AMERICAN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 100, 8 January 1870, Page 6

AMERICAN NOTES.

Bales of prairie grass are to be sent to England from the United States for the purpose of testing by experiment its value as paper material. It is estimated that in the United States there are printed 542 daily and 4425 weekly newspapers. The number of monthly publications is 277. Miss Buth A. Damon, for the past two years pastor of- the Universalist Church at Cavendish, Vermont, has resigned to marry a brother minister from Illinois. A woman died recently in Trenton, Michigan, in giving birth to her thirtyfirst child. Among the thirty-one were three pairs of twins, and the eldest of them all, if living, would be only twenty -nine years old. According to an American contemporary, two hundred negroes are now being educated at Rome for the priesthood, their ultimate destination being the Southern States of America. The ladies are progressing in America in more ways than one. At Dorchester, Massachusetts, a Miss Katie Murphy won 300 dols. at a jumping match, having jumped 11 ft. 2\ in., to 10 ft. 9 in. leaped by a young man named Michael Flynn. Effects of the Byron Scandal. — Byronie literature is now all the rage. The bookstore windows are filled with pictures of Byron, and editions of his works in all sorts of Tnndings, at all sorts of prices. There was never a greater demand. — " New York World." A young milliner in Albany has been left £350,000 by a young Englishman who became enamoured of her while travelling in America. Miss Gray, the fortunate heiress, is said to be about thirty years of age. She has a mother and sisters to enjoy it with her. — " Albany Argus." A Valuable Discovery. — Professor Davidson, of the United States Coast i

Survey, has just made a valuable discovery. While visiting Alasca during the late eclipse he came upon a mountain range of iron ore of great extent, having an elevation of 2000 feet. It caused a local variation of ten degrees in the compass. Mdine. Patti's engagements for the United States is now ratified by the signatures of the contracting parties. Forty thousand pounds for a hundred nights, and travelling expenses for six persons, are the terms asked and accorded. — Mr. and Mrs Howard Paul have also settled a ten weeks' engagement in Boston and New York, commencing Nov. 23, for which they are to receive £1000.—" Orchestra." j The High Tides in America. — j Though the high tides which were predicted to occur did not come quite up to the expectations of people living on the British sea-board, it would appear that the prophecy was fully realised on the other side of the Atlantic. At New Brunswick the tide rose to a great height, and the water impelled by a strong gale, caused damage to the extent of several million dollars. The town of Eastport, in the State of Maine, is said to have been entirely destroyed. An American Advertiser. — Mr. Helmbold's magnificent four-in-hand double team of dark brown horses is one of the sights of Long Branch, and this no newspaper man envies him, for the great druggist has obtained a fortune as the most courageous — some people, who do not understand it, might say reckless — advertiser in the world. He commenced with 2000 dollars eighteen years ago, and now he spends 10,000 dollars a-week in' advertising alone ; always working on the plan of the more he gets the more he advertises. He has 2700 papers on his list, and he has paid to several of the leading journals from 1500 to 3000 dollars for a single insertion of his great advertisement. He always communicates Avith the editor or proprietor himself, and does his own business with them. To the " New York Herald " he once offered 5000 dollars for a page, but it was of the issue which announced the fall of Richmond, and interesting matter then so pressed on Mr. Bennett that he was obliged to decline the offer. The End of the Ayondale Minces. — From the explorers I learned that the unfortunate men had made a gallant struggle to maintain life, but were defeated twice over in the attempt. Not far from the bottom of the shaft they had attempted to mate a stopping on the main road travelling way to stem back the fumes of the burning material in the shaft. Prom this position they had all been driven ; and further from the shaft, nearer the face of the workings, they again raised another barrier. This they formed of their own clothes and other materials. They had this one all but completed, but unfortunately for them, though they had it all secured, the space was too small, so that their very precaution for safety became the cause of life destruction, if nothing else had done the work. The men outside the barriers so thrown up all died hard. Their hands were clenched, their arms twisted and contorted, their eyes nearly shot from the head, the veins of the head were greatly enlarged, and in many instances they were burst, and the blood continued to persolate from them. The mouth was either shut with a horrible grin or lay wide open. Inside the barrier nearly all were placid, and seemed as if they had gone to sleep, A heartrending spectacle was met in the inside of the second barrier. Over 60 lay huddled together in a heap. In this group lay a father with three sons. One of the poor boys was locked in each arm, while a third boy lay at his feet. — American Letter. An Incident in Mb. Bright's Life. — I have recently heard an incident respecting Mr. Bright which redounds so much to his credit, and so completely clears up one Jact in his career, that I think all your readers who love truth better than political prejudices will like to hear it. They will remember that during the cotton famine Mr. Bright was severely censured for not contributing to the relief fund, and that his niggardliness was contrasted with the munificent gift of £10,000 made by Lord Derby. All that time Mr. Bright was keeping on his workmen at three quarter time wages, and was sinking thousands upon thousands, week after week, year after year, until by the time the war came to an end he had paid a total sum compared to which Lord Derby's gift was a mere bagatelle. During all this time, while he was seeing the savings of a lifetime disappear, he said nothing to all taunts that were uttered against him. At last, Mr. Garth, a lawyer, who was then a candidate for Guildford. made a charge against Mr. Bright so sweeping and so false that the member for Birmingham was bound to take notice of it, and to correct his calumniator in no very mild language. Even then he did not refer to what he had done for the men whom he was accused of oppressing. But a friend — unknown, I believe, to him — went to Lord Derby, laid before him, and asked if, after this, he thought the organs of the. Conservative party ought to continue their attacks on Mr. Bright. "Good God, and he said nothing?" was Lord Derby's reply. Thenceforth the attacks ceased. — Correspondent of " Western Morning News."