Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-05-15

weather, masses Of decayed wood and peat
are thrown upon the shore
A large building on Southwater St, Chi
cago occupied by commission dealers, was
burned Sunday night Twenty FIVE firemeu
on the top floor we're caught by section OF
the falling roof A number were taken out
badly bruised and two dead
Mrs. Mary McNeely has just died in
Wantanga county, n. C., aged III years.
She was born in that county in IVA on land
then owned by Daniel Boone. She preser
we'd good health until two years ago Her
age Is said to be perfectly we'll authenticated
In an out of-the- way corner OF a United
States treasury vault has been found a pack
age sent to President Monroe in 1923 by the
Japanese government, which Congress failed
to authorize him to accept It contained
bottle OF diamonds q bottle OF pearls, a
bottle of altar Of roses and lump of gold
The prize dog story comes from Beth
lehem, Pa. A dog fsncier lost a vaiuabl,
Skye terrier a short time ago and advertised
n reward for it's return. A day or two later
large hunting dog owned 10y him brought th,
truant home in his teeth, holding it by tn,
back of its neck as a cat does her kittens.
Chicago boasts of possessing the larges
underground cable in the world u is hail
a mile long, contains sixty-one wires weigh,
over seven tons, and Is AZ big as the ordinary
FIRE hose 1t connects the Western Unio1
office and the board OF trade, 30 that it Ii al
together the most important cable IN the city
An immense crowd gathered in front Of
the courthouse at Richmond, Ky, Monday
to see number of negroes publicly sold in
to slavery TO the highest and best bidder
One man brought S3s for l2-month service
one Sl4 for three months, and woman q
cents for II months The sales were mad
under the vagrant laws OF the state.
1t Is said by correspondent that 1T ne
time since her separation from her husband
has Mrs. Theodore Tilton lived IN an attic o
taken in sewing for living. She resides, a.
she always has since that time, ia comfor
and quiet elegance with her mother in Brook
Ign, and, far from being ignored by her for
mor friends, is surrounded by people Of in
tellect and high social position
The newspapers still insist that Grant
friends attribute his improvement to the US
Of clover tea. Among the numerous letter
received by Mrs. Grant suggesting vRrioui
remedies clover tea was urged by the majority
Of the writers, and this 80 Influenced be
that she finally insisted on giving II trial
Improvement was noticeable II II said. from
the day he began taking the tea
The population of the state Of Nevada
has dwindled down to ~. 600, in consequence
Of the collapse of the mining interest an,
there are scarcely enough inhabitants left t.
maintain state government. The ssitpetr
beds, however, may induce fresh immigra
ton, and add to the population. The depos
its are very fsvorably situated for working
being in the vicinity OF a rich farming couu
try, with IN abundant supply Of wood al,
water close at hand.
The house or sobbing wren i a bird pc
Guliar to southwestern Texas. It's melanchol.
note Is described as very impressive. 1t be
gins in high, clear key, like thu tinkling o
| silver bells, and descending gradually iron
one sweet chime to another still Bwester.
! suddenly falters. breaks off and sobs like
| child-the song dying away in a gasp Tn
song is heard only in the opening light o
dawn and is repeated but few times Tn
handsome little singer is rarely seen duriul
the day
"A correspondent of the Scientific Ameri
can says. in explanation Of the many Bmoot
| tracks seen upon the ocean when no vessel,
are in sight from which oil or greese coul,
| have been thrown to cause them. that certain
fish. such IS the msnhAden. will exude OF
when bitten by other FISH This oil rising 4
the surface causes the smooth streRks, an,
fishermen are in the habit OF watching fo
these Sticks as they call them, a. indicgt
ing the presence of schools of large FISH feed
ing upon smaller ones
AT Turaton. Mexico recently the seven
yeRrs-old sou OF a rich resident was kidnap
ped, and the father was notified that the chill,
would be killed if ransom OF 81, 900 wa
! not deposited in certain place in two days
| BY accident the note 10 the father was no
! delivered until too late. and at the end Of tn
second day he found the horribly mutilate,
body of the child in his court yard Tn
boys sister, aged y, on seeing her brother
corpse fell dead, and the father became
raving maniac.
"A Stonington correspondent Of the Nor
wich, Ct, Bulletin, writing in sober earnest
says Rev. Charles j. Hill has given you
correspondent piece OF wood which is moth
ing remarkable as regards looks, but has
little story attached, 1t il splinter of tn
tree to which it is said Christopher Coiumbu
tied his vessel upon landing at San Domingo
| Mr.. Hill procured it some years ago at Sai
Domingo himself 1t is mahogany, and res
embles lead pencil cedar AS much as any
| thing else"
"A letter describing the markets of New
| Orleans says everything is sold by the eye
! and there Is no standard of measure Nine
tenths Of the hundreds who sell in the note
/ French markets of the city do not know wha
bushel or a peck is They buy their vege
tables by the lot. and place them in little pile
on tables These piles are of different size
and prices The buyer looks at the pile
and buys that which he thinks is biggest Rnt
best. Sometimes buckets and boxes are use
TO measure, but they are Of all kinds an
shapes
On the shore about ! G miles from Astoria
| Oregon, Il probably the largest deposit OF ciRu
| shells in the United States The shells cove
an area Of four acres, and are piled In place
to depth of ten feet Over one thousan
loads have been hauled away to make roads
but that quantity is hardly noticed in tn
! dimlnution OF the immense heap From
time to time relics of the old clam eRtinl
tribes that make the place their headqusrter
are found, There is sixteen inches of sol
on these beds, on which grow fir trees, som
OF them four hundred years old,
The great sand dunes along the banks {
many rivers, and particularly along the shore
at the southern end OF Lake Michigan, ar
due TO the presence of the Ammophila Areu
aria, or and-gathering grass, which possess
% remarkable power of drawing up mois
ture. Indeed, it may almost be called
miniature water pump, for it is able 10 kee
| the earth wet for several inches around II
This wet earth catches and holds the drift
ing sand. The process goes on, the gras
growing and the sand collecting, until gTen
sand dune is the result
Poor Mans Guleh, on Butte Greek
in California, got its name in this manner
A miner named Noah Helm toiled seaso
after season in the gnloh, but grew pOore
every year, and his neighbors often advise
him to pull up stakes and leave. He ha
confidence in the claim, however, and sal
he proposed to starve there or make a strike
One day Helm struck bonanza IN the claim
moved down into the valley and purchase
ranch. built an elegant mansion, brough
his family from the East, and is now one @
the most prosperous farmers in the country
Although the spot finally turned out we'll j
has always borne the title OF Poor Man
Gulch, given by the miners.