Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-26
TIMELY TOPICS.

OF sergeants except Serg. Ballantine,
the others having retired or been raised
10 tie bench, died from poison by the
escape OF sewer gas, his wife having pre-
ceded him n few hours from the same
cause. lie was finished speaker, and,
with MIR. Justice Hawkins, led for the
crown In the Tichborne prosecution.
lie and his wife were both born the
same day, were taken sick the same day,
ana died the same day.
The bull fights of Spain are remnant
OF the barbarous ages, at the accounts of
which, even, we shudder. 1t is there
fore a relief to learn that the Young
| Queen Christine attended one soon after
her marriage only because she " regarded
1t as a social duty, and that she was very
much shocked by what she witnessed"
IL is stated, moreover, that the king had
some difficulty in getting her to go at
all, and then was Obliged to use all his
persuasive powers to induce her to
throw the key for opening the bulls
cage. Later, when man and horse had
been wounded, she drew her veil over
her face, and refused to give the sign
which allowed the fight to continue,
although finally. with great reluctance,
she did so.
A sportsman. explains why he re-
ceIVcs the many sea-serpent stories with
n grain of allowance. He was hunting
on the shores of A. lake in the wilds OF
Michigan, when he saw what he be-
lieved to be a monster snake, fifty or
sixty feet in length, and ten or twelve
inches in diameter, with humps on its
back two feet in length. At first its course
was almost directly toward his place of
concealment. When he was about to
run for his life, the serpent" then a
few rods away, changed its course, and
resolved itself at once into COLONY of
otter swimming in single file. His in
ference is that sea animals may some
times travel in the same manner. and
give sailors the opportunity of drawing
the long bow.
A gentleman formerly connected with
the Philadelphia Ledger is said to have
discovered simple form of audiphone.
which he has tried with satisfactory re-
suits. although he is very hard OF hear
ing. A few days ago he WAS explaining
the principle of the audiphone 10 some
friends, and to illustrate his remarks.
put n folded newspaper between his
teeth, bending it over in the form of
the audiphone. To his surprise he
found that he could hear as well with
the newspaper as with the audiphone.
tie subsequently attended an auction
sale, and putting the catalogue between
his teeth and bending it down with one
hand, heard all that was said, although
without some such contrivance he could
hear nothing.
The suit of Budd Doble Is. the South
ern Ohio Fair association, of DAYTON.
Ohio, has just been tried before the
United States district court for that dis
trict. The suit was brought TO recover
s2,25O from the association on n con-
tract, in compliance with which that
amount was to have been paid for an
exhibition of speed by Goldsmith Maid
on the track of the association, Sep
tember 30, 1878. The association
| claimed that il was not an exhibition
of speed, the time being 2 :2g5, 2 %.
2:4u1. The plaintiff made n plea for n
judgment for a 0tldHtum nleTiitS. that is,
for so large a proportion of the con-
tract price as the performance was
worth, If not the whole amount The
udgc decided, rs n point of law. that no
such partition could be made in Especial
contract, and that the claim must stand
or fall in its entirety. a great deal of
/ expert testimony was taken rs to the
| merit OF the performance. but the Jury
failed TO agree.
! Farmers who read the papers ought
| to be able to resist the Establishments of
the swindiers who are perpetually prey
ing on their unsuspecting good nature,
| for the press has taken much pains TO
! expose the operations of the willy rascals.
! But tho swindlers are smart, and have
nothing to do but invent. and put into
operation new plans for imposing upon
the farmer. The latest plan, which
has been successful to some extent in
New York State. Is census-taking.
a gentlemanly fellow appears with
series OF blanks, upon which he IL gath
ering for publication the statistics of
the leading farms In the State. and he
sets down as the farmer dictates, the
number of cattle, bushels of grain, etc,
and makes out n grand showing very
pleasing to the farmer, and apparently
useful to the farming community.
When the list is completed the gentle
manly operator asks the farmer to sign
his name ut the foot of blank space at
the bottom. The rest is easily guessed.
In n month or two he Is notified that his
note for $3.50 or so, Is due mt n neigh
boring bank. and being in the hands of
an innocent third party, he must pay IL,
and the "census" becomes the worst
kind OF an income tax.
The annual reports OF tie English and
Scotch CO operative stores are now being
published. The profits divided among
tire members of the societies range from
one shilling three pence to two shillings
eight pence on the pound sterling of pur-
chsses made during the year, and seem
to average about two shillings, or ten
per cent. Stating the amount in dol.
lars. member OF one of these co. opera
tive stores. about which Mr.. Holyoake
gave so much interesting information
during his late visit to this country, re-
ceivcs at the end of the year 81 in the
way OF profit for every $40 worth of
goods he las bought. This is clear gain
to him. for he gets his goods Mt the reg