MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 356, 19 February 1869, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

A correspondent of the “New York Times,” refering to the South American earthquake, says—“ln Moquathe ground opened, and as it closed again instantly, it caught the ill-fated people, leaving them partly projected from the earth. Here are to be seen hands protruding, feet and toes sticking out above the earth. The top of a head, and even the whole head and neck of some of the people, fingers and arms, with the bodies to which they belong shut in the gaping earth.” At Rochester, New York, a woman named Mary Swingler has just been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, for cruelty to her adopted daughter, seven years of age. The woman had burnt the child’s hands, by forcibly holding them over a cooking

stove, until neighbors interfered. The woman gave as a reason that the child had stolen a piece of candy, and "she intended to give her an idea of what hell is.” Moses Smith, a coloured man, died at Washington on the 4th of November, at the age of one hundred and twenty. He was formerly a slave in Virginia, and retained a distinct recollection of the stirring events of the revolution. He was servant to an officer in the Legion of Light Horse Harry, and remembered many incidents, which, despite his age, he related graphically, of the campaign of this cavalier in the Carolinas. His wife is still living, at the age of one hundred and fifteen years. Two express meat trains from Scotland to London may be said to have revolutionised the cattle trade .in the Highlands. The first arrival is the daily meat express from Inverness, Aberdeen, and all Scotland north of the Tay, consisting of about forty-four waggons, filled entirely with fresh beef and mutton. It performs the journey in about thirty hours. The second Scotch meat express consists of fifty-five waggons, usually drawn by two powerful engines as far south as Rugby. It is principally filled with fresh butcher’s meat from the west of Scotland. These valuable freights are despatched with all celerity to Newgate and Leadenhall markets, whence they are distributed by noon all over London ; so that a bullock that was grazing under the shadow of Ben Wyvis may, within forty-eight hours, be figuring as the principal “piece de resistance” at a west-end dinner. There are numerous other food trains which come in from the English midland counties. From Aylesbury come nightly twenty waggons, containing meat, butter, and milk ; from Bletchley come twenty-five ; from Peterborough and Northampton, twenty-five; from Chester, one train freighted with cheese.

Many good stories are told of General Grant, President of the United States, but few show his character betterthan this, told by an officer of his staff:—Grant, then a brigadier, was commanding an expedition against the rebels in Arkansas. Lieutenant Wickfield, of the Indiana Cavalry commanded the advanced guard of eight mounted men. Provisions were scarce on the march of one hundred and ten miles. On the third day Lieutenant Wickfield came up to a farm-house, and thinking there might be something to eat accosted the inmates of the house, imperatively demanding food; and, on being questioned, said that he was General Grant. With loud professions of loyalty the inmates served up the best meal they could produce, and refused to accept payment, whereupon our lieutenant went on his way rejoicing. Presently General Grant came up to the same house and asked if they could cook him some food. “No,” was the answer: “General Grant and his staff have just been here, and eaten all in the house except one pumpkin-pie.” Having inquired the name of the good lady who gave him his information, Grant induced her by half a dollar to promise to keep the pie till he should send for it. That evening a grand parade was ordered for half-past six for orders to be read, and the troops were formed up, ten columns deep and a quarter of a mile long ; officers were called to the front, and the following order was read by the Assistant-Adjutant-General : Lieutenant Wickfield, of the Indiana Cavalry, having on this day eaten everything in Mrs. Selvidge’s house, at the crossing of the Tronton and Pocahontas and Black" River and Cape Girardeau roads, except one pumpkin pie, is hereby ordered to return with an escort of one hundred cavalry and eat that pie also.—U. S. Grant, BrigadierGeneral commanding.” At seven o’clock amidst the cheers of the army, the lieutenant and his one hundred men filed out of camp, and in the course of the night returned, and with all due formality the pie was reported as eaten.