Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-11
IN GENERAL.

Mexico has ceased coming nickel. Five
hundred and sixty tons of the metal have been
converted into 100, 900, 600 coins
-Bismarck's voluntary reduction of weight
from 237 to 1876 pounds has materially i'm
proved both his appearance and his health.
-Tennyson is said to be shrewd fnancier,
who jumps quickly at a paying investment
and holds out to the last for his pound of
flesh. He is worth 81, 900, 600 to 81, 800, 900.
To better protect the dry goods district
in New York from fire, lot of big movable
iron tanks will be kept filled with water,
pumped up by the fire boats, to provide for
an emergency in Gaze of short supply Of
water.
w. W. Corcorau, the Washington phil
anthropist, has received from Paris decora-
ton of the ancient "Order of Melusine,"
founded in 1856 by Queen Sybille, wife of
Guy de Lusignsn, king of Jerusalem, as
recognition Of his services to art and his deeds
of charity.
Australia is not behind this country in
men of fabulous wealth. The richest man
there, Baron Rupertswood, is said to be worth
5000, 100000. His father emigrated to the
country, and luckily bought land upon which
the city of Melbourne now stands.
"A committee of lady teachers in New
York Sunday schools has been appointed to
wait upon the superintendent of police and
ask him to arrange patrols on Sunday to pro-
tect the Cinnamon on their way to and from
Sunday school from insult and assault.
The smallest, shortest and youngest SOL
der of the late war has been again discover
ed in the person of John H. Nichols of Mad
ison, Wis. He enlisted as drummer in the
18th regiment of his state when he weighed
G5 pounds was four feet tall, and II years of
age. He is still living
The cantalever bridge over Niagara river
is but little more than toy compared with
structure of similar plan now in process of
construction over the Firth of Forth, which
has two spans of 100 feet each, and two side
openings of 67j feet each. There are three
cantalever trusses each weighing 15 900 tons,
and two straight girders, $50 feet long, to
close the open spaces between the cantalevers.
The estimated cost of this mighty structure
is s., 100000.
People whose habit it is to harp upon the
extravaganza of our government as compared
with that of Great Britain would do well to
make note of the striking fact that Great
Britain employs 5965 officials at cost of
about SIC, ,0OO, 900 yearly, to collect her inter
nal revenue, while the United States employs
only 4O9S persous, at cost of little over
So, 900, 600 per Rnnum, to do the same thing,
and our territory is 80 times greater than that
of Great Britain besides.
-"Joel Chandler Harris" (Uncle Remus),
Georgia man is quoted in the Philadelphia
Record as saying, sis a little, red headed,
freckle-f faced farmers boy, just about as
handsome as a burnt shoe. He is good fel-
low, and bright but indolent. He has been
well treated by the Atlanta Constitution peo-
pie. They give him good salary for writing
| an hour or two every day, in addition to
nice house which they gave him outright as
| Christmas gift, think. So he has plenty OF
time for literature and a pleasant place to
write in"
The Rev Jasper, whose theory that the
''sun do move" convulsed the scientific world
| some time ago, is & martyr to his fidelity to
the cause of astronomical reform. He de-
clares in recently published letter to sym
pathzing friend that the majority of his con-
eregaton have deserted him and gone over to
a rival fold The split in his church he at
| tributes to his promulgation of the dogma in
question, which, although it drew proselytes
| for time and made numerous converts 10
his theory, has now reduced him to preaching
to empty benches.
The census returns Of India show an sg.
gregate of over 5000 professional acrobats in
| the northwest provinces and Oudh. There
are 100 actors, 5000 ballad singers, 146 cur
ers by incantations, 33 gamblers, 81 snake
charmers, 80 matchmakers, poets, 10000
singers and dancers story tellers, thieves,
| (not including persons returned as household
servants), and some professionals whose an
cesters were probably among the Oatalinarian
retinues. Three classes are worth a separate
numerical quotation; There are over z, 500,
600 eultivators of the soil, nearly TO- 900 land
holders, and about 40, 900 moneylenders.
"A bill is now pending in Congress, intro
duced by Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island,
proposing to pension Mrs Kady Brownell
of New York city, ''late Daughter of the
Regiment of Capt. @. W. II. Days oompa
nv First Regiment of Rhode Island Detached
Militia was regularly mustered into the ser
vice of the United States and, though
woman, followed the flag of the Union wai
wounded in the line of duty at the hrst bat
tie of Bull Run, and received an honorable
discharge, signed by Gen. Burnside" sh'
merous in the present Congress, and the chiV
airy is we'll represented otherwise.
An observer ON Mt Washington say
that lookout is a miniature North pole, will
the mercury 25o below zero, and only fort
nightly mail, to get which the signal officers
have 10 walk up and down the mountain Of
snow.shoes This observer went to the noun
tain from Atlanta, Ga, which city he lef
wearing a straw hat, and he found icicles si'
inches long ON the Fabyan station on his ar
rival Although the signal-service officer
are scientific men, their assistants have no
always the fear of the powers of nature be
fore their eyes. A wild Irishman of the par
! ty undertook to slide down the mountain
railroad track on board. He reached
speed of about a mile minute, lost his gri
and was thrown off, breaking a leg, sprain
ing an ankle, cutting his head terribly Al
bruising himself up generally.