The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-21
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GLEANINGS.

Gen. Fitzhugh Lee is writing history
OF the campaigns of the army of north
ern Virginia.
Joaquin Miller lives hermit's life in
New York city, occupying rooms at the
top OF a house and doing his own cook
ing.
Surgeon General Woodward, whose
health was impaired during his attend
ance on President Garfield. has been
granted an eight months leave of abb
sence.
Senator Davis boards at the National
hotel in Washington, where his sitting
room reminds one of an Illinois law Of
fice. There is no carpet on the floor, q
large wood fire crackles and blazes on
the hearth, the chairs are capacious,
with rush seats, and at night candles
supply the light.
The Courier of the Rhine reports the
discovery at Steeten, on the Lain, of q
hitherto hidden cave, in which seven
human skeletons have been found. AT
the opening of the cave huge heap of
bones of animals and other remains Of
primitive existence have been laid bare.
Miss Louise NJ. Alcott is a lady in
middle life, with broad, high brow
like that of Charlotte Cushman, and a
sensitive, intellectual face, with black
eyes and ebon hair. She is by no means
one of the ''little women" being five
feet seven in height, and large in pro-
portion.
1t is announced that a herd of eleven
thousand sheep has just arrived at Lin
coin, Neb., from Washington Territory.
The Journey has occupied two years.
h to
the Missouri river is said to be the long
est and hardest known to stock men.
Three years is often consumed in drive
over this distance.
The Etna observatory, erected on a
small mount near the crater, and SO
placed that current of lava would prob
ably divide in two and avoid it, has
been completed. It is 2,943 meters
above the sea; the Great st. Bernard
monastery is 2,491, and the st. Gothard
2,075 meters.
Accidental rich finds of gold still oc-
cur in California. Some men who were
recently walking along the road on
Trays fiat in Eldorado county, noticed
a piece of quartz which had been
crushed by wagon running over it.
The specimen was found to contain con-
siderable gold, and the party making
further explorations came upon a ''pock-
ct" from which they took in one day
what was estimated at from 81, 200 to
$13, 900 worth of gold.
The dispute between the state of Ohio
and the United States government as to
the ownership of large scope of swamp
land east of Toledo, on the lake shore, is
being settled at Washington. This
swamp has been much frequented by
sportsmen in quest of ducks and other
water fowl. The Cedar Point Gum Club,
of Toledo, will purchase a considerable
part of the swamp as soon as the ques-
ton of ownership is decided.
At Clintondale, Ulster county, N. Y,
a farmer became deeply enamored of a
young lady residing there, and after a
few days acquaintance the twain were
married. Immediately upon the con-
clusion of the ceremony the bride es-
capped to an adjoining room, and the
bridegroom has not seen her since.
Some practical jokers had secured an
misunderstanding boy to personate a
young lady and fool the farmer.
In Giles county, Tennessee. resides a
widow lady, an invalid. who has not
been able to stand upon her feet or walk
step in the last twenty years. About
u1GGCu OK 6lAEE6u yczbFS 70 ACI AuSDbuG
died, leaving her set of shoemaker's
tools and little farm with q big mort
gage on it, and she borrowed money
enough to buy side of upper leather
and piece of sole leather, and with only
such knowledge of shoemaking as she
had gained from binding shoes for her
husband. she commenced to make shoes,
and she has sat upon her bed from that
time (some fifteen or sixteen years ago)
10 the present, with her shoemaker's
bench beside the bed, and made and
mended boots and shoes.
I regret to hear that Prof. Blackie, or
Edinburgh. is seriously indisposed. The
last time / saw the old man was one
cold and cherries day, in Princess
street. He was wrapped, as usual, in
his shepherd tartan plaid. His face
looked ms If a good deal of the fire and
force. of yore had passed away. No one
would be more missed in the Scotch
capital than the genial Greek professor.
who has, in his time, uttered SO many
wholesome truths. London World.
Benjamin E. Curtis says concerning
the late Prof Pc: Coming once TO my
house, nall the splendor of his Orien-
tai habit, to dine with some gentlemen
who had travelled in China, he was soon
conversing delightfully."- about his coun-
try. When one of the guests inquired
what he had seen in our country that
pleased him most, In contrast TO the
mode of life at home, he promptly re.
piled, .Horse-carss Anyone who has
seen or ridden IN the terrible Chinese
carts viii say that this reply from one OF
his own race indicated . progressive
spirit as rare az it was frankly con-
fessed. -