The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-05-18
GENERAL BREyITIES.

GENERAL BREVITlESe
PARIS is soon to be supplied with
pure water from the country instead of
depending as heretofore on the dirty
water of the Seine. The water-works
have just been completed, although be-
gun in 1869; they were interrupted by
the war. Visitors will now be able to
have excellent water to drink and wash
with in that capital-ever great de-
sideratum in the past.
AN argument for marriage: The
more married men you have, says Vol
taire, the fewer crimes there will be.
Examine the frightful columns of our
criminal calendars-you will there find
hundred youths executed for one
father of family. Marriage renders a
man virtuous and more wise. The
father of family is not willing to blush
before his children.
THE following almost incredible
story is gravely told by the New Al
bany Qnd. Ledger: Maj. r. j. Dukes,
while off duty as railroad engineer, is
putting in his time pleasantly if not
profitably. By virtue of the powers of
his office, as notary public, he yester-
day solemnized the marriage of Frank
McCurdy, aged five years, and Miss
Josie lesson, aged six, in the presence
of a select and small audience. Mr..
Frank Dukes acted as proxy for little
Frank, and Miss Emma Bently "gave
away the bride.
A MOST valuable manuscript has been
discovered in the Azores. It refers to
the colonization, in the year 1900, of the
northern part of America, by emigrants
from Oporto, Aveiro and the Island of
Terceira. It was written by Francisco
de Souza in 1870. Barboza Machado
states that it was lost during the great
earthquake of Lisbon in 1865. This
most important document is about to
be published by an erudite Azorian
gentleman, and will throw great light
on the disputed question Of the early
discovery Of America.
THE case of an elderly North Caro-
lima maiden, who recently attempted to
commit matrimony with a 15-year-old
boy, is thus commented on by the Ra-
leigh NeUs: She is well to do, owns
$1,000 worth of real estate, is stout and
blooming, and hired the boy, who is
fatherless, motherless, guardianless, to
work on the farm and attend to the
stock. She became attached to him.
and the boy came into town to get his
marriage license. Captain White told
him the law didn't give marriage IL
censes to children. Next the woman
came in, and Captain White told her
the law never married old folks to chill
dren. After that the neighbors talked
SO that the boy has gone Off and taken
another place.
MANY experiments have been made
to ascertain at how great an altitude a
man can live. In July, 1872, Mr..
Glaisher and Mr.. Coxwell assembled in
q balloon to the height of $4,000 feet.
Previous to the start Mr.. Glaisher's
pulse stood 76 beats a minute; Cox
wells at "a; at 1900 feet the pulse
OF Mr.. Glaisher was at "a; that of the
latter at 100. At $4,000 feet Mr..
Glaisher's hands and lips were quite
blue, but not his face; at 81, 900 feet he
heard his heart beating, and his breath
ing became oppressed; at 20, 900 feet
he became senseless. At the Monastery
of st. Bernard, Sill feet high. the
monks become asthmatic, and are COM
PEELED frequently to descend into the
Valley of the Rhone.
The use of the phonetic alphabet
was ably discussed before the Poly
technic Society at Cooper Institute on
Thursday evening, says the New York
San, BY Mr.. Leland, S. P. Andrews, and
Prof. Boynton of Syracuse. Mr.. An
drews stated that few years ago the
Japanese Minister at Washington told
him that his nation stood in need of a
new language. It was desirable that
English literature should be introduced
among them. But the Japanese tongue
was not sufficiently comprehensive to
express it. A word from the Mikado.
and any Language could be introduced in
their schools. Used thus for single
generation, it would become the
language Of the country. The objec-
ton to English lay in its arbitrary and
Difficult pronunciation, and its many
useless, silent letters. For this reason
the Japs have introduced the study of
German. Our language has been dis
carded for carrying an excess of need
less consonants and diphthongs, the re-
suit being that fourteen letters out of
every hundred in our books and news
papers convey no sound whatever.
IT is a trite remark that truth is
stranger than fiction, says the Vallejo
(Cal. } Chronicle, and new illustration
OF it is given in the case of remarka-
bic coincidence which we are about to
record. A year or more ago q young
couple were married in this city