The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-12-30
4=Ha.as S$.y cad Eafhnnn Massansay-
HKw ozEMAMB. SUNDAY, DECEMBKR 20 fsT7.
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

Kings county, Ireland, "a inches long and &c
pounds ounces in weight, Is tho heaviest
ever grown.
There are nov nine churches in Toledo
Ohio, two French. two German. one Polish,
and four English speaking. Wfth the exCep:
tion Of two French churches they all hayeNex
eelient schoole attached
4 committee OF country schoolboys visited
Edwin Booth in Utica for the purpose Of en-
xaging him to act 10 their exhibition. Their
idea was to appear themselves in "Hamiet"
with Mr.. Booth in the title role. They offered
him $40 and expenses.
It 10 curious fact that, notwitbstapding
the sure destruction, sooner or later. OF houses
6uilt near the base OF Mount Vtsavious, the
Of Terre del Greco. containing nearly 10 600 in.
Aabitants, 10 constructed on the lava streams
Of 1881.
Tho culture Of coffee in southern CAlifornis
1ssosousiy Z. il the coffee eouparies Of souiS
America, and Yields o bean of o strong aro-
matte flavor. The central and southern por.
tioLs Of the State are the regions peculiarly
favorable.
At public exhibition OF strength In the
Assembly room at WiRtOwD, in Scotland. one
Wilson lifted the enormous weight OF eleven
Hundred weight. He also lifted with bis teeth,
and without the aid Of bis hands, from the
Aoor, eight 56a on o strong board. The weights
did mot touch his body.
In an account Of the house and the habits Of
Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, the London
0CytA clbG4 Dl1Ou& EDe DAuAl Xue9t9 At his
Lordship's lively dinners the pleasant presence
Of the eminent counsel who has collapsed bis
lame 80 an American statesman by thoee
aehievements Which have placed him in the
front rank OF English commercial lawyegs, Mr..
Judah p. Benjamin, Q tC.
Speaking ut Cardiff, Wales, lsteIy, Lord
4berdare, formerly police magistrate in the
centre Of the Welsh mining district, and after
ward Secretary of State for the Home Depart |
mont. said that he had not known things 90
bad Tor forty five years, and that many persons |
in South Wales were dying for want of the |
common necesssries OF life. The same story |
comes from many other manufacturing dis. |
Bricts. !
In Mexico, Oswego county, n. Y. the mer- |
chants formed . protective society against per. |
sons who contracted dsbts and did not pay |
them. They published . list of the dead beats |
10 the village newspaper. Thereupon the |
house of the secretary Of the association was |
burned, the Presidents drug store was set on |
Ere, and the editor was warned that be would /
Aave neither house nor Office il he Published |
the list again.
& writer Ia Chambers .JoMyRa3, who has been |
booking over the manuscripts copies Of seven or |
eight Of Charles Dickens novels in the South |
1eDsiDgtcn Museum, says that one 10 struck by |
the mum ber of alterations and inteFli ne atious
with which the pages abound. The first
emotion 10 one Of surprise that the books that !
appear 90 fluent and natural, should have been |
the result OF so much anxious thought, care,
and elaboration.
The largest bell in the world Is in the tenn
pie of Glars, in Kioto, Japan. Unlike the great
bells IN Pekin and Moscow it is whole, aud it's
tome IL as perfect and Is swest when first
suspended. Where and by whom it was cast
- not knoSn. Chinese and Sspscrit chaTac.
ters completely cover it; but they are not
feet high and 10 inches thick at the rim. 1t
has DO clapper, bat is struck by Q sort of wood
IN battering ram on the oatside
The fact that even the most benevolent per-
sons are not always the most harmonious re-
firm fynro
now distractipg the management Of the Moy-
amensiDg soup Society in Philadelphia. One
aet OF people, who claim to be the regularly
elected officials for the d ribution of soup TO
the, fAzoished Pbiladel rhiaans. have applied
for an Injunction against another set, who, |
setting up like claim, are anxious to have
the honor OF ladling o1t tie liquid comestible. |
HE retuEns are to be Overh0uled.
4 Russian collects stare Is an EuRlishmeu
would cutiositie0, and the mania 10 an expen
Aive one, for IL entaiIs disbursement of fees
Thico are always large, an. sometimes sxhor.
Sitent. Some Russian Generals aud Senators
are knights Of more than thirty orders, aud il
h thess who affect most 10 wear no ribbons at
AL. The custom Of going ont TO evening par
Sirtb, but it IL growing apAce, aud now high
GlaSs Russians no longer show their stars at
she theatre and ct private parties as they did
ten years ago. At Official receptions they have
10 choice, bot must wear eli the stars aud
0EOSses they possess, even though their bosons
Hhouid resemble q js~sEter's shop front in con-
sequence.
One of the half dc zen books 10 the Euzlisb
language which have brought the most Grist
TO the publisher's mill 10 Barns Justice Of
the Peace" The author WAS q country curAte
Who. when he had completed bis iaborious
work, came up to London to find . Publisher.
1he fret to WhOm he won't offered 500, aud
the poor author turned disheAFtsDed away
Sew days later he went to Miller, an eminent
publisher ia the last century. Miller consult
Cd ayoung lawyer who generally advised him
On law books, and was told that the book
accepted the offer. Miller made SIS, 900 out Of
the book, bat had the deceney to send Burns
I've hundred dollars on each now edition max
NIX ita appearance.
question of the greatest arct % oloeIoAI in
SSresS 10 being discussed in Cologne at the
present time, Involving the fate of the old for
664d wall which surrounds the town. This
wall, which dates frem the twelfth century,
Sorms, with its numerous towers and gate " avs
about the most important historical mon ument
Of its kind, exciting on the Continent. Bot
arcb g illogical interests 60 for nothing against
modern civilization, and the PrussiGn Minis.
Ser of War, finding its deep fOsseS and al cient
system Of fOrti6oAtiops Of little nee in modern