The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-06
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.

William Malcolm, who died at Syracuse,
N. T., on Saturday. is said to have carried
with him to the grave a scientific secret of
ineStimable value He could made lenses
that did not require adjustment for varying
distances, but. like the human eyes, could
sweep any field at one focus. His secret
was known only by himself.
One of the dancers in a theatre in Berlin
was found dead in her bed, and 1t was sup
posed that she had committed suicide. but
post examination showed that she
died from heart failure, due TO tight lacing,
The liver of the unfortunate young. woman
was horribly deformed and crushed out Of
shape.
There is a minister in Philadelphia who
evidently believes in the use of printers
ink. for he Is advertising in number of
papers for position. His advertisement
reads, Vacant church. The advertiser,
being DESTROYS of securing field of labor
with view of settlement, solicits CORES
pondence in regard to the same. Address,
etc. This Is unique, If not strictly pro-
fessional.
By saturating bullets with vasellne. they
may be easily seen in their course from the
rifle to the target; their trajectory course is
marked by beautiful ring Of smoke, caused
by the vaseline being ignited on leaving the
ed for some time in the air, If not to windy.
Much better scores result when grease of
some kind is used, bullets are notlso0 aptito
split, the recoil Is not so great. and 1t is
believed the course of the missile Is more
true.
At Avondale, Essex county, N. j., on the
Passaic river, man hoeing in vineyard,
struck long, slender piece of metal. Pull
ing it from the ground. it proved to be an
old sword of the Revolutionary pattern, and
Of the regulation size, with an old style
English handle. 1t was In metal scabbard,
except about six inches below the hilt
After drawing 1t from the scabbard, and
removing the dirt and rust this inscription
was found on the blade in old English
marx. It IS supposed to baye been lost by
Major Andre In some excursion to this
neighborhood, while on service In New
York, before his visit to Benedict Arnold to
ton, and the surrender Of West Point.
A difficulty with which hotel keepers,
householders and transient dodgers have had,
unavailing, TO contend has been the ease
and readiness with which thieves could enter
unoccupied rooms by the forcing Of lock
| or the displacement of key. There has re.
| Gently been put upon the market what is
| called the automatic key escutcheon, which
is utcudulCdl CUutElpduc6 u6slRutu W
make the burglars lot most unhappy one
| The object of the escutcheon Is to securely
hold the key in the door when locked, there
by preventing its being shaken out or re-
moved with skeleton key. The burglar
who attempts to remove the key from the
door that he may insert a skeleton key from
| the outstdeis baffied by this continuance,
which, bo,ides furnishing this security. pre-
vents the Key from being lost or mislaid, 1t
remaining In the door when not in use The
Inf Of ont In mil
be sad blow to the eayesdropper, for 1t
closes tightly the aperture. The escutcheons
are made of bronze and japanned iron, are
easily connected. and weigh no more than a
silver trade dollar
The new army post on the summit of the
Kentucky hills, three miles above Newport,
is almost completed. The only work to be
| done is to finish the water tower. and Car
| tain Turner has force of men at work on
that Thepost will be one of the most pic
turesque in the country when 1t is completed
| and will be, as well, one of the best equipped
for military purposes. From the parade
ground an exquisite view of land and water
scape is to be had, and the military men say
there is no finer view from any military post
| in the country. save, perhaps, West Point on
| the Hudson. The people OF Newport. and
| the suburbs that are growing so rapidly
along the line Of the Chesapeake & Ohio
| railway above Newport, are very much inter-
ested in the new garrison, and they hope
| that the Secretary of War will detail regi-
ment Of United States regulars to occupy the
| post. A regimental band would be great
| attraction to the people of Newport and
| Bellevue, for they have not yet forgotten the
halcyon days when concert by the famous
Of the week. No name has yet been selected
| for the garrison.