The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-20
miscellaneous Paragraphs.

Miscellaneous Paragraphs.
= The orange crop in California this year
is said to be the largest ever known in
that state; notwithstanding the fact that
many trees We're damaged by the Feb
ruary frosts. The lime "crop, on the
contrary; is much smaller than USUAL.
Show-printing this season is more
elaborate and flasher than ever before.
The prevailing idea seems to be that the
success of our actors and actresses this
year is going to depend altogether up
on the amount of red and yellow paint
'splashed on to the hill-boards and scat
tered through the barber shops.
I Ii Hung Chang, viceroy Of China, has,
at the instance of the United States min
lster, granted permission for a steamer
to run on the upper Pei-Ho river, be-
tween Tientsin and Tong Cho. The con-
cessionis regarded as simportant. Hither-
to all attempts on the part Of foreign
cruiser to approach Pekin, the habitation
Of the emperor, have been strongly op-
posed.
An old lady who had purchased new
bonnet received it on Saturday. Not
long after she was missed, and her ab-
sence was 80 protracted that her family
became alarmed about her, and institute
ed a search. After looking the premises
all over, her daughter found her in her
chamber, sitting quietly with her. new
bonnet on, The. daughter exclaimed:
"Why mother, what are yot doing here?"
"Go along down." the old lady replied;
| am only getting, used to this thing, so
that shall not Be thinking about it all
the time in church to morrow"
! A feature Of the exposition at Amster-
dam is complete Japanese village,
which is reproduced with much fidelity
and detail. There are huts of the ma
lives, inhabitants and cattle, and q ma
tive orchestra furnishes Japanese music
Tor Japanese dances.
, The house of RS. John w: Bigelow,
at Newport, is furnished with Venetian
portico which looks out on the bay,
afording one of the best pictures in that
city. Mrs. Bigelow asked her friend,
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, to say somthing
abou this piazza-' somthing to be re-
membered." :. Mrs. Howe knitted her
fine brows and pursed up her nervous
mouth. Every one waited for the orac-
ular utterance of the author of the "Bat-
tie Hymn of the Republic." i 'sIt is q
bully piazza" was the unpoetic answer.
Plans have been completed for the
new silver vault to- be built Under the
cash room of the treasury department.
1t will hold about %, 100000 standard
dollars.
A dog of the shepherd breed, owned
by Aaron Hutchinson, Of Mansfield,
Conn.,, not only possesses the usual ac-
complishments common to the educated
CANNES, such aSshaking hands, awaiting
the signal three t. snap the piece Of
bread, speaking, etc., but he also sings.
"Sit up, hold out your paw and sing"
says his mistress, and Pedro will pose in
q most knowing attitude, and to mus
ical accompaniment will join his voice,
varying his song as the tune is high or
low, fast or slow, and stop wher the i'll
strument ceases.
A very curious thing about deaf mutes
is the rapidity with which they learn
the meaning and use of slang words and
phrases. The ordinary street language
of the day seems to be every bit as FAM
iliar to them as it is to the people whose
organs of hearing are not impaired, and
and they will say, in their own way,
"you bet your boots!" or lyon bet your
sweet life!' with as much ease and grace
as if they had it at their tongues end all
their lives. One of the afflicted young
men, when asked for an explanation of
this remarkable fact, said tile deaf mutes
got their knowledge of slang from the
newspapers; that they were great read
ers of the papers, and snapped up new
phrase or word Just the moment it made
its appearance. They not only use slang
in writing, but in their sign-language.
Among other things brought to this
country by President Soto. of Honduras.
is silver cup made before the appear
ence Of the Spaniards in Central Amer
ica. There is an, opal in rough state,
Ave inches high,2 valued at $4,000, and
other stones Of the same species, smaller,
and cut in various FORMS; One of the
cases is filled with coffee, none of which,
it is said, finds its way to the United
States, the French and English purchas-
ing it at twenty-five cents per pound.
In one case is an exhibit Of fibre OBJ
tanned from species OF pineapple,
dyes with success, is used as filling in
silks. 1t has been woven into cloth,
which has every appearances of silk,
and has been manufactured into
delicate lace. Several samples of the
grass from which Panama hats are made
are exhibited, as also are. ipecac leaves
and roots, jalap,: ginger roots, allspice
berries and other spices.
One of the attract tions of the recent
performance in eiChinese theater in
San Francisco fort the benefit of the
Knights Templar was stage fight be.
tween two 'warr;ors;' whose method OF
attack was was to jump up inf the air,
strike the adversary in the chest with
the bottom of both feet, and then fall
full length Oh the stage, striking on tbeii
backs with terrific force. 1t was style
of tumb mbting evidently new to most of the
spectators, who applauded vigorously
Anothe style of gymnastics was lnuch b
admired, sThe performer would stand
on chair which hswas, e.apex ofstt lpyr.
amid of table and chairs, turn q .somer-
chaia. similarly elevated, wlthshis legs
crossed under him tlike a. tailor. This
feat was done repeatedly by, two per-
formers. dressed in a beWildering multi.
tude Of baggy trousers, skirts, jackets,
and cloaks. With the ordinary dress ol
an athlete the feat is calculated to,break
both legs Of the performe, but 'dressed
as they were it was an astonishing exhi'
bltlon:f ::3:s5!s T~'<<.5
The remarkable tides and the terrible
and deadly storm (which have visited
the north Atlantic wit hin a week approx.
innate too nearly TO the time of the awful
volcanic disturbances in Java. not te
arouse the feeling that these dreadful
outbreaks which have been felt over two
thirds of the earth, if not throughout it
have a common origin. The earthQu kt
wave is known to have been felt at San
Francisco, and it is certainly curious
coincidence that at nearly the same time
there should be such tidal wave in the
Atlantic as that which has done so much
damage at Atlantic City and elsewhere
on toe New Jersey coast, and that there
should be SO great a storm-cyclonic il
its cbaracter-as' that which has cost tn.
lives Of so OF more fishermen on tn.
Grand Banks, and at the time of yea,
usually free from such violence.
wonld be over bold to attribute these
disturbances to a common cause.
Miss Chamberlaine, of Cleveland, who
is figuring in London as a beauty is de-
scribed by Eliza Westhersby, who hap
pened to meet her in a gathering Of the
Prince of Wales'sset, as about as pretty
as ten per cent. Of all American girls
She had rather a. captivating way abou
her, oddly combining a spi rituelle
Marguerite air with the peculiar dash