Jesse Shepard,—the musical genius has built himself a beautiful residence at San Diego, California. He has evoked unbounded admiration and astonishment by giving one of his inspired performances in the service of Father Ubach’s Catholic church, at the morning mass.
Prohibition—has been very successful in Atlanta, Georgia in the past 18 months. It is well enforced. The wealth of the city has increased; property has advanced in value; the laboring classes are more prosperous; the schools are better attended; gambling has been checked; crime has been checked, and the criminal courts transact their business in one-seventh of the former time; there are about half as many arrests, and the streets on which it was unsafe for a lady to go alone, have become orderly. Local option has established temperance in Georgia. Out of 137 counties 115 are controlled by prohibition. In Iowa under prohibition, the Fort Madison Penitentiary is for the first time short of the supply of convicts sufficient to fulfil the usual contracts. England now has a national prohibition party, and Mr. Axel Gustafson is its leader.
Longevity.—A news item from Columbia, S. C., reports a case of great longevity as “attested by family records”: that of Amy Avant, a colored woman on the plantation of Major James Reeves, in Marion County, who died May 24th, of measles, at the advanced age of 122 years. She was remarkably well preserved and retained all her faculties up to the time of her fatal illness, previous to which she claimed that she had never taken a dose of medicine. During the last cotton-picking season she took her place regularly in the cotton fields and always performed a good day’s work.
St. Thomas, July 6.—Peter Barlow, who took part in the American Revolution under Washington, died recently in Demerara, aged 130 years.
Rockland.—John J. Whipple of this place was 100 years old to-day, and as he is in excellent health, the old gentleman bids fair to live another decade at least. Mr. Whipple says he believes in the “good old way” of eating and drinking according to inclination, and though he has never indulged in intoxicants to excess he has never abstained entirely from either the use of tobacco or strong drink. Grandfather Whipple is one of the authorities in the place where he lives, and his memory is remarkable. His eye has a merry twinkle, and he can enjoy a joke and tell a good story with any of the boys.—Globe Democrat.
Knoxville, Tenn., July 23.—Henry Cleggy of Meigs County, Tennessee, is undoubtedly one of the oldest men in the State, having recently celebrated his 105th birthday. Mr. Meigs takes pleasure in walking about his farm, and has no idea of taking a trip from this world to the next for at least a decade. The old gentleman’s memory is excellent and he remembers many incidents of long ago.—Globe Dem.
Increase of Insanity.—Louisiana, like New York, Massachusetts, and all highly civilized countries, is realizing the increase of insanity. The State Asylum has recently been greatly enlarged but now there are hundreds that it cannot receive.
Extraordinary Fasting, Jackson, Tenn., June 15.—W. M. Murchinson, whose long fast has been mentioned before, died yesterday at Medon in this county; having lived ninety days without drink or food. His record is probably without parallel in the history of the medical world. He was a gallant soldier in the Fourteenth Tennessee Cavalry and followed the fortunes of that daring leader, Forrest, through the Civil war, and lost an eye. He was about 45 years of age at the time of his death. He had been in declining health for some months. His throat became paralyzed one night three months ago while he was asleep, and he could never swallow any nourishment after that time. He was an honest, brave man and an esteemed citizen. He never married. Several citizens from Jackson and surrounding country visited him during his fast, and all were astonished that he could live so long without food and drink.
Spiritual Papers.—The Spiritual Offering, Light for Thinkers and Light in the West, have died and been succeeded by “The Better Way,” at Cincinnati.