Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-11-13
IN GENERAL.

Josh Billings left an estate valued at $685.
600.
There are over Is, 900 young women at
college in this country.
"A cat which saved the lives Of some ho-
tel guests in Atlanta now wears a gold band
around her neck as a reward Of bravery.
"A miss of 10 years at Canton, OAK, is re-
ported to have plowed S2 acres Of land with
pair Of horses and a common stubble plow.
Easter next year falls on st. Marks Day,
April %, it's latest possible date. The last
time this occurred was in 1876 (od style), and
it will not 80 fall again until 1913.
They we're bound not to lose any time. A
couple of Georgia mill hands quit work at IL
O'Clock, went aud got married. ate their din
ner, and we're back in their respective posi-
tions at o'clock.
st. Peters cathedral, just finished at
Moscow, has Eve cupolas, and 900 pounds of
gold we're used in overlaying them. The
doors Of the temple cost 1910, 900 and the
marble floors 81, 800, 900.
AT tournament" at Spearfish, OAK,
steer was given running start Of 40 yards,
and Cowboy Jesse Driscoll overlook him, las
soed and threw him, and, dismounting, tied
his feet, in 4 seconds.
The schools in the mountain region of
Kentucky and Tennessee are what are called
''blab schools" the scholars, believing they
can't think except aloud, all "blabbing" their
lessons in high-pitch chorus
Only 16 days elapsed from the laying Of
the cornerstone to the dedication of church
in Terre Haute, and the building is described
as "a very beautiful little structure, finished
in native woods, with windows of sapphire
and ruby glass"
"A gentleman in Lexington, Ca. asked
one Of his hired negroes what he thought
about the prohibition election the day before.
'Ah, boss" replied the negro, 'you men had
nothing to do with that it was a fight be-
tween God and the devil, and God whipped"
The remains of Helen Hunt were brought
from San Francisco to Cheyenne Springs, Col,
last week, and buried in Pine Hill forest on
Cheyenne mountain, five miles distant-a spot
selected in accordance with the wishes Of Mrs.
Jackson, expressed before her death.
The question of title to an article found
on another persons premises or in a rail way
car or other convey ance frequently comes
up. A legal writer says the finder has clear
title against the world after he has taken the
required steps for restoring the property to
the rightful owner.
Squirrels prospected the rich La Panta
gold lode in E5meralda New, one claim on
which has been sold for $35, 900. It was q
"blind ledge"-that is, without outcroppings
and the ground squirrels had fairly honey
combed the side of the hill, throwing out in a
big heap the dirt and decomposed quartz, in
which prospector found rich signs of gold.
The battle ground of Missionary Ridge
has been converted into strawberry patch.
Yankee colonists have climbed with hoes
where Yankee soldiers rushed with bayonets.
Land that went begging few years ago at
81 per acre now commands $3.50, and natives
who starved on 500 acres are now crowded
out by New Englanders who grow rich on
ten acres.
In the year 1874 King Frederick William
". OF Prussia, finding that Luther's house at
Wittenberg had fallen into ruin, had a plan
prepared for its thorough restoration. This
work has just been completed, together with
a colonnade that joins it to the university
buildings. Some adjacent ground has been
acquired by the university and made into q
public garden, in which beautiful fountain
that is connected with artistic and historical
memories has been erected.
"A custom Of the days gone by still OBJ
tains in the District of Columbia courts Ac-
cording to an old Maryland law, the foreman
of each jury is presented with pound of to-
bacco on rendering the verdict in each case.
As this is far in excess of the demand for the
weed, the cash equivalent of 81 is substitut-
ed. This tobacco fund amounts to q consid-
cradle sum during term of court, and is u.s.
ually devoted TO the purchase Of a cane for
the foreman, bouquets for the Judge, and mi
nor comforts for the jurors.
AT the Melbourne exhibition there was a
complete dwelling house made entirely of pa
per and furnished with the same material.
There were paper walls, roofs, ceilings, floor
ings josts and stairways. There were paper
carpets, bedding, chairs, sofas and lamps.
There we're paper frying-pans, and even the
cfO in oh
burning, were of papier- -mache When the
builder of this mansion gave banquet, the
taole-cloths, napkins, plates, cups, saucers,
tumblers, cruets, and even the knives and
forks, were likewise made of paper.
NO wonder Pittsburg people are delighted
with natural gas when they can get il for less
than ten cents for 1000 feet. The yield from
the big wells is said to be undiminished, but
one of the largest companies has been exper-
imenting with view to furnishing artificial
fuelgas in case the natural supply should
cease, and thus realizing an income on its
great capital invested in pipelines. Its off,
GERS say that by using the refuse coal to be
found in Pennsylvania in large quantities, and
with its present pipelines, it could furnish
an artificial gas at small increase over the
present prices. 1t looks as though, for Penn
sylvania, at least the cumbrous and dirty coal
had had its day.
New York's new block of apartment
buildings, near Central park, covers an area
of 201x425 and includes eight buildings, each
fre-p proof and with two passenger elevators
running all night. The buildings are ranged
around hollow squares, so that every room
has light and air. They are ten stories high,
with suites ranging in rental from $500 10
$4,000. The large apartments contain par
lor 1884, library 1923, dining-room 1881,
breakfast-room 18x21, billiard-room 1924,
eight sleeping-rooms, two bathrooms, kitoh-
en- l9X17, with pantry and laundry, servants
rooms, cellar-Toom, two reception. halls, two
covered balconies and a ore-room-having
in all more than 300 feet frontage on the
streets and (Seventh) avenue.
"A miniature on ivory, supposed to be the
portrait of Mary, the mother of George Wash
ington, is attracting attention in Philadelphia.
On the morning of Lees surrender Q Union
soldier found it, enclosed in q morocco case
among some brown leaves on the now historic
Appomattox farm. His general pronounced
il a portrait Of Mary Washington, and all art
lists who have since examined it have express
ed the same opinion. 1t is believed by some
oonnoisseurs TO be the work of Gilbert Stuart
The miniature and its case have no inscrip-
tion by which its ownership might be estab-
lished, and how 1t came among the leaves
there on that fateful morning still remains q
mystery. There was dead man whose iden-
tity, if known, might have told some tale of
the beautiful portrait. About ten yards from
the spot where the picture was found he lay
in his butternut uniform-perhsps the last
man slain outright in the war.
In the circuit court at Woodsheld Ohio,
last Friday, David Conger, who was convict
ed of murder in the second degree for killing
his wife last june was sentenced to the peni-
tentiary for life. Conger killed his young
wife with an axe because she interfered in
behalf Of their six. years-old son, whom he
was beating cruelty. From the moment of
his incarceration until the last words that
dropped from the judges lips which sealed
his doom the wretch had not spoken q word
or made an audible sound with his tongue.
Feigning insanity, he played the deaf and
dumb aot successfully for more than four
months. All efforts Of the officers 10 make
him speak we're in vain. Even a shock from
an electric battery only caused him to squirm
with pain. Throughout the trial he has been
immovable, and when sentence was about to
be pronounced the officers had TO lift him TO
his feet. The last words Of the 80 years SEN
tenoe had hardly echoed through the court
room, however, when the criminal yelled out
an avalanche OF oaths at the court and turn
ing to the crowd said. "I have got more sand