The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-07-22
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Ella Dean. aged II, fell eighty feet
from Eagle Rock, Orange Mountain, N.
j., and was not seriously hurt.
In Russia "hellO" is rendered ETH
acknowledgements" hence the tele-
phone can never be introduced into
that country.
Senator Bayard does not believe in
the new version. Faith and hope, he
said i'm an address the other day, can
take care of themselves, but charity is
the chief concern of the race.
A San Francisco correspondent re-
ports that clear and beautiful agate
bowldcr. IL feet long, 8 feet wide and
5 feet thick has been found in Plumas
county, Cal.
A pitiable story Is told of little boy
who starved TO death in Pittsburgh, Pa. ,
because of throat disease. He lived
four weeks without eating or drinking.
Suffering terribly just before he died,
he asked his mother II he would get
any dinner in heaven.
When Boston girl is presented with
bouquet she says: 'Oh, how delicious
ly sweet; its fragrance impregnates the
entire atmosphere Of the room. A
down-East girl simply says: ut smells
scrumptiOus; thanks, Reuben"
A Japan paper says half Of the ware
sold as Japanese is not genuine. That,
however, does not rob the purchasers
of the enjoyment they find in paying
cxtravagant prices for ugly articles they
have no possible use for.
The Paris. FigarO prOpounds this
conundrum: "Given two widows of the
same age, the same social condition.
the same character, one of whom had
| bad husband and the other good
one, which of the two will have the
stronger desire to get married againg'
A priest in France, the son of fish
erman, had every day net spread on
his table to remind him, he said, of his
origin. He attracted so much attention
by his humility that he was promoted
to be Abbot. After that the net no
longer appeared. Being asked the
reason, the ecclesiastic replied: ut is
no longer necessary, for the fish is now
caught"
Colonel Gordon, the African explorer,
refuses to hunt any further for the
sources of the Nile. saying in his wrath
that he doesn't care whether there are
two lakes or q million, or whether the
| Nile has source or not. Hence he
will not imperil his health by being
boxed up in a steamer fifty feet long to
crafty tho curiosity of men he does
not know.
In Germany the manufacture of sug-
ar from old rags is carried on. The
l ts,.st oil Nuit ON, nj n
| acid and converted into dextrine. This
is then bleached by milk of lime, sub
mitted to new bath of sulphuric acid.
and then transformed into crystals of
glucose. The process makes glucose,
which is chemically like that derived
from grapes.
1t is q current opinion over in New
Jersey that the bankrupt city of Eliza
beth would not sell for the amount of
its debts. This notion proves to be
somewhat exaggerated. According to
the latest account the city owes $5,-
341, 291, and its property assessment
amounts to S12, 900. This is bad
enough showing without any overstate-
ment.
The Nashville correspondent OF the
Louisville COuyIe,-.jOurnal writes that
ga woman living in Jackson county,
Tenn, was q few days ago delivered
of seren children in one evening. They
all resemble each other except as TO
weight, and are healthy, well-fOrmed
babes.'' The correspondent neglects
to send along notary's certificate TO
the truth of his story.
An imitation for floor boards, etc.,
has been made in this country Of COM
pressed straw. II is said TO resemble q
hard, close grained wood, can be
blamed, holds nails well, etc. 1t has no
flaws, is not subject to dry rot, is water
proof, will not warp, and has greater
tensile strength than wood. If all this
be true, we may shortly be making
houses out of straw boards.
Carrot Hafey, boy years old, was
| prisoner in the New York TOombs
Police Court on Monday. being his
third appearance on a charge of bur-
olary. He was associated with two
other boys. 10 years old, and when
asked about the robbery, said: Zone
NV de udder boys cut lie glass, N got
me to 90 fru de hole" he replied be-
tween his sobs, Il didn't 60 fur ter
steal nOthin."
A recent article in the New York
Tribune saws that the Oleander is such
| deadly-poisOn that horse which had
eaten a bunch of leaves died in a short
time. Persons picking and eating the
blossoms have also died from the eff
fects. "The branches Invested Of bark
and used rs skewers have poisoned the
meat roasted on them, and killed seven
I out of the twelve people who partook
of it."
Nevada has enacted law designed
to prevent opium-smoking, which
makes the possession of opium or OF
an opium pipe misdemeanOr, punish
able by fine or imprisonment. This
statute is very obnoxious to the Chinese
Six Companies of San Francisco, and
interferes with their profits; and they
have retained three leading lawyers.
two of California and one Of Nevada,
TO test the validity of the law, and II
necessary to carry the question to the
United States Supreme Court.
The little Archduke of Austria,
brought up in the midst of court cere-
monies, early learned his own dignity.
Playing one day in the private gardens
of the Schloss in Vienna, he threw his
ball over the gate. A lady passing by
picked it up and handed it to him, say
ING in the familiar German fashion:
"And what is thy name, thou pretty
child?" The young Prince drew him.
self up and replied: my mamma and
my govorness call me thou and 'Ru-
dy,' but other persons call me His
Royal Highness,'
A discharged soldier at Omaha re-
Gently drew $500 for his five years SER
vice in the army, and bought ticket
for Philadelphia, intending to start East
in the afternoon, when he fell into the
hands of hotel-runner, who induced
him to drink and to visit some low dive.
At the end of three days the ex-soldier
turncd-up, dead broke. It was after
wards ascertained that the victim has q
wife and five children in Philadelphia,
and that no had saved his entire five
years wages for the purpose of estab-
fishing himself in some business.
Rev. Hiram Skillings, of Plymouth.
Mass, having given up preaching, took
to tree-peddling. in tho course of which
he came to Mrs. Stetson, near that city.
q woman "a years old who. estranged
from her relatives, lived alone. She
was very pious. but unable. because Of
iniirmities, to go to church. She bought
no trees of Skillings, but finding that
he was minister, engaged him to live
in the house as private chaplain. She
died at the end Of a year leaving all her
property to Mr.. Skillings, but the rela-
lives who had deserted the old lady
during her life, wanted to make up for
the neglect by taking care of her prop
erty when she was dead; and the will
was broken.
Mrs. Elizabeth Tilton recently be-
came grandmother, a child having
been born to her daughter Florence,
who resides with her husband in Lon
don Har aacond dau0htAr Alice IL IN