The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-09-09
VARIETY.

grandmothcrs.
The number Of horses, cattle, mules,
sheep, and hogs in Ohio by the returns
of 1881 is rs follows; Horses. 7O7.O25;
cattle, 1883, 462; mules. 23.O7S; sheep.
1923. ia. and hogs. l.79j. 77O.
An ant town in the Allcghany noun
tains consists of 1.600 or LOO nests.
which rise in one to II height OF from
two to five feet. The ground is riddled
in every direction with subterranean
passages.
A New Hampshire soldier, who made
application for u pension eighteen years
ago. has Just received from the depart
mcnt the customary circular specifying
the evidence required 10 establish his
claim.
Walter Bray. for thirty years q popu-
lar negro minstrel, is u hopeless luna
tic in a Massachusetts asylum. His
right name is Baker. and he is a son
of the Gen. Baker who was killed at
the battle of Balls Bluff.
A sheep dairy for tho manufacture OF
cheese has been started near Chatta-
nooga. Sheep cheese is a popular a.
ticle of food in Austria, and this enter
prise, beginning with one thousand
| sheep, is under the management OF an
Austrian.
For II number of years the lighthouse
keepers on the Long Island coast have
taken summer bOarders Mt the stations.
Orders have been issued by the light
house board that any keeper OF lights
who keeps boarders shall bc dismissed.
Sixteen years ago Loren Bartlett. Ofs
Grandy, Mass, cut the figures 1875 on
the back of a turtle found in his
meadow, and every year since. with
one exception, the animal has been seen
in the same field. Not to be behind the
times, he wants his date changed.
A resident of San Jose, Cal. sent to
New York for three pairs OF blankets.
the finest to be had for money. and now
California newspapers are jubilant over
the fact that, when they arrived. n
pair was found to bear the brand OF q
San Jose WOODEN mill.
Alexander Outlaw, residing in Dale
county, Alabama, and now over eighty
years of age. is developing new strength
and preparing to enter upon a new life.
He lost all of his teeth years ago, and
now, out of the order of nature, he is
being favored with another supply.
lWO new JtW tcctil az "PpO"toN SoSA
week during the past four weeks.
Norway exported in . an aggre-
gate quantity of S94.Sl6 register tons
Of lumber. England took 81 q cent.
of it, and France II q cent. BY COM
pairing the foregoing figures with those
of the current export lists in previous
wears, we observe that Norway has only
in the favorable years. 1871 up to 1876,
excepting 1875. exported larger quanti-
ties than in 1880.
A large soda ash mandatory is to
} be located in Geddes, N. Y. 1t will he
} the only ono of the kind in the United
States. and when completed will con-
sumo 400 tons of coal daily. A build
iny will be erected this fall. 300 feet in
length, which will furnish employment
to about 800 men. When all the build
: inc, proposed are erected, 1000 mer
will be employed.
In the foreign settlement east of the
Cape of Good Hope there lived. moi
many years ago, a person whom the
public called ..the self-made man.
!, They almost insisted that no put him
; self together in the morning-insertct
his Dlass eye and his false teeth (sOm'
said added an artificial nose), adjusted
his WIG, strapped on his wooden leg
and sailed forth. 1t happened tina
trouble broke out between the country
to which he belonged and the ono il
which he was living, and it was thel
: and there reported that he had gone u
u the United States consul and claimed
protection. On being asked on VIVA
ground he founded his claim, he wa
y .. Iv vopliaA fhof ssni
! leg was made of Oregon pine and q
. American dentist made his teeth"
! With the expressed purpose of keeI
, ing dogs out of the Stockton house, 9
Cape MAY, during the present season
, the directors issued an nouncem
!, that they would be charged for boar,
E ut the rate of $40 a week q piece. Tha
this scheme for carrying out q praise
worthy purpose is an utter failure j
, proved by tho fact that six dogs ar
! now registered at the Stockton house
:. that is to say, three Sky terriers. TIVE
lap-dogs and n pug.
Mrs. Walter Bell, of Granite Basin
Butte county, California. ordered hel
Chinese cook to prepare supper TO
fourteen men. He flew into a rage
/, n the wife summoned her husband
, When the latter appeared the China
man made for him with a big butche
knife. Mr.. Bell rctreated to anothe
a room, got a shotgun, returned and or
dered the Chinaman to leave the house
the knife, when MIR. Bell fired at him
: killing him almost instantly. A jur,
acquitted Mr.. Bell.
! A few days after the battle of Bull
!. Run, Hooker called at tho white house
: to bid the president goodbye. Taking
him by the hand with that friendly de.
tanning grasp so habitual with him, the
president said: ''Well. Col. Hooker,
what do you think of tho battle of Bull
, Run?" "Mr. Lincoln. was on the field
that day, and l am a much better general
than any you had there" was the re-
|, ply. The self assertion and earnest
ness of Hooker's speech and manner
, struck Mr.. Lincoln favorably. '.Don't
60 home yet, Colonel, VIC shall want
you" Soon after President Lincoln
made him a general.
The past decade has only added some
765, 900 inhabitants to Australasia, rep
resenting an annual growth of 1897 per
!; cent. and much of this has been paid
heavily for my ''assisted emigration"
Victoria may be said to be declining, as
it has only increased 1O3, 900. against
100000 in the previous ten years. The
T whole population of New Zealand is
below that of several British provincial
towns, and that of Tasmania little
larger than n or two London parish
es. These figures are as striking a
comment on the awful and wonderful
amount of blow prevalent among Aus
tralians as their enormous Indebtedness
is. Queensland might very appropri-
ately be dubbed BOrrOwland.
There has been a brisk demand for
oyster shells at New Haven, Conn.,,
lately for use in the OYSTER beds. as the
spawn adheros to them readily after
being bleached on the land. They
have become SO indispensable that large
quantities are being brought from
Rhode Island. where they once threat
ened to cover up the state, and the
price in Providence has risen from 5 to
Z cents per bushel. The accumulation
of shells around New Haven was for
merly used to make roads, the ''sliell
roads" being celebrated for their hard.
smooth surface. But no more will be
made with shells in such demand Us ut
present. Dealers think that next year
they will have to bring shells from Bal
timOrc.
Sam Brannan's huge grant Of land in
the southern part of Sonora has not
turned out u bonanza. The main
trouble with tho grant is that tho Yaqui
Indians. who hold possession of it. are
Il warlike people, numbering $1,000.
and will not permit any whites to go
into their country for settlement. Ihe