Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-06-15

has an organization tor the administration OF
Justice as complete as that of France. "Teus Sc
vendent ici, said my companion, as we euter
ed the Court of First lnstauce-rather STAR
ling statement concerning Court of Justice
The Court was composed of President, Vice
President, three Mosem judges, two Chris
tians and Jew. They sat around green baze
table, and were dressed in black robes and
white turbans. The room was paneed in dark
wood. covered with ancient arabesques like a
Persian carpet, aud above the panels rao gold.
en- scrolls from the Koran which extOlled the
beauty of even-handed justice.
As the salaries OF judges in Damascus are only
few pounds month, land they only hold otnce
for limited time, it is not to be wondered at if
those golden scrolls are something OF mokery.
Great confusion reigned in court as htiganls
and public all crowded around the judicial table.
But 10 few moments was used to the hubbuh,
and found that the following affairs were all
going oo at the same time: Firstly, an eye Wit
ness vas giving his account OF the attempt on
the life Of the English Consul which affair had
been allowed to stand over in most disgrace
ful manner. Though Mr.. Green IS much re-
spected by all Damascus, Christians and Mosleus
alike, he had received no assistance from the au-
thorties, and the court had even rejected his own
evidence on the wholly illegal ground that Chris
tian evidence could not be received 10 Mahom-
etan Court. Nobody fastened to the witness
save the clerk, who took down his words. Sec.
ondly, shopkeeper was maintaining his right
to the inheritance Of bis deceased brother.
He told his story to the president, who only
hall listened, as he was occupied with staring
at me and my tall European hat Thirdly,
visitor was claiming debt from his sheik or
village chief They both spoke at once, and
addressed the vice president who was some
mir IN
tory remarks fourth litigant had got hold
of another judges robe and with much gesti-
culatiou expouDded an entirely different affair.
Then little strife arose as the sheik caught
hold OF his coat to pull him back. Proceedings
were for moment suspended, and quiet was
obtained as clerk brought 10 written judi
ment for the president TO deliver. Though it
was in cause heard before himself. the presi-
dent could not understand the judgment, and
the clerk had to enter into long explanation
as TO what the affair was about.
So all the Babel began again, with the addi-
ton of ffth,a litigant, shrll-volced woman,
who dem anded her pledges back from a money
lender. Nothing was decided on any claim.
Each was sent away on some pretext. My
companion explained this by saying that they
had none of them paid enough for final iudg-
ment. We heard the vllager mutter as he
went away, under orders to bring an accountant
to prove the amount of his debt 81 have TO
accountant, and this is 60 days | have come
here
EXIT THE GRASSHOpPER. 1t was reserved
for somebody n Minnesota to discover an easy,
simple, and apparently sure method OF stamp
ing out the plague of locusts. 1t appears that
the almighty dollar is the god Of grasshoppers
as we'll as of men. Money is stronger than
'hoppers, and they perish before It, lllte
Minnesota municipality offered reward of SO
much Der bushel of Iocusts. The plan worked
to charm. The idle villagers, the unem-
ployed laborers, the boys aud girls swarmed
thicker than the grassboppers. They .cked
the swarmng insects UP by the handful,
scooped them up with dippers, shoveled them
up, filled pals, buckets, and tubs with then.
Such tremendous activity met its reward.
Not ouly was the promised cash promptly paid,
but the locust vanished from the face of that
part of the earth He and she were scooped
up with such celebrity that she had no time
Law a single egg, so that the pest seems to have
been stamped out permanently. The same
tactics have been tried 10 other parts OF the
frontier, and always, we believe, with success.
The amount of energy developed by the offer
of q few dollars per bushel of dead locusts Is
simply surprising About the only bad feature
of the plan is the temptation 1t offers to an
euterprisng rogue to shut up few pairs or
'hopDers in box, sell their millions CT yearly
progeny at stated sum per hushel, and Sc.
keep up the species. Chicago Tribune.
To the present generation, now rapidly for !
getting the days of slavery even in the southern
States, and who knew little or nothing about Its
existence, at any time, 10 the States we used to
call 'free,' it will sound strange to read the
following, which we learn from an exchange, Is
preserved by gentleman 10 Hartford, CoDnec'
ticut 1t is deed executed by that doughty
old rebel, General Isreal Putuan who declares,
that, '.tor the consideration OF Que hundred
pounds of old Tenor bills, he does hereby
sell, rrant or bargain to John Payson, OF Rom
fret, 10 the county Of W,ndham,, Coanectlcu,
his heirs and assigns, a negro girl, aged about
sixteen years, named Philips, TO serve MIN Or
them during her natural hfe.
The Oldest United States Senator now living
is said 10 be tho Hon. Peleg Sprague, OF
Maine, who was Senator from that State from
1929 to 1898 He was also Representative
half century ago, having represented the
kenuebec district in Congress from 1879 10
1929. He was subsequently for many years
Judge of the United States District Court OF
Massachusetts, and is DOW livlhg at greauy
advanced age.
1t may be interesting to know that the peo psa-
pie of this country consumed last year $50 $50
pounds of arsenee, 7S9 TT pounds OF, camphor,.
1858 pounds OF jalap, 26,202 pounds OF
ipecac, 267,2l3 pounds of uux vomlca, ana
1899 3s9 worth OF vaccine virus, all OF which was
imported.
A gentleman of fortune proposes to effect the
removal to England, at his owa expense, otstee
fallen obellsk at Alexandria, fellow to the So
called Cleopatra's Needle. The cost OF remoV- :
al will be about slO,UOO and the method o.
transport recommended is huge raft. i
A smart Kansas woman. who wanted some
hair for pastering, shaved her dog and got 1t.