Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-13
IN GENERAL.

-Fermented wine has been banished from
the communion tables Of all the Methodist
and Baptist churches in Chicago, and from all
the Congregational churches but two.
Connecticut is rapidly advancing in the
cultivation Of the oyster Not less than 90, o.
600 acres are said to be devoted to the raising
of that delicious crustacean The business is
also large. Thirty steamers and many sailing
vessels are engaged in the traffic
A whirlwind Of dust enveloped a wagon
which two horses we're drawing across the
railroad track in Long Island city. The
horses were frightened and stopped. Just
then a train dashed swiftly along, and the
two men on the wagon, as well as the horses,
were killed.
"A simple and inexpensive jail is that be-
longing to Naples county, Idaho. 1t is hole
in the ground ten feet deep into which the
prisoner is dropped, and out Of which be can
not climb, as the hole is larger at the bottom
than the top. When prisoner is wanted the
guards drop line and pull him up on it.
The egg trade of Canada with the United
States has grown to enormous proportions.
During the year ending June 80, 1877, only
ia, G24 dozen Of Canadian eggs were sent to
United States. In the year ending June 80,
1ss2, the number had risen to 10, ljj, ,31j doz-
en-, valued at Sl,jsl,s s73, or over 154 cents
per dozen.
The camphor tree has recently been in
troduced into California and promises. we'll
1t resembles the laurel somewhat. 1t grows
well all along the coast, and one tree at Sac
rameuto has already attained height Of 30
feet 1t is easily propagated from seed or
cuttings. Besides producing the Unknown
drug the tree is valuable as timber.
There is but one nickel mine in the Uni
ted States now in operation. Il is situated
il Lancaster county, Penn. 1t is POO feet
deep, and has been worked seventeen years
The demand for this metal is rapidly increas-
ing. Groupings Of nickel are also found in
Madison, Iowa and Wayne counties, No The
refined metal is worth - pound.
The folly Of the European custom of
locking up passengers in railway carriages
and cutting them of from communication in
case Of need, is freshly illustrated in the mur-
der and robbery of an English clergyman be-
tween Calais and Paris. The criminal is said
to have been caught by guard who CHANGED
to look into the carriage and discover him at
his work, but too late to save his victim.
During the year ending May !, 1883,
J3s 900, 900 gallons of beer were brewed in
the United States, $4,000, 900 more than
were brswed the preceding year. Statistics
show that during the ten years following 1870
the consumption of beer and other malt Hq-
uors increased over 100 per cent, while the
consumption Of distilled liquors during the
same time has increased but l3 per cent.
The 4OOth anniversary of Luther's birth
is to be made an occasion of national observ-
ance in Germany. A royal decree has been
issued regulating the method Of the celebrs-
tion by the schools and churches November
9. II, and especially urging that the prayers
from the pulpits be made less an expression
of praise for the man than Of thanks to the
Lord e Lords for his divine mercy vouchsaf-
ed to the German nation through the Refor-
nation"
A brakeman has invented 8 new auto
matte car-coupler which has been adopted by
the Erie railroad, contract Just having been
made with the Clifford Care pling and Man
ufacturing Company of Ohio to put the coup
Ter on the freight-cars Of that road, number
ing it is said 80, 600. The cars couple auto
mstically, and can be easily uncoupled by q
chain on the roof. The state of Connecticut
has law requiring the use of automatic
couplers of some kind.
A card giving the following information
hangs conspicuously upon 8 safe Of a store in
Naugatuck, CT, To burglars We keep no
money in this safe. This is for fire, only ;
our money is up to the house come up. We
pistols and one revolver, all loaded and ready
for use, and warranted to kill at 10 rods.
Time spent here is time wasted. Nerbum sa-
It's sapienti." Then follows the figures of the
combination, so that if a burgl lar is determin-
ed to get in anyway, be can do so in a decent
manner, without spelling the door.
"A man who was cutting turf on Munjoy
Hill, Portland, Me, few days ago, turned
up with his spade metal bar which, except
for glistening point where the spade struck
il, looked like iron. The suspicious CLEAN
caught his eye and induced him to carry the
bar 10 an sssayer, who pronounced it fine
gold, and estimated its value at s., G4O. The
discoverer conf lectures that the ingOt was bur-
led in the early days of the colony, either by
some official to prevent its capture, or by
some freebooter who had helped to plunder a
Spanish treasure ship.
1t has been estimated that at least 5000
meteoric stones reach the earth annually.
These stones are usually Of inconsiderable
size, but as they have been falling since q
very remote period in geological history the
aggregate mass which has thus been added to
our planet must be very great. The largest
metsoric stone ever found is in the Royal
Academy of Stockholm, and weighs twenty
five tons. The museum of Copenhagen con-
tAins one of ten tons the British museum
St. Petersburg, one of 1850 pounds Yale
College, one of 1885 pounds and the Smith
sonian Institute, one of 400 pounds.
Work on the South tunnel under the
Hudson river is now being successfully pros
ecuted sections of ten feet each being COM
pleted every twenty days. 1t is thought less
difficulty will be experienced in the new Gals
son than was the case in the North tunnel
OF that tunnel 1000 feet have been excavated
from the New Jersey side and 10 feet from
the New York side. The North tunnel, it is
stated can be finished in eighteen months
and the South in six months, if the money is
furnished promptly. In magnitude the tun-
mel under the Hudson is equal to the great
bridge over the East river, and both will be
striking monuments to the enterprise OF the
present century.
Late accounts from China report fear
| full massacre of Christians in the jurisdiction
of Lung kang Hsien. A young French priest
and some scores of native converts have fall
| en- victims to the fury of the mob, and all
houses belonging TO Christians between Lung
kang and Tall have been destroyed by hre.
/ For long time great Rnlmosty has been
manifested against the native churches. Mat
/ ters came to a crisis about the 1st of April,
when a mob of POO psrsons attacked and muir
/ dered Rev. Father Terrasse and seven Christ
| ians who were with him. The rioters then
| pursued their course of destruction, their
| numbers increasing as they went along, butch
ering every convert they met and firing all
property owned by Christians all along the
| i've or six days journey to Tall, where the
| trouble happily stopped.
OF the experiment in self-government nov
on trial at Amherst College the New Yorl
| Times says
The first step in this direction was taken