Taichow, Apr. 26.
There has been a most. peculiar phenomenon in the city this week, which has made a great stir, and almost the whole city has gone out. 10 see it, In a house belonging to a well-to-do family, fire has broken liferent places four or five times, without any apparent reason. Fortunately, on ench occasion, the flames; were extinguished, but' the family became 0 alarmed that they moved out and took all their Tongings with them. Fowever, they eft several people in charge, one och yom, as they did not know when or where the fire would break in, It broke out twice on vd two or three times since. The house, which was. built only iso ox three years ago, is not supplied with electricity, as the! owners are content with the olde fashioned lighting. There are, of course, the wildest rumours. afloat concerning the origin of the fire, some people attributing: it to a ssu cal being haunting the The weather has been very dry, and, with the exception of two. showers Last week, there has been for about two months, Thi has caused a deal of anxiety, as the ground is so day that the farmers fre not able to sow their crops, Une fortunately, too, there was a big fre in the eily a few days aKo, which destroyed a great shops, and amongst them a viec~ shop,' where about $2,000 worth of vice" was burnt. shower of vain uch more There were no fnunches: vanning trouble mayen and all the to the city last week, as there was
available launches were required to]
ike soldiers there. The trouble! ose throusth officials. insisting on the people paying the usual tax on:
but they: rebelled, as it pears that, from time' immemo have been, exenipt from paying it, as Won nig ave,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.