Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XXIII, Issue 3913, 14 March 1881, Page 2

Chicago continues to increase with the same wonderful rapidity which won for her in early youth the proud title of the Lightning City of the West. Statistics compiled at the close of last year show that trade in all its branches in the great food emporium of the middle States has never been so prosperous. The grain received in 1880 was 161 milliong in 1879. In 1850 it was thought a great thine; to have received sixty millions. 5,375,000 hogs were slaughtered in Chicago last year, as 5,089,000 in 1879. The hog trade in Chicago began in 1856, with a slaughter of 22,000 for the twelve months. Now the packing houses can make away with 100,000 in a single day. In addition to the five million odd swine which met irith their death in Chicago, 1,380,000 passed through the city en route for slaughterhouses elsewhere. The site which is proposed for the World's Fair to be held in New York in 1883 has many historical associations connected with it. In wood was at one time covered by a forest, but during the War of Independence it became the seat of some of the events of the Revolution, waß occupied by English and American troops in turn, and all the trees were burnt down. In 1776, Washington entrenched himself at Inwood, which was attacked by Lord Howe, and held the place for more than a month against the British v General. During one of the engagements 400* Hessians were killed and were buried where they lay. The ground which forms their grave has never Bince been broken and will not be now for it lies 500 feet away from the grounds which are to bp occupied by the exhibition. Apart from its associations, Inwood is an exceedingly beautiful situation for the

World's Fair to beheld hk The Harlem River winds slowljrby, and Inwood Ridge vnd the Hudson Hills give picturesque variety to the landscape. Of the old forest v nfoitunately nothing now remains but an apple orchard. The "Pall Mall Budget" of January 14th says : — The first portion of the reinforcements for South Africa embarked at Woolwich on Monday on board the Ararat, the Hankow, and the Queen, hired gsteam transports, and left for Gravesend the same day, the voyage being resumed the following morning. The total number of troops embarking was 989, of whom fifty ware officers, with 620 horses. The 6th Dragoons numbered 547 ; the 97th Regiment, 225 ; Army Hospital Corps, 50 ; Mounted Infantry, 128 ; Army Service Corps, 19 ; and Royal Artillery* 130, Admiral Sir William Mends, Director of Transports, superintended the arrangements. The C Battery of the Ist Brigade, Royal Artillery, were embarked on board the Cunard Steamer Palmyra at Portsmouth, on Tuesday, and the vessel sailed on Wednesday for Natal. During the. day the Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe- Weimar visited the vessel. The troopship Euphrates, with the 15th Hussars, the 2nd battalion of the 60th Rifles, and one bittery of Artillery on board, Bailed from Bombay for Natal on Monday. The 92nd Highlanders, lately returned' from Afghanistan, and the 83rd Foot, from Belgaum, have also been ordered to the Cape. It is stated that the 73rd Regiment, from Lucknow, ia also to be sent there. The services of the 11th Bengal Lancers, who volunteered to, go, have apparently not been accepted. The time expired men of the 2nd battalion, 60th Rifles, who were about to go home in advance of the battalion, have all volunteered to accompany it. From a statement published of the force which will be at the Cape by the middle of February, it appears that the total will amount to [about 10,000 officers and men and 2,500 horses. The " Panama Star and Herald" of January 4th announces that 12,000 Chilians had landed at Corayaco, and subsequently attacked Liirin, which they carried at the point of the bayonet after an hour and a half's fighting, dislodging 9000 JPeruvians from a good defensive position. The Chilian fleet before Callao continued to cannonade the Peruvian forts, which replied, inflicting considerable loss on the enemy. One of the Armstrong guns in the Chilian squadron burst during the bombardment, killing several men. The Chilian General Lynch, while depredating in the North replied to the remonstrances of the Foreign Ministers at Lima against the destruction of the property of neutrah as enemies when he found them concealing property belonging to the enemy. He is also stated to have sent a sarcastic and insulting reply to a confidential note from the British Minister, who requested him to suspend operations while the late peac9 negotiations were in progress. The " Pall Mall Gazette" says that a remarkable case of a dream fulfilled is mentioned in connection with the drowning ef the master and crew of five men of the fishing schooner Sly Boots, of Brixham, which has been run down off Torbay. The night was fine, and about a hundred fishing boats were trawling, when the American steamer Compton, as her captain reports, ran into " something," but aft3r steaming round the spot for an hour failed to find any wreckage. That this wa3 the Sly Boots nowfadmits of no doubt. It is stated that on the same night the master's wife dreamed that her husband's vessel had been run into and sunk, and woke up screaming, "JRichard save my boys," one of her sons as well as her hv.sband being on board. ,. Early next morning her eldest son came into'her room and said he had heard his father come home in the night and go upstairs with his sea boots on. They told these dreams to their neighbors, but their fears were ridiculed. A patent has recently been issued to Daniel Rugbies, of Fredericksberg, Va., for a method of precipitating rain storms, which judging frem a well-known precedent, is not entirely chimerical. It has frequently been noticed that heavy cannonading is followed by a fall of rain. Profiting by this suggestion, Mr Ruggles has invented a method of producing a concussion, or a series of concussions, in the upper regions of the atmosphere, which he believes will induce rain. The invention consist?, in brief, of a balloon carrying torpedoes and cartridges charged with such explosives as nitro-glycerine, dynamite, guncotton, gunpowder or folminates, and connecting the balloon with an electrical apparatus for exploding the cartridges. The Baldwin Locomotive Works have just entered into a contract with. Colonel G. A. L. Roberts, of Titus ville, for the construction of a passenger engine which shall be able to run eighty miles an hour, and maintain this rate of speed for 100 miles without stopping. The locomotive is to weigh thirty^eight tons, and will comply with standard guage. The driving wheels will be 6tt. in diameter. The* forward truoks and those of the tender will be made of paper, which, it is said, will endure more strain and wear than iron or steel. The wheels will be all of , the pattern known as the broad tread, which will enable the engine to run on roads of either 4ft. B£in. or 4ft. lOin. guage. It is stated that Colonel Roberts, who has visited Europe several times and studied the railway systems of that country, is building his new engine for use upon the European continent.