THE PORTLAND TRANSCRIPT, November 21, 1874

                                                            CITY ITEMS
 
          Mr. Reuben Ruby, the venerable janitor of the Custom House, now nearly
     eighty years old celebrated his "Tin Wedding," (ten years) last week; he drove the
     first hack on the streets of Portland; many of our older citizens can remember when he
     and Alex Stevenson were about the only hack drivers in town.
          The Woodford's Corner Dramatic Club will give a dramatic entertainment  at the
     this city, who will be followed the succeeding week, by Edward H. Elwell, of the
     Transcript; lectures are also promised by ex-Governor Washburne,  Honorable
     Thomas B. Reade, Honorable George F. Talbot, J. S. Palmer, Esq., Charles S. Forbes,
     Esq., Rev. Dr. Thomas Hill, Rev. C. W. Buck, Rev. G. W. Bicknell, Dr. E. Stone and
     D. H. Ingraham Esq.; so it will be seen that very able and interesting lectures may be
     expected.
          The Press thinks Mr. Bradlaugh's lecture was "too radical to be popular even in
     America;" but somehow we find that our people seem to think he took about the right
     view of things in England.
          Captain Eben Harmon of Deering, some time since sent a card photograph of his
     little daughter to a friend in Hong Kong; recently received from there a portrait of the
     child painted from the photograph on rice paper by a Chinese artist, and it is very
     finely executed.
          This week Reverend E. C. Bolles in the Mercantile Library course tell us about
     the "Little Builders of the Earth" illustrating his subject by the aid of a powerful lantern.
          The annual assembly of the Saint Andrew's Society will occur on the evening of
     St. Andrews days, November 30th; John Porteous, Esq., is president of this society.
          On Thursday  week the legs of Mr. Mariner, run over by a train in this city about
     five weeks since were re-amputated by Dr. Files.
          Martin Pennell & Co., are building a very large and commodious carriage
     manufactory of brick, on the corner of Cumberland and Elm Streets.
          Mr. Mariner, who had his legs crushed and twice amputated displays wonderful
     tenacity of life; Dr. Files thinks there is a chance of his recovery.
          Mr. William W. Brown of this city, who recently returned from Dusselldorf,
     Germany, where he studies art for some years, is about to open a studio in Boston.
          On Thursday  evening of this week, in the Army & Navy course, we have a grand
     concert by the Mendelsson Quintette Club, assisted by Mrs. H. M. Smith, a favorite
     vocalist with the Portland public.
           Speaker Blaine in a letter to the Daily Press in this city, denies that he is
     a candidate for the Senatorship and advocates the election of Mr. Hamlin.
           On Tuesday as Mr. Peter Hill , of Buxton, was riding on a load of straw near the
     Brewer House, a passing train on the Portland & Ogdensburg caused his horses to
     take fright and run away, throwing him to the ground and killing him instantly; he
     was about sixty five years old and well known in this city.
          Mr. James Shackford of the firm of Small and Shackford, book binders, died at his
     residence in this city on Tuesday. 

                                                          DISASTERS

          The schooner Louisa Crockett, Flanders, of Rockland, Me., with a cargo of coal
     was sunk in the lower bay of Norfolk, Va., last week by collision with the steamship
     Old Dominion; the captain sunk with her, but was afterwards found clinging to the
     mainmast and saved; the cred saved themselves in a small boat.
          Schooner White Foam from Boston for Bangor, with a general cargo, capsized
     off Sandy Point 11th, and partly filled with water. She had 2000 bbls flour on deck,
     which is lost, and the rest of the cargo is probably damaged. The vessel sustained
     but little injury and was expected to arrived up at Bangor the 13th.
          Brig Amelia Emma, Field, for Port of Spain, Atlantic Ocean, with staves, was
     run into by a ferry boat at Norfolk, (Va.?) during a thick fog 8th inst., and had three
     of her timbers and a portion of her water ways stove in near the bow. Part of the
     cargo will be discharged and the damage repaired.
          Schooner Albert Dailey, Marson, from Gardiner for New York, run into the
     schooner Tantamount 13th inst., at Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, and carried
     away jib boom and head gear.  The Tantamount lost davits, had mainsail badly torn
     and boat stove.