Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-05-22
GENERAL oLEANlNoa

AUSTIN, Tex, mas decided to erect tho greatest dam in the United States over the Colorado river. It will cost $1, ,5OO,. 900, and afford 14, 900 horse power.
 A WIND and sand storm stopped travel on the Atlantic X Pacific railroad in New Mexico few days ago, sand two to four feet deep lodging on the track.
 THOSE who advocate spelling reform in ths English language argue that one letter out of every seven used according to the present practice is absolutely use less.
 A NEW YORK woman has a kennel and Q dog farm, where she raises toy terriers that net s2oo year, and she pays all her expenses with the proceeds of the canino sick ward.
 A LIGHTED cigar stump that he was trying to save until after the perform ance set fire to the clothes of man in Newark theater gallery. They prompt ly put him out.
 THE basin of an extinct crater has been turned into Q storage reservoir on Honey Side valley, Nov. It is one and a half miles long by one mile wide and is fed by canal that taps Susan river.
 A coMrosIToR in the Delhi (N. Y.) Gazette office, recently set up the notice of three golden weddings. He set up the marriage notices of the same couples fifty years ago--a remarkable coinci- dence.
 A NOVEL way of raising money to build church has been adopted by Q congregation in an Iowa town. They borrowed S12o, 900 and gave life insur- ance on a number of the members, which Is to be applied on tho debt as fast as death ensues.
 Nor less than fifteen parishes, or one fourth of the State of Louisiana, is af- fected by tho present flood, and the dam age Is almost incalculable. In 1882 it Is estimated that tho loss was S15,0O0,O 900. It will probably exceed half that amount this year.
 THE roads are not so straight as they might be in Redington township, Me. A man who wanted to drive two yoke of oxen to camp from the other side of Saddlcback mountain. only six miles away ina direct line, had to travel fifty eight miles before he reached the camp.
 THEY have big dams in California. The ono of Bear Valley, San Bernardino County, Is sixty feet high and holds 1O,- 900, 900, 900 gallons of water. That across tho San Diego river is ninety feet high and holds 6,OOO, LOGO, ,OOO gallons, while one near Mercedcn is sixty feet high, one milo long and holds $500, ,OOO, ,OOO gallons.
 THE oldest proposition made for long timo is that of q man at Big Sandy Gap, in the widest part of Kentucky A railroad is building in that country and pafnr Kidd off FDp the privilege of covering the first en- zine and cars that get into that place with a canvas for twenty-four hours and of charging twenty-five cents admission to the mountaineers and their families for entering the tent.
 A PITTSBURGH drummer went into a Cleveland shop to talk steam engines to the proprietor. pretty little woman entered at the same time, and the drum mer, supposing it was the proprietor's daughter, stepped aside and allowed her to pass. He was amazed when she opened the conversation by inquiry after the health of his steam gauges, and he nearly had stroke of apoplexy when she took an order for a lot of steam fixtures. She smiled on the other drummer as she tripped out, and made him wish he was dead.
 TIE site of a prehistoric village has been discovered on the banks of the Ohio river, near Parkersburg, w. Va. It covers about four acres and the earth is thickly intermiXed with fragments of pottery, streaks of ashes and fragments of bones of animals and human beings. In several places arc to be seen the ruins of what seem to be ancient fre- places, containing charcoal intermixed with charred nuts of various sorts In and around these flre-places are found ornaments and implements, such as bat tle-axes, knives, drills, spears and arrow points, and ornaments made of bone anI slate.