The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-11-06

Abner ID. Bryant, recently chosen deacon
Of the Bryants Pond Baptist church, Is
deacon by descent. His father and grand
father before him were deacons Of the same
church.
A Portland gentleman Of wealth has Of
fered to buy the first 10 tons OF coal found at
the mouth Of the Kennebec at 500 per ton.
But he has hedged, In a certain sense, by
purchasing shares in the company itself, so
that he will either save his money or get
more than he has invested back whether the
search proves successful or not.
People are beginning TO realize what a ter
rible thing the electric light wire Is when 1t
Is not properly looked after. In the tele-
graph office at Brunswick on Sunday the
switchboard suddenly began 70 olaze; WIN
great bravery Mr.. Reed, In charge OF the Of
fee, tore the wires out TO save the office from
flames. He was at once knocked over by
tremendous current OF electricity. An
electric light wire had been crossed with the
telegraph wires, not in Brunswick, but 20
miles away in Lewiston. The light wire
poured its dangerous current into the tele-
graph wires, and on them 1t travelled 20
miles to Brunswick before breaking out.
A correspondent of the Bath Times has
visited the scene of the explorations for coal
at the mouth of the Kennebec. Between
Morse and Sprague rivers, half mile from
the Small Point road, sectional drill Is at
able distance. For about 10 feet nothing but
sea sand was found. Then a stratum includ-
ing few shells was met with and at 65 feet
the drill was working In mud which was
very fine, but contained no vegetable matter.
The indications are that the. formation here
Is deposit made by water, and that, years
ago there was an inlet OF the sea In this
place. The explorers say that II they do not
find coal here they shall try somewhere else.
The Bangor News says that the Bangor
and New York steamer Lucy p. Miller will
be equipped with a novel propeller II the
experimental steamer Evolution just built at
Brooklyn, n. Y, Is a success. The inven-
tor of the Evolution expects to be propelled
by stream Of water thrown out Of her
stern by pump, which pushes the vessel
forward by the resistance the water offers TO
1t. A pipe three-quarters OF an inch In d.
ameter opens from her stern below the water
line. Force pumps OF great power elect
stream Of water through this pipe at the rate
of GOO feet second, aud the calculation OF
her builders Is that this will drive the Evolu-
tion forward through the water at the rate
Of 20 knots an hour.
Big fortunes are made in the ice business;
but a story Is told Of at least one instance
where moderate fortune has been lost. In
1882 certain we'll known kenneoec capitalists
purchased icehouses on the river, which were
filled with ice, some Il, 900 tons, paying S16,-
600. Although the ice was worth good 6g-
ure they did not sell it,until now the product
has so decreased in value that not over $1,000
worth Of ice could be picked out, and it
would cost more tn get 1t that 1t Is worth.
The owners paid 500 year land rent, and
the other day sold the buildings and Ice for
the small sum OF $3.50, the tools for Sis, and
the boiler for S160, thus getting about $500
for that which cost them $4,000 In the be,
ginning, beside the land reut A prominent
iceman estimates their loss at $4,000.
Jack Darling, the poacher, who has Just
been captured and fined $3.50 and costs for
hunting deer with dogs, occupied camp at
Nicatous Lake that Is described as strong
hold. 1t Is fifty miles from any railroad sta
tiOn, and to reach II one must travel over
rough road It can be approached only from
the foot Of the lake, and the detective and
his company who arrested Darling, pretend
ing to be sportsmen, were compelled To walk
seven miles over road almost lmpassa0le.
Then thep had to take boat and row four
miles. When there Is no boat In reach, and
Darling always took care that there We're
noue that warden might use in reaching his
camp, one is Obliged to make his way for five
miles through perfect jungle. an almost inn
possible thing to do without guide. These
woods have always been guarded so that the
inhabitants of the camp could be warned OF
the approach of officers. The officers, Me-
NamaTa aud Swanton made their way TO the
camp with much difficulty. aud engaged
quarters with Darling. They also hired his
guides and dogs TO hunt deer with, paying
well for them. They remained i've days and
during that time collected all tue evidence
they could to be used against Darling and
his guides