The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-09-03

The Grand Hotel, Pars, has been sold by auc-
ton for 1854, 400, (about S4,2720OO)
DEATH OF GEN. J. B. HooD.-Ne,c Orleans,
August 3Oth.-Gen. J. B. Hood died at o'clock
this morning. 1t is believed his daughter Ida
will not recover. Edith is also very sick.
Con Hood had hopes of recovery to the last.
A short time before his death, perceiving slight
favorable symptoms, he said 20 Dr. Bemis I'VE
may yet dislodge the enemy" As measure of
precaution none of the military associations to
which the General belonged were invited to the
funeral. He was buri, this afternoon.
Gen. Hood leaves e. ven children, the eldest
ten years, and the YOUNGEST Twins three weeks
old. His physical condition had been bad for
some time past, caused 1t is alleged by anxiety
arising from financial reverses. ens uirp-Ay- the
blow he received in the death Of his wife. He
leaves tbe manuscript of history of the war,
which he intended to havfpublished this fall
Whig
The wheat crop of Illinois this year, accord
ing to the figures received by the State Board of
Agriculture, amounts to a total of 42,O4l ,252
bushels an average of 193 bushels per acre, and
is valued at $37, 226, 757, or an average of 8S
cents per bushel in the producers hands. 1t
is considered the largest and most valuable crop
ever raised in the State. The total land sown
in wheat was 2l37063.
The diminution of trampsi in Pennsylvania has
been observed ever since the opening Of spring,
and a similar falling off has been remarked, not
here only, but in all the Middle and Eastern
States. 1t was found in Maine few weeks
since that the public expense of relieving pau
perism had decreased from thirty to fifty per
cent less than the amount laid out for the same
purpose last year.
A German naturalist answers the question:
how many eggs can "a hen possibly lay? as fol-
lows The ovary of hen contains about 600
embryo eggs, of which, in the first year, not
more than twenty are matured. The second
year produces 120; the third, 1885, the fourth
Ia: and in the following four years the num-
Der decreases by twenty yearly. In the ninth
year only ten eggs can be expected, and thus 1t
appears that after the first four years hens cease
to be profitable as layers.
BISMARCK AND ANDRAssY-Berljn, August
28th.-Prince Bismarck and Count Andrassy
were closeted for five hours yesterday, and dined
and spent the evening afterwards together The
entire cordiality and sympathy existing between
these two representatives OF Germany and Aus
tria was emphasized in every possible way, and
the two powers as again st Russia; but on the
other hand the Grand Dukes vladimir and
Alexis, of Russia, will dine with the Emperor
William to-day, and this event is taken as an
indication of the anxiety on the part of the En-
peror to emphasize mis- EEeronal friendly feeling
towards the Czar,
United States Senator JSAn S. Williams, of
Kentucky, appeared in the capacity OF an auc-
tioneer at one of the Cincinnati tobacco-houses
one day last week. He offered for sale fourteen
hogsheads of tobacco of his own raising. The
Senator appeared in his shirt-sleeves, and with
considerable assistance from the crowd Of buyers
was hoisted on top of his first hogshead. The
bidding was quite spirited and the lot sold for
an average of 163 cents per pound, the highest
average rate for the year, and Senator Williams
enthusiastically remarked; That beats corn,
wheat or any other thing that ever raised.
1t was his first crop of tobacco.
The King of Burmah has again abandoned
himself to the most immoderate and reckless
drinking, and has executed a number of the
principal nobility He is steadily pursuing
policy of irritation and insult against the British
in Mandelay, and the British ResidenCy, al
though guarded by additional troops, is not con
sidered safe 1t is closely watched by spies.
The river is full of Burmese vessels Of war.
A petition is now being extensively signed in
Paris for the purpose of urging the Senate and
the Chamber of Deputies to decree the sale by
auction of the ex-Crown diamonds and jewels,
and to let the proceeds be added to the sinking
fund of the national debt. The jewels and dia-
monds are for the present intrusted to the care
of the Bank of France, and represent a dormant
capital of some 95 100000 or G6,0OOOOO.
1t is now said that the ex-Empress Eugene
considers herself much slighted that the Pope
should have sent his coincidence at the time OF
the Prince Imperial's death through a Cardinal,
instead of addressing her personally. Plus the
Ninth was more sympathetic. Certainly Eu-
genie has been a most dutiful daughter to the
Roman Church, and deserves all the consolation
it can give to her in her misfortunes. Had she
been less devoted to the Papacy she might pos
sibly have been to-day mistress in the Tuilerles.
The Matthews villa at Newport built eight
wears ago by Mr. Nathan Matthews of Boston,
and purchased by Mr.. James B. Keene, of New
York, for $1,000, will shortly be completed at
an additional expense of $4,000. 1t is the finest
residence in Newport
DEATH OF SIR ROWLAND HILL.-A cable dis
patch announces the death Wednesday morning,
at his residence in Hampstead, of Sir Rowland
Hill, K. c. B., D. c. L., F. R. S. Sir Rowland
is endeared to the hearts of the English peassn-
try and the middle classes as a genuine benetac-
tor while Great Britain owes him debt Of
gratitude as the author of the penny postal sys-
tenn, under the operations of which the postal
service of the Empire has become not only self
supporting, but an important source of revenue
to the Government He was born in 1875, and
was the third son of Mr.. Thomas w Hill, a
school-master residing near Birmingham.
Sir Rowland Hill was the author of the cheap
Postage system, and by his labors got it intro
duced into Great Britain. He published his first
pamphlet on the subject in 1887. In 1910 NE
penny postal system went into operation. On
the introduction of the new system there was a
falling off in the revenue, and its opponents were
jubilant but the deficiency soon disappeared, and
then it was time for Mr.. Hill and his friends to
rejoice People who could not afford to write to
their friends under the old rates began to cores
nond. and soon the business Of the Post-oifice in