Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-29
MINOR NOTES.

Gen. Sherman's son Thomas has just been
admitted to the Catholic priesthood by Arch
bishop Gibbons of Baltimore.
1t turns out that ex-senator Barnum Of
Connecticut, chairman of the national demo-
cratic committee, was one of the bondsmen
upon the most questionable OF all the Star
route contracts. This was the line from Fort
Worth, Texas, to Fort Yuma, Arizona.
All accounts agree that the approaching
canvass in Virginia will be the most exciting
known in the Old Dominion for many years.
1t is expected that it will be fairly opened by
the middle of June, and the present indica-
tons point to three ickets-the Readjuster,
regular Democratic and straight Republican.
P. 4. Barnum has sued the Philadelphia
Sun for 500, 900 damages for saying that he
does not really own anything in ''the great
est show on earth" but only rents his name
to the real owners. The Springfield Union
thinks the Sun can get out of it by saying
that it really meant his namesake, W. II.
WhitelRw Reid, editor of the N. Y. Tribune,
vas married to Miss Mills, daughter of ID. o.
Mills of New York city, on Tuesday.
Prof. Z. G. Pickering, Of Harvard College,
says that no uneasiness is felt among profess
sional astronomers about the effect on human
affairs Of any conjunction of planets, there
being no reason to suppose that such con-
functions are attended by any peculiar ter
restrial phenomena.
Postmaster General James is determined TO
remove from Office all subordinates OF his de
partment who are in any way connected with
the star route methods. He will proceed
with caution, but in the end all those who
had any knowledge of the irregularities, and
who failed to bring them to the attention Of
the Postmaster General, as well as those who
had active connection with them, will be su-
perseded As a beginning j. L. French,
chief clerk of the contract Office, was re-
moved on Tuesday.
The number of deaths in New York for the
first fifteen weeks of this year is 10, 100,
which is 1874 above the number for the cor
responding weeks of last year. This fright
full rate of mortality is 40 per cent. above the
average for the past nine years, Is per cent.
above that Of the siokly spring of 1875, and
1,653 greater than that of the most destruo-
tive year in the past ten. The trouble is
charged upon the filthy streets.
The average receipts of the United States
treasury for the last nine months have been a
little over 81, 900, coo day. It is believed
that the total receipts during the present ifs
cal year will exceed those of last year by $780,
| 600, 200, Notwithstanding the reduction of
some taxes. The fact is an unmistakable eY-
idence of increasing prosperity.
Last weeks record of failures in the United
States and Canada was the most favorable
| for several months, the total number being
only 91-l5 less than for the week previous,
and 80 less than for the corresponding week
in March. The fact that there were but very
few failures in the city of New York, and
small ones at that. is taken as d pretty good
evidence that business generally is on a sound
basis.
Gen. Louis Wagner, Oommander;in. Chief
of the Grand Army of the Republic, was in
Boston at the close of last week, and was
Hospitality entertained by the posts of that
city on Friday afternoon and evening.
In the recent municipal elections in ILL
nois the temperance question, for or against
license, brought the women in great num-
bers to the polls. In one little town one
thousand ladies appeared at the polls and sue
ceeded in eleeting three out of fourteen al
dermen. At Mount Vernon all their eandi-
dates were elected by majority of 900, and
in other portions of the state their efforts
were crowned with more or less success It
is hardly necessary to say that the women
were in favor of no rum.
Senator Hampton has at last admitted that
the elections in South Carolina have too Of
ten been carried by violence and fraud, and
in a similar mood of frankness the New Or
leans Times, Democratic in politics. declares
that while some of the Southern Senators
aver in the Senate that they favor free bal
lot and fair count ''it cannot be denied
that there is a firmly rooted conviction in the
minds of very large portion of the South
ern people that the Democratic party, which
contains the wealth and intelligence Of the
South, ought to rule, whether it has major
! ity of the votes or moi"