The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-05-19
GENERAL NEWS ITEMS.

There is a factory in Davenport. Iowa, for
| making eugsr from Indiau corn. The product
| somewhat resembles maple sugar, and sells
| readily in the neigbborhood. The syrup is es'
pecially liked.
The Municipal Council OF Paris has just voted
| q sum of 80 900 francs to liberate from pawn all
| workmans tools aud bed linen deposit for
sums of from three to fifteen francs between
| May 16 and Dec 13.
! For the month ending April 18th, 63 ships
left Liverpool carrying 1869 emigrants. of
| whom 1856 were English, II Scotch, SAC Irish,
1197 Of other known nationa1ities, and LAB not
| accounted for. 29l1 of the emigrsnts came to
| the United States.
France proposes spending $3.50 900 900 on her
army, and $45 600 900 on her navy in 1879.
The low pay of French soldiers is partly oom.
| penssted by the fact that they can buy their
tobacco from the Government on very low
terms, and travel everywhere through the
| country at half price.
| There is a fish pond mania in Kentucky, and
| many persons rho own swamps traversed by
| small streams, are digging them ont, damming
| them, and creating artificial sheets of water
which they are stocking with fish, principally
trout, procured from Mr.. William Gritfi. tn, the
Fish Commissioner at Louisville.
There arc now published in the United States
| thirty foCr papers in the Spanish language.
! Seven Of these have been born into Uncle Sans
| household since Ell Comerico del Yale of 81
Louis made its fest appearance in the Centen-
nial year of grace and independence. 1876
people who speak the Spanish language.
Prince Bismarck was-lately asked-in- the
Rechstag to afford facilities for pest Office and
| telegraph officials to attend church on sunday.
| He replied that doubtless the mover of the mo-
| ton felt impslled by the Holy Spirit to make
| the proposal, but that it would cost three and
a half million dollars year. He then ridi-
ouled "the pharisaical character of the English
Sunday"
During q storm in Sydney, described in the
lsst Australian newspapers, as much as 10.SS
inches fell in forty eight hours. After the ter
| rible drought which had afflicted the country,
| the parched earth was not equal to carrying
off such an enormous quantity of water sud
denly poured upon it, and disastrous floods fol-
| lowed, causing great destruction of life and
property.
| With the exception of three or four papers,
the forty-three daily journals of Paris are una.
nmous in combating Russian pretep sions, and
| 10 urging that the treaties of 1856 must not be
set aside without the consent of the powers
| who signed them. Some have been advocating
| these views with more spirit than Others, but
it is worth noting that the leading papers
| have been the most strenuous in their anti
| Russian polemics.
General Sherman proposes some very radical
changes in the equipment of the regular troops.
| He is in faver of doing away With the bayonet,
| the Sergeant's sword, the cartridge box, belt
plates and kuapsack, and substituting in their
| stead good revolver a leather pouch for
| cartridges, knife, rubber blanket and pro.
vision sack. He says that the blanket will
| contain all the clothing necessary for long
march, and should be worn across the body
| from shoulder to waist.
The Supreme Court of Nebraska has pro-
nounced unconstitutional the State law ex.
emptipg from taxation land on which the
| owners shall have planted forest trees. This
decision, while it will discourage the cultva.
ton of trees in that largely treeless State is
great relief to the other taxpayers. In Ssun-
ders county one'eight Of the taxable property
| about $120, ,000-was exempt under the law,
| and in Lincoln county the value Of the exemp-
| ted property reached 5000 OOO
The London Athenaeup. says that Mr.. Holman
Hunt, on his return to England, brought with
him the large aud important picture which
has occupied him for more than two years
back. The subject of this work is "The Flight
into Egypt;" its treatment comprises novel
and striking idea such as might be expected
from the painter OF the 'scapegoat" '.The
Flight into Egypt" is far advanced to-
wards completion that Mr. Hunt hopes to be
| able to finish the work before returning to
Jerusalem, which he intends doing in less than
two months.
The fight by circus elephants in Piedmont,
| Va, was lively one. There were six of the
huge beasts, one Asiatio and some African,
and between the two sorts no love had been
| lost. The trouble was begun on bridge. The
| keeper intended to let one cross at time, fear
| ing that the structure was not secure; but two
Gro wded on together, and one pushed the other
| into the stream. The water was deep, and
| the ducked elephant, an Asiatic, on coming to
the surface, blew terrible blast of rage and
QeuaDC0. AN AElCou Sl0pudub 4ulOAAy pLuuE
ed in, and the fight was begun with tusks and
trunks. The six beasts were excited beyond
control, and it Was soon general melee. One
| got mired and had to be lifted out with q
crane. After they had all been secured, the
leaders in the fight were whipped and prodded
until they were entirely submissive.
The Bishop of Strasburg has been authorized
| to re open. under conditions which may be
described as truly Prussan, the petit semindire,
| which has been closed for the last five years.
| The establishment, says the Journal d Alsace,
which will be under the direction of the Abbe
Andre, senior curate of the cathedral, will be
| opened Professionally in the form of a pension
nat, and the pupils will follow the course Of
| other establish hments in the city-the Imperial
| Lvcee, the Protestant Gynpasium, or the real.
schute Inside the seminary the old rules will
oe followed as to hours of study and the reli-
| gious exercises. Parents will chose to what
| Establishment their cAildren to resort for
| lessons. 1t is to be hoped that this arrange
| ment is only preliminary to the complete reor-
| gAuization of the seminary, as it was before
the closing. A great number of pupils are
| already enrolled.
| oF fba 10 Of TraI nd