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A wealthy Frenchman who has a hatred* of sharks has been cruisiug in a steam vessel for a year passed and killed over .3,000 of the monsters. When he began work in the harbor of Havana the au thorities warned him off. The Sioux Reservation, one-half of which it is proposed to open up to set tiers, contains an area of 87,000 square miles. That is to say, it is larger than the State of Kentucky, and only a few square miles smaller than the State of Indiana. During'the last famine in China it re quired fifteen days to transport relief to the people over a distance of 200 miles. Contrast with that the fact that at the time of the big (hicago fire in 1871, a relief train from New York traveled 1,500 miles in 21 hours. There is a considerable increase in the force of Protestaut missionaries in Mex ico. The results thus far are anything but discouraging. With only about a hundred ordained missionaries upward of 350 congregations have been organ ized, with 18,000 church members and 35,000 adherents. The Queen of Madagascar recently at tended the opening services of two Christian churches at Ambokimanaga. In fourteen years 700 Protestant chapels have been built in Madagascar, making the number now 1,200. There are 8,00 > Protestant communicants and all the churchcsare self supporting. A little girl of Met/, Alsace, 11 year old, named Louise Fuchs, has been con demned to eigl t days’ imprisonment foi having insulted the Emperor of Ger many. The insull consisted in writing a private letter to one of her little friends, in which there was something disrespect ful to his majesty. Such sentences are said to be quite common in Alsace-Lor raine. It has been calculate and that the quan tity of beer brewed yearly in the under mentioned countries is about as iollows: Great Britain, 1.050,000,000 gallons; Germany, 100,000,000; Austria, 270,000,- 000; Belgium, 180,000,000; France, 150,- 000,000; Russia, 50,000,000; Ilolhnc, 33,000,000; Eemnark, 30,000,000; Swe den, 30,000,000; Switzerland, 17,000,- 000; Norway, 10,500,000. Frederick Ellison, who was appointed Consul to the Island of St. Helena by President Cleveland, lias handed in his resignation of the position, and returned to his home in Indianapolis, Ind. lit says that St. Helena is so dismal that lit wonders that Napoleon survived so long as he did his exile on that dreary rock. Mr. Ellison landed on the island at night. Had he reached it in the daytime he says lie would never have gone ashore. A recent lecture givcu at the National Museum at Washington, by I'ernow, undertakes to show the need of forest protection and forest culture for tho fourfold reason: (1 > Forests furnish our material in the industries; (2) they are regulators af climatic conditions; (3) they are regulators of hydrologic condi tions influencing the wateriiow ir springs, brooks and rivers; (4) they are regulators of soil conditions. A Government agent traveling in Alaska says that the American citizens in some portions of that country still pray for the Emperor of Russia. In one town only one man was found who knew the name of an American city, and that was San Francisco. The repoit says: “After laboring with them one was found who had somehow heard ™£rago. Boston, New Y'ork, Phila- Hiad Washington were unknown At the close of the war there were only forty-eight miles of railroad in the State of Arkansas. In 1874 there were only about 700 miles. Now, there are near 2,000 miles, and as many more miles projected on the different lines, which will be built ere long, some of which aro in course of construction. Soon our State, says the Arkansas Traveler , will be checkered by these pioneers and indispensable adjuncts of civilization. This is a great country, remarks the New York Sun. A photograph taken in Los Angeles, Cal., of the servants of an American lady living there shows six persons. On a wheelbarrow, trying hard to keep from giggling, are two pretty maids, one Welsh, the other Scotch. Behind them stand the colored cook, in cap and apron; the Mexican gardener, the English groom, and the Chinese waiter man.- The mistress calls the gathering a “Congress of Nations.” The efficiency of oil, when dropped upon the water to calm boisterous waves may now be regarded as established. It is astonishing how small a quantity of oil will answer the purpose. Admiral Clone gives the amount as from two to three quarts an hour dropped from per forated bags hanging over the sides ol the ship in positions varying with the wind. The oil, then, by its own out spreading, extending over the waves, forms a film of less than a two and a hall millionth part of an inch in thickness: and this is enough to reduce hi caking waves and dangerous “rollers” to un broken undulations that are practically harmless. The oils that have been found most effective are seal, porpoise, and fish oils. Mineral oils, such as are used foi illumination, are too light; but the lu bricating oils are denser, end may be found sufficient. The Cagots. Under ihe name of Cagots there live in the Pyrenees and the old Aquitanian re gions both sides of them—in the S| anish Upper aud the French Lower Navarre, in Bearn, Gascony, Gnicnne and Lower Poitou —a peculiar race who have been much talked about and attracted the at tention of the peoples about them from very ancient times. Formerly the Cagots (whose name linguists derive from canis Gothicus, Gothic dog; were confounded with Crgtins. The association was a mistaken one for the Cagots, with their large, muscular form. * shapely skull, prominent nose,strongly marked features, blue eyes and smooth, blonde hair, are decidedly different from the weak minded, deformed and goitrous class; and their physical appearance, in fact, goes to sustain the etymology of their name that we have mentioned, and to indicate a possible derivation from the Aryan Goths. The type of which we speak also corresponds fully with the iace relatives of the Cagots living out side of the Pyrenees, who are variously called according to the place, Cahets, Caqueux, Caquins, Cocoas, Collibrets, etc., and are spread to Lower Poitou, in Brittany and Marne, and far down into tpain. The race of the Cagots was for hun dreds of years superstitiorsly avoided by the other inhabitants of the country, despised, persecuted, repelled, treated as if abandoned and outcast and restricted iu all legal and social rights. Dark superstition and the prejudice of earlier times attributed to them a constant leprosy; they were supposed to have a peculiar repulsive exhalation, to be desti tute of earlaps, to he color blind, to sec in the night like cats and owls and were accused of pretended, likewise disgrace ful, offenses. They were treated as feeble beings, afflicted with contagious disease and moral impurities, who should not be touched and with whom as little busi ness intercourse should be had as pos sible. Down to the seventeenth century they were thus treated. If they lived in the towns they were confined to a particular quarter in which the other citizens rarely came; if they came out of their quarter they were obliged to wear a piece of red cloth on some conspicuous part of their dress, so jfliat might, recognize them nthijlllllk’ away alar Sjfi. ; , Z \ldldjf~ * - U" ; , PEASANTS. A GRAPHIC PICTURE OF STOLID SUBMISSION TO FATE. A Country With Gorgeous Churches but Bereft of Schools -Distress anti Degradat ion—Prompt ues in Paying Taxes. There is a very strong contrast between the appearance of things on the two sides of the boundary between Germany and Russia—as much as between the rural districts of Massachusetts and Missis sippi, says a correspondent of the Chi cago New*. On the German side the landscape is dotted with beautiful, cosey homes, with every evidence of prosperity and thrift, with well cultivated fields, vine-clad stables, neat-looking kine, hedges tastefully trimmed, and patches of while in the town and villages are handsome railway stations, tempting cafes, large factories, handsome school houses, and every symbol of a higher civilization and prosperity. On the east side of the line there are none of these, and the change takes place instantly. Thrift and comfort are replaced by dis tress and degradation. The fields are uncultivated, except m patches here and there —spots where it was the easiest to plow—the cattle are lean and hungry, the homes of the people are log or mud huts, and there is not u schoolliouse to be seen from the boundary line to the capital There are churches enough, however, for in every collection of cabhis rises a splendid temple with a gilded dome and spire, sheltering a mass of precious vest ments, candlesticks and altar plate of solid silver, and usually an altar of malachite, lapis-lazuli, or some other precious stone. One always finds, in the most poverty-stricken and desolate vil lages, icons, as the images of the Saviour arc called, covered with shields of gold, and ornamented with all sorts of jewels. The vestments of the priests cost more than all the rest of the clothing in the village,’and the contributions for the support of the church are usually equal to, if they arc not greater than a third of the combined incomes of the people. Of the scanty earnings of the moujik one-third goes to the church and another third to the crown, and both exactions &re paid without the slightest resistance. The moujik is only glad’that the priest and the tax gatherer do not take it all. Centuries of oppression have left their stamp indellibly upon the character of the people. The most striking characteristics of the Russian peasant are sadness ana submission and the desire for strong drink. A Russian seems to be truly happy—l am speaking of the lowest class—only under two conditions. One when lie is drunk on vodka, the corn brandy, and the other when he is saying his prayers before his favorite saint. To him the interior of the church, gilded from floor to dome, decorated with icons that are covered with sheets of pure go'd, is a representation of the heaven the priests teach him is awaiting those who say their prayers, fast on fast days, and obey the Czar. He is always loyal to the church and to the State. The peasant is never a nihilist, never an atheist, but pays his taxes and his tithes without murmuring, and expects no more than his father got, which was nothing. The only recompense he has is to creep into some gaudy chapel, bow his head to the fioor in front of the icon ; of his favorite saint, and let his dull and j listless mind enjoy the visions of para-I dise that tioat over it. The church, with j its marble pillars, the vestments of gold i brocade, and the gold-incrusted pictures, ! makes the most beautiful spectacle his foggy imagination can conceive of, and to live in such a place always, like the effigies he sees there, is heaven enough for him. There is said to be no instance in j which a peasaut ever refused to pay his 1 taxes. Once a year the collector jmteis the village, taps the window and calls “Kaza 1” Then the man or woman of the house comes out with the money, which j is always ready, tos es it into the bag of j the collector,.who does not count it, be- j cause he knows it is all the moujik has i got. When night comes the collector j enters the best house in the village,J hangs his money-bag under tho imagjfl of the Saviour, and carouses or sledfl till morning, being perfectly confidaß that his money will not be disturlffl because of the veneration ior the <S whom he represents, and thagdi ■'-n-pder which the treasure.isniwj those who have not investigated tho subject. The ordinary traveler only sees their little gardens, where- are grown a scanty allowance of potatoes, corn, turnips and cabbage. They eat when they are hungry, generally cab bage soup, always simmering on the fire, are drunk as often as they can get vodka, and when night comes curl up some where on the floor in a warm place like a kitten or a caterpillar. In the cabins one seldom finds a bed or a table or a chair, and very few dishes. They have no comforts whatever, not even what we consider the necessaries of life—the church takes the place of them all. The Only Female Mayor. “Female Mayors are no good,” said the ex-City Marshal of Argonia, Kan. ' “Why, Mrs. Salter has just killed Argo nia. I used to have a hotel there and was City Marshal, but I couldn’t stand it, so I just scooted, and I expect I'm to blame for her election, too. “You know she wasn’t nominated in any of the conventions. About 0 o’clock on ’lection day all us boys were feeling gay and agreed to meet at a hall and nominated a candidate to knock out Wilson. .Tack Ducker —he is the tough est man in the place and the undertaker— got up in the meetin’ and nominated Mrs. Susanna Medora Salter for Mayor, and the nomination was made unanimous. "We rushed into the streets and com menced to work for our candidate. At noon her husband came to us and begged us to quit the racket, sayin’ it was an in sult to his wife. We wouldn’t do it, and the voters commenced to come our way in clusters. We got full of whisky and enthusiasm, and at 4 o’clock every one was votin’ for our candidate. Well, you know as how she was elected. We had a jollification, and when she took hef seat like a man all our fun was busted. “I sent up to Kansas City for some crab apple cider just to please the boys. She heard of it and asked me to stop it. You can’t light a woman and she the Mayor. Then 1 started a little poker room, more for sociability than anything else. Chips were only 10 cents. She heard of it and came to me and I had to stop. Then the druggist, before she was elected, used to keep blue grass bit ters, lemon rye aud extract of malt, and a few other things like that. He don’t do it now. The Mayor heard of it. Then two billiard rooms were running. They’re closed up now. The Mayq don’t think it is fashionable to push* tfy ivories. That’s the way it is with everw thing. I just couldn’t stand the towl and so I came up here.” . I “She’s the only woman Mayor on v earth, is she not?” “That’s just what she is. You ought to see the letters she gets, foreign letters i and the like, askin’ for her autograph,] and askin’ her if it is true that she is thei Mayor, aud all questions like tliat.4 When I was Marshal I used to act under her, and many’s the letter she has shown me from abroad.” —lndianapolis Journal. Benner’s Prophecies for 188^ Samuel Benner, an Ohio farmer, who has gained considerable notoriety through the newspapers for his predic tions of future events, and who a few years ago published a small volume on the ups and downs of prices, which had a great sale, has now communicated to the Real Estate Journal , of New York City, his prophecies for the year 1888, in which he says : “This year, 1888, being the closing year in this cycle of low prices—seven years from 1881 —is the golden oppor tunity to commence the foundation for a business. If there is any benefit tagbe derived from a knowledge of in trade, it will be in takiug advinH of them. “Young men who are about to v mcnce their business career should brace their present opportunity. The® are few of these characters in an orclli nary life. It requires about ten years complete an up and down in trade. “When the depression fcfl commerced crises reach their J limit, theseJg cycli-s, t for in*r tivcJS ! r 1/