Connecticut western news., 1880-05-26
NOTES AND COMMENTS.


 tive engine is ever run at the rate of 8 mile minute. On Friday, not only an engine, but an engine drawing four cars, was run from Philadelphia to Jersey City, 89} miles, in 971 minutes, which would indicate that part of the way the rate must have been over @ mile min ute. But fact like that need not stand in the way of those who like to discuss on mere theory whether an engine can or cannot be run mile minute.
 THE Toledo Blade denounces the Eng fish sparrow as ''a swaggerer, boaster, liar, and a caucus packer, frequenter of free lunches, and deadbeat generally. He has no domestic virtues, and is as devoid of public spirit as defeated can tdidate after county convention. EiB appearance in this country was mis- fortune, and his continuance here is 8 nuisance that ought to be abated by gen. eral legislation. The City of New York may want him to keep people out of Central Park, but so far as Toledo is concerned the sparrow must go."
 GEORGE JONES was known at Whitta- ker, N. O., as an able and reckless fighter, particularly when little intox- icated. Desiring battle, he challenged everybody in the barroom, but all de- clined. He was told, however, that Hill Hard Bryant would probably accommo- date him. He went to Bryant's house, accompanied.by crowd. and dared him to come out. The defiance was fruit less. Then Jones caught Mrs. Bryant, as she came to the door, and stabbed her, "just to rifle her coward of hus- band" This produced an immediate effect. Bryant, with heavy club, killed Jones on the spot.
 THE proposition to erect statue in Boston of Lief, the Norman, claimed as the discoverer of Massachusetts, has called out mild protest from the His- torical Society there. MT. Edward Ever ett told the members at their last meeting that it was extremely doubtful whether there was ever any such person, and, indeed, intimated that Lief was kind of historical Mrs. Harris. MT. Everett did not approve of passing by real his torical characters, like Columbus or Ca- bot, "to honor doubtful heroes of legend ary fame." The sentiment of the meet ing appeared to be decidedly in favor of these views; yet Lief will probably have his statue after all.
 IF WE ARE to credit the New Orleans Times, matrimony is "played out ]" in that city. A fashionable young lady who has been interviewed on the sub ject says that the men who are not mar ried are spoiled beyond all hope of re- demption, while many of those who are married are so angry with themselves for having gone and done it that they keep away from their homes as much as possible. As time goes on and period arrives when it might be supposed that the men would like to settle down, it is found that they have lost all taste for domestic life, and this is the reason why New Orleans is crowded with old bach elor beaux. Society, in short, is found to offer much greater attractions than home. This is a bad outlook.
 Ts1Na SIAM, 8 Chinaman, and Persim- mons, an Indian, played poker at Ne vada, Gal. Persimmons had three kings dealt to him. "Ugh, him bad. Glib me one, two cards," remarked the In dian, complacently. Tsing Siam shuf- fled out the two, and one of them proved to be the last king in the deck. Per- simmons led his opponent on warily, and pretty soon they had thirty dollars apiece on the board. Me call um, J murmured the red man, as he got to the bottom of his wallet. It was the old story of misplaced confidence. The Chinaman held four aces. "You heap cheatum,' yelled the Digger, making a lunge with 8 knife, cutting off the Chi naman's queue. That infuriated Tsinp Siam, and he killed the Indian with a pistol.
 IN ENGLAND, Sir Robert Garden has decided that petty larceny committed by clergyman of the Church of England is | henceforth to be regarded not as thiev ing but as kleptomania. The case which has produced so amazing decision is that of the Reverend Edward ZechariaE Lyttel, who was brought up on remand at the Guild-Hall on the charge of steal ing an umbrella from the Civil Service Stores in Queen Victoria street. Int only doubtful point about the mattel was that the purloined umbrella strongl, resembled one which the defendant hat carried and bore his initials, "E. L., faintly scratched upon it's handle. Un fortunately the prosecution showed that despite the alleged similarity, the um brella was one taken from the store, an, the overwhelming presumption was that
 being left alone in company with the to-
 seductive article, MT. Lyttel had marke,
 and sequestered it. He was released.
 THEY tell of mule at Big Evans, Nev.
 who amused himself by driving nail
 with his heels. There was post con
 taining nails partly driven, and the mule
 backing up within easy reaching dis
 tance, began kicking the nails home
 When the head of a nail projected but short distance, he would tap it gently
 and drive it like the carpenter with
 hammer. When nail was half driven
 then it would require heavier blow but the mule apparently understood pel
 fectly the weight to be applied. Eft or sixty nails were driven in this manner and then rough old twenty-penny' wa . encountered. Two or three fair blow were administered without perceptibl
 result, and then the mule trembled wit