The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-03-04
THE WEEK PAST.

THE WEEK PAST.
EAps gains gradually. Thirteen feet
of water on the bar at the South pass
of the Mississippi, below New Orleans
is the result of his jetty plan. When
the water is deepened seven feet more
Eads will draw the first installment Of
pay from the government.
YEARS ago Reverdy johnson lost the
sight of one of his eyes while training
Edward Stanley to fight Henry A. Wise,
after a row about racing. Stanley was
practising for the duel when his bullet,
striking tree, glanced back and lodged
in his instructors eye. The "meeting"
was thereupon prevented, and nothing
but Jehnson's iron frame saved his life.
DoN PEDRO H., the emperor of Brazil,
and the Empress Teresa Christina will
leave for the United States on April l,
with a numerous retinue and one million
dollars, pocket-mOney- The Philadel-
phians expect to relieve his majesty of
about five hundred Thousand dollars
during his stay in their city. An en-
peror does not come along every day.
LIEUTENANT CAMERON writes Of the
heart of Africa: The interior is mostly
magnificent and healthy country of un-
speakable richness. 1 have small spe.i-
men of good coal; other minerals, such
as gold, copper, iron and silver, are
abundant, and am confident that with
wise and liberal expenditure Of capital,
one of the greatest systems of inland
navigation in the world might be utilized.
ONE of the great features of the Phil
adelphia exposition will be the engine
in machinery hall. 1t will supply the
power for all the machinery in the build
ing covering seventeen acres of ground.
1t has the capacity of $500 horsepower,
and will cost when completed $4,000.
American mechanics will be proud to
show that engine to their European
neighbors.
IT is stated that the Mormon women
have found a friend in Senator Chris
tiancy, of Michigan who has introduced
bill in the senate for female suffrage in
Utah, to enable the wives and daughters
of the saints to cmancipate themselves
from the bonds of poligamy, if they are
so disposed. If the bill becomes law,
their husbands, it is expected, will
threaten them with ecclesiastical ex-
communication if they avail themselves
of the ballot.
BEING now in favor with Great
Britain, the Khedive has been enabled to
borrow $50, 0OO, o. $40, OO0, 900 being
for the state, and slO,OO0,OO0 for the
khedive's own account as great land
owner. This increases the Egyptian
debt to about 500, 900, 900, all of which
has been contracted since Ismail came to
the throne. 1t is fortunate for Egypt
that large share of the money has been
devoted to works of public utility, which
must increase the wealth of the people
The western tannin plant, which grows
luxuriantly in the Missouri river valley,
seems destined to replace oak bark in
tanning. 1t contains Is per cent of tan
min, while the best bark contains but IL
per cent, and large establishments en-
ploying it in Chicago find that one-third
more leather can be obtained with it
than with like quantity of bark the
process of tanning with it is identical
with that with bark, but the leather
tougher, finer, and more durable, and re-
ceives finer finish. The plant is an an
nual, and can be moved, dried, and
stacked like hay.
A BREED of tailless dogs has been dis
covered in Africa. This is sarcastic
comment on the declaration that nature
is perfect. Think of tailless dog in
harmonious universe. Talk about the
wonderful mechanism of the animal
kingdom! Why, the common honey bee
is so clumsily built that he-or rather
she-cannOt sting an enemy without fas
tening her barbed spear and pulling out
her own abdomen. She cannot defend
herself against assault without commit
ting suicide! The barbs ought to have
been committed from her javelin. But
this generation is pessimistic.
The Tom Paine association of Free
Thinkers" of Milwaukee. Wisconsin,
held memorial meeting recently, and
passed resolutions favoring a more COM
plete separation of the church and state
than there is now; deploring the appoint
ment of chapiains for legislative bodies
and the appointment of days of thanks
giving, fasting and prayer; calling for
the abolition of the Office of president of
. the United States and the transfer of his
duties to an executive committee; and
favoring the extension of the suffrage to
all persons, irrespective of color, race or
sex. This is "refoIm" with vengeance.
The Spanish election will not do much
to satisfy the longings of the people for
representative government. Nothing
seems to have been left undone to secure
ministerial majority, bribery, intimi-
dation or imprisonment was the course
needed. No doubt the counsellors of
young Alfonso look on parliaments of all
kinds as unjustifable hindrances to them
in their work; but the prejudice i'm
favor of them is so deeply rooted that
the ministry gives Spain a Cortes, in
name at least. The first Napoleon acted
very similarly to France, but there is
sufficient difference between the times
and the men to warrant scepticism as
to its equal chances Of success in Spain
to-day.
From the beginning of the govern
ment until June so, 1875, covering a
period of eighty-six years, the aggregate