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The last census in New Zealand re-
reals the interesting fact of a profes¬
sion of religion on the part of no less
than ninety-five per cent, of the whole
population.
The New York Commercial Adver-
ieer estimates that foreign noblemen
have married $44,175,000 American
dollars and their debts £jre net all paid
yet. _
Ten years ago there was in New
York city 96,402 buildings—houses
stores, hotels, theatres, stables, and
public department buildings. Tliisyeai
there are 114,500—au increase of 18,-
000 .
It does not follow, remarks the iNew
York Herald in its Paris edition, that
because Mr. Stanley is to be marriec
he has resolved not to return to Africa.
In both Sir Samuel Baker’s expedi¬
tions he was accompanied by Lady
Baker, and twice her shrewdness saved
the expe dition.
_
Maryland is about to erect a shaft tc
the memory of Leonard Calvert, the
first governor of that state. The ex¬
act location of the burial-place being
in doubt, a granite column will be
raise on a blulFoverlooking St. Mary’s
City, in the county of that name, where
Calvert landed in 1634.
In the orange Free state in Africa
the system of education is national,
not compulsory nor free, except tc
poor children. In 1889 there were 4S
government schools, inclusive of twe
higher schools, with 2139 pupils and
74 teachers. There is one good public
library and small libraries in several
villages. The state has only four
papers.
The English government expects tc
save nearly $50,000 a year by using
jute instead of hemp twine in the post-
office departments throughout that
* country, for making up bags and par¬
cels, the co6t of jute being only one-
half that of liemp twine. This exam¬
ple is likely to be generally imitated,
predicts the Brooklyn Citizen, and maj
in time effect the market for hemp.
Doctors say that Americans rush toe
much and eat too fast, but when they
are asked for, figures, asserts the De¬
troit Free Press, they can’t show them.
On the contrary, the English, who
never rush, and who eat as though
they had all day to a meal, suffer with
dyspepsia twenty-eight per cent, more
than Americans, and the average age
at which business men die is five per
cent, below the hustling Yankee.
'* The Apache has succeeded in be¬
aming a crack shot with the Winches¬
ter, but this latest accomplishment,
according to the fan Francisco Chroni¬
cle, puts all others in the shade. lie
has evidently mastered the heliograph
method of signals, so much more
effect!^ than the old-fashioned signal
fires. With a few cheap-looking
glasses a firfc system of coinmunica-
tion may be kept up between the bands
Of renegades.
“honography is fast becoming one
of the standard branches of educatiou
in Great Britain. From returns made,
though incomplete, it appears that in
the first quarter of this year the teach¬
ers of phonography had under in¬
struction in the whole of Great Britain
34,739 males and 3,023 females, mak¬
ing a total of 37,767, while the num¬
ber under instruction during the whole
of last year was 44,730. A large por¬
tion of the pupils were in what are
termed “board schools.”
The Pittsburg Chronicle says: The
Paris edition of the New York Herald
quotes Dr. Brown-Sequard as main¬
taining that to cut one’s head off' is an
almost painless operation. You begin
with your throat and as soon as you
have cut a little way into the windpipe
all pain ceases, and you can go ou and
cut through the whole neck, with the
exception of the spine, without being
made uncomfortable. The painless
part of the process seems to be over¬
looked by those persons who make
their exit from this world by severing
their windpipe. They usually stop
when that is done ; - and then expire,
without enjoying the rest of the pro¬
cess, the painless and comfortable
part. Suicides by the throat-cutting
operation should bear this in miad
and cut off* the head entirely, thus see-
ing the whole show for the price of
single ticket.
Vhc prefect of Iiustchuk (Bulgaria)
has caused the following to be pla¬
carded: “As so many foreign vaga¬
bonds coine to explore our purses,
this is to give notice that no foreign
actor is to be allowed to give any the¬
atrical representation, and that no
wandering musician is to be permitted
to traverse this country.” The conse¬
quence is that Rustchuk has now no
emusement of any kind.
Dom Pedro, Ex-Emperor of Brazil,
on one occasion wished to found a
hospital and, funds being a little low,
he hit upon the expedition of en¬
nobling any citizen who would con¬
tribute a certain sum to the hospital
fund. He soon found that half of
Rio was anxious to possess a title and
money poured in from every side.
When the hospital was finished the
Emperor caused to be sculptured
above the gates a Latin legend signi-
fyiug: “Human Vanity to Human
Misery.”
The following blood-curdling notice
is posted in all the stations of the
Eastern Bengal Railway: “Pass-
engers are hereby cautioned against
taking anything to eat or drink from
unknown persons, as there are many
who live by poisoning travellers.
They first of all court acquaintance
with passengers in a sarai or some
other place, and then gain their confi¬
dence on the plea of being fellow-trav¬
ellers going to the same place. AV'hen
they reach a place convenient for the
purpose, they poison the water or
food of the passengers, who become
insensible, and then they decamp with
all their property.”
A Frenchman with a turn for statis-
tics has shown that in Franco seven-
eighths of the criminals are males, and
le has advanced this as a reason why
women should be allowed the right of
suffrage. “Granting, however, that
men and women start equal in the
race of life, as regards freedom from
crime, it is apparent,” declares the
Chicago Times, “that the greater
wickedness of men has resulted from
their greater privileges. If men do
not seem as yet to be willing to grant
to woman all the rights she demands,
she has but to look at the fearful re-
suits of too great privileges in man to
reconcile her to her destiny.”
If Lord Salisbury succeeds in bis
purchase of the Congo Free State,
avers the San Francisco Chronicle, he
will certainly have made a large ad¬
vance in public favor. Englishmen
may deny it, but they are largely influ¬
enced by the course of a Ministry in
sustaining the national prestige abroad.
Gladstone was badly hurt by the fail¬
ure to support Gordon, and the pres¬
ent government has lost credit by its
apparent weakness in giving conces¬
sions to Germany in East Africa. If
Salisbury can show that his course wac
due to negotiations for the rich Congo
State he will be in a condition to make
au appeal to the people with excellent
chances of success.
Th? government seems to be mak¬
ing fair progress in the education of
the Indians, states the New York
News. There are 36,000 Indian chil¬
dren in the country between the ages
of six and 16 years. The government
has educated a small percentage of
these children, and, so far, the result
lias proved beneficial. The records of
the Indian schools compare favorably
with those devoted to the education of
white children. But the Indian chil¬
dren are 6ent back after they complete
their education to the tribes, where
there is nothing for them to do but to
relapse into barbarism, An attempt
to live according to the ways of the
white people is immediately frowned
upon by the Indian fathers and moth¬
ers, and there is nothing that the edu¬
cated Indian can do to earn a living.
This will continue to be the case until
the tribal relations are broken up by a
division of the land in severalty.
Proper Way to Brush Hair.
“The proper way to brush the hair,’
say6 a well-known hairdresser, “is not
to brush it lengthwise, but to hold the
ends of the hair if it is long enough,
and simply scrub the scalp with the
brush. This process premotes the
circulation of the blood and excites the
oil-glands to action. After the hair
has been thoroughly brushed in this
way, it shou’d be then finished with a
few vigorous strokes lengthwise of the
hair.’ —[New York Tribune.
A MENAGERIE LOOSE.
The Deed of a Scoundrel in
South Africa.
He Unbars the Cages, and the
Animals Kill Five Persons.
recent issue of the Advertiser,
published at Diamond Fields, South
Africa, says:
A general stampede of aJi the ani¬
mals comprising Finis’s menagerie
took place recently. This appalling
occurrence is attributed to a miscreant
■who, possessed of a grudge against
Mr. Fillis or members of his company,
thought to pay it out by climbing on
the fence of the enclosure in which
the animals are kept, and, at imminent
risk to his own life and limbs, releas-
ing from their cages and chains the
whole of the wild animals. This fiend
in human shape is evidently one well
acquainted with the 6how, for not only
has he exhibited a familiarity with the
locks and bars of the cages, but he
eelected the day and hour when the
supervision of the animals was most
relaxed. He appears to have made
good his escape before the animals
realized their freedom from restraint,
and as the four employes, who slept
on the premises, have all fallen victims
to the ferocity of the wild beasts, it is
impossible to say at present if his
is known.
, From what we can gather, the four
male lions, Pasha, Abdul, Caliph and
Mustapha, upon discjvering the door
of their cage open, immediately pro¬
ceeded to the stables, where the large
Pasha, leaped on to the back of
Murat, the jumping horse, and fast-
ened his teeth in his neck and withers,
It is reported that he has always borne
this horse a most unaccountable
grudge, an 1 invariably gave signs of
displeasure and dislike when within
sight ^»f him. The horse’s screams
rousTO the four attendants—a Scotch-
man named Patterson and three Kaffir
boys—and, hastily arming themselves
with stable forks, they rushed to the
scene of the disturbance, evidently ]g-
norant of the numerical strength of
the foe they had to contend with,
These four gallant fellows met a fear¬
ful death. From the few words of
oue of the Kaffir boys to Mr. Fillis, it
appears that he end his mates, when
endeavoring to beat back the lion
Pasha, were attacked from the rear by
the three other lions and oue of the
cheetahs.
They were then literally torn limb
fivrn limb by the ferocious brutes,
and (ho scene of their death is one of
indescribable horror. Having tasted
blood, the lion9 (male and female),
the cheetahs, the wo ves and the leap-
ards seemed to regain all the ferocity
of their class, and Mr. Fillis’ four
hungarian horses. Sang d’Or, Kremis,
Lenore and Etolle, and the perform¬
ing horses Beauty and Black Bess,
fell victims to their lust for blood.
The elephant, frightened at the noise,
in his endeavor to escape burst
through the heavy iron gate and
rushed into Curry street, followed by
nearly the whole of the wild animals,
who appear to have been startled by
something while engaged in their work
of carnage in the stables.
A cabman named Nelson, residing
at Beaconsfield, had a narrow escape.
Hearing the noise, he drove down
from Main street to see the animals
rush out. He likens the scene to the
exit from Noah’s ark. An elephant
came out first, and a few seconds after¬
ward tumbled out a confused mob of
lions, wolves, hyenas, baboons, leop¬
ards, cheetahs, and jackals, The
wolves, with the instinct of their race,
immediately rushed upon Nelson's
horses, and two of the lions attacked
them also. Strange to say, they left
the man himself unmolested, and he
managed to climb up a post at Glover's
Athletic Bar and secure his safety in
oue of the rooms. When last he saw
his horses they were galloping madly
down the Dutoitspan road, snorting
and screaming with fear and pain,
followed by the wolves and two of the
lions. The remainder of the animals,
Nelson says, dispersed in all direc¬
tions.
A little son of Mr. Grindley, pro¬
duce dealer, happened to be in the
back yard of his father’s premises.
He noticed a cheetah which had taken
refuge (here, and, with the fearless-
ness of childhood, walked up to it.
His mother, from her bedroom win
dow, saw the brute lay her darling
prostrate with one blow of its paw,
and then mangle him beyond all recog¬
nition.
Four lions, two lionesses, two ti¬
gers, three bears, two wolves, one hy¬
ena, two cheetahs, four jackals, one
elephant, one camel, and seventeen
baboons are at large. Only two of
these animals have as yet been ac¬
counted for. Mr. Murchison, resid¬
ing in Dutoitspan road, having been
awakendby the noise, was looking out
of his bedroom window, and, Beeing a
jackal run across the yard, shot it dead
with his revolver.
Mr. Goodchild was aroused by the
shrieks of his parrot and, getting out
of his bed to see the cause, observed
to his horror an enormous lion crouch¬
ing under the trees in the front gar¬
den. With great presence of mind he
took down his Martini-Henry rifle,
and, firing through the window, shot
it dead.
The whole of the police, armed to
the teeth, are scouring the surrounding
district and the town itself.
Queer Phases of Spanish Life.
In one of the casetas, writes a
traveler from Madrid, Spain, to the
New York Tribune, a lady with envi¬
ably luxuriant side-whiskers and mus¬
tache was entertaining her guest6 most
graciously. Such facial ornaments are
not unusual here, and a slight mus¬
tache on a woman’s lip is not thought
disfiguring. In another caseta the en¬
tire family had fallen asleep—in full
view of the passers. There was an
off-hand, picnic air about the whole
festival. Even in the elegant Labra-
dores tent the beau monde was dancing
to the music of a hand-organ. Near
the Labradorcs tent I stopped before
an especially brilliant caseta, where a
lady and gentleman were dancing the
Seviliana. The lady becoming tired,
her maid was called in to take her
place and continue the dance with the
gentleman. They form a queer class
—these Syanish servants.
One must not ask for references be¬
fore engaging them; and,in the case
of the servantinaids, cne must not in¬
quire into their character either before
engaging them or after. The waiter
at your table will jog your elbow to
call attention to a dish being passed,
and will laugh heartily at any joke
that is made. I have heard a woman
this class state that she could not
take service in a family of good stand¬
ing because she “had not enough jew¬
elry to make herself look respectable.”
The same person (I must add this be¬
cause the circumstance has such a
savor of the Old World) was actually
employed as confidential letter-writei
for various Sevillanas, i. e., she wrote
love-letters for those ladies whose
hearts were warm but whose hands
were unused to the pen.
Stamping a Counterfeit Bill.
I happened to be in the United
States Sub-Treasury, on Wall street,
the other day, and was rather amused
at a little incident I ‘witnessed, ^
entered, and, approaching
one of the clerks, handed him s
twenty dollar bill, and asked if it were
counterfeit. The clerk took it, went
away, and in a few minutes returned
and handed out the bill without a
word. Cut across its lace with a die
was the word “Counterfeit.” The
rag^of the ow T ner knew uo bounds.
“Confound you!” he shouted, “I
didn't ask you to destroy the bill. 1
simply asked you to tell me if it were
counterfeit. It’s worthless now.”
“It never was of any value,” mildly
responded the clerk, “and the rule ol
the Department is that all bills offered
in this way must be defaced when
counterfeits before returning them to
the party presenting them.*’—New
York Star.
Largest Cistern in the World.
The largest cistern in the world
is under the machine shop at the
Charlestown (Mass.) Navy Yard. It
is 100 feet in diameter, with a depth
of forty feet. It was built in 1858 by
Master Laborer Otis Little, and sup¬
plied water to the great machine plant.
The cistern was fed from a number of
wells on the higher land near Chelsea
street, by means of underground aque¬
ducts. More than 850,000 bricks were
used in its construction. This mam-
moth well has not been utilized since
the introduction of Mystic watey into
Charlestown in 1865.
'
The Man Who Cannot Lan?h
There of individuals ° ’
are scores w
can’t adore,
And the chiefest of the number is ^ e
trying bore v
Who, when you’re feeling jolly an,1 a lit
fun would poke,
Will never see the point until you uiagn
your joke.
His eyes assume a vacant stare until
thinks awhile
With great deliberation, then he 085
faded smile.
Oh, it would be a pleasure just to write tl
epitaph
And hide away the shadow of the tuai
cannot laugh.
How like a biting frost that chills the
in their bloom
Are sombre individuals who wear , ;;
gloom;
Who cannot comprehend the worth Of j|
a spark of fun,
Who shrink from joy and pleasure as
bats avoid the sun. '
The deeper, sober thought within the £,
should have a place,
But let glad laughter now and then the can
of life erase;
Away with him who cannot sift the keru
from the chaff:
This world could wag along without *1
man who cannot laugh.
HUMOROUS.
Good at a pinch—the c-ab.
The home stretch—a D »P on ti
lounge.
Tattling must be inherited; «b!(
will tell” you know.
The meter is no indicator of tl
amount of gas in a poem.
Marriage may be a failure, but tl
solitaire engagement ring is not.
A mosquito is never asked to < cj
again” when he presents his bill.
Spices are not as a rule noisy, bd
you have all heard the ginger snap.
Truth may be stranger than entertai] fictioj
but as a rule it isn’t half so
ing.
“James, I am cleaning house, sobj
a good fellow and beat the carpet
usual.” “No, I think I’ll shake it tl
year.”
Mrs. Youngwife—Did you ever
any of my biscuits, Judge Power]
Judge Power—No, I nevei* did; bu:
dare say they deserve it.
Jack Uppers—Say, Scadds,
you lend me a hundred?
Scadds—That’s not the point,
you know—could I lend it— bat
I get it back?
“I suppose you met the social
while in London?” He—‘Can't
that I did, but I met one in
once. And he wanted to invite
inside as soon as he saw me.”
A facetious man, who has occasioj
to send post-cards to a certain villas
where there is a postmistress, writs
this legend ou the top of the card
“Please forward after perusal.”
Mrs. Bloodgood—“What! not ai
open fireplace nor a stove in ti
house? How does your father wars
his slippers, Willie?” Willie (ruefJ
ly) “'Warms ’em on me ma’am.”
“I have an aunt who is very unfoij
lunate,” said Maude. “She is slight
ly deaf and very near-sighted,]
“Gracious!” responded Mami(
“What a lovely chaperon she wouH
make.”
\ ictim —“ Hadn’t you better try ta
crimping-iron on a piece of Barber-j paper’j
sec if it is not too Lot?”
“Don’t need no paper As soon rigij as]
smells your hair burning I knows
off’it is too hot.”
It may please a man when he ]
elected to Congress. He may fei
puffed up a little when the papers citizei r]
fer to him as “Our leading swej
Mr. So-and-So.” His head may
a little when the boys serenade hi®|
but there’s nothing that will create
a feeling of self-satisfaction,
and pride as when he succeeds
smashirg a mosquito that has
him for an hour or two.
Scarlet Hunting Coats.
The origin of the use of the scarl«
hunting coat in the hunting field ^
never been satisfactorily explained
and various theories have been p<1
mulgated to account for the adoptM
of that color. According to sow
scarlet was worn in the hunting
because it could be seen at a distance
Another explanation is that an couij
lisli military officer, staying at a
try house, lost his baggage, and *?J
peared in the hunting field in his
mentals. Many authorities
that it was adopted after the House
Hanover introduced scarlet as the
livery.—[New York Press.