Newspaper Page Text
Iternical
There are fifteen Bessemer steel
■works in this country, the annual pro-
fl act of which is 2,000,000 tons.
Bread made with sea-water has been
recommended as like^ to be of use in
the treatment of serorola.
A leather belt has iust been made in
Hartford, Conn., which is an inch
thick, 38 inches wide and 125 feet long,
and weighs 1834 pounds.
Ba^on that used to sell in the South
from five to eight cents per pound is
is now w T orth from fourteen to seven
teen cents per pound. It does not pay
to raise cotton to buy pork with. The
southern farmers are beginning to
find this out.
The northernmost place in the world
where rye and oats mature is at Iven-
gis, in the Swedish province of Norr-
botten, forty-n ine n i es to the north
of the Polar Circle, whereas the north
ernmost spot where corn is grown is
at Muoniovara, ninety-eight miles to
the north of the circle.
Mr. J. Parmeles, of Perry, Ohio,
on the south shore of Lake Erie, grows
twenty-three acres of onions this year,
from which he expects a yield of from
12,000 to 15,000 bushels. The land was
formerly a muck swamp and entirely
worthless for agricultural purposes.
A federal court at Little Rock, Ar
kansas, has surprised the lawyers
throughout the country by awarding
|4,900 damages to a passenger who
was put cfl the train because the term
of his excursion ticket had expired.
The Court held that a ticket was good
until used, and cannot he limited to a
certain day on its face.
The judge and the L Reporter.
At the Liverpool "Assizes "recently
Mr. Justice North,sitting in the Crown
Court, ordered a reporter of the Man
chester JPresa out of Court. The gen
tleman in question, innocent of all
evil intention, was reading an even
ing newspaper in an interval of his
work when his Lordship, addressing
him, said if he wished to read a news
paper he must go out of Court. The
reporter, startled at the sudden inter- .
ruption to his studies, hastily pro
ceeded to put away the offensive print,
when the Judge added : “Go out of
Court.” “I was only putting it down,
My Lord,” explained the reporter.
The Judge made no sign of modifica
tion of his order and the reporter at
once left the Court. A n evening pa
per repotting the above incident stated
thatH s Lordship’s command caused
surprise to all in Court, and adds that,
by an order more general than per
sonal, His Lordship might have
cleared the Court and unsettled its
business, f >r at the moment in ques
tion Mr. Shuttleworth, Clerk of Ar- '
raigns, was one of the persons who
were reading an evening journal.
Health Item.
About a year ago the smallpox pre
vailed to some extent in Austin, and
there were great apprehensions at the
time of the dreadful disease becoming
epidemic. It was during this excite
rnent that a sad-eyed colored man en
tered a pawnbroker arena on Austin
avenue with a blanket under his arm,
which he offered as collateral security
for a temporary loan of a dollar. The
contracting parties disagreed on finan
cial issues, the pawnbroker asserting,
with considerable positivenes3, that he
was inviting financial ruin to take
possession of him if he advanced more
than a slick quarter cn the blanktt,
while the negro stated if the times
were not so panicay $5 would be no
inducement for him to part with the
blanket. “Why, you are out of your
mind,” said the pawnbroker, running
his arm through a hole in the blanket
“it was not worth $3 when it was
new.” “I know dat, boss, but I hates
to part wid dat blanket on account oh
de tender recolecshuus connected wid
it.” “Eh?” exclaimed the alarmeti
pawnbroker. A pearly drop ran down
tlierdusty nose, and as he tried to swal
low a big lump the colored man said :
“Dat blanket belonged to my wife’s
mudder, who died yesterday wid de
smallpoxes, but yer can kab it for a
quarter.” People wondered why the
colored mau with a blanket came out
of the shop in haste, as if fired out of a
cannon, but he knew why. He
wanted to get a good start, so as to beat
a load of buckshot, with which the
pawnbroker was preparing to vaccin
ate him.
It is enough to make a Gorgon smile
to hear the youth wltu nineteen hairs
on hi^ upper ljp tell of the benefleia
adv«ntage of weariug a moastaelie,
widen strums the air of dust and im
purities before it enters the lungs.
The Guatemalan Boundary
Settled.
The boundary dispute between
t ie two Republics of Mexico and
Guatemala has been finally set
tled by the signing of a treaty con
firming M u xi ;an rights, in conformity
to ti e terms of the report of ,the j >int
boundary commission which was cre
ated five years ago. The territory in
dispute was the province of Soconusco,
in the State of Chiapas, and there
seems to have been no real ground for
the claims cf Guatemala, which were
so adroitly put forward last year by
Senor Montufar and Minister Logan
for no other apparent purpose than to'
induce the United Slates to siezs the
disputed territory as a foothold for
schemes of general annexation in the
future.
There has never been any q lestiou as
to the incorporation of C liapas with
the Mexican republic. When the Is'.li-
mian States declared their independ
ence of Spain in 1821 Chiapas joined
the movement of General Iturbide
and formally declared her separation
from Guatemala. In 1822 Guatemala
united w’ith Mexico, but the union
was dissolved the next year, and in
May, 1824, Chiapas, by a vote of her
junta, again declared her adherence to
Mexico, and the decision was con
firmed by a vote of the people in Sep
tember, Soconusco in,both instances
approving by the votes of her repre
sentatives and her people. Guatemala
twice attempted to occupy ihe c veted
territory by force, claiming Soconusco
as a S ate independent of Chiapes,
and in 1842 unsuccessfully appealed to
Eugland to interfere in her interest.
Soconusco is of no particular import
ance, having a population of only fl '•
teen thousand, but Guatemala per
sisted in her claims until 1877, when a
commission of engineers from the two
rival governments was created by
treaty to fix the boundary. When It
became apparent that the rights of
Mexico would be sustained, Senor
Montufat, at that time Minister of
Foreign Affairs and af yrward G afe-
malan Minister at Washington,
threatened war with Mexico and at
tempted, through Dr. Logan, to in
duce Secretary Blaine to commit the
United States to a policy of interfer
ence, just as the attempt had been
made, forty years before, to induce
England to interfere.
it was even suggested that Guate
mala would cede her interest in the
disputed territory to the United States,
provided our government would con
sent to occupy it. Secretary Blaine at
first favored friendly intervention,
but the suggestion of occupation lv>
our government and the certainty that
such a move would provoke war with
Mexico disclosed the reckless nature
of the Guatemalan intrigue and the
negotiations w r ere dropped. Within
five months of the failure of Senor
Montufar’s scheme in Washington the
j lint commission agreed upon the
boundary report which has now b;en
ratified by treaty. The report su-
tains the title of Mexico to the disputed
territory, and as there has never been
one valid argument urged against the
j istice of Mexico’s claim duriDg the
sixty years in which the dispute has
beeu pending it is fort mate that the
United States Government avoided on
intervention which would have been
totally unwarranted.
King George and Queen Olga.
G’orge I., “King of the Hellenes,’'"
—who, with his Q leen, is now stay
ing at Wiesbaden, whence he has
paid more than one visit to his
brotuer-in-law, the Prince of Wales,
at Homburg—is the third child of
their Majesties the King and Q leen
ot Denmark. He is about five feet
ten and a half inches in height,
straight and "well built; with ijght
complexion, light hair and eye#, regu-.
lar features, and an upper lip fringed
by a long, slender, blonde mustache,
i’he general expression of Ills counte
nance is that of easy, good-natured
indolence, and the face is a fair indi
cation of his characteristics. He reads
little; walks a good deal; rides fre
quently, and rides well; and in driv
ing out is nearly always accompanied
by the Q leen. In spring and autumn,
when the royal family are in Athens,
the Sunday afternoons are always de
voted to an excursion to Phalerum, a
bathing-place near the Pirteaa, and
separated from it only by a headland
which juts out into the hay. When
die Sundays are tine, the Q, leen and
their five children always accompany
his M-j ssty in an excursion on the
royal steam yacht, a long, sharp and
liaudsome vessel of high speed and
elaborate fittings.
i The lv’iig of Greece speaks English,
French, German, Greek and Danish.
Their M«j ?stiesin coaver-ing together
use the German language ; iu speak
ing with their children they employ
English, and they speak Greek to the
general household in the various royal
residences. Like all O.dental people,
the Greeks are fickle in their likes'and
dislikes; a trifle is sufficient to arouse a
popular demonstration of effusive loy
alty, while another trifle may cau ie
an icy coldne.33 to supervene. When
King George returned to Athens from
his tour around Europe two years ago,
his popularity was unbounded ; the
populace fondly believed his Maj sty
had brought back Thessaly aud Epirns
in the royal waistcoast-pocket, and
they were ready to acclaim him as the
regeuerator and restorer of The Hellen
ic 1 ingdom. Ar time roiled on, how
ever, and it became apparent that
their expectations regarding the re
sults of the royal pilgrimage to the
courts of E irope had been vastly ex
aggerated, a reverse current set in, aud
the unreasoning population became
disposed to lay all the blame of the
delays and disappointments in the
frontier questions upon the shoulders
of his Majesty.
Tier Majesty Queen O.ga, is, in al
most every respect the opposite of her
husband. She is above the middle
height, with a full, rounded figurei
dark hair and eyes, with a kindly
though very serious expression in her
intelligent countenance, which, al
though not beautiful, entitles her
Majesty to be classed amcDg the “good-
looking” ladies of Europe. Q leen
Olga is very easy and self-pcssessed in
her Rearing when in public, although
her manner clearly shows a desire to
please all who come near her; in pri
vate she is most charming in her
kiudiy interest in everything brought
to her notice; she is an early riser,
very devoted to her religious and
family duties, and ex ?eediugly chari
table in her general disposition. Her
Majesty is so devotedly conscientious
in her religious observances that she
almost merits the title of devotee, and
is so attached to her native Orthodox
Caurch as to be in danger of becoming
a bigot, were it n it for .her natural
kinduess of disposition, which pre
vents her ever falling into the s'ate of
uncbaritableness preceding the con
dition of “bigotry.” Her intimate
companions have often found her
in tears, and, upon respectfully de-
manding the cause, have received the
reply “that she felt overwhelmed with
the fear .that she was not doing her
full duty iu every respect, and faith
fully discharging all her heavy re
sponsibilities as a Christian Q teen.”
Her Hellenic Mijesty is very fond of
reading, and English literature is her
especial favorite. She is very well in
formed in the historical and poetical
productions of Anglo-Saxon pens.
Q ieen Olga speaks aud reads the Eng
lish, French, German, Greek and
Russian languages, the former with
special fl lency; and she paints very
welt in oils. The entourage of her
Majesty is Greek iu nationality, with
the ex ;eption of her secretary, who is
a Russian, She lias distinguished
herself for acts of charity, and, among
other good deeds, has established a t
flourishing school for tfte training of
nurses. Their Hellenic Mijesties have
five children—C mstantine, George,
Alexmdra, Nicholas aud Marie. The
Crown Prince is a very quiet, tho lght-
ful, studious child ; and, in fact, is so
devoted to his books that he has to lie
watched and made to take the needful
rest aud exercise necessary to pre
serve his health iu proper condition,
His p .rents frequently remonstrate
with him fir being so completely ab
sorbed in his studies ; and he is very
often detected with books secreted in
his jacket, which he proposes to pe
ruse while out In the palace grounds
ostensibly at play.
Vacation Summed Up.
During the past six weeks of sun ’
burn I have blistered aud peeled four
times, and come on deck this m >rn-
iug in my fifth set of new skin. Dur
ing that time I have covered the At
lantic coast pretty thoroughly, and
have made frequent incursions to the
interior for a change of fare. I have
caught everything, from Spanish
mackerel to malarial fever; killed
everything, from time to willet; eaten
everything, from corn cake to truffles;
seen everything, from a prelty girl iu
the Burf to an ugly one, which covers
the whole visual range; heard every
thing, from the song of a mosquito to
the roar of an ocean storm ; closed ftiy
vacation wi h ten days of and,
exhausted and dropsy, have%JBme to
seek rest iu my work. After ail there’H
no place like home aud no play like
work if your work is to your mind.
The Bursting ot the Mo isoon.
The expression, “Tue monsoon has
burst,” lias a meaning in it which
only those w'ho have lived in India
can fully understand. On the regular
“ bursting ” of the monsoon, the very
existence of the people of India may
be said to depend. But for the mon
soon, the whole country would perish
under its glaring sun ; and, during the
early days of Jane, Anglo Indians
look anxiously for the brief announce
ment of ifs coming. The southwest
monsoon sets in generally towards the
end of April, the steady wind sweep
ing up from the Indian ocean, and
carrying yvitli it dense volumes of va
por, which slowly collect in dark
masses of clouds a* they approach Ihe
continent. From Adam’s peak, in the
Isle of Spices, right along the eastern
and western Ghauts aud the Nilgiris,
every hill top is gradually shroud al in
mist, instead of standing out clear an 1
sharp against the sky. Darker and den
ser become the cloud masses ; thehori
zon assumes a heavy, leaden appear
ance, sometimes kindling into a lurid
glare, answering to the st use of oppres
sion, both mental an 1 pbysi ;al, which
accompanies it. The atmosphere be
comes “ close ” and oppressive alike to
man and beast; but the heat is borne
with patience, for relief is at hand.
Flashes of lightning play from c'oud
to cloud, aud a heavy thunder rever
berates through the heavens. The wind
suddenly springs up in a tempest, and
along the shore the white waves are
tossed in foam against the rocks or over
the burning sand. Then a few great
heavy drops of rain fill, like balls of
lead from the apparently leaden sky ;
the forked lightning is changed to
sheets of light, and suddenly the flood
gates of heaven are opened, and not
rain, but sheets of water are poured
forth, refreshing the parched earth,
carring fertility over the surface of the
country, filling the wells and natural
reservoirs with a fresh store, and re
plenishing the dwindling rivers aud
strea ms. The whole earth seems sud
denly recalled to life. Vegetation may
almost be seen to grow, and from the
baked mud of the river banks emerge
countless fishes, which for weeks or
months bef >re hive iain there in tor
por. The phenomena of the bursting
of the monsoon are repeated from hill
top to hill-top, till the whole country,
from Cape Comorin to Bombay and the
great plains beyond, is similarly visited.
Then follows a period of comparative
repose, during which the welcome
rains continue to fall, with but short
interval-, for three or four months,
invigorating aud refreshing ali things.
The Dispensary.
Making a Nose.—Although the
making of a new nose for a person de
prived of his natural organ of smelling
has beeu repea’edly undertaken with
success, it is a nice and diflu ;ult opera
tion ; and an attempt just made in
Vienna by Prof. Billroth, one of the
most distinguished surgeons of Aus-
tiia, to supply a soldier, who had been
frightfully mutilated in Bornia, with
an artificial nose, has attracted much
attention. The material for the new
organ was taken from the skin of the
forehead. The operation is reported
to have been entirely successful, and
with a supplementary shaping process
is expected to result in a nose that
cannot be distinguished from a natural
one.
Long Hours in School and
Studies at Home —Another eminent
physician of Germany, Professor Nuss-
baum, has just added his voice to the
now frequent protests of his colleagues
against the “superstition,” as he calls
it. “that long sitting on school
benches i3 any pledge for much learn
ing.” Dr. Nussbaum is the editor of
the popular domestic baud book of
meiliciue, Die kleine JJausajoothcke,
aud in the lastedition he emphatically
warns parents and teachers against
the misconception that the amount of
learning acquired by a child is to he
measured by the number .of hours
daily spent iu the process. “Long
hours iu school,” he says, “and even
ing lessons Ht home to prepare for the
next day’s schooling, are an over
straining of the physical and mental
powers of the greater number of chil
dren.” He is especially strong in his
condemnation of the system of home
lessons. “It is an error to suppose,”
he adds, “that an ordinary child really
acquires much more knowledge in
eight hours than in four hours.”
When the powers are fresh, active,
and unstrained, the process- of lriarm
iug goes on successfully, hut when
they are worn, limp, ana overtaxed,
next to nothing can be s vtisfaoiqrity
acqu red aud assimilat d by the/
I 1 -arm r
Nicotine Poisoning.—There Is a
warning iu the following statement
made in the New York Time*: “As the
profersor of microscopy in one of our
medical colleges dropped into an opti
cian’s store a gentleman of evidently
large wealth and fiuished in telleotual
culture was just leaving the office
with a cigar between his lips. He
was a wealthy. amateur, and had se
lected a valuable microscope, using a
drop of blood from his own finger as a
test object. The instrument was still
adjusted, and the slide still beneath
the lens. The professor glanced at it;
then moved the slide to and fro, so as
to study one field after another; theh
counted a few fields, and made a
rapid computation. The optician-
looked on in astonishment. “Teat
gentleman is one of cur best custo
mers,’ he said: ‘buys more heavily
than a half doz m professors.’ ‘And
this is a drop of his blood? inquire!
the man of science, musingly. The
purveyor of lenses assented. ‘Very
well,’ replied the professor, ‘tell your
best customer, if you can without im
pertinence, that unless he stops smok
ing at cnce he has not many months
to live.’ But he did not stop. A few
weeks later he went to Europe, think
ing a sea voyage might recruit his
wasted energies. In a few weeks
more his death was announced by
telegram from Paris, where the doctors
styled his disease a general breaking
up.”
Time.
Human ingenuity cannot make time.
It can only invent methods of measur
ing tb'e hours and minutes as they
pass. When the earth was young,
shadows cast by sun-beams noted the
passing hours. From these sprang the
sun-dial, which answered while the
sun shone, bat failed when the sky
was cloudy. Then the water-clocks,
or clepsydne, as they are technically
known, came into use. By these,
Athenian orators were wont to time
their speeches 2,000 years ago.
After the water clock came the hour
glass of running sand, and for 300
years this was the common method of
Pleasuring time. Even fifty years ago
it was employed in churches to inform
the elder” when he had preached
enough.
Meanwhile various rude forms of
clocks had been constructed, but not of
much use. Not until the invention of
the ‘ pendulum in the mi idle of the
seventeenth century, and its applica
tion to the clocks, did they become
reliable. The clocks and watches of
to-day are so numerous an! cheap that
nearly every school-boy can afford to
carry a “time-piece.”
Yet all the clocks aud watches in the
world cannot tell the time of day un
less regulated with the sun. They
merely show the amount of passing
time. The sun shows what time it is,
whether morning, noon, or night.
Scrange mistakes are often made by
relying solely on clock-time. A party
of travelers, not long ago,%were on
their way west through Arizona.
Arriving at Yuma at 8 o’clock, railroad
time, they were surprised to find the
dining-room clock indicating an hour
earlier. Sail mors were they sur
prised, after having leisurely eaten
breakfast, to learn, on embarking
again, that it was but eix o’clock.
S.range, they thought; arrive at
eight; breakfast at seven, aud leave at
six! Two hours gain! But the clocks
were right. The first kept Jefferson
City (Mo.) time; the second was Yuma
time, and ftie last was San Francisco
time.
Places eait and west of each other
cannot have the same time. Only
those directly north and south are
thus favored. Could a man con
tinually travel around the earth, keep
ing with the sun, he might live his
alloted space of “three score years, aud
ten” within a single day, for the sun
would never rise or set to him. It
would always he day.
Yet even then he could not make
time. He could not prolong his life,
nor give to the world more hours.
The only M'ay to make time is to make
use of it, every moment as it comes.
Time once gone is gone forever,
whether the clock says so or not.
In seeking for a substance which
would destroy the microscopic .ani
mals in water without injuring it for
drinking purposes, Dr. Langfeldt
found that citric acid (one-half
gramme to every litre of the water)
killed all the living organisms, except
Cyclops and those with thick epider
mis within two minutes.
“Adolphus, let us leave the avenue
aud stroll along the margin of the
river.” “Not any, dear Evangeline.
No more margins for me ”