News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-19


conference of perhaps 100 to $50 feet.
Its leaves are very large and thick. of
rich dark green color on one side and
silyery tint on the other In shape they
somewhat resemble a broad vase or
flower pot IL to Is inches long and 10
wide The fruit, with which one tree
will supply q whole neighborhood,
looks like small, oblong watermelon
with rough rind, and takes a yellow
ish tint when ripe. 1t forms an impOr
tant part of the food of the natives, who
prepare it by lifting it open, putt ng
a small piece of fat salt pork in a natu-
raj cavity in the center of it for short
ening and seasoninr, and then baking
it. The taste suggests something like
a cross between bread and potato.
LAKE Copias, which is situated near
Thebes in Becotla, covers an area of
nearly one hundred square mics The
French Company which has been en-
gagged in digging a canal to drain it has
a most finished its work and about two
thirds of the waters of the lake will be
drawn off within the next two or three
months. Hitherto this inland sea has
been chiefly remarkable for the malaria
and fevers regularly prevailing on its
shores during the hot season. By its
drainage, not only will this evil be per-
manently removed, but Greece will add
to her territory many thousands of acres
of arabic soil of the greatest fertility.
The lake is fed by the rivers coming
down from Mount Parnassus whose
waters are hereafter to be employed, by
help of new system of canals, in ir
Tigating the surrounding country.
TIE Russian empire contains sS4 nj
tiary establishments tat least that is the
number of which the Administrator of
Prisoners publishes any account). Their
occupants on the 1st of January last
year numbered "a, SIS of both sexes, an
excess of nearly s per cent. above the
returns Of the preceding twelve months
Of these persons, the ordinary houses Of
detention contained 6S, 900, the convict
prisons $500, the reformatories 5000
the prisons in Poland 5000. The pro-
portion of women was less than 10 per
cent. of the whole, but in the kingdom
of Poland the women amounted to Is
per cent of the incarcerated probably
owing to their participation IN political
agitation). Nearly three-quarters of a
million arrests take place in the year.
A CONTRIBUTOR to the St. Louis Globe
Democrat, who has travelled through
Mexico, Central and South America,
says United StZfes contractors and spec
ulators always pay American rates of
wages while Englishmen take advan-
tage of any local rates which NAV profit
them. Thus in Mexico contracts are
carried out side by side, and while
American contractors pay 81 and s1.25
day, European bosses pay so cents and
= cents. 1t just the same in the Ar
getine Republic, on all the public orks
there. Local labor is absurdly cheap,
aud English contractors pay just as little
as they can, while Americans pay de-
cent rates all through. and in the lorg
run come out the best, their terms at
tracing all the best men
JOHN FLETCHER of Virginia City was
awakened the other night by his mare,
which had been running in a pasture
with her colt. She came to the window
and paved and neighed. Fletcher
tried to drive her away, but she
wouldn't go. At length he noticed that
the colt was not with her. and he fol-
lowed the mare. She ran on ahead of
him continually turning to see il he was
coming, and thus led him to an old
prospect hole into which the colt had
fallen. With the help of neigh bors the
colt was rescued, and the mother, hith-
erto very shy. was almost frantic with
delight She followed Fletcher about,
rubbing her nose against his shoulder,
and gave unmistakable signs of graft
tude.
LEWIS MORRIS of Virginia City, go
ing home late at night, thought the
light that came from a window In GER
tain house was caused by a confagra-
ton. He stepped up, smashed the win
dow, went in and was busily at work
putting out fire that had resulted from
an exploded kerosene lamp when door
opened and woman in white stepped
into the room with big revolver lev
elled al Lewiss head. ''Don't shoot ~
he roared. Thunder and lightning
don't shootl Can't you see I'm putting
out this fire of yours 2" The woman
didn't shoot, and Mr.. Morris, having
extinguished the fam es, went home.
That picturesque rural rite, sheep
washing has got to 60. Indeed it has
gone, to great extent, already. The
Wool Journal says it does not know a
single argument in its favor. The prac-
tice was inaugurated at an early day,
and it is relic of old times. when the
wool shorn from the small focks in the
Eastern States was largely used up at
home. Then it was necessary to wash
either Def re or after shearing, to pre-
pare it for carding or spinning. Those
days are past, and both the sheep and
their owners ought to be glad of it.
A MASSACHUSETTS newspaper tells
the old story of Isaiah Thomas, who
used to make almanacs. When he was
preparing the one for 1880 one of his
boys asked him what he should put OPP
posite the 18th of July" Mr.. Thomas
being engaged, replied, Anything, any
thing." The boy, thus ordered, re-
turned to the Office and set, ''Rain.
hal, and snow" The country was all
amazement when the day arrived, for it
actually rained, hailed and showed vio-
lentIy.
II. p. Lose of Bedford, Ia, was one
of a fishing party on the Nodaway.
They used frogs for bait and kept them
in a can by the stream. In getting one
Long slipped, and spilled the frogs and
htutSttl iIlO J1C HdlcI. nc Threw OUT
his land to save himself, and some
thing sharp went through his little fin
ger He jerked out his hand and
landed five pound catfish, which the
advent of the frogs had attracted. and
one of whose splnes had pierced his
finger.
A RUSSIAN who keeps q saloon in De-
troit and is very fond of caviare, which
he has always asserted could only he
obtained in perfection in Russia sent
over to friends in st. Petersburg for a
can of the cavlare that was most popu-
lar in that city. In due time the arti.
Gle arrived, but on taking off the wrap-
pings he saw by the label on the can
that it was put up by canning com
pany in Detroit and was warranted to
he made of the best roe of Lake St.
Clair sturgeon!
A CITIZEN of Bruce township, Ont,
who owns 300 beehives, had a warm ex-
per1ence few days ago. Sixteen
swarms that came off at the same time
al lit on one branch OF a tree and formed
one huge roll several feet in cIrcumfer-
ence and about five feet long. He sop
arated them, finding out each of the six
teen queen bees, which he put into
live and gathered enough bees to make
a swarm, until he had the whole six
teen quietly settled in new hives.
HAVE you ever noticed that if car
driver has a no iday, or ''day off, as
they say at the stables he will do moth
in on that daV but ride I'm and down