AMERICAN NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 4015, 8 January 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMERICAN NOTES

San Francisco has gone wild over shooting matches. The great victory by the American team in the “ ould counthry ” has so inflated the ambition of the young Californian, that the click of the rifle is heard everywhere, and matches are the order of the day.

Another run on the Bank of California Avas initiated, but Avas speedily checked. The great calamity of the month has been the destruction of Virginia City the Thames of San Francisco. There is situated the celebrated Bonanza mines. The works in connection with the Ophir, Consolidated Virginia, and California mines cost millions in their construction. All these have been destroyed. TAVo-thirds of the city has been swept away completely, and thousands rendered houseless and destitute. The failure of the Bank of California Avas an unimportant eA-ent compared Avith this calamity, because much of the prosperity of the State depends upon her mines, and until the extensive Avorks needed for hoisting and crushing can be erected, there can be no returns. The total value of the property destroyed in Virginia cannot be short of ten millions. The tire service was very defective, and the water supply even more so. There Avas considerable loss of life, and a great number of accidents. The New Zealand Insurance Company had fortunately no risks in Virginia affected by the fire, but all the local companies have been badly hit. Baron Rothschild, the Parisian banker, is in California, en rout* for Australia. The year 1875 has been prolific in other calamities besides shipwrecks, storms, floods, and fires. Its bank, mercantile, stockbroking, and other failures occupy a prominent place in the list. The failures in the Uni bed States from Ist January to 30th September, 1875, have amounted to 5,334, with a total liability of 131,171,000 dols. A comparative statement shoAvs the failures for a similar period in 1874 amounted to 116,429,000d01s ; in 1873 to 171,374,000d015, and in 1872t090,794,000d015. Of the failures this year, Maryland is charged Avith eightyfive, Avith liabilities amounting to 90,794,000 dols. In the district of Columbia during the same period there Avere sixteen failures, liability 139,924d015-; in DelaAvare, fifteen, liability 154,500db1s ; in Virginia and West Verginia, ninety, liability 1,480,37(id01s ; in Pennsylvania, four-hundred and nineteen, liability 13,019,883d01s ; in New York City, five-hundred and forty-nine, liability 31,(i9(i,350d015.

The Pope intends to send tAvo Mosaics to the Philadelphia Exhibition ; one representing The Madonna, by Raphael, and the other St. Agnes, by Gaetili. The dairymen of Ohio are stated to be preparing to manufacture a cheese to weigh 29,0001b (nearly thirteen tons), the cost of which is expected to be about 18,000dol. This is to be shoAvn at the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia next year. Madame Fortmeyer, convicted of burning alive half a dozen neAvly-born infants (and suspected of a score of similar crimes), Avas in April last, at the St. Louis Criminal Court, sentenced to ten years at the penitentiary ; the lightness of her sentence being due to her threats of exposure of many respectable people. She has uoav escaped from n rison altogether, haA’ing many powerful friends on the outside.

A case in which most remarkable developments were made is on trial in the Marine Court of New York. It is an action for libel brought by Daniel C. Birdsall, a member of the bar of that city, against Stephen H. Alclen. r lhe slander was alleged to consist of Mr Alden’s declaration that Birdsall had caused the ruin of his daughter Harriet A. Truby. Examined for the plaintiff, Mrs 1 ruby testified that she \v r as divorced from her husband. Her father, the defendant, also testified that he was divorced from his wife. The son of the defendant testified that he was divoi-ced fi’om his wife Another son was forced to admit that be was divorced from his wife, while another witness for the defence admitted that she was divorced from her husband, After such surprising confessions, it is not singular that the court was abruptly adjourned.

The death of Mr Singer, the great American sewing machine man, and the publication of his will reveals a condition of social iliairs almost beyond credence. Singer leaves thirteen millions of dollars to be divided among hi four wives and thirty-two children. Mr Singer was divorced from his first wife iu 18(10. He subsequently married four other ladies, who bore to him in the aggregate thirty-two children. His last wife, Isabella, has been with him in England for many years, has been received into the best families, iu her own house, and entertained the most fashionable guests magnificently. To her, his last love, linger leaves about one million, sterling. The rest of his property is equally divided between all his wives and children. One of them lives in this city under the name of Herself and children receive 1,500,000 doilars. This strange condition of marriage has been going on for 20 years, and yet it does not appear that the slightest disturbance was ever made by either of the wives, or any attempt on the part of friends to blakraail. Singer kept them all in comfort, indeed iu affluence, and avoided scenes. The strangest part of the business is that he was a very religious man—gave largely to the church with which he is connected, and took and active part in its affairs. The Mill is being contested by his first wife.