The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-08-21
InGeneral.

The bicycle is astonishing China.
Sevensy-six new Episcopal churches are
being built in Florida.
The annual products of the British Amer
lean sea fisheries are set down at about 500
100000.
Florida has raised watermelon weighing
seventy-five pounds and fifteen people could
MT eat it.
A tifteen-year-old New York girl has been
sent to reformatory for very singular
cause. She was afflicted with mania for
picnics.
The Memorial Church on the battlefield
of Isandhlwana, Zululand, where the Prince
Imperial of France lost his life, has been
completed.
A snake twelve feet long wrapped itself
around the fore and hind wheels of Neva-
da stage the other day, blocking progress
until killed.
The registered debt of Berlin is about IL
100000 marks, on which the surplus profits
OF the gas works pays the entire interest.
Emperor Williams favorite war horse,
Gange, which had to be killed recently, has
been stuffed, and is to be reproduced in
bronze in an equestrian statue of the EN-
peror.
The wood pavement is to be given up in
London. 1t has not only failed to realize
the promised advantages, but it has led, &C.
cording to Professor Tyndalls report, to Sc
rious affections of the eyes and lungs.
The ostrich farm near Anaheim, CAL, has
proved a success. Some 5000 worth of
feathers have already been picked, and sixty
800 eggs are Matching in the incubator.
DR.. Prothero has gone to Africa to bring 125
more birds.
A rich mine has just been opened in Man
itoba after curious history. 1t had long
been known to the Indians, who believed
that the Great Spirit would kill anyone who
revealed its location to white man. At
last Frenchman married squaw, who in
time told him the golden secret.
The cigar is driving out the pipe in Ger
| many. During the past year there were
consumed in the German Customs Union
$3.50, 900 cigars, of the weight of 1866
tons, and the value of PAS, 1853, 900 marks,
against 36,570 tons of tobacco, of the value
of 42, 900 marks.
A North Carolinian has asked permission
from the Post Office Department to send
four pound cans of whiskey by mail He
says they will be easy to handle, that there
Will NC AO DlCdhdSos anu budb III W III UI6dk
up lot of blockading through the country,
and throw freight money into the postal Of
fice.''
The German admiralty are to try the ex-
pertinent of sending completely equipped
hospital ship with the Baltic squadron on its
evolutionary cruise. The ultimate intention
is that in any future naval war ship of this
kind shall accompany the fleet into action,
carrying the Geneva flag, and having her
hull painted white, with a red streak in or
der that the enemy shall be able to distin-
guish her from combatant and so refrain
from firing at her.
Minneapolis is reported to ship annually,
beyond her local consumption, 1850, $40
barrels of -four. "These,' says the Tribune
stetistician, 'if piled one above the other,
end to end, would reach $50 miles. The
-four would make about 49S ,255, 900 loaves
of bread, the ordinary size of bakers loaves.
These, piled in a pyramid, would make,
roughly calculated, a square pyramid with
base 300 feet square and with a height of
nearly 1000 feet"
Sir Wilfried Lawson, the English temper
ance advocate, has been somewhat interest
ed in the following drink statistics: During
the year 1882 there were 81, 500 gallons
OF proof spirits distilled in the United King
dom of Great Britain and ireland, of which
19,206, S02 gallons were distilled in Scotland,
10,I24, 407-in England, and 9,046, 461 in Ire
land. England, however, consumed 16,S11,-
494 gallons, Scotland 6,502,955, and Ireland
S,239.S15.
Quite gorgeous railroad cars are run be-
tween Paris and Bucharest. They are car
peted with Smyrna rugs two inches thick,
and the sides of the compartments are COW
cred partly with embossed Japanese leather
paper, and partly with Gobelin tapestry.
The dining room cars in which triumphs of
French cookery are served, are supplied with
handsome lclocks, damask curtains and We
| netian mirrors. Breakfast consists of five
courses and dinner of eight. The sleeping
| cars are splendidly furnished, and have hot
as well as cold water. The average speed is
| forty miles an hour.