The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-12-20

-" Afghanistan, said competen
British authority some years ago, sis
land Of rocks and sand, deserts, ice an
snow. Take small force into th
country, and you are beaten; take
large one, and you are starved"
Lord Beaconslield is described a
being chary always Of accepting casua
attentions from strangers. Mr.. Glad
stone, on the contrary, Is the most &C
cessible Of all men who have attained
such position as his.
The train called the "Flying Dutch
man" on the Great Western, England
runs from Paddington TO Swindon, ~!
miles, in one hour and ~ minutes ~
over 80 miles per hour, the fastest train
in the world.
The effect of the long commercial
depression upon the German people is
best seen from some recently published
statistics. In the kingdom Of Prussia
marriages have decreased since 1872 by
about one-sixth, births remaining at a
figure much more closely approaching
that Of six years ago.
AT recent fashionable marriage in
London, the bridegroom requested the
bride 70 order her own jewels. This she
did, and bills have now come in amount
ing TO above 100000. The bridegroom
can not pay and the jewelers. decline TO
take back their wares.
From January, 1876, till May last,
% dead bodies have been cremated in
the City of Milan, one Of them that of
woman. -Four bodies, ascertained 10 be
of the weight of 50, G2, Al, and SO kilo-
grammes, have yielded ashes to the
weight of between two and three kilo-
grammes. A kilogramme is about two
ard one-fifth pounds.
king Alfonso Is reported to have
recovered from his first grief over his
young Queens death. When clad in the
deepest mourning, with his small figure
that seemed TO have shrunk to half its
size, his pale, dark, almost wizened face
completely shaved and closely clipped
hair, he looked more like 4 poor stu
dent preparing for holy orders and
consumed with penance and fasting
than like the monarch of call the
SPANS"
Here is q story about Bismarck,
told by Herr Busch, in his new book
One day at dinner, in camp, the council
Tors who dined with Bismarck express
ed fear that the supply Of their favor
lie beverage, beer, was running short.
Z It's a good thing that il ISL cried
Bismarck theoretically; ~ am sorry
that beer has got into such universal
use; il makes people stupid, lazy and
impotent. 1t is beer that causes all these
Democratic gossipings which one al
ways hears in beer halls. think that
a good whisky made from grain would
be preferable.
To judge by German official Jour-
mails, Bismarck Is endeavoring to palli-
ate his rigor toward Socialism by i'm
provements in the condition of the la
boring classes. He Is urging the crea-
ton Of workingmen's cities on the plan
Of Mulhouse in Alsacc, designed by Jean
Dolfus, and at Hamburg subscription
Of half million marks has been raised
toward a second city of that descrip-
ton. The national subscription of two
and half millions, presented to the
Emperor William as testimonial of af-
lection after the last attack upon his
life, will be added to the fund. Great
economy is effected in Mulhouse, and
The mode Of living is, at the same time,
much superior TO that of most laboring
men.
Odds and Ends.