Newspaper Page Text
A£i.TC«e:aift £A£U
The Covington Star.
j. W. ANDERSON, Editor and Propretor.
France lias 15,000 sclioolma’ams out
of work and unmarried. And yet,
soofft the New York Press,Frenchmen
arc popularly supposed to be a gallant
lot.
Oliver Wendell Holmes has just in
rented two more words—“pseudo*
pa by” and “pseudotherapy”—one sig
nifyi |, S' tl)0 fl uack scicuce °f disease,
im j the other the quack method of
healing. _
The New York Telegram alleges
that “Owing to the competition of tho
Southern States, twenty-three blast
furnaces in Pennsylvania have been
shat down and about 10,000 men
thrown out of employment.
The largest olive-oil factory in tho
world will soon bo built at Lo-t*
Guilicos, in Sonoma County, Cal. The”
p'aiit will cost a quarter of a million.
The company has sixty acres of six¬
year- fold trees, and is planting 700
acres.
Judge Graves of Emporia, ruled in
lease the other day in tho Lyon
County Court that tho words “with
ixchango” destroyed the negotiability
of a promissory note. It is a question
that lias never been decided in Kansas
before.
Minnesota’s now amendment to the
Constitution, the Boston Transcrip*
discovers,, simply allows the Legisla¬
te to empower, if it chooses, all
juries in the state to return verdicts,
after not less than six hours of de¬
liberation, according to tho wishes of
ten men.
It is a curious fact in connection
with Denmark, soliloquizes the New
York World, that, while cremation is
making headway throughout Europe,
and is daily gaining more advocates
among the broader thinkers, the Su¬
preme Court of that country has just
prohibited tho practice.
In July next a fleet i9 to sail from
Melbourne, Australia, under command
of Baron Nordenskjold, to explore all
that is i ossiblc in the Antarctic Seas.
The Baron has already d&no wonders
in the exploration of Arctic waters,
snd lie may well hope to add to his
laurels in the South, provided his ex¬
pedition is well equipped.
The suppression of Monte Cavio is
discussed periodically whenever there
is an unusual number of suicides of
accustomed gamblers, cynically ob¬
serves the San Francisco Chronicle,
but nothing is ever done, Tho -wheel
of fortune goes on just the same, and
the world forgets the poor victims
j before the traditional nine days of
I the life of a sensation is ended.
Major Bacon, a Georgia lawyer, has
just discovered that an unrepealed
statute of 17G3 requires the preachers
of (lie State to read from their pulpits,
four times annually, the public Jaw s.
so that lire people may understand
them. Of course the statute was the
I ; work New count able If tt cut this jurists York upon prices. of view the Telegram, getting hold is Colonial sustained, that Georgia other it is Assembly, comments still States preachers binding. may but the
The New York World says: About
thirty* years ago there were eleven
millionaires in this city, and twenty
in the whole counlrv. Among tho
Eleven New Yorkers were only two
■
native born, four were Germans, two
Scotchmen, two Frenchmen and one • j
Hebrew. Today we have over one
: thousand millionaires in New York :
over five thousand* in the United
Slates. But then, the number of pau
PE's and one-dollar-a-day men has in. ,
treased to over twelve millions.
The trade of New York strikingly ;
Exemplifies its importance as the mc
Uo l lo lis of tho new world, boasts the
-'sirs of that city. Of the total for
^S 11 export trade 41 1-2 per cent, bo- i
imports J oa S to New York city. Of the total
of tho country 64 per
enter it through New York city. I
AHdeil together and compared with tho
t0tal foreign trade of the oftHnTTv.
C iiau o't'iiiFTfolTiie total exports |
•
an 'i imports of New York belong to
New York city. There are not more
•Han five cities in the world that do a
trade comparable to this. “YYli>, ,,, ;
as ks the N cws, “should we not there- j
fore promoto every undertakiiig
brid ges. tunnels, railways, everything
tlia t facilitates transportation and
brin S s ns in closer and quicker coll¬
ect with ihe rest of the country?”
THE DETECTIVE’S SOKKOW.
. ‘BVhat are the findings in the case? t n
[Dqnired bur glarv a decision. detective of the attorney in a
‘ .Mighty little had to do
M-h, that vou de¬
' H as the cruel reply, and the
went out to s ck comfort, if p ( >s- -
8<ar, he might ° find it .—[Washington
To the Unattainable.
Dear, how many the songs I bring to you,
Woven of dream-stuffs, pleasure and pain,
All the songs of my life I sing to you,
And you hear, and answer again.
Though no rhyme do your dear lips say to
me,
Tet, my poet, sweet songs you bring;
When you smile then the angels play to me
Tunes to the silent songs you sing.
All my soul goes forth iu a song to you,
All my deeds for your sake are done,
All my laurels and bays belong to you,
In your name are my battles won.
Just by living you make my life dear to me,
Though your lips never speak my name;
'Tis your hands that in dreams appear to
me,
Bringing me all that I ask of fame.
YY’liat though here you are wholly lost to
me,
Though you never will know or see,
Though life’s pain be this worship’s cost to
me.
Am I not richer than great kings he?
Have I not you,in the holiest heart of me—
You, in the eyes which see you alone?
Shall I not rise to your soul, which is part of
me,
Till you shall meet me and know your
own?
—[E. Nesbitt in Longman’s Magaziue.
A FAMOUS DUEL.
The duel which gave the field of
Blade.’isburg, near Washington, its
greatest and world-wide notoriety was
that of James Barron and Stepheu
Decatur, both (fficers in the United
States Navy, on the 22d of March,
1820. In the long and bloody record
of the code inscribed upon the history
of the first half century of our national
existence, this melancholy and unfor¬
tunate affair ranks second only to that
in which the lamented Hamilton lost
his life at YVcehawken in 180-1. At
the time of his death Stephen Decatur
was the most brilliant and conspicuous
figure in the American navy, and few
men in any,of the walks of public life
attracted a larger share of public at¬
tention or had a stronger hold upon
the allections of the people, II is
domestic relations were as happy and
charming as his public career was
brilliant. On Lafayette square in
Washington he built the commodious
and elegant mansion which still bears
his name. Here were displayed the
irbphies'of his prowess and glory.
Here the accomplished wife who adored
him dispensed a hospitality as refined
and elegant as it was hearty—reigned
the queen of a circle that for brilliancy
and accomplishments has never been
exceeded in Washington.
To the careful reader who follows
the long correspondence between tho
two the conclusion is almost irresisti¬
ble that although the challenged party,
Decatur was, in fact, the aggressor.
The culmination of the quarrel be¬
tween the two men was the result of a
long series of events extending
through several years, Singularly
enough, its origin may he found in
certain events largely instrumental in
bring on the war of 1812. In 1807
Barron, who had attained the rank of
Commodore, was placed in command
of the United States frigate Chesa
peake. It was just when our affairs
with France had assumed their most
threatening aspect—when war with
that power seemed imminent, The
vessel, after undergoing hasty repairs,
had been hurriedly manned, provi¬
sioned and ordered to sea. Her decks
wero encumbered with stores, and
her crew were undrilled in their new
quarters and duties, Just out from
tho port of Norfolk it was overhauled
by the British ship Leopard of fifty
guns, whose commander demanded
certain alleged British deserters said
to be among the crew of the Amer
ican. Barron refused to surrender tho
men, and thereupon the Leopard
opened fire, killing three and wound
ing eighteen of the Chesapeake’s men.
Wholly unprepared for action, the lat
ter vessel was forced to strike her col
ors, though her crew managed to fire,
one gun by a coal brought from the
cook’s galley. Thereupon the British
com mander boarded the American and
carried off tho alleged deserters. His
action was afterwards repudiated
by his Government, the men w ere rc
stored to the Chesapeake, and a money
indemnity was paid.
upon our flag excited
universal and burning indignation in
the public mind. A court, of inquiry
was or •dered to investigate the affair,
and upon its recommendation Barron
was tried by a court martial. By that
body he wa8 found guilty and su pend
^ rank ftnd pa y for a period of
five years. There is little doubt now
that this sentence was wholly unde
served; that the fault lay not with the
commander whose vrssei went to sea
unprepared for acton, but with the
superior officer who issued the ill
timed order. As lifts o often been the
case public clamor denanded a victim,
and Barron must need be offered up.
Decatur was a menuer of both the
ronrt of inquiry and tie court martial.
, Ban0 n be level he ill lid hO. b„™
COVINGTON, GEORGIA. TUESDAY, MARCH IT 1891
.
served on the latter after having
formed and expressed an opinion in
tho former. After his suspension
Barron went abroad and remained
away for a number of years. When
the war of 1812 was over he returned
to this country and applied for restora¬
tion to active service in the navy, the
term of his suspension having expired.
This application Dooatur, now in
the zenith of his power, opposed with
all his influence. The first in the long
series of communications which passed
between the parties was from Barron
to Decatur, dated Hampton, Va., June
12, 1819. He writes:
“Sir: I have been informed in
Norfolk that you could insult mo with
impunity, or words to that effect. If
you have said so, you will, no douh«.
avow it, and I shall expect to hear
from you. I I
Decatur replied:
“Sir: I have received your com¬
munication of the 12th instant. • • •
Whatever I have thought or said in
the very frequent and free conversa¬
tions I have had respecting you and
your conduct, I feel a thorough con¬
viction that I never could have been
guilty of so much egotism as to say
that I could insult you (or any other
man) with impunity.”
From this point the correspondence
continued at great length, and with
ever-increasing asperity on both sides;
yet through it all one cannot but let
his sympathy go out to Barron. He
was broken by years of ill health and
bowed down by the weight of a sen¬
tence which he felt to be unjust. He
was so nearsighted that to his friends,
if not to himself, an encounter with
pistols must have seemeu the sheerest
madness. It was to this infirmity he
alluded when he wroie: “All I de
maud is to be placed upon equal
grounds with you; such as two honor¬
ific men may decide upon as being
just and proper.” Continuing he says:
“You have hunted me out; have per
secuted me with all the power and in¬
fluence of your office, and have de¬
clared your determination to drive me
from the navy if I should make any
effort to be employed; and for what |
purpose or from what other motive
than to obtain mv rank I know not.
If my life will give it to you, you
shall have an opportunity to take it
And now, sir, I have only to add that
if you will make known your deter¬
mination and the name of your friend,
I will give that of mine in order to
complete the necessary arrangements
to a final close of this affair.”
Decatur evidently did not intend to
give the oilier the slight advantage of
being tho challenged party, for lie
writes in reply: “I reiterated to von
that I liavo not c.iallengcd, nor do I
intend to challenge you. * * * It
is evident that you think, or your
friends for you, that a fight will help
you but in fighting you wish to incur
,
the least possible risk, Now, sir, not
believing that a fight of this nature
wifi raise me at all in public estima¬
tion, but may even havo a contrary
effect, I do not feel at all disposed to
remove the difficulties that lie in our
way If we fight it must be of your
seeking; and you mu t take all the
risk and all tho inconvenience which
usu ally attend the challenger in such
j cases.” It is a singular fact in that
(])jg UI1 f 01 . tuna te affair no directly
I •ded challenge ever passed between
j woi
the parties. In reply to the foregoing
Barron wrote:
“Sir: Your letter of the 29th ulti
mo I have received, In it you say
that you have now to inform me that
you shall pay no further attention to
any communication that I may make
tQ other than a direct call to the
fio]d; jn answe rto which I have only to
ly that whenever you will consent
({) meet rae on fair and equal grounds,
that ig) gucb as two honorable men
may con6 ider just and proper, y ou are
at ]’ iber ty to view this as a call. The
w]l0 | C tenor of your conduct to me
j u8ti fi es this course of proceeding on
part. As for your charges and
niy not, particu¬
remarks, I regard them
larly vour sympathy. You know not
such n feeling. I cannot be suspected
of making the attempt to excite it.”
To this Decatur replied:
“Sir: I have received your com
munication of the lGth, and am at a
loss to know what your intention is.
If you intend it as a challenge, I ac
cept it and refer you to mv r friend
authorized by regards
arran gements he pleases, as
weapons, mode or distance.” This
note was dated Jan. 24. 1820, and the
fact that several weeks intervened be
tween it and the fatal meeting would
8ccn i to indicate that some difficulty
; W as oxpei •ienced by the seconds i n
ranging such terms as would put
the parties upon something .-e .i an
a „d equal footing. It was inn >
Lg. eed that the weapons g should be
iA'»>. »«-l e eight paces.
It was further settled, in concession
to Barron’s infirmity, that each party
after being placed should raise his
pistol and tako deliberate aim at the
other before the word to fire should
be given.
Few words were spoken after they
took their positions. Barron said:
U Sir, I hope on meeting in another
world we shall be better friends than
in this.” To which Decatur respond¬
ed: “I have never been your enemy,
sir.” At the word both fired, appar¬
ently at the same instant, and both
fell. It was first thought that Decatur
was killed, but after a Httle while he
revived somewhat.
William Wirt, who was then Attor¬
ney-General of the United States, aud
who had tried to prevent the meeting,
writing a few days later of the melan¬
choly ntlair, says; “Decatur was ap¬
parently shot dead; lie revived, how¬
ever, after a while, and lie and Barron
had a parley as they lay on the ground.
Dr. Washington, who got up just then,
says that it reminded him of the clos¬
ing scene of a tragedy—Hamlet and
Laertes. Barron proposed that they
should make friends before they met
in heaven (for he supposed they would
both die immediately). Decatur said he
had never seen his enemy, that ho
freely forgave him his deaii—though
he could not forgive those who had
stimulated him to seek his life. One
report says that Barron exclaimed:
“Would to God you had said this much
yesterday! It is certain that the
parley was a friendly one, and that
they parted in peace. Deqatur knew
he was to die, and his only sorrow was
that he had not died in tho service of
his country.
Decatur was placed in iris carriage
and taken to his homo in Washington,
where he died that night at 11 o’clock.
Among tlioso who followed Iris re¬
mains to the tomb were the President
of the United States, the members of
his Cabinet, the Foreign Ministers re¬
sident at Washington, and many other
distinguished officers and citizens.
After a long and tedious illness
Barron recovered from his wound,
but he was never restored to active
duty, passing tho remainder of his ser¬
vice on shore duty and waiting orders.
He became senior officer of the navy
in 1839, aud died in Nofrolk in 1851,
thirty years after the fatal duel. — [Ma¬
gazine of American History.
A Wonderful Submarine Boat.
A submarine boat is being con
struefed at the Detroit boat works
which promises realization of Jules
Vernes’ dream of the Nautilus, The
builders have-, been ordered to keep
quiet, but it was '^learned design was on ’’eliable silSmil
authority that the
ted to Secretary YWntney, and he , H( j
about completed ..rra^ge|^ c ^*J'2iiSrtd,
when Secretary Tracy succeeded him
and wo rk was stopped, The boat is
like a double pointed cigar, It is
forty feet over all, sixteen feet from
top to bottom, and nine feet beam.
The motive power, electricity, is a
storage battery and the boat can be
submerged by simply turning a switch.
The craft is built of G-inch oak and,
instead of being sinkable of itself,
will immediately float.
Motion is given by screw propellers
Oil either side, which work on a
movable bevel shaft. The inventor’s
assistant claims tho motion can be so
guaged by (lie screw that the boat will
remain at any depth and easily make
a speed of ten miles an hour. Uulike
oilier boats which require ballast to
sink them, and are liable to stay sub¬
merged by the breaking of the engine,
this one would immediately rise to the
top if anything should break, the mo¬
tion cA the screw being all that holds
it down.
The boat can be sunk, either bow
fit st or bottom first, by changing tho
angle on which the screws are set. It
is claimed that the air in the boat will
last two men twenty-four hours with
the aid of chemicals to purify it. The
inventor has money enough to com¬
plete the boat.— [YY ashington Star.
The Fool of the Future.
“I believe,” said Dr. James E. Sul
livan • . tliat in time a chemical food
will be invented or discovered upon
which the human race will subsist.
It has been demonstrated that a clean¬
er and purer article of food can be
made from cjeinicais than the average ;
_ . in use, and it is in my
P«fce, food .uch
milk is to an infant, will bo pioduccd
at some time, and that all the natural
foods will be considered superfluous.
Important Consideration.
Fledgely—I love you. Alice! will
,
you be mine?
Alice— YY’hat are your ideas regard¬
ing rings?
Fledgely—Diamonds.
Alice—Take me.—[JcwclerY Cir¬
cular.
FARMERS’ ALLIANCE.
A Succinct Account of the Or¬
der’s Origin.
The First Meeting Held In West¬
ern New York In 1875.
Tho story of the origin of the Farm¬
ers’ Alliance as told by E. P. Root, of
New York, who claims to have been
with it at the commencement, is about
this: “In January, 1875, a call was
issued by the Western New York
Fanners’ Club for a meeting of the
fanners of Munroe county at Roches¬
ter, to organize a farmers’ association.
Early in February following, the
meeting assembled and effected an or¬
ganization, with constitution and by¬
laws, to be known as the Farmers’ Al*
liance. Its chief object was to effect
legislation in the interest of the agri¬
culturist, not by distinct party action,
but through each political party to se¬
cure nomination and election of candi¬
dates pledged to support such just and
equal laws as would bear on the inter¬
ests of agriculture; also to secure
equal representation of the farm*
ing class in tho Legislature of the
State. The first organization embraced
only Monroe county and could be of
no general benefit. Ileuce, within a
short period wo issued a call for a
meeting for State organization at
Rochester, which brought together re¬
presentative farmers from other parts
of the State, and a State alliance was
organized on the model of the county
alliance, with recommendation to form
county alliances throughout the State.
The first annual meeting thereafter
was held at Syracuse, N. Y., when the
first Alliance address wus given by the
President. The objeofs specially aimed
at were—a reform in assessment and
taxation, equal railroad freights to
shippers, and, especially, pro rata
freights to all way freightage taking
extra cost of handliug, the enactment
of laws to authorize co-opevalivo farm
insurance, together with other reform
in legislation, and to favor equal rep*
resentation in the law-making power
of the State. The second President
elected was Hon. Harris Lewis, of
Montgomery county, representing the
eastern portion of the Slate, and mak¬
ing the interest of the Alliance extend
throughout the State. This organiza¬
tion extended to other States, and in
1878 or 1879 a call was made for a
national meeting fo be held at Chicago.
At that meeting a. Monroe county
farmer, W. J. Fowler, who gave
iustnvttions in Alliance work,
was elected President, From that
onward the organizaton spread
tlv.’Vrtigliout tho West and South until
it lias become an acknowledged power
in the political status of these States.
It has been claimed by some Western
writer that the Fanners’ Alliance had
its birth at Chicago, when Fowler was
elected President of tho National Al¬
liance, but this State organization had
been running some four years prior to
the Chicago meeting. A. A. Hopkins
gave name to the organization, of
which fact I have personal know¬
ledge, having been a member of tho
committee with Mr. Hopkins
that reported name and con3litu
tion for the association.—[Courier
Journal.
Keeping the Rooms Sweet.
Those who do “light housekeeping,”
as it is termed, in small rooms, where
they must sleep, cook and eat, often
complain that in spite of continual
airings there is a disagreeable odor.
One nice way to rid yourself of it is
this: After the usual morning’s airing
take a shovel, or iron dish, and make
a close pile of bits of paper, and on
top sprinkle grated orange peeling, or
tiny broken pieces of it. Then set it
on fire and let it burn slowly, or as
long as it will. Save and dry your
orange peelings for this purpose, as it
imparts a delightful, fragrant odor to
a room. By the way, a very small oil
stove will not only heat a little room,
but more cooking can be done on it
than is generally supposed. A lady
whose home is one “hall bedroom,’’
has made a beautiful little sitting room
out of it aud heats it with a 75-cent
oil stove. It costs her 25 cents a week,
as she burns that amount of astral oil.
She can also cook a small chicken on
this stove and recently stewed one de¬
liciously by putting it in a deep oval
dish. Oval shaped dishes are best to
cook in whenever the small one-wicked
stove is of the same shape.—[New
York News.
He Had a Bill.
— First Swell—Here comes T Lunncnt, .
„ the tailor. , .. He looks i i as if lie , intended . . , ,
, to speak , to , us.
Second Swell (nervously)-Lct’s
turn into this side street and hide fn
some alley-way. I—I don’t like to
York associate with people iu trade.—[New
YY'eeklv.
VOL. XVII NO. 12
An Onyx Ledge Found by thnncc.
A rich discovery of onyx was made
during the last of the year. It came
about in a pecular way,and has caused
much interest, especially as in the
known world up to this time there are
but threo onyx mines. One of these
is in Mexico, and onyx from it is used
by Lucky Baldwin to face the counter
of his $2,000,000 hotel at San Fran¬
cisco. One of the other mines is in
Missouri, but the vein is small, The
third is in Germany, and is now about
exhausted. Tho discovery here was
therefore at a most opportuue time.
During the closing days of the ex¬
position at Spokano Falls, State of
Washington, It. F. Beale, a sculptor
and marble dealer of that city, noticed
among the exhibits from Douglass
county a peculiar looking bit of rock.
He picked it up, examined" it, aud
asked some questions about it. Tho
man in charge said it was merely
crystalized limestone, pretty to look
at, hut would not mako good lime.
Mr. Beale looked it over again aud be¬
gan to be impressed with the fact that
it was onyx and that, too, of a most
superb kind. He divulged liis con¬
viction to no one, hut made careful
inquiry and found that it came from
near AY’enalcliie.
Impressed with tho fact that there
was a big bonanza in it, he struck out
for Wenatchie, over 100 miles away.
Without much difficulty ho found tho
formation of which he was in search.
He discovered along a reef of rocks
several small caves in which were
numerous stalactites. Breaking them
off he found them to be onyx of a line
quality. He took specimens back with
him, polished them and exhibited them
to capitalists. During the last of No¬
vember he returned again, He had
discovered that the ledge was on 320
acres of unsurveyed laud, and he aud
others took up claims.
It is said that the onyx is equal to
any ever found, and that it wi l be de¬
veloped steadily. Should the discov¬
ery provo what it is believed to bo, its
value will transcend that of any silver
or gold mine in the West, however
rich. Millions of dollars would not
more than express it.—[Seattlo (Wash¬
ington) Telegraph.
The Lady and tho Leopards’ Heads.
A passenger in a Brooklyn street
car the other day was surprised, not
to say startled, on glancing up from
the newspaper lie was reading,at seeing
opposite him in tho car and just over
the top of his paper tho yellow-and
black head of an enormous leopard.
The animal’s ears were laid back and
its lips drawn apart in an ugly snarl
thut showed its long white teeth, and
its blazing yellow eyes glared fiercely
at the astonished passenger. The man
dropped his newspaper rather sudden¬
ly and was confronted by another pair
of staring, yellow eyes and more
gleaming teeth. His surprise was
very evident, for ho had been com¬
pletely absorbed in his newspaper, but
he quickly recovered and smiled when
he saw a very pretty pink and whito
human face between tho leopards’
heads. The heads formed part of the at¬
tire and not a small part ot the adorn¬
ment of a pretty young lady. They
were real leopards’ heads, the fur a
bright yellow, dotted over with big
black rings, and they had belonged to
two full-grown animals. One was
made into a cap, which fitted closely
over the lady’s head. The upper row
of sharp teeth, two of which wero
about an inch and a half long, nearly
touched her forehead, while the great
yellow eyes glared fiercely down from
the crown of her head. The other
head, which was a little larger and of
even more ferocious aspect, was made
into a muff. Both were exceedingly
lifelike, aud the effect was quite novel,
and at first glance rather startling.
The same lady was seen tho next day
wearing a wrap made of leopard skin,
and the man who had seen the heads
found himself wondering if there was
not perhaps an interesting story of the
lady’s prowess as a huntress connected
with the trophies she wore.—[New
York Sun.
Judicial Robes Come High.
There is a little old woman ir.
YY'ashington who enjoys all tho gossip
about the going out aud coming in of
justices of the supreme court. She is
the court milliner, and for 30 or 40
years has made the gowns which tho
judges wear on the bench. Justice
Brown vyas sworn in in a borrowed
gown, liis own not being ready, Tho
old woman had taken the measure¬
ment, and probably could have had
the gown ready if pushed to i%
but she does not believe in doiusr
things 55 in haste. For each of tliese
i new gowns, ° made cf black silk, she is
paid $100, and hef profit is about
Just why the fee is $100 no one
knows, except this is the sum that
tradition calls for, and tradition is
everything in the fnpretne court.—
*
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.
Among the astronomical attractions
of the new year will bo two eclipses
of each the sun and tho moon and a
transit of Mercury across the sun’s
face.
The brain of the elephant is remark¬
ably small, not moro than one-twenty
third a3 largo as that of a human
being in proportion to the weight of
both.
The electric light of 20,000,000 can
dlo power in the lighthouse at Hanst
holm, coast of Jutland, said to he the
most powerful light in the world, is
now lighted for service.
Two Belgian physicians, a3 the re*
suit of their consultations, have come
to the conclusiih that widowers and
widows are md fie liable to consump¬
tion than either married people or
people who have never been married.
The committee appointed last Sep¬
tember to inquire into the causes of
the abnormally high mortality in Ma¬
dras, India, have reported that the
water supply and diainage are defec¬
tive.
Professor Young of Princeton, N.
J., College lias been awarded the valu¬
able Janssen prize for 1890 by tho
French Academy of Sciences in
recognition of his brilliant discoveries
in spectrology.
Sounding in tho Black sea shows
that beyond a dept of six hundred
feet the water is so impregnated with
sulphuretted hydrogen gas, emanat¬
ing from decaying animals and vegeta¬
ble matter, that living organisms are
not found there.
After ten years of construction, an
elaborate telephone system, connecting
all the forts and military establish¬
ments of Belgium with the city of Ant¬
werp, has just been completed. The
system was specially devised to prevent
the tapping of the lines by an enemy
in time of war.
Henri Piepcr has invented a new
and very simple incandescent lamp. A
thin, pointed rod of carbon placed
vertically, rests upon two horizontal
copper rods about a quarter of an
inch apart and forms a bridge between
them. The current passes between tho
copper rods through the carbon ren¬
dering it incandescent. Springs move
the copper rods slightly wlion the car¬
bon is consumed and prevents the
breaking of tho circuit.
Old-time Hospitality in California.
Besides instructing the natives and
incidentally fulfilling tho duties of par¬
ochial clergy, the Missions extended
a bountiful hospitality to all travelers
and wayfarers. Planted at intervals
of about a day’s, journey, on the nat¬
ural route of travel along the coast,
they became the usual resting-placo
for all tavelcrs in either direction.
Horses wero the only means of locomo.
tion, and at the ei^d of his hard day’s
ride the weary traveler stopped at the
door of the Mission building as nat¬
urally, and with as little thought of
intrusion, as one might now at a pub¬
lic hotel. Throwing his rein to an In¬
dian arriero, he was received by the
missionary priest, or in liis absence
by the sacristan, with the patriarchal
hospitality that Abraham extended to
Lot. A bath was provided, foil wed
by a plentiful meal and a comfortable
bed. lie was at liberty to stay as
long as his convenience required, aud
on leaving was provided with a fresh
horse aud directions, or, if needed, •
guide, for liis further journey. Per¬
haps it is a tradition from these early
days, but travelers still speak kindly
of tho hospitality of California.—
[Century. )
* ^
A Remarkable Accident.
A curious accident happened, in th<
autumn of 1389, during a trial of 4
second-class torpedo boat belonging to
I the Danish Government. The boat
was running at full speed in a moder¬
ate sea, with the usual number of men
on board, when, without warning, she
rolled over and sank. Both engineer
and fireman were closed in their com
partmeut. Tho engineer, Angelo Ben¬
son, was standing just forward of hit
engine, and, as he felt tho listing oi
the boat, he grasped the handle of the
hatch, meaning to open it; but thq
boat went over, and, just as he wat
about to escape, the oil tank was
emptied on his Lead, nearly sufloeating
him.
Upon recovery, Benson found that
tho rush of water was too great to al¬
low liis escape. So ho coolly waited
until the interior of the boat was
filled, and then palled himself through
tl.c hatchway and strucL out for the
surface, where he found.several of the
crew swimming about and waiting to
be relieved. The accident was due to
some error in the distribution of
weights. The boat was raised, rear
ranged, and is now doing good service*
— [Youth's Compani on.
