The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-08-05
GENERAL MEN ITEMS.


been mskiug experiments in lighting fortress
ess by electricity, and have decided 10 snpply
all the principal fortresses with tie requisite
apparatus.
do not restrict themselves to notices OF new
books only. The first article in the last Edin
6xrsh is u notice OF two works Published eight
years ago.
waship gto1 olairvoyan told the Hartford
2IRs0s correspondent that the people of Boston
wore more easily humbugged by persons Of her
calling than those of any other city in the
United States!!!
Thirteen students OF the University OF Ghent
have challeu ged thirteen studenis of the uni-
versity of Turin to see which set will pass the
best examination in the sciences aud the his
tory of the Papaoy.
A London paper contains announcement
that the marriage ceremony of Nj. Smart ard
q Miss Jones is to be repeated, many friends
having been unable to gain admittance to the
church the day before.
Permission is to be given to French soldiers
in future to wear speotacles, as in the German
army. Medical men have urged upon the Gov
ernment that good giasses greatly ease siSht,
and evon strengthen 1t.
Prof. Fritzsche, Director of the Russian OBJ
~servatory at Pekin, has compared bis expert
observations of the Jesuits in 1879, and
finds no evidence of any change.
1t is reported that the Southern Pacific Rail
road Company have engaged quarter of q
million cue ally Plus trees. uS mpauy
plant the trees along the line of their track,
and will use the timber, when sufficiently
grown, to replace the ties as they wear ont.
The gift of DIR. Toner to the city OF st. Louis
of medical library, including u 600 volumes
is said to be the most valuable that has been
bestowed upon the city for literary purposes.
The recipients are required to provide fire.
proof knildiDg for the reception of the books.
The appeal of the King of the Bslgians for
an African exploration fund has brought over
I'M nd 300 600 n ANIMAL
subscriptions The bulk of this will bs capt.
taliZed, bat the International Exploration
Commission intends TO go to work at once.
England has seeded from the Commission, as
it Is going to carry on a separate expedition.
Cham, the popular Paris csriosturist of Char
tpari when starting out in the profession, de-
sired to sign his pieces with his family name;
bat his fAther, II. de Noe, stoutly demurred, on
the ground that newsp sperirg was ungenteel.
=" Weil,' said the son. I'll sign Cham : that
will make matters all right y Cham being the
French way of spelling Shens, son of Noah.
White mustard was largely sown in France
last autumn for fodder. II is so relisned by
, L0ch cows tn at many peasants call il tie
butter plant" 1t is eown in August, on the
stnbble If the soil be friable, and narrowed il;
or sometimes the soil Is turned over with
plopgE, Eve pounds of seed to the acrs. The
plant can be consumed green till the f.ost ar
rives.
Forty-eight varieties of Prasbytcrians were
represen ted in the council at EdI nbnrgh. The
stades of difference bstw cen sono of these
rieties are so sli sht as to be almost impercep-
tible to an outsider; and yet so determined are
soue of the brethren in their own ways, tnat
some Of tho Presbyterian Sedfes wiii not COM
muue with any other Christians than those
who belong to their own set.
In the State of Mississippi there are ninety
two newspapers, whose combined circulation 10
about 20 GOO. In Arkansas there are seventy
newspapere, whose combined circulation is
atouS IS 900 Mississippi has $3.50 people (;
90 that it crcuia;ss one newspaper to every
fourteen souls. Arksnsss has ASS O0O people,
which gives it, in proportion TO ITS popuisTion'
shout the same newspaper circulation ae Sls
,sissippi. q,
A very sensitive metallic thermometer on q
optioian in Paris. The dilations OF small
sheet OF platinized silver are anphhed by
means of Q system of levers, and the motion IL
communicated to q needle on dial on whloh
degrees are marked. The motion of the needle
10 almost instantaneous. The apparatus ha'
been tested in the Willie ds Paris. q new bal!
loon sent up on Jane ct Paris.
The London papers tell of q race from Dove
TO London between the Continental mail OK
press train and pigeon. Tne bird was tossed
from O carriage wiudow the train left tS
Admiralty pier and the train immediately 60
up a speed of sixty miles an hour, and pro
cseded without stopping 10 Cannon street
The pigeon, which WAS . homrd' to a buildlu
in Cannon street, took the steal ght route, prob
ably saving hall u mile IN the whole distAnc
of 7Gi miles, and bsat the tram b. t"snt.
minutes ~ tune ailo vance of eighteen nilt
In 1864 Crook aLl S,eEel moved simuitane
ouB1y the Talir" al coUuectInE Rickmond an
the southwest aud up the S",naLdush, tie;
operations beius designed to hep Grant l.
Grip ping aud confusing the enemy. CroH
was fairly ccesafrl in destroying tho roat
but Sigel wa forced hw Ear,y - retreat. C."
Strother { Porte CrayJon',) Who was o
Siegers srat. remarked that the only ditfe
enoe bet~oen the commanders wos, that Will
Crook tearing up tho road Slegel va
tearing down the pike.
Americans are apt to be scaudalized in E,
rope by the field labor of women, bot we lear
from the statements of the special sgriculturs
correspondent of the Edinburgh Scotsman thI
in this country, also, women are nimilarly en-
ployed. Writing from the great settlement
Kansas he says: "The mejority of those WI
have ssttled here within the past two years 81
2assians; and, being working people witho'
capiEsl, they have reduced the cost of lab,
greatly. They bresk prairie and plough Ian
st 5s. or IS. per acre, ~hich used to cost l2i.
I4s. and for dAy's work Russian wome
charge only 25 oents, or Is, and excellel
workers they are"
a Mr.. Croft was travelling with his wife ar
child TO Market HarborO', in EnGland, on Jd
J, by the North western Railway, aud fo'
he ohA NIL nil he