The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-20
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.

A snake tanner of Philadelphia says that
toothaehe is a common affection among
snakes.
Mrs. Stockton acts as amanuensls tor her
husband, Frank r. Stockton, who Is almost
blind. He dictates his funny stories ana
novels to her. and it is said that in TINS way,
by working only three hours DAY, ne m
ished Mrs. Null" in ten. months peslues
debating nine magazine articles
Mr.. Charles A. Dana is sixty-six years oiu'
but looks fully ten years younger. lie goes
to the Sun Office at eleven in the morning
and leaves at four in the afternoon. All
his editorials are dictated to stenograpner:
When debating he allows no one 70 lnteIIuPe
him, though usually accessible 10 an pelso"''
Professor Brooks of Phelps, N. T., an
nounces the discovery by him OF another
comet. He describes it as bright, with a iine
tail. 1t was in the constellation Pegasus, IN
right ascension % hours, declination nortn
21 degrees This gives Professor Brooks Detn
the first and second Warner comet prizes Oh
theiyear of 500 each
81 have reason to believe" says the Lon
don World shat both Lord Lyons and Sir
Edward Thornton will retire from the diplo-
matte service before the close of this year
Sir Edward Malet will almost certainly be
removed from Berlin to Paris, and Sir
William White has undoubtedly well earned
his promotion to Constantlnople.
Mr.. Frederic Douglass and wife will sail
for Europe few days after delivering his
lecture in Boston-probably early in June.
They expect to stay year on the other side,
visiting Great Britain first. 1t is forty years
since Douglass first visit to Europe, which
was soon after his escape from slavery. he
has been over once since, going aDroau SOiue
time after the war.
Aeronaut Wells of Indianapolis says that
he once made an assent from Buenos Ayres,
and while far above the La Plata River saw
the sun set. Soon after the wind ceased and
the balloon went down to the water. He
threw out all ballast, and then sitting in the
hoop, cut away the car. AT this the balloon
shot up to such height that the sun, which
had set hours before to the persons below
him, again appeared. The effect was as II
the sun was rising in the west.
DR.. Schliemann, the Homeric explorer, is
man of sixty-three yeas, full of energy and
vigor. He takes pleasure in continuing his
researches. He is plain, unassuming man.
His house at Athens has been built for him
of solid marble, in the most excellent taste,
and the view is one of the finest ever seen.
The windows command view of the Acrop-
oils, the bay, and the intensely blue waters
of the Kgean sea- The fiat roof is adorned
with numerous marble statues.
Estes & Lauriat have secured decision in
their suit against Belford, Clark & Co., for
infringement of copyright. decreeing that the
word "Chatterbox,' used in the title of ju-
venile books, is a valid trademark, of which
the right for use in the United States is vest
ed exclusively in the complainants, making
the defendants accountable for all profits de-
rived by them on books bearing the title
"Chatterbox" during the past six years, and
permanently enjoining them from printing
or publishing juvenile books with that title.
A New Haven letter says that already the
following Yale graduates have received at
least the % votes each needed to put them in
nomination for the place in the corporation
now occupied by the Hon. w. w. Phelps:
Daniel A. Head of New Jersey, class of
1871; Asa French of Boston, class of 1851:
Chsuneey M. Depew OF New York, class Of
1860; William Walter Phelps of New Jersey,
class of 1860; and Thomas Thacher of New
York, class Of 1871.
After six years the census bureau has sue
ceeded in getting out a report upon the
strikes and lockouts that occurred during
the census year 1880. The most important
feature of this delayed report is that in ref
erence to the losses in wages by the strikes
of that year. The whole number Of employees
ON strike or locked out during the year was
estimated at 22S, 1888. Statistics were collect
| ed which show that 64,770 of these lost in
wages during their idleness So, 1.O97, or an
| average of S57 each. Assuming this to be
| fair average for the entire number, the total
| loss of wages for the year was S13,003,S66.
Weather Prophet Andrew jackson De Voc
writes from Hackensack to the Sun: Eve
| are likely to have larger rainfall this May
than we have had during the past ten years
for the same month. Cloudy. foggy weather
will prevail the rest of the week, and about
| the 18th there will be very heavy thunderS
showers over large portion of the United
| States, with tornadoes in the upper Missis-
| sippi valley. From the 10th to the 23d we
| shall have genuine summer weather, and our
| readers should make the most of it, for we
| shall not have much summer weather
| this year till September. After the 26th
| it will grow decidedly cool. The prevail
| ing wind will blow from east northeast
| with cloudy weather about four days out of
| FIVE, and June will enter cold and cloudy
| followed by thunder showers on the 5th. and
| a very cold northeast storm on the sth. And
| men who embark in seashore enterprises
| during the month of June will be very likely
| to be out and injured, for it will be cold,
| wet month, with strong easterly winds, and
| icebergs will drift unusually near the New
| England coast, and overcoats will feel com
| Portable for the Fourth of July