder, her nose in his face, played with his whiskers, and showed by every action that her heart was full of joy to see him. Directly the colt came up to see them, and the old mare was delighted when Charley placed his hand on the little fellow. When Coch- rane left the place the mare followed him to the gate, whinnying for him even after he had passed out of sight.
 Many Americans got their first &C., quaintanoe with the Orange Free State, or Orange River Free State-to give the full title-when they went to the Philadelphia Exhibition. The country is new enough in it's civilized form to excuse any ordinary ignorance of it. Before 1886 it was described as a bowling wilderness, inhabited by wandering hordes of Bushmen and scattered tribes of Betjouana and Zulu refugees from the armies of the great Zulu tyrants, Chaka, Dingaan, and Maselikutee. After the Kair war the Dutch beers retired from Natal, when i declared a British colony, and established l Republic with the name, Orange River Free State, in the region between the two great branches of the Orange River, known to the colonies as the Vaal and Orange Rivers, and separated from the coast region by chains of mountains. The Free State, forming sort of con- necting link between the Cape Colony, the Transvaal Republic and Natal, con- sists mainly of vast undulating plains that slope down from the Maluti Noun tains to the Vaal River, dotted here and there with rocky hills. It comprises an area of more than 5O.000 square miles ; is vast plateau rising from 5000 to 5000 feet, with very little wood except on the line Of the water-courses. Divided into six districts and a number of small towns, the principal of these, Bloem Fontein, contains 250 houses. The population of the Republic ten years ago, was 37, 900 whites, of whom 2,000 were British. The Dutch boers profess the Dutch Reformed faith, and speak dialect of Dutch corrupted with Hottentot and English words. They marry young and keep up, to some ex- tent, nomadic habits. Sheep have in- creased greatly of late, and the wool product is considerable and profitable. The country is steadily advancing i; farms which would scarcely bring $250, ten years since, now sell for SIC, ,000 to $15,O00. The principal disadvantage under which it labors is it's entirely in- land character. Having no ocean port at which customs dues can be collected, the whole expense of government is thrown on local taxation.
 - Penn Monthly, of Philadelphia, says: That terrible bugbear of the New England college professor, the tramps, seems to have disappeared from our midst this summer. To what is it owing that we hear only of sporadic cases of their offences, and no longer meet them by shoals on our roads or see them basking in the sun in quiet places? Not to the success of that social war of ex- termination, which we were exhorted to wage on them, for the good sense and humanity of the people forbade such proceeding. Not to the effect of learned rhetoric and clerical objurgation, for not the smallest fragment of it ever reached the tramp's ears. It was the innocent who were tormented and provoked by it. Not to the effect of the stringent laws passed in haste by many of our States, for others of the States were too sound in sense, or else too inert, to pass such laws; and these are free from tramps as the rest. Meanwhile those laws remain on the statute book, the instrument pre-