St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-08-26

jewels, and all that sort of thing, and
then very imprudently proposed to
smuggle them in here. OF course, be-
ing articles of daily use, she might
have brought them in openly, duty
free, but the fun of Outwitting some
body would have been wanting, so she
landed with the goods concealed. Her
oval face was as sweet and youthful as
ever, but the pedestal for the graceful
burst was anatOmically and artistically
a mistake. Her appearance was, as
to the upper half, Venus as to the
lower, a decidedly stout and elderly
person. Her limbs, which her short
ened skirt shortened, by being lined
and refined with hundred weight or
so of shawls and velvets, revealed but
too plainly, looked as if she had ele
phantiasis. On examination, and she
was speedily Overhauled by a smart
young lady searcher, the slender props
of her proper frame were found en-
wrapped in costly lace, and they peeled
her like an onion all over with similar
results, as she wept and wept and
wept. Her disguised husband, doc
tor too, had to pay n swinging bill to
Uncle Sam to release the contiscated
cargo. If he'd paid more attention to
his anatomy, OF his wife's anatomy, by
the way, he would have done better.
1t was, no doubt, the mans own fault
after all.
The Custom House can make itself
just about as obnoxious, sometimes, as
the most OdOriferous of red mountain
minks. Their last exploit has been
the charging 81 per cent. Gd rdlOrem
duty on a little Scotch yacht which has
been sent over with a view to trying
conclusions with some of our American
pleasure craft, on the long veXed ques-
ton as to whether plumb-bobs or skim
ming dishes are the fastest and safest
types of vessels. Such an outrage was
never before heard of, but the excuse is
that the boat didn't sail here, and it
wasn't lowed here, but was carried on
the deck of steamer and paid freight
there. | really don't understand the
technicalities of the case, but | can't
for the life of me see what difference it
makes rs to how she came or why she
should be beset by revenue banditti,
whether she sprang up from the ocean
foam off Sandy Hook, or was dropped
from Il balloon or the moon, or even
the last comet.
The moon has rather interfered with
popular investigation Of this latest Wis
itor, but with clear nights it is likely
to prove an interesting object for some
time the astronomers say its tail is of
the sabre pattern just like the last one.
There have been two scientific con-
ventions, one of photographers, the
chief object of their investigations be-
ing the respective merits of the wet
and the dry process-the whole thing
being rather dry for outsiders-and an
other of pigeon fanciers. The training
of carrier or "homing" pigeons have
been carried to great lengths, and the
latest experiment was race between
birds belonging to New York set free
at Columbus, Ohio. As they haven't
turned up at all, it is supposed they
thought 500 miles, with Il few mountain
ranges in the way, rather too much OF
"A good joke for one journey and have
gone visiting, perhaps, into country
dove cotes, possibly down the threats
of hawks, eagles or hungry pOthunters.
Meantime their sporting masters are
miserable.
RADIX.