The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-12-14


Sabbath morning and evening. There
is strong probability that MIR. Hudson
will he called to the rectorship Of st.
Johns Parish.
New Tim is Of late kept busy in
defending herself from the attacks of
eastern extremists, who, with a very
limited knowledge of the facts charge
her early citizens with unchristlan con.
duet.
The oyster supper given last We'd
ncSday evening at Eagle Lake 10y the
ladies of the NJ. +. church was grand
success, netting $40. This amount
more than pays of the church debt. A
communication IN reference to the fes.
tival will appear next week.
Prof Gorrie has been requested by
the President of the Minnesota State
Educational Association to open the
discussion on Primary Half Day SEES.
sions." The Association will meet in
Minneapolis the week intervening be-
tween Christmas and New Years.
Prof. Gorrie has received an invita-
ton to attend u reunion and banquet of
the Williams College Alumni Associa.
tIon of the northwest, to be held at the
Grand Pacific Hotel, in Chicago. on
Thursday evening, Dec. eth. The
Prof. is a member of the Association.
MIR. J. II. Jones, the druggist, re.
ceived Il letter this morning from Chica.
go wholesale dry goods house Of long
standing and ample capital, requesting
him to see what arrangements could be
made in Mankato for suitable quarters
in which TO establish a dry go IDS johbing
house. If they locate here, and the
only contingency res-s upon the posi-.
bility OF securing immediate possession
of building, they will open up about
the middle of January. Mr.. Jones is
negotiating with w. r. Mills for his
spacious building, and II is to he hoped
that satisfactory terms will he arrived
at.
"Wednesday morning Coroner Shoe,
maker received notice that II. =. Felch-
of Buttcrnut Valley, had committed
suicide. Inquiry into the case reveal
cd the facts that on "Wednesday MORN
ing Mr.. Fclch got up as usual, built the
fires and did the chores. His wife was
late in coming down. and when enter
ing new kitchen found her husband
hanging by the neck, and dead. For
some time Mr.. F. had not in the best of
health, beng at times very respondent.
He was in attendance at court last week,
and while here was noticed to be in
very low spirits, and from remarks he
made this act OF sclf-dcstruction was not
wholly unexpected.
The impression having gained cur
rency that native lumber will be used
in the reconstruction of the Opera
House, and as n consequence much I'M
just criticism following, Mr.. Griebel,
one of the stockholders, requests us to
state that but very little native mate
rial is being used, and that the build
ing will be constructed of the best ma
terial in the main. and in a most sub
stantial manner. Thus far no steps have
been taken without first consulting with
the architect, and his views will be car
ried out in every essential detail. 1t
would be well to suppress judgment
upon the stability and thoroughness of
the work and material until there ap-
pears better grounds for fault finding
than at present ex lists.
The County poor farm has not been
very heavy charge upon the tax pay
ers during the year just closing, as is
shown by the following list of products:
i41 bushels wheat; 800 bushels of corn;
900 bushels potatoes; so gallons strip;
800 cabbage heads; Is bushels carrots;
10 bushels parsnips; 10 bushels beets; 8
bushels onions; A bushels beans; 10 tons
OF hay; 800 hundred pounds Of tobacco,
and 9 barrels of soft soap. There were
butchcrcd ii hogs, the average weight
of which was 21O pounds, and total
weight 2,940 pounds. The stock on the
1 farm consists Of one pair of mules, five
cows; three heifers-2 two year old, and
two yearlings-2 ycarling steers, one
bull, three calves, thirteen hogs, and
eighty chickens.
For several evenings during the
past month there have been brilliant
displays in the heavens shortly after
sunset, when red glow lit up the hOri
ION, gradually spreading until it cover
ell a large portion of the sky. These
displays have not been local, hut seen
in different portions of the United States
and various theories have been present
ed as to their cause. Prof. Brooks, a
| New York astronomer, while recently
searching for comets with his telescope,
saw what appeared to him as shower
of meteors near the sun, and the red
hight seen is supposed to be the reflec-
ton upon the clouds OF meteoric dust.
The earth is constantly pelted with mil
lions of meteors, nearly all Of which
are instantly consumed by the heat
developed rs they pass through the at
mosphere. The combustion produces
metallic dust which moves slowly
through the atmosphere, and the rays
OF the sun striking them produce the
beautiful lights which have lately been