THE PORTLAND TRANSCRIPT, November 11, 1871

                                                    MAINE MATTERS
 
                                                    ANDROSCOGGIN

          Two girls who had been employed in the Lewiston mill last Friday were seen
     throwing themselves from the "West Pitch," of the Lewiston Falls. Their names are
     Ada Brown, of Buckfield and Anna Wood of Hartford.  They seem to deliberately
     remove a portion of the outer clothing, then throw their arms about each other and
     leap into the cataract. Up to the present writing their bodies have not been recovered,
     but are probably held in the undertow of the fall. The Lewiston Journal says that
     several years ago a boy was drowned in the same place, and his body  did not come
     to light for several months. No cause was assigned for the suicide, both girls when last
     seen by their friends appearing to be in  good spirits. When the bodies are recovered
     the inquest may reveal a cause of the rash act. They were only 14 and 16 years of age.
     They made the leap just as the Maine Central passed within 200 or 300 feet of them.
      It appears that on  the morning of the fatal day the girls applied at a drug store for
      chloroform,  and went away because the clerk would only sell them half an ounce.
      They  wanted "lots of it." They had left work in the mill and were looking for house-
      work, but did not succeed very well, as they did not seem disposed to work steadily.
      Anna, the older one, was moody and desponding and she appears to have had a
      controlling influence with Ada.

                                                          AROOSTOOK

          Another party of Swedes have arrived at Houlton, after a passage of only 17 days
      from Gottenburg, Sweden.

                                                        CUMBERLAND

          Mrs. Gould of Cape Elizabeth recently ran a pair of scissors into her hand, dressed
     the wound and thought no more of it. Two days afterwards lockjaw supervened and
     she died. Her husband is absent at sea. A later report says that she died of typhoid
     fever.
          Mr. Weston Thompson, a young man who had just opened a law office at
     Brunswick, has purchased the law library of the late Honorable Phineas Barnes.
          Mr. C. Bliss of Freeport who was on a Western tour for his health, happened
     to be in Chicago at the time of the fire, suffered exposure and has since died at
     Council Bluffs,  Iowa.
         Mr. Benjamin Rowe of New Gloucester, the deaf mute who was fatally injured
     on the M. C. (Maine Central) extension, recently had  a brother-in-law killed in the
     same manner on the Grand Trunk two years ago, three miles from the place where
     Mr. Rowe was killed.  Of the ten children of the Rowe family seven are deaf mutes.
          Mr. Edward S. Dow, of New Casco, brought into our office the other day a
     curiosity in the shape of a double apple-or an apple with two blows and one stem-
     freak of vegetation that does not often occur.
          Messrs. Brown & Denison have leased a mill of Lisk & Weston, at Saccarappa,
     for the manufacture  of wood pulp.
          A nest of 755 torpid snakes was found on the farm of Mr. Milliken, Scarboro
     last Saturday. The Press says in this connection that eels were plenty in Portland
     market Monday morning.
          Last Saturday night four or five men employed upon a hand car on the Ogdenburg
     Road near Cumberland Mills were waiting by the side of the road for the regular train
     to pass. After it passed it was noticed that lights were hung at the rear end, indicating
     another train was immediately behind. A dispute arose as to whether it was safe to
     put the hand car upon the track. Joseph Sweno, a Frenchman, insisted it was safe, and
     and it was done.  Presently the light of an engine which was coming tender first, was
     seen  and some of the men cried out that there was danger ahead; but Sweno said that
     the  light proceeded from a building in the distance. In a moment the engine came upon
     them  and all jumped off but Sweno. The engine struck him, fracturing the back of the
     skull killing him instantly. An old man who was of the party had a leg broken. The
     verdict of the coroner's jury was that the deceased came to his death by his own
      ignorance and carelessness, the proper signals being given him by the trains.
 
                                                           FRANKLIN

          The Farmington Chronicle says that Mr. Stover of New Sharon, a few nights since
      had twenty-four turkey's-his whole flock-killed by a fox. He was an eye witness to the
      slaughter, but was unable to prevent it. Either the fox was pretty rapid in his movement
      or Mr. Stover was very slow.
                                                           HANCOCK

          The Bangor Whig says the experiment of breeding salmon at Orland has thus far
     resulted in several disastrous drawbacks and the loss of more than half the fish. But
     it is still hoped this attempt at fish breeding may prove successful. Thus far $1200
     has been expended. Mr. Dresses of Princeton has charge of the operations.
             A monument is to be erected in the Bucksport Seminary grounds to the
     memory of Rev. J. B. Crawford, formerly principal of that institution and $200 has
     been subscribed for the purpose.
          A short time ago Dr.  Joseph L. Stevens of Castine, now in his eighty-second
     year amputated the thigh of a patient sixty-six years old for obstinate and extensive
     ulceration of foot and leg of forty years duration. On the second day after the
     operation the patient sat in bed and shaved himself, holding the glass in one hand
     and using the razor with the other; and before the end of a week  was able to get
     out of bed without assistance each morning to have his bedding arranged.
     Considering the age of patient and surgeon and the duration of the disease the
     success of the case deserves records. Boston Medical and Surgical Journal.
         
                                                           KENNEBEC
                                      
          A 13 pound girl baby, only a week old will call Speaker Blaine "papa," one of
     these days.
          General J. K. Bachelor, of Readfield dropped dead while conversing with a
     friend near his residence last Friday.

                                                               KNOX

          The Rockland Free Press says that the schooner James Warren, owned by
     Captain Magune, was taken from the wharf at Rockport, where she had been
     moored. Pursuit was made and the schooner re-taken with the thieves on board,
     who proved to be two sailors from New York, who took this way of getting home;
     their names are William Welling and John Giles. They were taken to Wiscasset,
     and lodged in jail to await the meeting of the Supreme Justice Court.
          Admiral Henry K. Thatcher, United States Navy, a grand-son of General
     Knox, has been paying a visit to Thomaston, his native town