The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-10
FOREIGN ITEMS.

ENGLAND has 140 daily papers, "a of
Ghem morning journals, 10 of which are
published at London. Paris has 81
dailies.
THE tunneling of St. Gothard, in
Switzerland, is nearly half completed,
and at the present rate the whole will be
completed by the close of 1880.
ST. JoHN, N B., is the fourth port of
the British Empire as regards registered
tonnage, being exceeded by Liverpool,
London and Glasgow.
THE jewels in Queen Yictoria's crown
were estimated at Eli, 900 forty years
ago-at the time of her coronation.
Since then they have much increased in
value; four diamonds at the top of the
crown are worth 10000 each.
IT is proposed to cut a broad canal
from Manchester, in England, to the
river Mersey. Manchester hopes short
iy to be port of entry, accommodating
vessels of 1000 tons. A ship canal is
also projected between the North Sea
and the Baltic.
JOSE MARIA IGLEsIAs, ex-Chief Justice
of Mexico and claimant of the Presi-
AtuCNN Is IL ultn VI lCdInluS, anu DIT
twenty-five had already been for some
time college professor. He is dis
tinguished for his classical attainments,
and has been an historian and an editor
A SCIENCE lecture by school boy is
something new. At IA meeting of the
Edinburgh Naturalists' Club on Jan. 10
a lecture on Foraminifera," copiously
illustrated by diagrams and microscope
cal preparations, was delivered by d. w.
Thompson, a pupil of the seventh class
of the Edinburgh Academy
THE London Customs officers seized
twenty seven gills of peculiar fluid the
other day, and on examination found it
20 be nicotine, the product of $500
pounds of tobacco sweepings, mixed
with alcohol, which virulent fluid was to
be used in transforming cabbage leaves
into the finest Havana cigars.
Mr.. CRossLEY, NJ P, the largest car
pet manufacturer in England, has failed.
His embarrassments are largely due to
imprudent investments in new enter
prises of that kind in other countries be-
sides England. Several establishments
in the United States are indebted to him
for their origin.
LORD MIDDLETON is one of the most
eloquent speakers in England-on his
fingers. He is Chairman of the county
bench and, after an animated conversa-
ton with deaf and dumb beggar,
proved him professional and sent him
for month, whereupon the prisoner re-
piled: " You are an accomplished magis-
trate, but you have no compassion for an
afflicted fellow-creature.
THE Crystal Palace, at Sydenham, En-
gland, has the largest clock in the
world. The dial is forty feet in diane
ter. The hands, with their counter
poises, weigh nearly a quarter of ton;
the minute hand measures nineteen feet
in length, and moves half an inch at
every beat Of the pendulum The dis
lance travelled by the point of the min
ute hand is nearly four miles a week.
THE cold in Russia has been more Sc
we're this winter than for 1853 years. In
st. Petersburg, on Dec. 80, the Their
mometer fell to 32 deg. (Reaumur) below
zero Several cabmen were frozen to
death on their seats, and cats, pigeons
street. Large fires were kept burning at
night by the police for the benefit of the
public. In Moscow the Grand Theater
was closed for want of audiences, the
people being afraid to venture out in the
cold.
AN American family recently went to
Monte Carlo and resolved to create a
sensation, regardless of expense. They
appear to have succeeded, for letter to
the Independence Beige says "There is
an American family here that pays
TRANQUILITY and without a murmur $500
week for first-tioor parlor and three
rooms on the Promenade des Anglais,
and the board of the FIVE members and
their three servants. Twenty-Five hun
dred francs a week. That is what we
call here scalping Yankee properly"
THE Chamber of Commerce in Vienna
publishes an estimate of the average
number of letters sent yearly in the vari-
Gus European countries. The Protestant
countries take the lead, Great Britain
sending about "a letters to each inhabit-
ant; Switzerland, 81; Germany, 10; Hol
land, AZ; the Grand Duchy of Luxem-
bourg, Is; France, 10; Italy, about 81;
Belgium, Denmark and Austria, from II
to II; Norway, Sweden, Spain and Hun
gary, about 81; Russia, s, and Turkey,
but g
A BOTANICAL traveller in Nicaragua de-
Scribes through the columns of Belgian
horticultural publication a species of
phytolaeca which is in the vegetable
world the counterpart of the gymnotus,
or electric eel. On attempting to gather
branch of this plant the hand feels a
shock as if from an electrical machine;
and compass is sensibly affected by
proximity to the plant, the needle being
agitated in proportion to its nearness to
the shrub, taking on rapid gyratory
movement when the instrument is placed
in the middle of the bush.
THE English religious newspapers con-
tain advertisements indicative of plagiar-
ism in the pulpit. A dealer advertises
for collections of manuscript sermons
for which cash will be paid" but they
must be " original, modern and of thor
oughly good church tone" Another
OFFERS for sale " sound, original, practi
cal, Autographed sermons" and says:
q" More than 800 of the clergy have given
voluntary testimony to the great superb