The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-20


Canal navigation In Pennsylvanis has
been entirely stopped by ice, and boats are
frozen In ali along the lines Of these water.
ways.
George Bucknell, of Ashtabula county,
Ohio, who is now In his dotage and has no
confidence In banks, buried bis bonds for
greater safety, and has forgotten where he
buried them.
Any one In Belgium who 80 plesses may
open public house, the retail LIQUOR trade
being perfectly free. The annual consump-
lion OF spirits Is now l2s Hires per inhabi-
tant, and that OF beer 2j4 iitres. The money
annually expended at the public houses Is
475,000, ,e00f.
The egg product Of the United States 10
second only In value 10 corn and wheat.
During the last fiscal year the corn crop
was worth S4S0, ,643. 400; the wheat crop,
s4S4.875,7I9; and the crop OF eggs, t476,-
6s2,ss9. The bird which produces the
"hen fruit " is a noble Institution.
Tuesday a teacher in a public school In
New York fell in fit while hearing her
class recite. The children fed In alarm, Q
panic seizing all the pupils. A rush was
made for the street. Fortunately no one
was injured, and the teachers In short
time were able TO restore order.
A telegram received at the Post-0ffice
Department Tuesday morning states that
William j. Pearson, ey-postmsster at Bates
vile, Ark. committed suicide Monday
night at Barnum's Hotel, It. Louis. He
had recently resigned his Office on account
OF some dissatisfaction expressed by the
Department, but his successor had not been
appointed.
A Plymouth Mass telegram says: On
the 29th OF last August the body OF Mary
j. Baker, the wife Of Asa B. Baker, OF
Brockton, was found In the woods IN
Brockton. near the Abingdon line, pierced
by four bullets, her face cut, and her head
terribly fractured with large stone found
near by covered with blood Her husband
was arrested on suspicion, and Subsequent
ly indicted.
William Sexton recently removed from
Short Beach TO Babylon, l.. l., taking with
him fifty tame ducks, ten OF which were
old birds. The ducks were brought of in
close box. They remained about their
new quarters for one day, and then disap-
peared. The following morning the ducks
were found at their old home on the beach
waiting TO be fed. As their wings were
clipped, they must have swan the entire
distance, nearly nine miles, In heavy sea
and on dark night.
A project has been started for a ship
canal between the Baltic and the Black
seas, to cost 100, ,000,0 900 marks, or, II made
large enough for large war-yessels, as 1t ID
expected that Prince Bismarck will insist,
$50, 900, 900 marks. A mark Is twenty-fouf
cents. Three fiftbs Of the expense are TO
be borne by Russia, and the remainder
equally by the States OF Hanover and
Oldenburg and the cities OF Hamburg
and Bremen. The promoters estimate that
the number OF vessels that would pass
through the canal would be three times
as great as the number passing by Suez.
1t is not generally known that there is a
gold mine in Stanley county, n. c., owned
by the late President James A. Garfield.
The mine Is known as the Flagtown mine,
and was bought by the President shortly
before he was assassinsted. President
Garfield no. only bought the mine, but
established at the mine post-ofiice called
| Flagtown. The mine has been lying idle,
received letter from Mrs. Garfield saying
that she intends to visit the mine IN person
next summer and make arrangements ~
have It properly worked.
! For eight years large Newfoundland
dog called Major" followed San Fran
cisco police officer on bisrounds. "Major "
was well known in police circles, and was
called the four-footed" policeman, As nc
/ assisted in many important arrests. He
/ played an important part In the arrest OF
Mickey Delaney alias O'Brien, and
A." Yorkey" alias John Dudley, two noted
criminals, some time ago. But "Maior's "
| DAYS OF police duty are over, as he was
poisoned one Sunday afternoon while out
on the marsh taking his afternoon stroll
preparatory to going on duty.
Experiments were made Tuesday eve
ming at the United States Electric Light
Company's factory at Newark TO test the
danger OF electric-light wires TO tiremen.
4 fifty-light arc machine was placed In
circuit with fifty lamps, aud a number Of
persons took hold Of the naked wires
without feeling a shock. a stream OF
water was then played on these wires
through a hose with metal nozzle, and
those holding it were not injured nor did
they feel the least shock. The positive and
negative wires Of the fire-alarm telegraph
and electric lighting system Of the city on
Broad street were barred, so as TO expose
the tire wires-two. positive and two mega
uye-and powerful current OF electricity
was passed through them. A man held .
brass nozzle IN his hands and played .
stream OF water Of the wires. No injury
was done and no shock was felt.