The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-01-23
MANKATO FREE PRESS.
GOSSIP OF THE DAY.

The Supreme Court of Ohio has
adopted new and more stringent 70.
quirements for admission to its bar.
A NEW improved penny stamp Is to be
Issued by the British postal authorities,
of much lighter color than the old, and
printed in fugitive pigment 90 that It
cannot be used again.
A NEGRO in Columbus, Ga, was put
on trial for murder of which he was
innocent, but TO clear himself 1t was
necessary for him to confess that at the
time Of the crime he was elsewhere steal.
ing horse. He kept still until It be.
came evident that he was to be convict
ed, and then he proved the alibi, and
went to state prison for ten years.
Moscow is going TO witncs unique
exhibition. Seine enterprising parties
have united together to construct an ice
house On the pattern of the famous
building devised by the Empress Anna
dosnnovns $50 years ago. The house Ia
70 be completely furnished In ice-chairs,
beds, stoves and everything else being of
the same uninviting material. 1t Is to !
be hoped that winter will be long enough
and the attraction sufficient great TO
insure the success of the exhibition.
ONE Of the most notable successes in
aid OF a deserving charity that occurred
during the season was that of the Metho-
dist Orphanage fair in Pennsylvania.
The profits are reported to be $l7, 500.
The project was suggested several years
since by Mrs. Simpson, wife of Bishop
Simpson. Mrs. Juan Lewis says that the
signal success was largely due to Mrs.
Simpson and Mrs. Lucy Webb Hayes,
who not only paid formal visit to the
fair, but went unannounced and unat-
tended to mingle with the ladies and get
acquainted with them In the different
booths. Mrs Hayes was presented with
. . superb screen.
THERE has just died in Trenton, New
Jersey, a man who represented in his
life very much of American history
Benjamin Fish, aged "a years. He
loaned Commodore Vanderbilt $1,000
when the commodore first started in his
career; brought down the first anthrs.
cite coal that descended the Delaware in
1923; managed the old stage line and
steamboat company between New York
and Philadelphia ffty-fve years ago;
was one of the first directors of the
Camden and Amboy Railroad in 1880,
and has been elected every year since.
In 1888 he drove the inst freight car that
moved over the road between South Am.
boy and Borientown. Horses were used
that year.
FEARS that the ice crop will fail this
year are heard from the ice men. The
failure of the ice crop is something like
the failure Of the peach crop-it fore
shadows plenty of the article. Last win.
ter 100000 tons of ice was gathered
and only about half of it used. There
are every year gathered and housed
along the shores of the northern lakes
and tributaries, for the use OF the trade,
over :. 900, 900 tons; in New York, Brook.
Ign, Jersey City and vicinity, about
100000 tons; in the New England
states, 2,000,0 900 tons; in Philadelphia,
100000 tons; Boston, $50, 900 tons; in
Baltimore, 100000 tons, and in other
parts Of the United States, over 2, ZOO, 900
tons.
The condition of Italy Just now is sad.
The harvest was altogether deficient;
the Indian corn, on which large part
of the population mainly depends for
food, was almost q total failure; the
potatoes are diseased and very bad and
dear; the chestnuts, which are the chief
staple Of food in the hilly districts, were
q poor crop; and now comes winter,
unusually early and unusually severe,
preventing all outdoor work. At Faenza
there have been bread riots and the mill.
tary had TO be called out. At Rsvenna
the bakers shops have been sacked by
bands Of hungry peasants; at Sermide
like scenes have occurred, and in the
provinces the people are clsmoring for
bread and employment. In Rome the
number Of beggars is very much ON the
Increase.
The Canadians are anxious to get an
outlet to the ocean fer The vast reache
to Manitoba, ria Hudson Bay. A char.
ter has been applied for to the Domin.
ion government for railway from the
head Of Lake Winnipeg to Port Nelson
on Hudson Bay. 1t is stated that it
emsnates from the Hudson Bay com.
pany, and that this organization begins
TO realize that its real interest lies In
colonizing the northwest. In connec.
tion with this new project it is stated
the company intends Transforming four
OF Its ships into steamers on the Thames,
and make them capable of breaking ice;
also, that 1t proposes to bring over 40, 900
immigrants from Europe to the North.
west during the spring and summer of
1880. II their projects should be sue.
cessful the problem of Hudson Bay nav
igation will at once be solved.
The Raifroy Age publishes an In.
eresting article on railway foreclosure
Gales during 1879. 1t gives a list of
sixty.fve roads sold with mileage of
1900 miles, representing $l63, 200, 900
bonds and debt, and 5000, 900 capital
stock, being $24S. 900. 900 stock invest.
ment affected. In 1873 there were FORTY.
light roads reported sold; in 1877, fifty
four; in 1876, thirty. Total in the last
four years 147 roads with mileage of
l6,5O0, and capital invested of $972, 900.
600, which has been brought to the auc.
tion block. This is about one-fifth of
the entire railway mileage aud capital of
the United States. The Age remarks,
remarks, however, that very few fore.
closure suits were begun during the year,
showing that the era of bankruptcy IL
ended. 1t reports only six roads placed
in the hands of the receivers, against
twenty-seven in 1873, thirty-eieht in
1877, and forty.two in 1876.
STILL another grand tour around the