The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-05-02

600 base-balls will be knocked into
the great nowhere this season.
The whistling craze is the latest in
fashionable circles. In New York
there is colored man who was once
owned by Henry A. Wise, but more
recently waiter at Long Branch, who
has as many pupils as he can attend
to. They are mostly misses ranging
from ten to sixteen years. He guar
antees whistling, according to hi
system, to reduce the size of the mouth
and give the lips pouty, kissy appear
ance. In addition to this, the exercise
is good for the lungs, develops the
chest and induces cheerfulness. The
effect on the neighbors, apparently
isn't taken into account.
A circular lately issued by the Uni
ted States Signal Office, relating to
destructive tornadoes in the Southern
States, contains some startling infor-
nation of practical kind, apart from
the scientific data. 1t appears proper
ty valued at from three to four million
Of dollars was destroyed, about a
thousand persons lost their lives, double
that number were wounded, and
between fifteen and twenty thousand
persons were left destitute. The office
is exerting itself to advance the knowl-
edge of the laws of these storms to
degree which will enable some warn
ing of their approach to be given.
One of the most prominent men in
Japan is Ito Hirobumi. He has re
Gently returned from a long stay in
Germany, where he saw much of Bis
mark and Emperor William. Mr.. Ito
was much impressed with the charac-
ter of these men, both of whom, he
says, advised him to accept Christiani-
ty for his own welfare and happiness
as well as for the good of his country
Since his return he has formerly ad-
dressed the Mikado on the subject, and
such has been the influence of bis re-
port that the chief officers of the Cabi-
net are becoming interested in the
study of Christianity.
The Paris police are endeavoring to
suppress strange traffic in dead bod
les, which they have discovered to
exist on the River Seine in and near
Paris. 1t appears that reward of
fifteen francs is given in the Depart
ment of the Seine for any bodies found
in the river and delivered up to the
authorities. In the neighboring de-
partments, if only few miles away
as, for instance, in the Seine-et-Oise-
no such reward is offered. The conse-
quence is that boatmen finding bodies
outside the stipulated boundary, in
stead of giving them up to the police
of their own district, sell them to men
employed higher up the river, who
obtain the reware for them, realizing
a profit by the transaction. This Gus
tom has become so prevalent that
there is recognized tariff of five
francs for bodies purchased in this
way.
According to the Indianapolis Neaos
a farmer in Indiana is calling himself
hard names because he didn't leave
the hundreds of black walnut trees
standing on his farm just as he found
them when he settled on it thirty
years ago. Like all the others, he
went to work with might and main
cutting them down, piling them in
vast heaps, and burning them up. 1t
was heavy work, and his two boys
died from the sprains received while
tugging at the big logs, and the old
man is humpbacked and broken in
health from the same cause. For all
this labor he has farm worth at most
5000, whereas if he had left the tim
Der standing it would have been worth
100000 at least. Agents for En-
glish and French companies are scour-
ing the state buying up all old logs,
stumps, and odd trees that are to be
found. The reason of this is that no
other wood is so well suited for We
neering as walnut.
The Pixies Peak Railway, the COM
pletion of which within eighteen
months is practically assured, will be,
in many respects the most notable
piece of track in the world. 1t will
mount 1000 feet further heavenward
than the famous Lima and Oriva Rail
way, in Peru. which is now in opera
tion to a point 1920 feet above the
sea, the highest that the rails have as
yet attained. The obstacles that are
being overcome in its construction are
among the most formidable yet pre-
sented to engineering skill. The en-
tire thirty miles of its length will be
succession of complicated curves and
grades, with no piece of straight track
longer than 800 feet. The maximum
grade will be 316 feet to the mile. and
the average grade 270 feet. The line
will abound in curves from 500 to
1000 feet long. in which the radius
changes every chain. Forty degree