Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1880 — ALL SORTS. [ARTICLE]

ALL SORTS.

The first mowing-machine waa patented in February, 1822. No PBOCEsrf known will keep iron effectively and durably from rusting. Small ftuffed birds and butterflies of sflk, brought from China, are new and costly ornaments for the hair. Thb accounts of the last Cincinnati Exposition are squared, and the net profits amount to over 925,000. The United States has nearly four times the acreage in crops that are given in the agricultural returns for Great Britain. Fires are built along the slopes of the Cordilleras, so that the overhanging smoke protects the vines from all oold winds and frosts. The first friction-matches were six inches long and five cents apiece. Considerable prejudice was raised against their use by their occasional explosion. An appropriation of five thousand dollars is asked of Congress for a monument over the grave of Francis 8. Key, the author of our National song, at Frederick, Md. A will admitted to probate at Boston contains simply the names of the legatees in a column with the respective legacies opposite, and the proper date and signatures. Governor Roberts, of Texas, has commuted the sentences of several murderers, recently, and the people, who enjoy hangings occasionally, are disposed to grumble. A Texas lover was forced to shoot his sweetheart's father's dog in order to succeed in eloping with the lady, and the old man wept for two hours over the loss of the canine. “Agriculture,” Governor Blackbum, of Kentucky, says, “ is the basis of all other interests, and the full developments of agricultural resources are the great guarantees of an enduring prosperity.”

A school teacher in Louisville, Ky., saved one of her little pupils from death a few mornings since by wrapping her woolen shawl around her, in spite of her alarmed struggles, when her dress caught fire from the stove. Pre-eminent among the arts, and far surpassing them all, agriculture ought to occupy special attention, since by its rise everything else is raised, and by its improvement the whole of life becomes progressive.— Douglas. Last year 46,762 more people left Liverpool for this country than left the year before. In 1879 117,914 people left England for America, which goes to show that there were more sensible folks in Britain than most people thought. King John, of Abyssinia, is about forty-seven years olu, never smiles, never looks you in the face, and has a most ungovernable temper. He cuts off the lips of all those who smoke tobacco, and cuts off the noses of ail who take snuff. He detests tobacco in any form. Ten years ago a large colony of Germans from Cincinnati, none of whom can speak English, purchased a tract of laud in Lawrence County, Tenu., said to contain 4,100 acres. It has since been discovered that it contained only ,057 acres, and they were defrauded cut of $3,500, besides the interest ou this amount for ten years. The colony has brought suit in the Supreme Court at Nashville for the recovery of this sum. At Birkenhead, Eng., lately, a man was arrested for furiously driving a horse. It was explained in extenuation that it had become, while in the possession of a drummer of convivial habits, go addicted to strong drink—- “ standing on his hind legs and drinking beer like a rfian”—that it was hopeless to attempt to get it past old boozing haunts without putting it into a gallop. The explanation was deemed satisfactory. r 1 Kepler, the astronomer, was one day called by his wife from his study of the natural forces to dinner, and a salad was laid on the table. “Dost thou think,” said he to his spouse, “ that if leaves of lettuce and drops of oil and vinegar and fragments of hard-boiled eggs had been in circulation from eternity in chaos, chance could have assembled them to-day to form a salad!'’ “ Not as good a one as this,” said his wife, “ nor as well seasoned.” It is pointed out that in these bad times a hint how to provide a most acceptable and inexpensive present for the children may not be unwelcome. It was the practice of an eminent army surgeon to lock up his olive branch a week before the anniversary of his birthday. On that day he solemnly opened his dungeon ahd released him, saying: “The most valuable boon which man can enjoy is liberty! Take it, my son, as a welcome present from your parents!” While J. M. Myers was visiting Mrs. Lay at the Turner House, North Summer street, Sunday afternoon, Mrs. Lay took Laura L. Myers, their daughter, aged fourteen months, and weni out on the rear porch. While there some one in the alley threw a snowball, which struck the child in the temple, rendering it senseless. The snowball was so hard that it glanced against the wall, before striking the infant, without breaking. The child recovered consciousness, and it was thought for awhile that it was not seriously injured, but it soon commenced having spasms, which continued until death ended its Bufferings yesterday morning. The accident was an exceedingly painful one to Mrs. Lay, who had only the day previous buried an infant. Nashville American.