Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-08-08
TIMELY TOPICS.

Il knew that had arrived irf a civil
lied country" wrote II celebrated tray
eler, for the first object that met my eve
after | passed the frontier was a newly
painted gallows.n Ifplenty of penal in
stitutions indicate civilization, Russia
stands first as civilized country. The
Gar has Just issued orders for the con-
| struction of six new state prisons, to ac-
commodate 5000 convicts, and has de-
creed thirty millions of roubles for their
building and fitting up, Two other huge
state prisons are being erected, one in ST.
IBERIA and one in Trans-Caucasia, to ac-
commodate some tenithousand offenders.
This throws an instructive light on the
struggle going on in Russia.
A large party of Mennonites arrived
in New York recently from Russia.
| These people are the disciples of Simon
Memo, and are branch of the much
diversified sect of Baptists. They dress
simply, forbid the taking of oaths, fight
ing, divorce Except for one cause). Each
church forms community, subject to
| firm parental discipline. They are, in
fact, very near kinsfolk to the Omish,
who have settled so largely in the West
and in Virginia, and like them make
thrifty farmers and peaceable citizens.
The party who arrived propose to colo
nize in the West, and brought about
800, 900 with them, besides a comfortable
supply of household gear.
The american AQYicsLltUriSt has few
words to say in favor of fruit eating, as
follows: 1.-The liberal use of the various
fruits as food is conducive to good
health. Fruit is not solid and lasting
aliment like beef and bread, as it is COM
posed largely of water and contains very
little nitrogen. 1t does not give strength
to any great extent, and cannot be used
for very long time alone. But fruits
contain those acids which both refresh
and give tone to the system during the
season when it is most needed, are agree
able to the palate and valuable in their
cooling and health-giving effects. During
warm weather eat a plenty of fruit, pro-
Vided, of course, that it is always thor
oughly ripe and as freshly gathered as is
possible. :
At the trial Of the Nihilists in the
Kief military court, in which three of
the criminals were condemned to death,
it was ascertained that all the gendarmes,
officers as well as men, wore coats of
mail on the day of the arrest of these
Nihilists. 1t was owing to this precau-
tion that only one of the gendarmes--
the one that happened to be shot in the
head-was killed. The others who had
been fired at suffered merely slight con-
tusions. The coats of mail on several of
the gendarmes were found to be indented
by the bullets. OF the Nihilists, six were
wounded. Two of them, the brothers
Ivichevich, died from their wounds in
few days. The Others recovered. Among
the latter were Brandtner and Antonoff
who sraEiVed only to be hanged.
There are over L, 900 varieties of fish,
one-teenth of which are found in fresh
waters. The number Of men employed
in the herring fishery in Great Britainis
about 100, 900, with 1900 vessels. In
the town of Lewestoft, England, in two
days $4,000, 900 herrings were caught.
There are sixty-sevcn lobster-canning
establishments in Nova Scotia and New
Brunswick, which use from three to five
tons per day in the season. The Balti-
more oyster r-beds in the Chesapeake bay
and its tributaries cover 5000 acres, and
are the greatest oyster beds in the world.
They produce an annual crop of 25,000,-
600 bushels. Raw oysters are now
shipped from Baltimore to all parts of
Europe. Oysters are taken from deep
waters and planted, and in three years
become large enough for market.
Mr.. Delaplaine, United States Secre-
tary of Legation at Vienna, in dispatch
to the Department of State, presents an
abstract of the annual police report of
that city. The report is remarkable for
its minuteness and accuracy. Under the
head of servant girls " it is said that
one servant produced evidence of fifty
one years. service in the same family,
one of forty-seven years, fifteen of thirty
eight years, and eleven of thirty-seven
years. Premiums of reward are given
in these cases by the government. Of
amusements in the city during the year,
there were thirty-nine grand balls,
eighty-six charity balls, III masked and
thirty seven fancy balls. There are in
Vienna 1895 unions or societies, of
which 382 are charitable, fifty-two re-
ligious, forty-three political and 277
social. The political societies contain
Ia, I6l members. The electors take
warm interest in club life. The whole
report is worthy of attention by the
police authorities of the United States.