AMERICAN NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1162, 7 March 1874, Page 21

AMERICAN NOTES.

A Sioux Indian girl has appeared on the operatic stage in Sau Francisco. A cow race was oue of tfiu attractions at a recent New York Agricultural Fair. Two American priests who worn cxpellod from Mexico have engaged a 'New York lawyer to demand reparation from Secretary Fish.

Artiuans and labourers have been leaving the United States and Cauada for England, on account of tho scarcity of employment iv America, at the rate of 1000 per w«ek.

A Western paper says: — "A Kalamazoo female seven feet high hangs her little four feet husband at her waiatbelt, and is thus escorted to the circus and theatre."

A Bteam gong, consisting of thro 9 fifteen inch steam whistles, has been erected at the Sandusky Steel Work?, and, when blown, H is said, can be heard iifteon miles away.

News from the gold-fields in French. Guiana (Cayenne) states that a negro, named Celede, picked up 146 kilos (3001b) weight of gold in six weeks, but that he went mad on seeing himself made a Croesus so suddenly. According to the New York Economist, the fur trade is becoming very active. Thirty car-loads of sealskins are reported as arrived in that city from San Fraucisco, where supplies from Alaska are coining in freely ; fifty-seven thousand sealskins of recent import being intended for the London market. The New York Times' correspondent on board the United States steamship Powhatan writes :— " After a three days' study I have discovered that our boats' crews are called and the boats sent away to the following tunes :— The steam cutter by 'Cheer up Sam ' ; the gig by ' G-ood-bye, Charlie ' ; the launch by ' Somebody in the House with Dinah ' ; the first cutter by ' The Girl I Left Behind Me ' ; the second by 'My Mary Ann ' ; the third by ' How's That for High?' ; the fourth by ' Shabby Genteel ' ; the whaleboat by ' Josephus Morning Glory ' ; the barge by ' Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines ' ;' and the dingy by ' Shoo Fly.' Every man knows the tune that calls him, and when he hears it he promptly responds." The religious denominations in New York have, in the aggregate, 349 churches. The salaries of the ministers in several instances, iv addition to official residences, range from .S6OO to §12,000, but it is right to explain that only 00 receive #3000 or upwards, while the number receiving over that sum is only 30, and only ten of the .SO are paid §10,000 or over. Six of these fortunate ten are pastors of Episcopal churches. Twenty Baptist ministers get from §1000 to §3000; ten ministers in the Lutheran Church are paid from §1000 to $2500 ; 40 in the Methodist Church at the same rates ; 30 in the Presbyterian, from §1000 to §3000 ; 35 in the Episcopal from §1000 to §2500, and ton in the ■Reformed Dutch from §1000 to §3000. It is stated as safe to say that not more than half the ministers iv New York receive salaries of §2500, while a very large number do not get more than half this sum. Still, with few exceptions, the ministers of New York are paid at least as liberally as any class of intellectual workers.

The New York Herald of the 4th Dcceinbor says: — "The recent inclement weather has developed more suffering and misery amongst the unemployed poor every day, and applicants for -admission to the station houses and the several charitable institutions around the city increase, and the number has become so large that fears of a bread riot are entertained in the densely populated districts of the city. The privations of the poor are terrible. The Committees of relief have instituted soup-houses here ami there through their wai'ds, but this charity only provides against death from starvation ; while many havo died within the last two wookß from exposure to the elements. Every night tha station houses are full, and many porsons are turned away to sleep in tho streets, or any plaoo else they can find.

With this state of affairs it is not to be wondered at that vice is on the increase, as will be seen by reference to the police court calendars. Aid is being given to GOO parasol makers out of work iv the city, and in Jersey City there are hundreds of iatnilics verging on starvation, owing to the Erie Kiil>vay Company noi; having paid their men for two months."

On tlie evening of the 27th JN'ovember, the final bhst was tired between the two headings of the Hoosac Tunnel, through the Hoosac Mountain, in Massachusetts, and an opening eight feet square was made between the central and western sections. Thus an uninterrupted passage was effected through, the mountain, after long years of toil, untiring perseverance, and extraordinary enginerridg skill. An the deafening thunder from the explosion died away (says the New Herald) a shunt announcing the successful opening rang out from the crowds assembled iv tins two suctions. The wildf-st enthusiasm prevailed, and a headlong rush waa made by every one present to be the first who should step through tho opening. It is confidently expected t fiat before 4th July next tho tunnel will be opened for the purposes for which it was intended. An idoa of the magnitude of the work may be gathered from thu following figures :—ln: — In length the umn<;l will bo 25,031 feet. There will be two shafts, one of 1028 and the other of 318 feet in de^tn. Thy roadway will be 24 feet wide, the height from grade to roof 20 feet, the wholo costing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts upwards of twelve millions of dollars. It will be the second largest tunnel in the world. The Mont Cenis tunnel is seven miles in length 5 the Hoosac tunnel will be four and throe-quarter miles. Affcor the Pacific Railroad, it is tho greatest piece of engineering which tho United States havo undertaken, and all but accomplished.