The Portland daily press., 1880-04-13
Gleanings from the Mails.

1t is said that the late cold snap in North
west Texas killed from Is to 20 per cent. of the
cattle.
The daily receipt of dead letters III the
Washington department for the past year has
averaged 1900.
The Great Eastern, which has lam idle a.
Milford for four years, is undergoing extensive
alterations. Her paddle engines are being
taken out of her, and she will in future be
driven by twin screws. She is being fitted for
the conveyance of cargoes Of live cattle from
America.
1t is related that Castellani was asked, not
long since, what he would take to paint
panorama of the battle of Sedan for the city of
Berlin. Remembering that he had fought in
the French army during the war of 1870. his
answer was that his price would be Give mil
lards''
1t is said that Edison is at work on new
labor-saving machine for farmers. Whether
it is steam pillow or moving machine is not
stated, but it is known that after man has
used it two hours, it saves him from doing any
more work all summer. Those in use at pres
emit only lay him up for two months.
james ~. OOV0Tty all Ouio pioucCI Wuo las
just died at Mansfield in that state, went out
there from New Jersey in 1907. At Chautau-
qua, N. Y, his team gave out and he and his
family walked the rest of the way. He had
So in money. He worked steadily until he
died the richest man in his township. In his
family there were % children.
People who have weakness for believing
that the number ID is uhlucky, says the indie
pendent Beige, are requested to mediate on
the following fact, the authenticity of which is
vouched for: A young soldier, Serigieres by
name, was born on the 18th of the month of
January, 1855. He lived in Brussels in a house
numbered ID. On Friday, February 10, 1875.
he was drafted into the army by virtue of
having drawn the number Is. A lottery ticket
was inherited by him, bearing the number ID,
which has lately drawn prize of 100000
francs.
1t is rare enough that bankrupts afterward
pay their own debts but rarer still that son
undertakes the task tafter his fathers death.
H. Lamotte of Bremen is settling up debts,
however, his father incurred years ago, and
has sent the widow of Petersburg (Va.) to-
bacconist check of between $500 and $500
for tobacco her husband sold Lamotte's father
about 1885.
The finest church music at Washington is
heard in a colored Catholic cathedral where
the choir also is composed entirely of colored
people. The priests are Italians. Great
crowds filled the church on Easter Sunday,
embracing many of the grandest people at the
Capital, and the music of the vesper service,
at which the famous marine band assisted,
was remarkably beautiful, the solos of the So
prano, who has a rich, well-trained voice,
causing especial comment.
One of the most curious episodes of the occu-
patton of Cabul by the English troops after
well-nigh forty years absence, is that we'll
known major in one of the Ghoorka battalions
finds himself again in Cabul, bis birth place in
the days of the old occu patton. Born in Ca
bull, he was carried by his mother, the wife of
staff officer of the army, through all the hor-
rors of the dreadful retreat. was borne into
captivity, released by Shakspere's cavalry, and
grew up to bear Her Maiesty's commission
and again to enter Cabul Stranger STILL the
jailer of his mother came to Cabul and visited
his prisoner of bygone days