Curious Fun. AMERICAN NEWS. San Francisco, August 26th, 1887.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 221, 24 September 1887, Page 2

Curious Fun.

AMERICAN NEWS. San Francisco, August 26th, 1887.

According to the Boston " Evening; Record " of August 10th, a horrible desecration of the graves of the dead in the hearb of that city has been going on for nearly a week. An electric company were digging a trench along Boylston-street, for the purpose of laying their wires. As the workmen ascended the hill, they encountered the tops of graves and vaults, which extend from the burial grounds on the Common,

under the wall, into Boylston -street, 'the roofs of the graves were broken in and their contents thrown out on the side of the street. With the earth, brick, and stones scattered all along the side of the trench, says the " Record," could be seen the'leg, thigh, arm-bones, ribs, portions of skulls, and other parts of human skeletons. Some of these bones were hung upon the fence of the common, where they were the subject; of frcurrilouss jests, and pointed out to the passers-by. The workmen sold skulls to whoever wished to purchase them.

Among tho resolutions adopted by the United Labour Convention, held at Syracuse, New York, on August 19th, and afc the head of which movement is Henry George, is one ta von ring 1 tho Australian system of seciot ballot. ' Two cannon prematurely exploded afc a .shnmbattle, held at Enlield, Illinois, on August 19th, mutilating Jivo men in a terrible manner. The English steamship Madrid, which sailed from Philadelphia on AJay 25th for London, via Bull Kiver, South Carolina, whore she loaded a cargo of phosphinerock, has been given up for lost, with all on board. She was commanded by Captain Matthew Garcon, and his crew numbei'ed 25. Value of vessel and cargo, $150,000. Despatches received at Minncepolis (Minnesota), August 25th, represent the destitution at FortGhippewyanlast wintevas teniblo. Cannibalism was common. One old woman at Little Red River admits having killed and eaten her whole family. Starvation and cannibalism are aloO reported from Mackenzie River. Tho Wise-Gmidauv nice was lowed on the evening of August 20th at Orillia, Ontario. Wise won by two lengths. Time, 14min., 2secs. Professor Orson Squire Fowler, the noted phrenologist, died in Connecticut, August 18bh, aged 78 years. The United Labour party that mek in. comention at Syracuse, New York, August; 18th, piocecded at once to cleanse the movement of Socialism by unseating every delegate who professed socialistic principles. On t he State tickets proposed, Hemy George is nominated tor Attorney-General. A feveiish excitement pie vails in the principal coast counties of California afc the present time in regard to real estate. Land has trebled and quadrupled in value. The movement is caused by an extiaordinary emigration of moneyed people from the Eastern States. The Pacific Mail and Oceanic Steamship Companies of San Francisco, having been aroused by the iierce struggle, tho Canadian Pacific Railroad Company is making for the Pacific Ocean traffic, aie bringing pi cssure to bear on Congress ior a subsidy. Tho recent bonus granted by the Imperial Government lo tho Canadian Company has alarmed them. The contract for constructing one of the steel cruisers for the American navy has been awarded to the Union Ironworks, San. Francibco, at $1,423,000— §10,000 more than the amount otlcred by the Ciamps of Phila delphia. The Barrow Shipbuilding Company, of London, havo furnished the Naval Department at Washington with plans for the construction of a battle-ship of about 0,000 tons displacement, and a Board of five oilicers now have them under consideration. The case of Mrs Herbert, who has been in a cataleptic state for 219 days at Joliefc Hospital, 111. , is the latest sensation among the medical men. The New York " Sun " of August 9th, argues that the Mormon oiier to abandon their position that polygamy is a matter to bo regulated by conscience and not by law, is the .strongest possible proof that the Latter Day Saints is dying fi natural death. The English sculler Bubear (champion) defeated Wallace Rots, American, in the threo-mile race on Saratoga Lake, New York, August 12. Bubear made the distance in 20 minutes. Bandman and Ncilsen's giant powder works at Fleming's Point, West Berkeley, Contra Costa- County, California, about six miles from San Francisco, exploded with a tremendous detonation on the afternoon of August 12th. The loss sums up, in explosives, about $25,000. The structures destroyed being flimsy, and constructed with a view to such, contingencies were comparatively \alueless. One Chinaman was killed. Tho explosion was very sensibly felt in the city of San Francisco.

A severe I^rouslir. Tho States of Illinois, Indiana, lowa, and southern portions of Michiganand Wisconsin are suflbiing from an unprecedented drought. These territovies have been for fourteen months as dry as a powdorhouse, and during the month of August this stato of things has been intensified in tho districts mentioned, and much injury to growing crops has resulted. Where crops were planted late in the season, the farmers will nob realise the cost of putting the seed in the ground, and are, therefore, disposing of live stock at 25 per cent, of their ordinary value, lather than ha\ o them starve on their hands for want of feed. The effects for a year to come will be felt in all quarters — railroads, trade and business as well as agriculture.