The Newtown bee., 1879-07-23
TIMELY TOPICS.

llMELf IG1Its.
 thorough test of the power, cost and comparative advantages of the electric llght IS to be made in the Capitol build ing at Washington, and three machines Tor the purpose have already been pur- chased. It is also proposed to place a light at the summit of the dome of such power as to illuminate a large portion of thec city.
 It is stated that at Christiana and at Stockholm, Sweden, the police arrest men who, in the streets and places of pleasure resorts, indulge in the habit of pursuing, addressing and annoying wo- men who freely circulate there. Such offenders are made to pay a fine of twen- ty-fve kroner (equal to about six dol lars) and their name, residence and pro- fession are published in all the journals under the head of 'Disturbers of the Peace of Women" It is needless to say that the public shame thus incurred is now very much summed by men. and many would willingly pay, if they were allowed, a large sum of money to be per mitted to escape.
 Carlos, an Italian gymnast, ,well-known from his feats with charged wooden cannon, was lifting it from its stand, during recent exhibition in Cervia, when it fell, mouth downward. The gymnast, with the rapidity of lightning, endcaYored to break the shock so as to prevent the weapons exploding. but he was unsuccessful; the cOncussion fired the piece, and as the charge could not emerge, the cannon burst. Carlos died almost immediately. The econsternation and horror among the spectators at this frightful scene were intense; only one of them was wounded, however, although the SplinterS of the cannon were driven about in every direction.
 A recent review of Burmese troops is thus described by an eyewitness: The number of men drawn up on the parade ground was five thousand, including in fantry and cavalry, in addition to which there were eighty-fiye elephants. The infantry looked like so many monkeys: for size and soldierly bearing they are utterly cOntemptible. The cavalry were mounted upon thin and puny ponies. The guns of the elephant battery were of no greater bore than the common Eng ] fish duck gun. The Burmese were inn
 mensely excited over their warlike dis play but it would be difficult to imagine
 anything more ridiculous than such a 1 s.g1t to any one with the slightest ac- 1 Guaint;Ince with the armies of Europe" ! President Eliot, of Harvard College.
 at the dinner of the Massachusetts Med ] ical Society of Boston, called the atten- i ton of the members ofthe society to cer-
 tain peculiar diseases prevalent among 1 the students of Harvard College. He l had found that.in the senior class of two
 hundred young men, forty-two suffer so
 severely from diseases of thenose. throat
 and lungs that it is impossible. in the 1 opinion Ofmembers of the Massachusetts Medical Society, for them to 20 to pray CTS; and a peculiar feature of the disease i is that the same members of the society certify that it would be dangerous for them to go to prayers for six months to I come. Another peculiarity is that the disease apparently increases the longer the student s.attCnds college, for while only ten per centum of the freshmen are afflicted, twenty-one per centum of the others are. Still another peculiarity of the disease is that it exists only a few moments in the day, and always about the same time; it does not prevent the patients from going to their meals, even though the prayer bell is ringing at the same time; 1t does not prevent their at tending recitations: they can even go to | the theater and ride out home in the horse-car late at night in mid-wintere they can TOW in the boats, play base l ball, and even sing in the glee club. It is known that the disease exists, how, ever, for it is certified to by members ot the Massachusetts Medical Society.