ITEMS BY THE MAIL

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1886, 22 August 1874, Page 4

ITEMS BY THE MAIL

The steamer Esqimaux has returned to Dundee from the seal fishery. She has upwards of 10,000 seals, calculated to yield 330 tuns of oil. According to the "Dundee Advertiser," some steps are likely to be taken to establish a " close time " for seal fishing. The packs of seals, it is stated, were not nearly so large this season as on former occasions, while the slaughter was evon more indiscriminately carried on, the proportions of old seals on the one hand, and of very yonng seals, apparently .only just cubbed on the other, being unusually considerable. Nearly a hundred vessels belonging to Dundee, Peterhead, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany are employed in the seal trade, and as almost every one of them has this year obtained acatch of some kind or other hundreds of thousands of^seals have been destroyed. It is, in fact, impossible to calculate accurately the number of seals annually killed. Doubts are entertained whether the supply can continue to meet the annual drains upon it if the breeding seals are killed wholesale, and the young ones are slaughtered indiscriminately without regard to their size. It is stated that Rochefort will publish " La Lanterne " in London. The sugar manufactories of Greenock have resumed work, after a stoppage, in some cases, of six months. Over a dozen houses commenced on one morning, and about 3000 men who were thrown out of work have again obtained employment. It is expected that the effect of the new Government measure will be a great impetus to the Clyde sugar refining trade. Captain Joliffe, the conservative member for Petersfield, England, has been unseated by the scrutineers of the polls, and the seat given to Mr Nicholson, the : liberal candidate. ; The richest banks of coral and the most beautiful coral in the world are to be 1

found off the coast of Algeria. In fishing for the product divers' jackets and diving bells are prohibited as tending to injure the bottomofeach bank is divided iototen parts, only one of which is "exploited" each year. An attempt was made to assasinate the Prince of Saxe Weimar as he was leaving his residence in London on the afternoon of June 1, to attend a levee. He was fired at by an unknown assasian, who escaped. He had previously received threatening letters, as had also the Duke of Cambridge and Mr Disraeli. A destructive fire lias just been extinguished in the forest of Fountainbleau, after destroying ten acres of timber. The text of the Pope's address to the Cardinals was published at Rome on the 19th June, The Pope renews his protest against the usurpation of the Papal States, the abolition of religious Corporations, and other acts of the Italian Government, so that the enemies of the Church may not be able to plead justification of undisputed customs. He was moved to allude to these subjects again because he had recently received overtures of reconciliation, and had in his possession a respectful letter, urging that he pardon his enemies, and withdraw the excommunication? pronounced against them ; but he declared that he cannot make peace with the enemies of the Church. In conclusion he exhorts the Cardinals to imitate the conduct of foreign bishops, especially those of Germany and Brazil. Bald Mountain has a fresh fit of ague, and the North Carolinians are again in a fever of excitement. The volcanic influences that are supposed to agitate the venerable hill are as active as ever, and in due course of time we " New York Herald," may be able to chronicle the birth of a genuine American Vesuvius. As the train from Hearne reached Goss station, in Texas, atfouro'clockontheßth of May, en route for Rockdale, the present terminus of the International and Great Northern Railway, several pistol shots were tired into one of the passenger cars by a gang of drunken rowdies. One of these took effect on Mr James Scoky, of St. Louis, the ball entering his neck and lodging againstthe spine. The unfortunate gentleman was sleeping at the time. He lingered until last night, when he died. His wife had meantime reached his bedside, and he recognised and conversed with her. Mr Scoky was a very large stock dealer, and was on his way to Rockdale with 100,000 dols, to invest in cattle. The lnternationl and Great Northern railroad have offered 5000 dols for the arrest of the perpetrators, and it is stated that Mrs Scoky has offered an additoaal 1000 dols. Two brothers named Larkin, and one Crunk, have been arrested, and charged with the offence. The trade of supplying New York with beef killed in Texas, and conveyed in refrigerator cars, the journey taking five or six days, has, we understand, met with considerable success. Between the beginning of December and the middle of February the New York agent received seventy-five car loads of 20,000 lbs. each, and with little exception the meat arrived in good condition and found a ready sale, at from 6 to 7 cents. (halfj>ence)per lb. to retail vendors in California. Alexander S. Finnic, the AssistantManager of the Bank of British North America, at Oakland, in California, has been arrested on a charge of embezzlement at the instance of his partner, who was also manager. A ghastly scene was enacted in one ot the bath-rooms connected with the Cosmopolitan bath-rooms. A large ma^ a stranger and about forty-five years' of age, entering the barbers shop and asked fora bath. He was shown to one of the rooms, and entering, he closed the door. No more was thought of the matter until two hours later, when the attaches thought it unusually long for a man to remain at a bath. The door was tried, but it was fast. The door was forced. A ghastly sight transfixed those who had gathered. There in the bath-tub half filled with water, lay the man a corpse, with three deadly gashes in his throat. On the edge of the tub lay the razor, the instrument of death. The question arose as to his indentity, Nothing in his pockets indicated his name, but in the spittoon there were fragments of a letter and envelope. They were taken out and pasted together, and there was given a clue to the uufortunate man's brief career in California. The envelope was directed to Thomas Donahue, at the Morton House, New York. The hotel being visited, one of the clerks gave information that a man of that name had registered his name on the 31th May, but nothing had been seen of him for two weeks. Disappointment in obtaining a situation seemed to have led the unhappy man to suicide. Platt's Hall was almost full on the night of June Ist, to hear the lecturer of the famous Victoria Woodhull. The audience were perfectly satisfied that for obscenity and blasphemy it could not be surpassed. A second lecture was given the following night, but the reception of the lecture was not of a aufficently flattering nature to cause her to renew it. The celebrated case of John J Marks and his son Tom was commenced in the Municipal Criminal Court on June 11, andafter great difficulty a jury was selected to try the case. They are charged with conspiracy to defraud the State of a portion of her revenues, while the first-named was Harbor Commissioner. They were found guilty after a two days, trial. The famous " Sun and Chronicle " affair has been renewed; and shooting is now the' order of the day between the rival editors, but to the disgust of everyone, none of the principals have as yet been hit. The steamer Prince Alfred, carrying the mails between this port and Victoria, V.T. was totally lost on the morning of the 14th June by runing ashore during a dense fog on the north shore, a little north of Potatoe Cove. Passengers, mails, bag. gage, and treasure all saved. A Toronto correspondent of an American journal says : — "A breadh of promise case at the Assizes Court to-day created much amusement. The defendant, widower, named Hussey, wrote to' England for the plaintiff, a widow name Everd, she said to marry him. He declares he only wantedher as house keeper. Mrs Everd, who has seen somesixty summers, brought asonalong; but though Hussey bought her a dressand a ring, he transferred his affections to another, whom he wanted, and the injured "vidder" sued for 4000 dols. damages. One witness saw defendant kissing plaintiff, and thought them a pair of old fools. He also saw the old Hussey in company with a young dressmaker, not his present wife, though witness advised him to trade Mrs Eyerd for her. Defence showed that the widow declared she wouldn't h&ve

Hnssey "if he were made of gold and every hair hung with diamonds." The jury, after twenty minutes "deliberation, gave a verdict that the venerable deceiver should provide a salve for the widow's wounded breast by the payment of 1000 dols." The relations between Japan and China relative to the question of jurisdiction in and the possession of the island of Formosa are becoming complicated. The Mikado is engaged in organising a small fleet which will be despatched with instructions to take possession of a portion of the territory and keep the marauders who plunder shipwrecked sailors in order. Several Americans have accepted commissions from the imperial Japanese rulers. The Chinese appear to take the matter very quietly just at present. There is little doubt, however, but that it will produced an exceedingly serious Asiatic difficulty should the ruler of Japan persevere in his purpose.