Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1874 — CURRENT ITEMS. [ARTICLE]

CURRENT ITEMS.

It is not a pleasant topic, but a scientific amateur lately found twenty-six varieties of parasitic vermin in one set of city car cushions. Fall flowers of French manufacture are, if anything, handsomer and more beautiful than ever. Never has the autumn foliage been so successfully imitated. Authur A. Miller, of South Antrim, N. 11., lost seventeen half-grown turkeys a few days since, on account of their partaking of some rock aalt that he accidentaily dropped in the yard. A ratiier peculiar man is Judge Keith, of Virginia, w-lio r after issuing warrants for the recent arrest of Mosby and Payne for dueling, mounted his horse and rode out to see the encounter. Snooks’ boy heard him say the other day that there was money in hens, and he proceeded to investigate the old man’s poultry-yard. He had gone through a dozen fine specimens when the old man descended upon him, and the boy now wonders if there’s a balm in Gilead.

“ Pa, who is ‘ Many Voters ?’ ” asked a young hopeful of liis sire. “ Don’t know him, my son. Why?” “ Cos I saw you signin’ his name to that letter you wrote tlie other night askin’ you to run for Al-derman.”'-“Sh-h-h, my son; here’s a nickel; go and get some candy.” A somnambulist jumped from a train on the Pan Handle (Ohio) Road, a few nights ago, when it was running at the rate of thirty miles an hour. The train was stopped and backed a half-mile, where the sleeper was found lying beside the track, considerably bruised, but hot seriously injured. A girl in Nashua, N. H., in her youth was terribly scalded in her face, whereby her appearance is awful to behold. The other day she appeared upon tlie street, whereupon one or two ladies fainted. When the family formerly resided in Lowell the authorities would not allow the girl to appear in public. An Essex (Conn.)’ man made a toy boat about five inches long and an inch and a half wide, with all the rigging, and having attached to it a small American flag, suspended it with a hair from his own head by a nail in the ceiling of his shop, twenty years ago, and there it has hung all this time in spite of tlie jar of the shop. Elmer Fairchild, of Fewtown, Conn., recently lost seventy out of 111 newlypurchased Michigan cattle by a disease which the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture thinks was caused by drinking impure water on their way East. Other cattle in the town have died tvith the same disease, hdNvever, and there is some excitement about the matter. A negro living near Atlanta, Ga., stole a shot-gun from another negro, and on being arrested proposed that instead oi being locked up lie should allow the owner of tlie gun to give him a whipping. This was agreed to, and lie was given thirty-nine lashes on the bare back with a stout strap, a large number of persons going to the punishment, which was relenyejsly inflicted and philosophically borne. The other day forty parishioners, men and women, of Rev. Geo. Wheeler, of Concord, N. llmet at the parsonage* and cut, cured and got in fifteen acres of hay, concluding the day with ancxccllent supper. Among tlie fancy mowers present was Miss Emma Wheeler, of Providence, R. 1., who mowed a wide swath twenty-five rods long, which handsomely beat every snatli-mun on the ground.

An unnatural marriage lias recently taken place in Topsliam, Me., according to the Batli Times, tlie bridegroom being thirty-five years old ahd tlie bride eleven! “We are further told,” adds the same paper, “ tha t two clergymen refused to perform the marriage ceremony under circumstances so manifestly improper, if not unlawful. A third one was found, however, who was less scrupulous in the matter.”

While Mr. Lewis Barlow, of Newport, Mass., was fishing, lately, back of Fort Walcott, he noticed a huge swordfish coming in the direction of his boat, and before he could prepare for the emergency tlie fish ran his sword through the how of the boat and made a hole about a foot long. The boat immediately filled witli water, and Mr. Barlow’s situation was anything but pleasant. Fortunately a man was passing who rescued him and towed his boat to the shore. A Frenchman went into a store'at Quechec,Vt.,the other day, and asked for a bottle of liniment, the name of which tlie clerk didn’t clearly understand, but a bottle of “ointment was handed to him. and he was asked if that was the kind he desired. “Oui, *oui!” replied the Frenchman, “ she be it, she be it!” The next day a doctor was calleil to attend the family where the ointment had been carried, when it was discovered that it had been freely used in seasoning pies, in the " place of extract of lemon, for ’'which the man had been sent tp the store. A noTed pearl-diver of Atlantic City is making arrangements for a hazardous undertaking. He proposes to test the virtue of a newly-invented life-preserver by being carried from New j; ork in a Steamer to a distance of not less than , twt) hundred miles from land, and there left to the mercy of the waves until he shall .jneet a passing vessel. He will carry with him rations for a week: also signal-lights and flags, all being stowed away in a rubber bag about two feet Square. He is confident of success; but the undertaking looks, to common minds, like a hazardous one.