The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-19
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR.

a new french Invention is a smoke bomb
intended to be fired into the ranks of the enc
my who use smokeless powder, end thus OBJ
scure their view.
A clergyman named Fiddle refused to ac-
cept the title of ID. D., because, as he said,
he didn't want to belcalled Rev. Ieab0d Fid-
die. d. D."
Emperor Williams riding horse is shod
with new shoe. 1t is in two parts, and
has on its lower surface a rubber-like COM
position, the object of which is to prevent
the horse from slipping.
Fifty shilings an ounce was the price paid
in England the other day for an Irish toilet
service in silver of the time of William and
Mary. 1t was not very highly Ornamented,
but it sold for $500.
The pet names of the four baby states are
as follows; North Dakota is the "Flickertail
state" South Dakota is the 'Swinge Cat
state" Washington is the "Chinock state"
and Montana is the ''Stubbed-toe state"
Item from daily paper of August next.
"Heavy defalcation! Charles Cool, a clerk
in the employ of Freezewater & Co., has alb
seconded taking with him fifty pounds of ice,
the property Of his employers.
Nellie BLY, went round the world in Y days,
and now the London Times claims that a
CUpJ VI tudL paper W6uL IUuuu LQc WOTlU IN
20 days days without pre-arrangement. But
of course mail ought to go faster than fe-
male.
1t is said that the race of zebras is fast be-
coming extinct. Whether this is due to their
ruthless destruction by hunters or is caused
by the zebra's modification over the resem-
blance he bears to the jackaSS with blazer
on, science does not say.
Haggard has not particularly progresses
ing personality; he looks like good-natured
boy. that is all, writes Eugene Field. His
head is small and his nose is large; he has
blue eyes and red cheeks; his manner is
that of loose ointed, c0mpanionable fellow.
While the compositors o. The Bombay
Gazette were at work in the composing room
one evening recently full-grown cobra
dropped in upon them through windows in
the roof. 1t was as badly scared as they were
and attempted to escape through window,
but was killed with an iron bar.
Few men. says Georgia paper, are so for
tunate in rattle as Marshal Bland of Mil.ed-
geville. He won lamp in a rattle at Angus
ia the other day, had no use for it, put it on
rattle at Milledgeville, won it: ratified, won
1t; ratified again, and went home with $50 in
currency and the lamp under his arm.
While STOPPING do wn to look at something
at the Halifax police station the other even
ing Policeman McKenna's new summer off
cial hat caught fire from gas jet and a big
hole was burned through it. The officer s
hair was considerably singed before he dis
covered that his hat was on fire.
An Italian correspondent writes that the
largest tree in the world stands at the foot
Of Mt. Etna, and has circumference Of 212
feet. The tree is a chestnut, and so is the
story: The fact is that the tree referred to
was destroyed number of years ago.-Cin-
clnnati Commercial Gazette.
"See that you train this child in the way
he should CO." began the minister at the
christening. Surround him with the best of
OF influences and-who knows but that he
may become Washington or Grant, What
name Dlease~ Jennie" responded the
young mother demurely.
Mr.. Moody, the evangelist, says he does
not find as much infdelity now in months
in questions which are asked by young men
after meeting, as he used to find five years
ago III one day. Then the young men were full
OF lngerSollism, and thought that Christiani.
ty was worn out; but they have found thai
there is nothing in inidelity; it tears down
put does not build up; 1t does lot give any
| thing.
mot so many names Of owners appear on
the trunks and baggage as there used to,
q DdeSdBc DldobcL luO uluCl uay
why is this?" was asked. Don't know,
he said. "0f course card tackled on is likely
to be torn off before going twenty miles, anC
then the name is of little value except II
rare cases." Perhaps the custom Is dyine
out for the same reason that fewer people
affix such startling notices to their letters q:
important" please forward" etc.
The most comical mishap that ever befel
fire engine occurred recently at Toledo
| Tho noisa of an annroachinp fire annaratu
startled 65-yeaTs old cOuntryman and hi
| wife as they were making their way alonI
the sidewalk. To grab his wife's green um
brella and rush into the middle of the stree
directly in the path of the oncoming steed
was the work of a moment for the excite,
farmer. His gyrations ane shouting brough
the horses to sudden stop. The fire laddie
drove off swearing, but the crowd cheere
the old fellow as he returned to the sidewal
muttering: "Tarnation fools, let 'em m
away If they want to. I'll never risk m
life to save their necks again." ' ~