The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-18
PERSONAL AND PECULIAR

There is a movement among the
students of the Berlin University and
other high schools against the continu-
anoe Of the dueling nuisance, but it has
been officially squelched and the leaders
of the movement have been forbidden to
continue the ag itat1On under pain of ex-
| puIs1on.
1t was reported in German technical
journal few weeks ago that carbide Of
| calcium, tine new compound used in pro-
ducing cheap acetylene gas, might be
made Into filaments for inoandeecent
electric lights. The illumination thus
secured would he very brilliant, it was
declared, it's brightness being between
| that Of the ordinary incandescent lamp
| and the ele ctric arc. Mr. Edisons at
tention having been called to the state
ment. the great inventor says: 81 do
not think there Is much in the su bject
| mentioned.
Marseilles had riot in the Grand
theatre the other day because a number
of women refused to take off their big
hats.
1t is a surprising fact that the bakers
of America last year sent abroad IA, 2O6. :
814 pounds of broad and biscuit. for
which they received 1894, 800.
In Austria the man who loses both his
hands in an accident can claim the whole
of his life insurance money, on the
ground that he has lost the means of
maintaining himself. Loss of thu right
hand reduces the claim from 70 to so per
cent OF the total.
The annual consumption of champagne
tn ho io fo6 u
bottles. England. America, and Russia
are THE best customers of France In this
line. Tho French themselves prefer
Bordeaux and Burgundy to champagne.
In an effort to impress its readers with
the recherche character of recent BAN
quet out there, the Gaylord (Kan.) Her.
aid says, "Ihey had butter ON two
dishes and everything like that"
Two large colonies Of citizens from
Western and Northwestern states are
about to settle in Sumter and Lee Coun-
ties Georgia, withia twenty miles of
Americas. A colony of Amenians has
just purchased the property of the
Amoskeag Lumber Company, in the
same state.
A Canadian gentleman has expended q
vast amount Of patience, and shown con-
siderable perseverance, in gathering q
collection Of buttons Of officers of every
regiment and department of the British
army. The collection, which comprises
14S buttons. has taken nine years in it's
formation, and the owner wrote 5s5
letters to all parts of the globe in pursuit
of his hobby.
In Brazil at a funeral Of an unma rried
woman the mourning color is SCARLET.
The coffin, the hearse, the trappings of
the hsores, and the livery of the driver
are all scarlet.
for 1885 attest that in that year twenty
one Berliners were married who had
passed the ripe age of "a years.
Each year about 10000 is expended in
sprinkling the streets of London with
sand, to prevent the horses from slipping.
There are mad wags in the Missouri
Legislature. Mr.. Vandiver has intro
duced bill for commission of three
members to protect aged and invalid
sheep. 1t gives them salary of 81, 900 a
year each.
The North Carolina House of Repressn-
tatives has passed bill requiring all
teachers in the public schools to read
aloud to their pupils at least twice each
year the Constitution of the United
STATES and that of the State.
A till which has just passed the Okla
homa Legislature contains a provision
putting it into effect Gin the year of our
Lord ammo domini 1897 - This is almost
as bad as the Oklahoma Senator who
moved that "this body do now adjourn
until 2.o'clock p. m.a this afternoon"
The Senate of the Connecticut hegisle-
ture has rejected proposed bill to gra Mt
divorce for incurahle insanity.
The chaplains Of the Oklahoma Legis-
lature receive 81. 80 per day, or just half
the sum apar4 for the men who clean the
spittoons.