News and Miscellany by Editor

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, Cal. · May 6, 1875

News and Miscellany.

By Editor

-Mr. Williams has resigned the office of Attorney-General of the United States, and Judge Edward Pierrepont has been appointed in his stead.

-The Ventura was recently wrecked on the lower California coast, as is alleged by the carelessness of her officers. The passengers were all saved.

-A fire in Detroit, Michigan, April 29, burned the factory of the Weber Furniture Company, together with ten or twelve houses. The loss is $150,000.

-The city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was nearly destroyed by fire, April 28. A Chicago dispatch says:-

"Over two hundred residences, one hundred stores, hotels, banks, and the Opera House—the valuable structure costing nearly $100,000—a score of saw and shingle mills, besides the incalculable quantity of lumber destroyed. The loss upon the whole cannot fall short of $2,000,000, while it may reach double that amount. The scenes in the city baffle description. Everything is confusion worse confounded. Hundreds of families are homeless, and women and children are lying about the streets or roaming around in search of a place of shelter from the chilly night air. The heavens are lit up with the lurid glare of the fire which is yet burning fiercely within the limits to which it has been confined.

"The fire began at the corner of Pine and Marion streets and spread east and northeast through Hancock, Pearl, Marion, and High streets, destroying the depot of the St. Paul Railroad, and proceeding to main street, where the principal business houses are located, and extending on the north line of the above limits southeast across Fifth, Wangoon, and Otter street to Cape street south."

A further report, says: "In addition to the buildings heretofore mentioned as having been destroyed are all the newspaper offices, all the bank buildings in the city, every dry goods house on the north side, the First Congregational and the Universalist churches, the Postoffice block and the Revere House; about 250 buildings of all kinds. It is now believed that the total loss will not exceed $2,000,000. The insurance will not cover half the losses. There is much destitution among the burnt-out people, who are in pressing need of assistance from the public at large, as many of them have lost everything, homes, business, and capital.

-A terrible explosion of gasoline took place in Baltimore, Md., April 11. A candle was accidentally dropped into a quart of gasoline which flamed up without doing immediate injury. Firemen were summoned, and seven men went into the cellar when an explosion of a barrel took place which landed the men outside on the pavement. They were all seriously injured.

CHICAGO, April 28.—A special dispatch says the principal subject of discussion at the Cabinet meeting to-day was the situation on the Mexican border. The official reports as to the raiding parties, were formally presented and considered. They consisted of report received by the Postmaster-General from the Postmasters who have been molested, and the reports of army officers. These documents substantiated most of the dispatches from the Mexican border. The Postmaster-General showed that several of his officers had been killed. The Secretary of State manifested some restiveness at these raids. It is understood that the Mexican Government has disclaimed all responsibility for these incursions. It is evident that if these raids are to continue, the border mail services will of necessity be discontinued.

CALIFORNIA—Hundreds of the cherry trees of Napa county are dying.

-There are 20,000 peach, and 40,000 almond trees in San Benito county.

-The grasshoppers have invaded the fields of San Antonio, Monterey county.

-A village has been started in Los Angelos Co., under favorable auspices called Lompoc. It was started on the plan of the Greely, Col., settlement. No liquor is permitted to be sold within its limits. Lompoc, as a name, does not sound very pleasant, but it will sound better by and by if the corporation maintains its principles.

-And now the papers say, that a company of gentlemen from Detroit, representing 100 families, are on their way to examine the San Julian rancho, adjoining Lompoc on the south, with a view to purchasing and colonizing the same with families from Michigan.

-Silk ribbon in large quantities are now being manufactured at the Union Pacific Silk mills in South San Francisco.

-A grand-daughter of Thomas Jefferson has been seeking employment, for herself and son, in Washington.

-A severe shock of earthquake, fortunately of short duration, was experienced in Yokohama, Japan, April 1.

LONDON, May 1.—Forty-one bodies have been taken from the mine at North Staffordshire, killed by the explosion yesterday. Most of them have large families.

FREEPORT (Ill.), May 1.—A snow storm accompanied by high wind, has been prevailing since an early hour this morning, over the northeastern portion of the State. At 6 o'clock the mercury stood below the freezing point.

JANESVILLE (Wis.), May 1.—A heavy snow storm prevailed here from dawn to noon to-day, and five inches of snow have fallen.

-A May pole was raised at Woodward's Gardens, San Francisco, where flowers are not lacking. The gardens were visited by 10,000 persons, May 1.

MONTPELIER (Vt.), May 1.—At 12 o'clock last night a fire broke out in Bruce's block and raged four hours, destroying about thirty stores and dwellings. A strong wind prevailed, and the fire threatened the business portion of the town, but fortunately a change in the wind drove the flames in a different direction. The dwellings on both sides of the street for nearly a quarter of a mile were burned. Loss, $150,000.

EMIGRATION FROM NEW YORK TO EUROPE. NEW YORK, May 1.—Eight steamships left this port for Europe to-day, carrying in the aggregate 679 cabin and 1180 steerage passengers. This is a great increase over the number sailing on the previous Saturday. The indications are that the spring exodus has fully commenced.

-Emigrants are returning to Europe from Utah and California.

-The immigration to California this Spring is very great, and the problem seems to be, judging from the San Francisco and Sacramento papers, what shall be done with them? Nearly all of them go direct to San Francisco; many remain there; others go to other places; many go to Los Angelos Co. The prospect is that all cannot find employment during the season. The crop prospects are unfavorable in California. The Spring has been very dry. Complaints come in from almost every direction.