Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-09-02

ing elgnt lines nifty cents
LIFE AT FRENCH WATERING PLACE
From Nj. d. Conway's letter in the Cincinnati
Commercial we take the following
:. The amount Of toll young and pretty girl at
Irouvllle undergoes each day is something as
tonishing. Very likely she is up at o'clock
in the morning, and with her bathing dress on,
bare-tooted, she is running over the sands, join
ing few scores of other girls and young gen.
tlcmen in digging for equiIles in the sand That
done. she bathes for half hour. Then she
goes to her dejuner, kind of morning dinner
Next she walks on the sands; then she drives
out over the country; then she dresses for din
uer; then she passes an hour at dinner; next
she promenades the sands again; then she puts
on au evening dress and goes to the saloon,
where she dances perpetually until midnight, if
it be ball evening. The ball evenings are
Thursdays and Sundays. Sunday is the great
evening for dancing; on that day the young girl
will probably dance until after |.
The gaming in the saloon has at length be-
come quite as public as that of Homburg and
Wiesbaden At the public table the game is
ecarie. A list of players is made out before
hand, and whenever one Of these is defeated he
rises from the table and his place is taken by
the next on the list. A functionary invites the
bank notes are handed up freely from every
part of the room The stakes are laid in view
on the table. Each player has an appointed
counselor at his side. The losers are not so
quiet and phlegmatic as at the German baths,
but the murmurs, complaints and "sacres' are
sufficiently loud to convince one that, in this
public gambling business, this country invites
worse affliction than would be that general
swarm Of vipers which NJ. Toussenel expects
some day to overrun France.
LIGHTNING RoDs.-The question of light
ming conductors has been exciting great deal
of attention in England lately, and there are
many letters to the London Times on the sub
ject. One Of the most sens BILE was written by
. MIR. Preece, the electrician of the postal tee-
graph department. who has made study Of
the habits of lightning for many years. The
result of his experience is that ordinary num-
ber four solid iron wire, galvanized, is the best
sufficiently cheap. 1t should, he says rise
above the highest chimney, and it is better
that there should be a wire to each chimney.
1t should have gilded point at the end, it
should be as nearly straight as is practicable,
and it should be inserted in the ground to the
depth of twenty or thirty feet. This latter
point is the most important Of all. No reason
will suffice for neglecting to insert the rod as
deep as twenty feet except making perfect
connection with water or gas pipes, or sooner
reaching fresh moist earth There is no use
whatever in insulating lightning rod. The
tanciful glass attachments are merely device
of patentees to make their wares appear valua-
ble If the rod is otherwise good it may be
spiked to the walls of the house without the
slightest danger 1t is a pity so important
matter should have been allowed to fall into
the hands of ignorant charlatans. There is no
question but that Mr.. Preece is entirely correct
as to his statements, and Virginia farmers
should give no attention to patent lightning
rod men, since they can, at few dollars ex-
pcnse, protect their dwellings, barns and out.
buildings by getting and putting up the kind
Of wire named.-R!chmond State Jon17'M.
DEATH OF A KING.-A notable parsonage
has just died-Nr. Augustus Smith, King of
the Scilly islands, of which there are one hun
dred and forty although only six are Inhabited.
Mr.. Smith was wealthy and crotchety Eng
lshman, who, in regard to government had
notions of his own which he wished to carry In
to practice, and so he became lessee OF the
Scilly islands under the county OF Cornwall;
He thus became King of about two thousand
subjects, most OF whom were Wretched lot or
peasants, for the islands are poor and untrult-
tul With court of twelve men he ruled the
land, re-adjusted the relations OF land and, peo-
pie, and attended generally to their moral; So
cial and religious status, although IN the latter
item he was not very strict. lie made the
children 60 to school, and in every particular
the Inhabitants had to obey him almost as II
they were slaves. Once he packed off all the
residents of one of the islands and turned 1t in-
to deer park, but in recompense ne gave the
poor people better accommodations than they
had ever had before At first he was greatly
disliked, but when the islanders came to see
that his rule was wise and benehcent, ana tnat
they greatly improved under it, they, learned
to like and respect him, and at his oeatn ne
was much regretted. This is probably the
first King who has borne the name OF Smith,
at least in modern times, and it is not likely
that he will have successor to his title.
THE FEDERAL. DEAD.-The Quartermaster
General of the U. S. army, has invited propo,,
sails for marking the graves 10 the National
Cemeteries as required by law. 1t is proposed
to put at the head of each soldiers grave,
Stone giving his name, State. command, age
and date of death If the remains were not
identified. then the head stone will bear only
the legend, unknown United States soldier.
We find from ''list Of the number OF inter
ments of Union soldiers in National Military
cemeteries and in cemeteries other than Ma
tional." that there are buried at Culpeper u
H. Cemetery, 1,349; City Point Cemetery,
5,l56; Cold Harbor Cemetery, 1922, DanVille
Cemetery, 1879; Fredericksburg Cemetery
l5.o42 Fort Harrison Cemetery, Sl4; Glendale
Cemetery, 1892; Hampton. Cemetery, o'loz;
Poplar Grove Cemetery, 6,lSI; hacnmonu to
Cemetery, $500: staunton Cemetery, c 14s;
Seven Pines Cemetery, 1857; Winchester Gem I'm:
etery, 4, 1852; Yorktown Cemetery, ,, lS2; Graf-
ton Cemetery, 1858, Wilmington Cemetery
1855; Alexandria Cemetery, 1888; bail s
Bluff Cemetery, 54. From recapitulatlEo2n 10 we
find that there are buried in National Gene
tcries of known remains, 159, 242; OF unsno"n .
remains, mostly from Virginia battie-helds' }