The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-03
MINOR TOPICS.

MINOR TOPICS.
The middle of the winter is a bad
time for strikes; but the amalgamated
engineers of England do not seem to
have taken this into account. One hun
dred and thirty of them have stopped
werk mt Erith on account of disagree
ment with their employers. and the asso.
citation supports their action. As the
association numbers thirty thousand
there is prospect of more trouble ahead.
Other important strikes are reported in
England and Wales.
REvIvAIIsT HAMMOND illustrates an
argument with horseshoe magnet and
mails of various sizes, from tack to
railroad spike. He likens the magnet to
Jesus. The tack typifes little children;
he shows how readily they cling to the
magnet. A simple touch, too, attaches
the shipgle nail, which he likens to
youth. The larger nails are less and
less affected, until the big spike-a tough
old sinner of the most intractable kind
will not stir undsr the influence.
The National Museum of Bucharest
has been robbed of its principal treasure,
the famous golden hen and chickens.
The group, which was of pure gold, pro-
fusely adorned with precious stones, and
weighed thirty-four pounds, was of an.
cient workmanship, and was dug up
some years ago at Petrosa. The robbers
also carried away the massive golden
amphora and pedestal which came from
fetrosa. A portion Of the broken head
of the golden hen was found in the
snow, outside the museum building.
MR.. ROBERT DALE OWEN writes to
the Secretary of the British National
Association of Spiritualists that his late
illness was due to Overwork, and adds
" For two years and half previous to
my illness in May last, had been suf-
ferer from dyspepsia, causing weakness
and depression. These, by rest, water
cure: and milk diet, have been entirely
removed, and l am now in excellent
health, better than l have been for five
years past"
MRS. ANDREW JOHNSON, whose death
has just been reported, was born in 1911,
and her maiden name was Eliza Ardle.
She was married when but eighteen and
her husband only twenty. Other family
of five children, three survive-Mrs.
Stouer, Robert and Andrew johnson, ir.
Her oldest and favorite son was instantly
killed in the war by being thrown from
his horse while on duty as surgeon of a
Tennessee Union regiment. Mrs. Sena-
tor Patterson, another daughter, is dead,
and the son Robert was placed in an in
sane asylum during his fathers Presi-
dency. Mrs. StOuer is the widow of a
Union Colonel. 1t was Mrs. Johnson's
lot to be terribly afflicted by the terrors
of war, but her patience, simplicity of
character, and unaffected piety were re-
markable.
1T is meet that on this Centennial
year the origin of the old flag be studied.
During the first year of the Revolution
the patriots fought under half dozen
flags-the liberty red flag, the white pine
tree flag, the blue flag of the CaroliDas,
the Connecticut flag, with the motto,
"Qm hunstua sustinet," and the rattle
snake flag. On January 2, 1776, Wash
ington first raised the "grand union"
flag, with thirteen stripes and the
blended crosses of st. George aud St.
Andrew. June, 1777, Congress resolved
that the flag should carry as many stripes
and stars as States. This resulted at last
in cumbrous flag with twenty stars
and twenty stripes. In 1918 the present
flag was established by law-tbirteen
stripes and as many stars as States ar
ranged in circle on blue ground, a
star being added On the Fourth of July
after the admission of new State. And
on the whole it is very graceful and
picturesque standard.
IT is rumored that there is a move
ment on foot among influential parties
in Louisiana to induce the next Congress
to fit out another vessel for the purpose
of collecting varieties of the hardest
sugar-canes of South America and the
Indies, for culture in Louisiana. This
movement is actuated by the knowledge
that there are species of cane which can
be cultivated much more advantageously
than that already grown in the State,
and which will be of vast interest to
this growing industry there. Expert
ments with Java cane have been tried
recently, but the result was unsuccessful,
the stalk being very thin, and of no
more value than sorghum. From seed
of Sagua la Grande (Cuba) cane, how
ever, the results were all that could he
desired. The cane is of a whitish color
with rich brown on the side subject to
the sun. There are said to be many
varieties adapted TO our soil and climate,
which the Louisianians are determined
to procure.
A PLAN has just been set in operation
in Paris to provide for the construction
of what are to be called "rural rail.
roads" in France, which seems deserv-
ing of notice. We are not aware of
similar description having been yet con-
templated in America or any other
country. The proposition is for the con-
struction of narrow lines of width of
one metro go inches) only, instead of
the usual gauge of metre and half
along the wide space which every travel
Ter in France must have observed TO be