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THE VERMONT PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO, VT., JANUARY X, 1$78. THE VERMONT PHCENIX. HRATTLEDORO : FRIDAY EVENING, JAN. 3, 1873. TO ADTKRTISKRS. THE VERMONT PHttNIX hat a larger circulation than any other Newipaptrln Southern Vermont. TiiutnTon.ir. Last week's record lins'raioly boon sur passed In tlio sovcrlty or llio storms and tho Intonslty oftlio cold throughout tliolcomi try. East, west, north mid south, llio In clement weather has extended. Tlio cold and storm eommonccd nt tho west and have swopt over tho country with great vapidity. In Michigan, on Tuesday 0110 of tho most sovcro storms ever known In that section raged, nnd at St. Joseph; tho'. thor momotorwas 20 degrees below zero. At Cincinnati, on Tuesday tho inorcury Indi cated from 13 to 20 below. On tho Toledo, Wabash and western railroad, belwcon Huntington and Porn, onyi'uesday, tip wards of CO locomotives wcro frozen up nnd out of water for noaily 48 hours. Oat tlo, hogs, and sheep, on the trains were fro zen to death. Tho storm, which cc.tFCd late Thursday night, commenced again In Now York, a bout 8 o'clock Friday morning and contin ued for thrco hour. Tho storm has been tho sevcrost experienced nt Now Yolk slnco 1857, tho snow being two feet deep on a lev el. Laborers were engaged, Friday, In clearing tho streets, and It Is estimated that the cost of clearing Uroadway for a dltnnco of 70 blocks will reach $20,000. Tho ship Peruvian from Singapore, for Boston, was wrecked during tho storm oil' Uapo Cod, and all on board perished. Sho was commanded by Cant. annali of Maine, Sho carried nbont twenty men bcfoio tho mast, nnd tho total number of lives lost by this disaster will probably reach twenty five. Sho had on board ono of tho most valuablo cargoes ever brought to Itoston consisting of the costly products of the East Indies, and tho vessel nnd contents wcro valued at about $400,000. Two other East Indlamen wore also wrecked during tho same storm. At Philadelphia buildings were crushed by tho weight of snow. East and west tho railroads wero blocked up nnd trains groat ly delayed. I'll: II! FIICH! At this season there are hundred of thousands of persons assembled every eve ning in various parts of tho country, and they are nil in great peril. They sit In halls to listen to concerts or lectures, and thcro aro very few balls from which escape wotdd bo posslblo In ciso of fire. Our public balls aro generally In tho second or some times In the third story of buildings of which tho lowor story is devoted to shops. Thoy nro reached by narrow wooden stalr casos, often winding and at inconvenient angles. They arc, in fact, what aro called tlnder-boxos. How swiftly fires spread wo liavo had recent nnd tcrrlblo experience. How suffocating with smoko the lobbies nnd passagos would Instantly bo It is easy to Imagine. And if during thn lecture any where in tho country lids very evenin somo scoundrel should shout, "I smell smokol firo!"' tboro would undoubtedly be a panic which would bo frightfully fatal to human life. Let tho reader ask himself of the hall with which he U most familiar, what arc the reasonable chances of escape? Thcro has, Indeed, been as yot no tragedy of this precise kind, and wo aro perhaps willing to run for luck. Hut thcro was no catastro phe just llko that of tho Fifth Avenue Ho- tel until two or thrco wcoks since. Every great warehouse In Itoston was built with a Mansard-roof until last month, when In a day, and mainly bceauso of the structuro of that roof, tho business part of that city was eaten out by flic Who is willing to wait until his wife, or daughter, or sister, or mother is tho victim of an awful calant ity befoie ho acts In this matter? Tho chief use of a grand Jury is to servo as a com mlttco of public safety. Let every man who reads Ihcso lines, and who is drawn upon such a Jury, call lis attention to tho neighboring halls, and present as a mil sanco to bo abated every ono of them which Is an evident man-trap. Ami most of the halls would bo presented. Tho law also should require tho most stringent caro In ILo erection and ni range inent of such buildings. If the present laws aro intended to secure even a lolcra bio chanco of safety, they fail utterly, and new laws should lio enacted, with surer guarantees of faithful execution. It Is fast becoming the reproach of a popular gov crnmout that It is unequal to the piotcctiou of human life, or to that vigor of admlnls (ration which is indispcnsablo to personal comfort anil safety. After the Fifth Avo nuo ttro, who wishes to bo lodged in tho tilth story of a pasteboard hotel? After somo dlro disaster to an audience in a great hall, who will care to crowd lutoanothcr to iiear aconcert or a lecture? "What should youdolncaso of an alarm of lire in this hall?" was the question latoly usked of tho president of a lycoum at tho close ofn lec ture. "By George! wo should all goto tlio together 1" was tho prompt roply. Wo hopo not j but it is reply worthy of consld eratlon. Harpcr't Weekly. .tnor.iTio.v of rtr.ucToii.tr. coLi.ua us. The death of Horaco flreeley at a poetil far jancturo in national affairs is mado tli occasion for reviving tho demand for tho abolition of tho Electoral Colleges, am the election of President and VIco-Prcsl dent by direct voto or the poople. Mr Greeley, however, was hlmsoir docldcdly opposed to this demand, and for practical reasons. If It is desirablo to have a Prcsl dent, tho present modo or election offers to tho voters advantages thoy would bo dc prlved of by Its abolition. If they voted direct, thoy could only ohooso between candidates nominated under llio objection able convention systom. Itnl by the pros ent plan, as Mr. Greoley long slnco point od out, thcro is nothing to provont oach voter from placing on his electoral ballot tho names of tho persons for whom ho wishes Iho electors lo voto. Those, by very slmplo provision or law, tho InspeC' tors or oloction might bo directed to can vass, ami return with tho votes for electors The National Committoo of each party might then count tho votes cast for candl datos on tbo ballots of their party, and ro quest tbo electors who had been choson by those ballots to voto for tho porsons rccolv ing the groatcst numbor or such suffragos, This would do away with llio need for Presidential nominating conventions, with all tho machlnory of primary elections caucuses, wire-pulling, packing, consider atlons of availability, Intrigue, etc., vvhlcl such conventions Involve Tlio friends o each candidate, instoad of working to car ry primary elections nnd conventions 1 his favor, would work for him before tho people. Each section or tho party would go to tho polls on bohalf of thoir own can dldatos, and bring out overy voto posslblo In their favor while lliolr efforts would tend directly lo swell the total yolo for Iho principles of tho patty, Farlhor. It Is curious fact that oven nt Presidential cloc lions fully twenty-live per cent of tho vot ers do not oxotclso tho olectlvo franchise. Disliking tho candidates ground out by tho convention mills, and feeling all offort In favor of others hopolcss, they do not caro to avail themselves or tho prlvllcgo of choosing between such alternatives. Hut with' this sliiiplo nnd slight modification of existing method, many or Ihoin would tako an earnest and useful part In promot ing tho successor tho parly whoso princi ples they most nearly approved, under llio lead or standard-bearers selected by them selves. Platforms, so r.iras really needful, might bo mndo by tho National Commit tee, which might consist of the chairman f the sovoral Slato Committees, or of per sons selected In each Stalo for tho purpose Supposo that at tho lato election Ihrco million votos had been cast under such n systom for Republican candidates for Pres idential electors. Supposo thorn to havo been divided In Presidential presences thus: one million four hundred thousand for A, ono million fin- 11, two hundred thousand for O, two hundred nnd fifty thousand for I), ono hundred thousand for E.and fifty thousand for other eauillda.es. These voles being returned from the vari ous States to tho Republican National Com mittee, that body would havo declared that A was the Republican candidate. At tho subsequent meetings of tho electoral col leges ho would hnvo been voted for and c- loetcd j with this difference, that every vot er would havo had a far greater freedom of choice, and nil would bo much bettor satis fied with the result. A plan for making local nominations, embracing tho samo Idea (known as tho "Crawford County plan)," has been In uo In many localities for years ; and it works o well mat in somo form It can hardly avoid application on a larger scale. But abolish the electoral colleges, ami 'parlv lines" must bo most lightly drawn ; the whole available voto must bo conceit tralcd on n single candidate for each party, whom tlio voters themselves will havo small sharo In naming) and candidates will bo selected, then even more than now, not on llio ground of litnc-s but on that of their supposed ability to catch votes nt tho moment of election. Umlor llio urccioy plan, however, tho merits of candidates will bo discussed publicly during the can vass, instead of privately before It opens; and the result or such a discussion would sometimes bo the election by the voters of vcrv dlffeiont man I'lom him whom a convention would nominate. Mercantile Journal. iti.va ov Tim c.i.v.Yin.tr. is- L.LVOS. The death of KlngKamclianiaha V. rais es somo Interesting questions as lo tho des tiny of the Sandwich Islands. As has been slated lie was tho last of Iho royal line, nnd ho named no successor. Tho second oftho lino abolished Idolatry In 1810. The third, under tho advice of American niisslona rles, adopted a constitutional form of gov ernment, with a houso of nobles of twenty seven members, Including thrco foreigners. and a lower bouse or twcnty-flvo mem bers, or whom eight might bo foreigners. Tlio fourth king married tho daughter of an English physician, and was succeeded by bis brother, Piinco Lot, whose death wc now record. Tlio latter was born in 1S..0, and bccainoklng In Novenibor, 1E(J3. Tho Sandwich Islands havo been sort of a skirmishing outpost ol different foreign inllnenees, although they wcro recognized as an Independent nationality by Groat Britain and tlio United States in ISM. A treaty mado in 1810 gave England an as cendency In tlio affairs of tho islands ; but subsequent events turned over tho control ling inllucnco to Americans. About 1S50 thcro was a very serious agitation in favor of annexation to tho United Slates, and tho project has had advocates rront llmo to timo since. It is not improbable that it will spring up afresh now, although tho ac quisition or Alaska so gorged tho national stomach thai tlio annexation appctlto seems to havo been very fcoblo or late. The Sandwich Islands comprise seven Inhabit ed islands and, altogether, about six thous and squaro miles or territory. Ono or tho most singular features In their history is tho decreaso of tho population, in spllo o tho civilization and Christlanlzatlon of tho natives. Thus, in 1709, Cook, the circum navigator, estimated the population or tho islands at -100,000. Tho first authentic cen sus in 1832 gavo tho figures ns 1.10,315. In 1S50 llio natives had fallen off to 82,000 ; In 1S00 to not qulto S0,000; whllo the census of 1S50 gav o tho exact number as 5S,7G: thcro bolngnlso at thai tlmo 4101 whites resident on the Islands. Tho total popula tion, therefore, has decreased by more than one-half slnco 16.12, that is, in foity years Tho causes of this wasting away of a poo pie who, among all llio savages of our age, havo shown tho most aptltudo for enlight enment, aio not clearly tinted by observ ers. Tlio pooplo do not scorn to havo the elasticity of constitution which would cna bio them lo emliiro llio chango to civilized habits of life. This phenomenon similar to what wo see In tho c.i-oof llio Ainorlean Indian and other lilbos has given rlso to tho query whether certain races aro not es sentiallyunclvillzable, and llkesomc grass es and plants, destined lo fado nway before tho advance of culture. Whatever theory may lit tho oao or the Sandwich Islands, it is evident thai they will before long pass into tho hands, nominally, as they havo virtually already, of foreigners. Their re sources and their location in the great path way of Pacific commorco will tendor thorn valuablo nnd their destiny Interesting, Jlanlnn Journal. Till! WHIM OF I'lt.li'HIl. Tlio officers of tho different branches of tho Evangelical Allianco havo issued their annual programmo of topics for tho week of prayer, oxlcndlng from January fl, 1873, to tho 13(li. Tho following aro tlio subjects selected. Sunday, January 5. Sermons. Subject : Tho foundation, security, nnd universal ex tension oT tho Christian Church, Monday, January (I. Devout acknowl edgement: romembranco or God's mercy to tho nation, to tho families, and to tho Churches ; providential and spiritual blc-s-ings to ourselves ; confession of sin. Tuesday, January 7. Prayor: For Chris tian Churches: thoir Increaso In love, ac tivity, fidelity to tho truth, and tho clearer manifestation oftho unity In thn faith ; for tnlnlstors, missionaries and evangelists. Wednesday, January 8 Prayer: For families; for sous and daughters of Chris tian parents ; for blessing on homo infiu onccs, and on tho sorviccs nnd ordinances of Ihotimreiiof God j for schools, colleges, nnd unlvorsllios ; for children at sea or in foreign lauds : for young mon In business and professions : l'or servants ; nod for nil In sickness nnd tribulation. Thursday, January 0. Prayer: For na tions; for kings, and nil In authority; for malnlonancoorpoaco; for Increaso In right eousness; for Iho spread of religious llbor ty : for contentment, concord and good will among nllclassos for tlio discernment of God's hand in national Judgments, and for llio removal of Intompcranco, immoral ity, and tho sins which nrn n "reproach to any pooplo," Friday, Jumiary 10 Prayor: For man kind ; for tho circulation of tho Holy Scrip lures, anil tho spread of pure lllorntilio ; for tho overthrow of all forms or tyranny and oppression j for tho removal of overy form of Antichrist for all prisoners nnu captives nnd for tho Incrcaso of that king dom which Is "righteousness peace, nnd oy In tho Holy Ghost." Satnidav. January 11. Prayer: l'or Sunday Bchools ; for missionary, tract and other religious soclellos j for tho raising up nnd sending for or inoro "laborers Into Ills harvost," nnd for tho removal or hin drances to tho spread or llio Gospel, nnd the conversion or tho world. Sunday, January 12. Sermons: "Let Iho wholo oarth bo filled with Ills glory. Amen, and Amen." A Nr.vv Finn,. , largo number or clli- zons tho other day visllcd, by Invitation, tlio brass foundry of Mr. W. T. Garrett, for tho purpose" of witnessing somo experi ments with a now fuel recently Invented and patented by Dr. Ireland or Watson vlllo In this Slato. Thoy wcro shown Into that portion of tho establishment occupied by tho rurnaees, and in ono corner found a brick furnaco some eight foci long and six feet high. On tho top oT this was an Iron tank holding about ten gallons, which was filled with crude petroleum. From this tank a pipe about nu Inch and a hair In di ameter lod Into tlio side or tho furnace. A small Jcl of oil, not larger than a small gooso quill, was permitted to flow out or this tubo i a light Is placed beneath this Jet and It Immediately Ignites. Another plpo about an Inch In diameter leads from n steam boiler stationed some 15 feet away. This plpo leads a small Jet of steam upon llio burning oil, nod tho moment thestoam strikes tbo oil tho oxygen In tho water Is set fieo and ignites with a tremendous roar, generating in n very fow momenta tho most Intonso whllo heal. From (his small sottrco tbo entire cliambcrof tho furnace, which Is some two fcet by live feet, is filled with a llanio so brilliant and dazzling that ono cannot gaze on It for morn than a moment at a llmo. Tills flame posscssos all Iho heat or an oxy-hydrogen flame, and be neath Its llorco power tho hardest metals melt in a Tew moment". Tho Inventor or tho apparatus by which Iho elements or heat, which nature so generously provides, can bo utilized, is a very modest man, say. Ing that ho did not want to bring his dis covery before tho public until ho had Tolly demonstrated thai It would do all ho claim ed l'or it. Ho says that tho cost of bis rurnaees will bo only a nominal sum that they will bo within tho roach oT overy ono who owns a quartz ledge, whllo the amount oT oil consumed In 21 hours will not ex ceed ten gallons, at a cost oT two dollars, Tho doctor lias every conlldenco In his dis covery, and declares his ability to furnish fuel for a voyage of ono of tho Panama steamers lo and from Panama for tho in significant sum of $2(0, whllo tho entire quantity will not weigh 25 tons. Ho fur ther says that at an expenso of live dollars per day ho can run furnaces that will smelt ono ton of ore every 30 minutes. If only one-half of what Is claimed can be accom pllshcd, tho discovery will provo of incal culablo advantage to the mining interests of tho Pacific coast, and will creato a revo lution in steam travel throughout the world. San Francisco Alia California. Comi nr.ssioNAi.. Congress having shown Its willingness to grant tho authorization asked for by tho secretary of tho navy, lo build ten now sloops of war, Is now to bo called upon to foot tho bills with sundry improvements in (lie navy yards, amount Ing to the snug sum of twenty million dol lars. Among the Improvements contour plated Is tho construction of five new com. pound engines, to cost $7-10,000. It Is said that tho propriety of so amend lug tlio Constitution as lo havo tho people volo directly for President and Vlco Presi dent will soon bo brought forward In tho Senate by Governor Morton, and other Senators will speak on It. Tho smaller States will probably opposo tho proposed change, as under It lliey will ho deprived of political power. Tlicro Is sharp opposition (o tho admis sion or Colorado as a State, especially by tho pcoplo or that part oT Wyoming Tor tilory which there has been talk oT annex ing lo Colorado. Tlio women suffrago poo plo opposo tho division ot Wyoming on ac count or tho Injury it would do their cause, but tho Interests demanding tho admission oT Coloiado aro also very strong. Tiio President is said to bo In favor of it, and tho IIouso Commlttco Is disposed to report tho bill favorably. Tho Hon. Wni.Crutchllcld ol Tennessee, who will represent tho Third District of that Stalo In tho new Congress, Is reported to bo a counterpart In many respects oftho celebrated David Crockett. A product of tho backwoods, ho Is nevertheless an clo quenl otator, and foatlcss to rashness. Ho It was who denounced Joll'erson Davis to his fneo for treasonable utterances at Chat tanooga in 1801. Til K ActB OK I.NVUNTION. It WOllld SCetll that Yankee ingenuity had really no limit when wo scan the list of patents woekly Is sued from tho U. S. Patent office. But many oflheso patents ate virtually usoless to tho parties whoso luvcntlvo genius has conceived these articles, nnd whoso monoy has been paid to solicitors oT sllRht ox peiloucc for obtaining tho patent. Invent ors will do well lo apply only to solicitors or high standing, who can not only glvo all required details as to filing or caveats, nnd procuring of Amorlcan and Foreign Pa tents, but whoso Judgment nnd large prao tlco will bo of great valuo in determining tho advlslblllty of Inclining tho oxpeuso of lctlors patent. Xo solicitor In Now Eng land Is so woll known as Mr. R. II. Eddy of Boston, whoso card appears In this Issuo oTour paper. Ills experience or nearly generation and bis extensive pracltco in all departments relating to the procurement oT patents render him peculiarly lilted to givoadvlco and promptly forward nil busl noss with energy and succoss. As tho pio neer in America for obtaining patents for Trado Marks nnd Designs ho has had marked success In securing tho designer and manufacturer from Imitation, and In vontors will do well to nvall themselves o his cxtonslvo research In drawing spocifica tions and avoiding conflicting claims In tho Issuo of patents. Smai.i. Powmt. Tho latest triumph mechanical Ingenuity In a now power ma- chluo for tho purpose of driving sowing machines and other light machinery. The Invention consists or two shafts, with four steel springs colled upon each, and a coun tor shaft with cog whcols so arranged as to permit tho application oftho wholo or part of tho powor, us may bo desired. Tho winding-shaft has a groovo to rccelvo slide, which catches one spring at a ttmol winding. Not more than a quarter ot mlniilo Is required to wind each spring. whllo tho combined power will run tho machine at Mill speed for an hour and quarter. Tho lightest posslblo prossuro upon tho foot-rest stops tho machine, and tho removal of tho foot stalls It instantly, Tho turning of a screw at tho operator' tight hand regulates tho speed, which can bo graduated to run u sowing machlno at tho rato o( from sixty lo twcnty-flvo hun dred fctllchcg a minute. His an oxtremo ly usoful Invention, and perhaps It would bo worth whllo for somo or our studious mechanics lo consider whether the prlncl plo on which II Is based Is not susceptible oT wider and weightier applications. American Manufacturer. NEWS ITEMS. Tho president's fathor Is very feeble .This year's shipping disasters on llio lakes npd Iho SI. Lawrence, foot ill $2,083,- 000. Corn Is soiling In Kansas for fourteen conts a bushel, and no market for It even at tboto figures. Six glrl9, nnd a little boy aged 12 years, o reported missing, at a firo In Centre street, Now York, on Iho night of Dec. 21. At Lancaster N. II., tho lliermomclcr loll to 51 degrees below zero, Christinas day. Simeon Pcpk, tho Colcralnc, Mas., murdorcr, has been taken to tho Charles town stato prison, to servo'nul bis llio sen tence. Fire-Marshal McSpcdon of Now York, reports forty-five llrcs for the week ondlng Dec. 23, nt noon. Eitlmnlcd loss $1,157,000; Insuranco 81,780,200. Eighteen or tho fires ore caused by carelessness. Tho manufacture or agricultural im plements In tho United Slates for tho year 1870, amounted to $52,000,ooo. This is more lhan Ihrco times the valuo of those mado In iscn. Tho Gloucester papers i cport 12 vessels, worth $55,000, and n.1 lives lost In tho fish eries, this year, against 20 vessels and 140 lives, last year. Tlio prlnl works of Harvoy Arnold fc Co., nt North Adams, Mass,, wcro destroy ed by firo Friday morning. Loss $130,000, nnd 175 hands thrown out of employment. A mother and her three children wcro frozen lo death In their log shanty, near Springfield, III., Saturday night. When found, they wore sldo by side In bed, the two youngest In Iho middle nnd the moth er nnd eldest on either tide. While sorviccs wero going on nt a Baptist church In Wllllamsport, Pa., on Christmas day, tho floor and celling gavo way, precipitating 000 people Into the col lar below, killing fourteen persons and wounding folly others, some or them seri ously. Nlno tcuths ol tho Hoosac Tunnel Is completed, and tlicro Is only hair n mllo or tho boro remaining to bo done. It Is cal culated that llio entire work will be com pleted by tlio 18lb of October, 1873. It Is thought In Salt Lako City that Brlgham Young will nover pass another summer abovo ground. When ho dlos 37 widows will mourn his loss and ll'clili drcn will bo fathorlessT" ESS Roy. Talmngo or Brooklyn was ono of thoscjwho proclaimed that'thc Chicago flic was n visitation of tho Almighty's wrath upon that slnTul city, and now, slnco his church was burned, Chicago tells him he's anothor. J. S. Adams, collector oT tho port or Pcnsacola, Fla., and formerly or Vermont, has disappeared from Taylor's hotel at Jer sey City. As ho had a large amount oT monoy with him, foul play Is feared. Tho trial of Stokes has been continued through tho week, but nothing now has been elicited as yet. Stokes himself was on tho stand, but his testimony did not va ry essentially from that given nt tho pre vious trial. , Tbo oneo dreaded hornc-dlscaso is now oozing out its strength upon tho borders, and will soon bo beard of uo more; but what n revelation of gross public careless ncss It has mndo I The horso Interest is worth millions, and yet there is not a rc- spcclablo veterinary collego In the country A heavy ico gorgo In tho Mississippi rlvor abovo Memphis broko upnt 2o'clock, Friday morning, and tho heavy cakes or leo wero borno down stream with terrific force, doing Immense damago to tho ship ping In tho river. Twelvo steamers havo boon crushed by tho ico, aboul 80 coal bar ges sunk, and $30,000 worth of coal lost, A tcrrlblo snow slldo occurred at Lit- tlo Cottonwood, near Central City, Utah, Thursday. An nvalancho 000 feet wide and 12 feet deep descended upon tlio stago road and swept away from eight lo ten teams and thoir drivers, taking tliem 1500 feet across Cottonwood creek. Threo of the tcamstors havo been shoveled out alive, but badly bruised. A Green Bay, Wis., paper stales that they have had a snow storm there every day Tor four weeks, except one, and the snow now lies nluo feet deep on a level, and in tho streets where It Is trodden down It is four feet deep. Pcoplo walk on tho sidewalks with their foet on a lovol with tho upper sash of tho storo windows. When they wish lo enter a storo thoy havo only to sit down and slido in. Thousands upon thousands of buffalo hides aro being brought Into Kansas by hunters. In places wholo acres or ground aro covered with thoso hides spread out with tho fleshy sldo up to dry. It Is esti mated that thoro are, south of the Arkan sas and west of Wichita, from ono to two thousand men shooting buffaloes for their bides nlono. Gov. Warmoth of Louisiana, aftor ro fleeting on tha condition of affairs, has very sensibly concluded to accept tho situation and to acqulesco In tho decision of tlio courts and the federal government,, In re gard to tho governorship. Ho will mako no further attempts to interfere -with Gov Plnchback, nnd ho advises his part of llio Legislature not to meet in January, but to accept the Inevitable as ho has dono. Under a now system of telegraphing known as tho automatic, now In operation between Washington and New York, It Is claimed that tho circuit can bo opened aud closod a thousand fold faster by machinery than by band. Tlio practical dally opera lion bctwocn Now York and Washington shows that a thousand words a minute can bo sont with tho samo facility as three or II vo hundred. This rapid transmission shows that where twenty wires wore ro quired to meet the demands of tho Morso system, ouo will answer by llio automatic, It is assorted (hat this economy will ox tend llsoir In various ways to the benefit of tho public. Fifty-six YKAns of Sf.rvicu in O.nk Family. Miss Mary Warnor died In Cam brldgcport, Vt., on Friday Doc. 20th, at tho ago or seventy yoars and two months. This nnnouncomont will bo read with unfeigned sorrow by many citizens or Rutland and Bellows Falls, lo whom sho had cniloared hersoirby bor many acts of charity and klndnoss, and, although In tho walks of bumblolire, sho could number acquain tances and friends In all ranks and classes Sho was familiarly known as "Polly," and was for n poriod of forty-six years lionso- kcepor In tli3 family or Jmlgo Baxter, (lato of Hollows Falls,) deceased, and for tho past ton yoars, and up to tho tlmo of hor death, with John N. Baxter, of Rutland making fifty-six years or continuous sor vlco with two generations or tho samo ram lly. llutlaml Herald. iMroHTANT Opinion, Wo loam from tho St, Albans Dally Mcssengor, that In lb adjourned sosslon oftho Chittouden Coun ly Tax Convention, hold at Burlington Doc. 31, tho Counsel appointed at tho pre vious meeting, submitted nn opinion that there is uo rodross for tho tax payers of Chittondon, Franklin and Grand I si counties, except through Iho Legislature. Local Intelligence. Ilrallltbeio, A Happy Now Year to nil I Diaries nt Clionoy & Clnpp'w. Now goods nnd now music at Fellon's. Pictures framed to onlor at Follon's hook storo. Go to Pratt's for bargains In dry goods and carpols. Diaries, almanacs nnd registers nt Fel lon's, Brooks House. Quartorly concort or tho Unlvorsnllst Sabbath school noxt Sunday ovonlng. Tho locluro by Rov. Mr. Murray sub ject, "My Creed" occurs noxt Monday evening. Tho annual rental of tho pows In tho Baptist church wilt tako placo this (Thurs day) ovonlng at 7 o'clock. Tho harvesting or tho ico crop lias bo gun In earnest. Tho Ico is 15 to 18 Indies In thickness and of Iho best quality, Monoy deposited In Iho old Savings Bank on or before Tuesday, Jan. 7lh, will draw Interest Trout tho first day of Janua ry, -Messrs. J. Esloy it Co. havo presented Iho Nowton (Mass.) Thoologlcal Institu tion nu ologant coltago organ, for itso In tho clilpcl. Theodore Thomas's cclobiatcd trottpo aro lo visit Athol, Mass., on Tuesday ovo- Ing, Jan. 23, nnd trains will run to accom- modato llrnttlcboro pooplo who wish to at- tetd. II. S. Illgglns lias sold bis dwelling houso on South Main Street lo Burton Ilumham of Hinsdale, N. II., and purpos es In go to Florida for his health. Prleo (2100. The mercury on Monday morning sanklagiln to 20 and 25 degrees below zero, and nt no tlmo during tho last fortnight has It gone fir nbovo that point. How dlsap- peireth tho fuel I Tho annual meeting ot tho Braltloboro East Society will bo held in their chapel, Mondar evening, Jan. 0, at "J o'clock, and tho rental of pows will occur at the church on Wednesday ovonlng, Jan. 8, ot 7J o'clock. Tio pleasing custom or making Now Year's calls was more goncrally observed anion; our young pcoplo this year than ev er boiire, and happily 'without lhoo ex cesses with which It Is often marked In oth er plicos. A petition bearing tho names of 170 cltlztus of this village has been presented to tlo selectmen, urging tho closing of all places where intoxicating liquors are sold, from 10 o'clock Saturday night until C o'ebek on llio following Monday morning. Tho annual reorganization nnd clo.?tlou oroHlcers oTtlio Methodist Sunday School occurred Dec. 29. Win. Fuller was chosen Superintendent : A. C. Davenport, Assist ant Superintendent ; S. O. Miner, Librari an E. H. Hudson, AssistantLibraiian j D. A. Henry, Secretary and Treasurer. -C. E. Allen oT this village, has brought us somo fino specimens or celery or his own culture nnd keeping, ot which ho has sold quite a quantity this season. Mr. Al len Ins nearly completed another hot house, 23 by 50 feet, which will greatly add to Ids facll ties for the cultivation of flowers and plants. I'uo calico batl given on Now Yoat's ovo by tho members of tho Grand Army, wai attended by 75 or 80 couples, and was a very cnjoyablo occasion. Tho hall was appropriately decorated, tho music excel lent, aud Lawrence of tho Brooks House, faiily outdid himself in tlio preparation of tho supper. Tho Baptist Society hold their annual meeting Monday ovonlng, wlion tho follow ing olllcors wore elected for tho ensuing yoar: u. IS. Post, President ; Jacob listcy. Vlco Proddout ; E. W. Stoddard, Secreta ry; J. J. Kstcy, Treasurer; N. P. Chaso, Collector; J. Estoy, M. T. Van Doom, A. A. Cheney, Prudential Committee. It was voted to incrcaso tho pastor's salary $500 for tho coming year, making it $2000. Officers or tho Good Samaritan Society wcrochoscn last Sunday ovonlng, for tho quarter, as follows: President, L. W. Haw loy ; Vlco Presidents, Geo. H. Clapp, Wil liam Fuller, H. E. Taylor; Secretary and Treasurer, H. H. Thompson ; Exccutlvo Committee, A. II. Wright, B. F. Bingham, H. K. White, C. L. Howe, J. G. Taylor. Tho question of establishing a frco reading room was favorably discussed, and a com mlttco oT seven was appointed to tako tho matter into consideration aud report at n subsequent meeting. Our notice, last week, of Dr. Rock well's resignation as supciintoudont of tho Vermont Insano Asylum, was unfortunate ly worded so loosoly as to bear, to some, a meaning which wo did not intend, aud ouo not vory complimentary to tho Doctor. His minagcment of tho Institution, which prac tically began somo timo previous to his as sumption of tlio olfico of chief superin tendent, has had, throughout, tho warm ap proval of tho trustees, who would bo glad to havo him remain did not his tastes lead him in another direction. As lo tlio charg es oT Incompetency and nbuscshvhlch havo recently boon brought against tho officers of llio Asylum, and Dr. Rockwell In par ticular, ho can well afford to await tho re sult of tho Investigation now ponding. Tho snow storm of Thursday last was a hard ono for the railroads in this vicini ty as woll as elsowhore. Though tho quan tity of snow which foil was no greater than wo frequently havo In a slnglo storm somo eight inches, or thereabouts It was of so mealy a toxturoas most effectually to block the wheels of a railroad train, aud in many places was badly drilled by tho accompany ing wind, Threo passenger and one freight train wcro at ono time stuck between hero and Grout's Comor, Mass. Tlio Thursday afternoon trains from tho south did not reach hero until Friday nrtomoon at 1.30, Tho 2 o'clock, r, M., train for Boston cr.mo to a stand still near Whlthed's, In Vernon, where it lay until midnight, and the hair past thrco trtln only reached a point about thrco miles bolow bore, when tho conduc tor concluded It was best to return, Tho Boston train was brought back, and tho liassougors found accommodations at tho hotels. Tlio englno-t wore employed all night and tho noxt forenoon In breaking through. A dolay ot twenty-four hours on nearly all trains, and a consequent disar rangement of tho malls and delay of pas- songors aud freight was tho result, fortu natoly accompanied by no serious accident In this vicinity. llYil Itralllrboro. Tho Baptist Sabbath school hold : grand Now Yoars festival, Tuesday ovo nlug, Dec. 31st. Tho church was beauti fully decorated Willi ovcigreous aud mot loos. Thrco trees wore loaded down with prcsonls. Tho church was crowded. Sing ing by the school was oxcollont. Addrcss oi wore mado by Rov. Messrs. Grout nnd Do Willi singing by Mrs. Green. Tho Sup!., L. K. Fuller, was presented with a statuary group, "Tho school examination," N. P, Chaso had n beautiful book Trout ids Infant class ofiO. Tho school numbers 100 members. It was n grand treat for old aud young. Jacob Brown it man about II years of ngo, living In tho houso with Humphrey Carpenter, in tho oxtromo west portion of tho town, committed suicide last Sunday ovonlng by shooting oft' tho lop of his head with a shot gun. Deceased was a until of Intemperate hablls, and formerly lived In Danville, Vt. A brother of his residing in Leominster, Mass., was notified or llio facts, but falling to como on, llio remains were Interred by the town authorities, Roy. Mr. Chandler preached bis faro- woll sermon nt tbo Congregational chinch Inst Sunday morning. MiMuirrtloH. Christmas ovo camo and wont ; but tho weather was exceeding cold. Tho mercu ry at six o'clock vasl2degroos bolow zoro, nnd on tho morning of Christinas dny 22 bolow. Sanla Clans failed not to meet his nppolulmonts at Iho Hollow, which wcro to bo nt Gcorgo W. Wnlkcr'son Chtlslmas ovo, nnd nt Charles Dutlon's tho following night. Ho left a generous supply of pres ents nt both places. About fifty "llttlo folks and big folks," as Sanla Clnus called thorn, wore present nt Mr. Wnlkor's. At sovon o'clock sharp, Sanla Clans, clad In deep furs, drovo up with Jingling bolls, nnd bounding from bis relndcor sleigh, ush ered lilmsolf with clastic step through tho rooms lo tho parlor, Inviting, on his way, tho company to como and sco his Christ- mas trco loaded with loysfor girls ami boys, and many nlco prcsonls for tho oldor folks. But on their entree to tho parlor, Santa Claus had evaporated ; yet the Christmas tree remained, shining In all Its glory with numerous presents for tho morry company. Tho oxoiclscs commenced by presenting G. W. Walker, Esq., a bag or ting nut cakes, nnd n brother Justico a bag or Jnvo- nllo doughnuts, with which thoy wcro ex pected to cater to tho Inner man during llio distribution or tho presents rront tho tree, from which lliey rocolvod other good gifts. All woro kindly remembered, nnd particu larly tho schoolmaster of No. 8. He, fort unalo man that ho was, gut a small sleigh load of hardware presents scarcoly belong ing lo the paraphernalia of tho school-room, but mildly suggcstlvo of keeping bachel or's hall. After Iho prcsonls had boon dis tributed refreshments woro served, and nt nlno o'clock tho blltho nnd gay company soparntcd, going to thoir sovcral homes merry with their store of Christmas pres ents, jr. Fauelletlllr. Tho Sir Isaac Nowton farm, located In the norlhwcsL part ol" Ncwfane, advertised and sold nt auction Dec. 10th, has boon deeded by M. I. Newton ot NowTano to Willard Llndsloy or Bratllcboro. Wo are glad to havo so good a citizen as Mr. L. move Into town, but sorry Indeed lo lose n young and enterprising man llko Mr. New ton, who, wo understand, has mado this salo Tor the purpose of moving to Dela ware, u. Rov. J. W. Guernsey, P.!E., will hold qiiattcrly meeting services In tho Cong, church at East Guilford noxt Sabbath, Jan. 0th, at 10! o'clock, A.M. .Hflrlboro. Pressure or other claims'Mias for somo wcoks past occasioned a suspension or Mr. Dickorson's missionary labors In Mailbo ro. Ho Intends, however, to resume them as soon as weather and work permit, duo notice or which wlll.be given. .VfirTttitr. AUAM.SVIM.I:. -Newl.tno Is full of villcs. Thcro is Fay eltcville, Willlamsvlllc, Pondvillc, Whita kcrvillc, nnd last, "though not least," wo havo Adamsville, so called, wo suppose, Trom tho fact that nearly all or the luhab Hants nro Adamses. Tlio snow Is about threo fcet deep In tho woods; In llio open land It Is anywhere from threo Inches lo eight feet. It is filled up in the roads "aw fully." Wo havo to break roads nearly ov ery day. Our district school Is taught by Miss Elsio Adams, and wo nro having a very good school. Mrs. Otis Adams is slowly regaining her health. Sho has been sick about two months; first with measles, then lung fever, and last congestion of tho lungs. Tho earnest prayers of tho com tnunlty are that sho may rapidly recover. M. Vo trjjiftnirf. Tho Baptist church and Sabbath school celebrated Christmas with appropriate ser vices and a Christinas tree well loaded with presents for tho children, and somo vory nlco ones for tho officers and teachers. Including silver cako baskets, castors, and a very nlco silver watch for tlio superin tendent. Where, O where is our West river railroad that nolgliboj S. or Jamaica long ago promised us as soon as Tnwnsliend voted and seen red a majority of thoir grand list, which wo did long ago? Has tho thing gono up ? IT so, wc did not sco it or hear tho whistle. Wish S. would tell us what tho troublo is now. Can't bo that Townshend has blocked up all thoso C'arr wheels so that they cannot roll up this ploasant West fiver valley 1 Please let us hear Trom neighbor S., nnd learn the cause oT lids procrastination. IIYlf Toirifhrml. Tlio thermometer lias been to 18 dc grces below zoro, and wo nro having nil tho snow wo need. Our lycoum Is In successful operation Two regular sessions havo been hold. Tho questions "Anticipation better than Partic ipation," and "Intemperance worso than War," havo been discussed by Messrs, Pierce, Ball, Babcock and Sanderson; pa pcrs read by Miss L. Wheeler, Miss J Plerco and Mrs. Babcock ; declamations and dlaloguos by Nora Coato, Stella Bur roughs and Henry Wilson. Others partic ipating In tho dialogues. n, Wllllanurlllc. Tho hour for religious sorviccs nex Sabbath, Jan. 5th, will br nt 11 n. m., nnd tho lecture by Rov. D. C. Whlto will bo a 1 o'clock p. m. Subject, "Tho Atonement.' All am Invited to como aud hear. j ll-ioi.l.'oii, Tho mercury was only 8 degrees below zoro hero Christinas morning. Christmas ovo was duly eolobrated Iho Methodist and Baptist Churches will religious services, music, tableaux, dla logttes nnd declamations. Tho stagos wcro beautifully decorated with evergreens, the Irees nnd wreaths boing loaded with pros cuts for botti old and young, which seemed to glvo much satisfaction. At tho Metho dlst Church thcro was an appropriate and eloquent address from O. E. Butloi field Esq,, which added greatly to tho Interest or the occasion. Mr. aud Mis. Alv.tli Lyman havo ro turned Trom Ashburnham, Mass., to till place, and bought tho residence of Mr, A, Harrington, with tho intention of mak Ing It their future homo, Woleomo back Tho annual meeting of tho Wllmlug ton Agricultural Soiicly will bo holdou noxt Tuesday evening at tho town hall. Edmund Titus manufactured at hi mill, last autumn, live hundred and fifty six barrels of cider. Thoro havo boon only thlitooii do.iths In this town during tho yoar 1872, South IIVllilA'liO, DnAit Piki:nix; Away up hero "Blowbam," wo rccelvo tho Piiiusix Frl day night when It Is put Into tho offico In llio morning so as to lako Iho first Iralu to Chester othorwlso not till tho fallowing Monday, Wo live In a land or storm. It has snowed thirty days out or thirty-one ; and oh I tho wind and tho cold I Tho titer momclor lias twlco reached 12 degrcos bo low zero, and tho snow-drifts are enough lo satisfy (ho ambition of anyone. Hut, noth ing daunted, our pcoplo plow out as ofton as It drifts In, and keep tho roads opon. Pror. C. L. Barrett, tho velornn "singing master" Is toachliig a class hero this wlnlor, which Is his 03rd school. His scholars nro ot all ago?, Trom 70 down to 10 years of ago all full of onlhiislastn lo ptollt by his Instructions. Ho has fow equals nnd no superiors lit teaching tho art of reading music ; nnd In icsthctlc taste In rendering music, so as to bring out tho power and beauty of song, fow nro his superiors. Ho kcops up nbrcast of Ibis Improving ago, nnd has lost nono of his powor to carry Ills class triumphantly through tho most diffi cult compositions of music. Thn society Is fortunate that secures his services. M. B. Pierce, who has led tho choir forty years, is In his clement, and has already project ed n musical festival, which Is to bo held on tho 15th Instant. On tho whole, thoso pcoplo scout lo bo as happy In their lot as thoo nearer tho "hub" ; though wo do sadly miss public lectures and n good circulating library. com. rrimilnlr, .V. It. Rev. II, Dorr, with a goodly numbor or his flock, held an Interesting "watch mcel- ng" on the night of tho 31st tilt., In the cslry. Tho llmo was occupied In prayor, xbortallon, singing, Ac, until tho old yoar losed and tho new began. Tho extremely cold weather nnd bad nvelllng on Friday ovonlng last did not prevent n good sized audlenco from bear- tho Rev. M. It. Harris's lecture on Gambling." It was excellent, pertinent, ml It Is believed it will do much uood. Ills subject for this week's lecture hero is Business." A Christmas tree lit tho Congregation al church on tho ovonlng of tho 25th tilt., Icldcd to Rev. Mr. Watson a flno turkey, to his wife a vory flno shawl, and lo tho cto.vd n mttltiludo oT valuables and trink ets. A gentleman connected with ono of our manufacturing establishments, by a novel method, rccoutly ascertained the degree of ileasuro to bo derived Trout n cold bnlh In the winter. Taking a position on one of the margins or Ice that line tho shores or llio canal here, with a Arm grasp upon ono nd oT a pole, placing tho other end on tho bed oT tho stream, with a bound he sprang for llio opposite shore. Alast cither tho stream was loo broad, or Tailing to lnvet sufficient power In his clfort, ho dropped plump chin-deep Into llio icy clement. Tho result if his experiment proved altogether loo depressing, but ho was speedily rescued from Its perils. With tho temperature oT air aud water a llttlo below zoro'he may, perhaps, mako another trial. -A "cold weather thaw" occurred hero on Tuesday oT this week In thcAshuclot river. With the mercury at or bolow zero. amid piercing wind and storm of snow, It is something or a novelty at least lo hear tlio creaking aud snapping of thick Ice, and to witness Its tossing aud jostling on tho rushing water as broad masses lloat a- long, or aro deposited in lingo piles behind an obstructing obstacle. This exhibition In such weather is explained by tho fact that some of tho largo masses or anchor-lco which had formed on llio rocky bed or Iho rlvor at many points, Trom somo causo bo camo detached from it and floated, thus lib crating a groat bulk or wntor, which, ac cumulating power, as ono Ico dam alter an other is carried along, becomes so Impetu ous ns to cause tho unusual phenomena named. st rSernarditott. .Haiu. The Unitarian society has voted lo ex lend a call to Rev. Samuel R; Fiagg of Boston, who has supplied tho pulpit for several months, nt n salary of $1200 nnd parsonage. A largo edition of new books has Just been mado to tho Cushiuan library. Do It Now. Don't live a single hour oT your llfo without doing exactly what is to bo dono in it, and going straight through it from beginning to end. Work, play, study, whatever It is lako hold at onco and finish it up squarely and cleanly ; and thon to tho next thing, without letting any moments drop out between. It is wondered to seo how many hours thoso prompt pooplo con- trivo to mako or a day ; it Is as ir thoy picked up tho moments that tho dawdlers lost. And IT over yottjind yourseir where you havo so many things pressing upon you that you hardly know how to begin let mo toll you a secret: tako hold of tho vory first ono that comes to hand, and you will find tlio tost all fall Into llio nnd fol low after llko a company oT well-drilled soldiers; and though work may bo bard to meet when ((.charges In a squad, it is east ly vanquished ir you can bring it into line, You may havo often scon tho anecdoto of tho man who was asked how ho had ac compllshed so much In his life. "My fa ther taught me," was tho reply, "when had anything to do, to go and do it." There Is tlio secret tho magic word now. Kx change. FOUTITNR FOIt Till: ClIASlt FAMILY. Til O Louisville (Ky.) Commercial says that B F. Chase, Esq., of that city, has received intelligence that the great English chancery suit of Tonley vs. Chaso hoirs, involvin an cstato worth 52,000,000 stotilng, or bout $2GO,000,000, which has been In Hi courts of London for tho last thirty years has been decided In favor of tho Chaso heirs, who numbor about TOO. Daniel Webster was at ono lime counsel for tho Amorlcan Chaso heirs, and Robert Peel and Sir John Russell onco endeavored t mako a compromlso with tho heirs throng! Mr. Russell. Tho N. Y. Nation gives a history of llio overturn or tlio Gould-Flsk mamigomen or tho Erlo railroad. Instead of being great reform movement, it considers tlio operation simply njob nt' sharp praclico bv which a company oT English speculators wore enabled lo obtain control In ordor t benefit their Interest in tho Atlantic and Great Western railroads. Ono hundred thousand dollars is assorted to havo bcott (laid Sickles for bis efforts In bringing a bout the revolution. Titu ToitAivo Maiikkt. But llttlo lo bacco hereabouts has vet boon sold. Tho weather has lately boon too dry for strip ping. In South Vernon tho following salos aro repot ted : S. B. Houghton, 10 through Erastus Tyler, 10 through ; Fred Johnson 10 through; Lowls Gould, private, but sup lHised to bo about 25 through; C. S.Park Bornardston, Mass., 25 and 7. Ouo or it chubby class or four-year-old Sunday school scholars, when talked to by bis toachor about tho slus and frailties of tho body, was asked, "Well, my son, what havo you bosldos this sluml body?" ijulck us thought tho llttlo follow respondod, "A cloan shirt nnd a nlco now pair or brooch OH," Correspondence. rno.il w.tsni.vuvo.v. WASH! SdTON, D, C , Doc. 30, 1872. Tho weather Is so changeable In this lati tude, Trom cold lo warm, that after wo havo heavy snow storm, and tho weather mod oralcs, tho pedestrians on tho streets nro greatly nnnoyed by tho sliding oT snow Trom llio ro.-ifs of the houses upon their heads. By the way, qulto an nmuslng In cident occurred yesterday, as n newly mar rlod couplo wns returning front Doctor Sunderland's church : Ono of thoso snow slides noarly buried llio happy pair, and only for tho assistance of friends thoy ould havo boon stu;k In tho snow. Wo have had four days splendid sleighing, but Iho snow Is now rapidly disappearing and ro Congress assembles nn Monday next, (unless "old probabilities'' Is mistaken i tho street will again bo Trco oT snow. It was hopo 1 by tho Western Union tele graph monopoly that tho Post Ollleecom- mlttco or tbo Senalo (of which Senator Ramsoy Is chairman) that It would repot t In favor of it recommendation ot llio Po(- mastor Goncral In respect to tho postal tel egraph, nnd thereby bo able, upon tho pica of Inexpediency on Iho ground oT It being loo great cxponso lo tho Government, to defeat tbo Idea oT cheap telegraphy. Tho commlttco weighed tho subject well nnd concluded that while Iho Poslmistcr Gen eral bad tho best Interests of tlio country at heart, his recommendation to pnr.-ln-o at Government cxponso Iho wholo lines of telegraph, was tnexpcdloiitand have, there fore, unanl nously rep -rtcd a bill, which authorizes tho Postmaster General to con tract with a'company, w hlch wilt transmit 11 telegrams at rates fixed by tlioblllas follows : ono cont n word not exceeding 250 miles, two conts not exceeding 500 miles, and IT sent by night one cent not exceed ing 1000 miles, which, In tho aggregate, re duces tho prices oT telegraphing to about ono-fourlh oT tho present rates, and doub les the present number of olllcers without ono cent of exponso to tho government. Thoro will be a woman's snfTragoconven- tlon on the 10th ot ne.t inonlh. Qreoursi), all tho stars of the clan, with tho exception. perhaps, ot v ic. v ondhull, S. P. Andrew nnd Genrgo Francis Train will bo present. It lias long been tho policy to bold a con vention hero while Congress Is In session, and rrom tho voto In tho Houso last ses sion on the woman suffrage question, ono would Judge that tlicro has been somo vir tue as woll as method In sueh a course. Tho pneumatic tube, now commenced Trom tho Capitol lo tho Government Print ing Offico by a Mr. Brasbane, has every prospect oT nut being finished for experi ment this Session. It will bo remembered that Congress appropriated $15,000 last yoar for lis execution, which was understood at that tlmo tint It would bo completed nt or before tho convening of this session of Congress. Mr. B., however, appears san guine that It will bo finished In season, and assures us that ho will, by It, verify to tho country that by tlio means of tlio pneumat ic tube, tlio U. S. mails and small parcels ol goods can botransnilltod at tho ralo of from 150 to 200 miles nn hour, and thus revolu tionize tho wholo oxpross system. Tho Bureau of Education Is steadily ad vancing tho preparations for tho Vienna Exposition In three directions: First, the statistics of oducttlon for the wholo coun try; second, that of collecting uoplos oT all school reports and catalogues of libraries to bo sent; third, that nt collecting all school textbooks, and school apparatus. All publishers of .-ehool books and man ufacturcrs or apparatus, ari expected to send tho specimens to tlio Bureau of Edu cation. Evidencoof interct In thoixpo sltion is increasing. The recent cold weather tends to increase tho number oT small pox cases. Eight deaths have been reported within tho past twonty-four hours. Tho Board of Health, however, is sanguine In Us efforts to con fino tho discaso lo certain localities, and to that end, has promulgated orders so strin gent in their operations that It Is difficult to concelvo bow tho contagion can sproml to any very alarming extent. J. i:. n. MISCELLANEOUS. -"Excuse haste and a bad pen," said Iho llttlo pig when ho broke out and ran. In what case Is it absolutely Impossible to be slow and sure ? In Iho case of a watch. A woman in Londonderry, P.t.,has pro- ducod twenty-four children in sovontccn years. She has had sovon pairs of twins. In barbarous Russia ono hundred per sons aro annually scourged lo death. A Liberal paper remarks oT Jmlgo Davis that he hasn't n dishonest hair on bis head. From this, ays the . Toledo Blado, wo Infer that Davis Is entirely bald. It U marvellous how modern Invcn tlon annihilates tlmo and space. In New Jersey thoy have mills where crab apples go in at one end aud como out at tho other labelled "champagne" Tho most deadly enemy of human life Is our own breath. A canary bird hung in its cage nvor night at tho top or a curtained bed has been found dead In tho morning Trout the poisoned atmosphere created by tho human lungs oftho sleepers below It. Two llttlo school girls of Inl'antllo years were lately pratllln together, when ono of them said, "Wo keep four servants, havo got six horsos and lots ofcarlages; now what havo yon got?" With qulto as much pride tho other answered, "Wo'.ve dot a skunk tinder our barn." Among tho latest reforms started in Gormany Is a war upon slates, which arc to bo supplanted In schools by paper-board on which Ink can bo wicd and erased. Tho total abolition of slates will bo a Joyful movo for teachers a woll as pupils, and tho day which witnesses tho shampooing of tho last slate-pencil should bo marked with a white stono by every teacher whoso teeth havo been "set on edgo" by tho horrid sound. Tho first coppor eolnago In this country was mado by John Hlgley.a Granby, Conn, blacksmith, In 1737. Hlgloy oblalnod tho metal front tho old Newgate copper mine, and his coins wcro, worth three times at much as King Gcofgo's half-ponnlos. Tho coin represents a deor, and Is stamped with tho Inscription "Valuo mo as you please." Tho reverse has threo slcdgo hammers crowned wilh tho inscription "I nm good copper, 1S37." On Iho othor- side u brppd ax Is stamped in the center, and tho in scription Is "I cut my way through." There arenot adoz'in gcnulno Granby coins In oxistcucc. Among tho recent d.scovoiios or scl onco Is a process for cutting wood by pass ing n galvanic currant ovur a platlna wire, In sufficient quantity to ralso its tempera ture to a red heat. Tlio Invontorordlscov oror, Geo. Robinson, found that by gently pushing n picco of wood against n red hot platlna wire, ospoclally when aldod by n light sawins movement, tho wood was di vided in any required direction at by a handsaw, and ol course without any effort of skill or appreciable expondlturo of mus cular power. Tho Scientific American says : "lly arranging tho wire with ban dlos or other means, so as to gttldo It readi ly, the lumber, whether lit tro3.s, logs or plunks, may bo oil I rashly as desired,