Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-02-25

1909, the famous winter that saddened the last
years OF Louis XIV, the earth was frozen for two
meters down; 1879, 1749 1863, the rivers froze;
1889, the year Of the revolution; 1909, the Seine
was frozen; 1929, snow lay on tho ground ioi
ffty-four days In France; that OF 1899 was also
rigorous winter and the winter OF 1879 seems to
start well In France the winter OF 1873 has peeh
unusually severe, but In the United States the
winter, thus far, has been exceptionally pleasant
A CORRESPONDENT at Rome furnishes n London
journal with an account OF the breaking off of
the engagement, recently announced, OF Byron's
grandson to popular young American lady. we
trust she may live to congratulate herself on her
lucky escape. The writer says; Miss 'Dndu
Fletcher author OF that clever book Kismet who
was to have been Lady Wentworth, is dangerously
III OF fever and her friends feel the greatest
anxiety about her There have been so many
conflicting rumors about the rupture Of the en-
gagement with Lord Wentworth that word or
two OF truth will not come amiss The wedding
had been fixed to take place in Rome on the last
day OF the past year. Everything seemed to be
going smoothly, when suddenly land on Christmas
day too OF all days. Miss Fletcher received a let
ter from his lordship, absent in England which
must have contained unwelcome intelligence in
deed for the result was that after reading 1t she
became unconscious, and that evening three doc
tors we're in consultation at her bedside. Since
that time with brief intervals, when she appeared
somewhat better, Miss Fletcher has been most
seriously i'll, and the gravest fears are enter
tanned as to her recovery"
The March Atlantic has a very attractive list OF
contents. Mr.. IIowells' SERIAL The Undiscovered
Country, grows in interest every month, and bids
fair to surpass in power The Lady of the Aroos-
took. Charles Dudley Warner contributes de-
ghtful biographical and critical essay on Wash
ngton Irving, which will make readers love both
Irving and Warner better. There are two excel
lent short stories, Accidentally Overheard, by
Horace f. Scudder and Hannah Divisions Child,
by Lucy Lee Peasants. The second installment
Of "reminiscences of Washington includes much
personal and social as well us political anecdote
concerning the four years of John Quincy Adams
administration Francis H. Underwood has an
engaging account of Egypt under the Pharaohs.
Richard Grant White writes of English in Eng
land, citing numerous examples of words used in
correctly or queerly by the English, and making
a curiously interesting article There are poems
by T. b. Aldrich, Miss Sarah o. Jewett mot the
actress but the author of Deephaven), Celia Thax-
| ter, Oscar Laghton and Louise Chandler Mouton
Several noteworthy new books are reviewed, and
diversified Contributors Club completes a very
good number of this sterling magazine.
FRANK LAWRENCE, a former hotel proprietor
| in Swanton who left that place nearly month
ago, leaving behind large amount Of unsettled
accounts, has been arrested in Grand Island, Ne
braska, on charge of poisoning his father. The
father and son started westward in December,
and had proceeded as far as Grand Island, where
the son concluded they would stop over for a day
or two, as the old gentleman very feeble, and
at times deranged. Here the father was taken
suddenly i'll and died Suspicious circumstances,
together with the unnatural and brutal conduct
of the son. indicated foul play. The district at
torney of Grand Island ordered an inquest and
autopsy of the remains, and caused the liver and
stomach of the body to be examined by chem
| ist. The result of this examination was finding
by the coroner's jury that Charles G. Lawrence
came to his death by poison, prussc acid, admin
stered by Frank Lawrence, feoniously and mali
ciously, with intent to murder The evidence i:
all circumstantial, but strong, and backed by
chemical analysis. The motive for the crime Is
disclosed in the fact that before going west young
Lawrence had effe ted an insurance on the life Of
his father to the amount of S1l 900.
| THOMAS mutually entered the saloon of w. L
Washburn Friday last, and called for glass o.
gin For prudential reasons, the drink was re
fused. Thereupon, Mutually, already under thu
lhuence Of liquor, aimed a crushing blow a
Washburn, which he received in his ribs To th'
serious detriment OF that part of his anatomy
Washburn being placed horS du combat Mutually
| AZ ~ biu tat which ha ad m mis-
tered with total disregard OF the destructibl
nature Of its effects. In fact the saloon wa
thoroughly Quilted, and the rampant bacchana
finding nothing more to smash appeared on tn
sidewalk, where he was arrested by Officer bud
ley, who at that instant appeared on the scene
The prisoner proceeded very quietly till h
reached the corner when he shook off the officer
who, summoning the bystanders to his assistance
re-arrested him, and after a fierce struggle sue
ceeded in lodging him in jail The prisoner wa
before Justice Field on Monday but being exceed
ugy independent and impudent was remande'
to Jail to await second hearing Tuesday after
noon. On his re-appearance before the magis
( trate Mutually made disclosure OF so contradit
tory character, that the legal impossibility q
E obtaining conviction of the vendor Of the lquo
, under it, induced the justice to discharge him
He was Immediately arrested again for iutoxica
tion fined five dollars and costs, paying which
he was discharged, resolving to sin no more.
THE funny man Of the Detroit Free Press thu
draws a lesson anything but funny from the ex
perience of poor little school-boy: " Several me
we're gathered at the door of blacksmith sho
on Cass avenue the other morning, when a school
boy not over nine years of age came along wit
, tears in his eyes, and one Of the group asked
What's the matter, boy-fall DOWN. N-nc
but I've got hard rithmetc lesson and eS
pect to get l-lickedr was the answer Let IN
see, used to be king bee on fractions Tn
man took the book, turned to the page, and read
Rule Find the least common multiple of tn
denominators Of the fractions for the least con
mon denominator. Divide this least common d.
I nomnator by each denominator and multipl
both terms Of the fractions by the quotient oil
tanned by each denominator.' He read the rul
aloud and asked II any one could underst md 1
All shook their heads and he then continued
Well, now, think should 60 to work and di
cover the least uncommon agitator. would the
I, evolve parallel according to the intrinsic devil
tor and punctuate the thermometer : So wonl
IT. answered every man in chorus and one
them added: I've worked EN- out that way
thousand times!' Not one Of the men, all OF who
we're in business and had made money, cou
: even understand the working OF the rule. muc
= less work examples by it, and yet it is expecte
! that little nine-year-old boy should go to til
% blackboard and do every sum off hand"
:, ScRiBNER's for March puts an engaging featu
= foremost in the Tile Clubs summer diversions
a canal boat The chapters Of Mrs Burnett
Louisiana are interesting. The Grandssmes a
. yances somewhat The history Of Peter the Gre
. is as readable as it promised to be. Rcha
- Whiteng, a young journalist of Paris who do
y very good work, contributes an article on Chal
the Partisan Crnikshank, illustrated by sampl
- OF his drawings. Mr.. Burroughs continues
W peculiar Notes of Walker. The extracts fro
Henry ]. Raymond's diary are concerning
year 1868, and extremely interesting The M
r ternich and Remusat memoirs are done up In o
ID article on Two Views Of Napoleon. II. H., has
r. article on her present pursuit the Indian questi'
d. under the title, The Wards OF the United Sta
ny Government. Mr.. Roe's paper this month Is
nd Raspberries and has lavish illustrations as usu
an In the Brlc-aBr there are several verses of
In late Irwin RUSSELL and some brightly humorC
y greetings In verse between l. c. Stedman o
", Austin Dobson. Editorially Scribner's make
Ill proposition which is as follows We propose
AZ establish a picture-pnrchasing agency for
country; TO make selections Of pictures statui
an l and 9th Ia NJ art In a