Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1880 — BREVITIES. [ARTICLE]

BREVITIES.

Bismarck has a very large hand—and a very heavy one. Jules Verne is said to have made a round quarter of a nrillion by his writings. Judge J ere Black and wife are within six years of their golden wedding. At their marriage he was 26 and she 17 years old. The growing of pine-apples and bananas has been successfully tried on the Upper St. Jolms’ and Indian river country, in Florida. A bronze statue is to be erected on Bunker Hill in honor of Col. William Prescott. It is high time tliis old Revolutionary hero had some public token of recognition. The deer which have been driven to the high grounds of Louisiana by the high water are being slaughtered in large numbers, regardless of the game laws of the State.

The new Chinese professor at Cambridge is very popular at entertainments, and appears at them arrayed in silk and satin, but as yet there is not muchee talkee in him.

At Wliite Rock, Me., Mrs. Purrington put her 4-weeks-old infant into the cradle, and, having occasion to leave the room for a few minutes, carefully tucked the blankets around the sleeping babe. She was gone rather longer than she expected to be, and, on going to the cradle, found her child dead, it having been smothered in the blankets.

The rector of the Trinity Church, at Newtown, Ct., has refused fifteen prominent members of his church the communion because they sent in a letter to the clerk of the parish asking him. to call a meeting to ask the rector to resign. A committee appointed by the Bishop are hearing testimony on appeal from the minister’s action.

A party of laborers, while engaged excavating on the main road in the village of Canarsie, on Long island, exhumed three skeletons and a number of bones. The remains are believed to be those of Canarsie Indians buried over 100 years ago. It is thought that the spot was at one time used as an Indian burying ground. The English language is rich in synonymous terms. A mechanic in search of work is “out of a job;” a clerk in the same predicament is “ disengaged,” and a professional man similarly placed is “at leisure.” The mechanic gets work, the clerk “ connects ” himself with some establishment, and the professional man “ resumes ” practice. The deep well which is being drilled at Petrolia, Ontario, has now reached a depth of 1,280 feet. The last ninety feet have been drilled in a bed of pure salt, and is still drilling. This is the largest body of pure salt ever found, and, with an unlimited supply of cheap fuel in the shape of oil and tar, Petrolia may supply the world with salt. The ex-Queen of Naples goes daily to the Hippodrome nt Paris, and is takinglessons in circus tricks on horseback, a servant throwing balls to her, which she catches, going at full gallop and leaning back so that her head almost touches the horse’s tail. The King stands watching her with mute admiration, and when the exercises are over he goes to the Madeleine and prays.

Tennyson recently related an incident which occurred near his home to this effect: A man who was staggering along the road stopped him with the remark : “Mr. Tennyson, if you will shake hands with me, I swear, by God Almighty, I won’t touch liquor again.” The poet complied, but concluded his tale with the remark : “lam afraid I didn’t do any good.” Raisin grapes are being planted in California on a gigantic scale. This furore is stimulated by the great profits, the superior quality, the export demand and the very light work required in that climate for preparing raisins. A large company of capitalists is incorporated to introduce raisin culture in Fresno county, and, in live years’ time, California raisins will drive all such imports from the United States.

Senator Kane, of the San Francisco Legislature, asserted in a speech that he had been offered a bribe of SI,OOO to support a certain corrupt measure. 2I committee was appointed to investigate. Kane testified that the man who tried to buy him was stout, had dark mustache, wore gray clothes, and lived in San Francisco; but he would give no more definite information. He looked on an informer as worse than a thief, he said, and would not on any account divulge the, name. The identity of the lobby man seems to be known, but Kane’s peculiar notion of honor stands in the way of further proceedings.