The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-01-22
TIMELY TOPICS.

The commissioners have footed up
loss of $40, 0,572, 500 to New Orleans by
the yellow fever.
From the debris of their coal mines
France makes annually 700, 900 tons of
excellent fuel, and Belgium 500, 600
tons.
The registers show that in fifteen
months the Richmond bars have sold
], 1897, ,2O5 alcoholic, and 3,093, 525 malt
drinks total tax, $55, ,650.61.
Nine samples of sugar were recently
analysed at Richmond, Va, and only
three found sufficiently free from min
eral salts to be wholesome.
A Liverpool firm is reported to have
purchased steamer for the purpose OF
importing live pigs from America. The
vessel is being fitted up to hold over
1000 pigs, as well as cattle.
King Louis, of Bavaria, is building
on the island of Herrenworth, in lake
Chiemsee, q castle which will cost
SO, 900, 900, and be the most sumptuous
royal residence in Germany.
Andrew Jackson's old iron clock that
used to mark time for the White house
was discovered the other day in heap
of rubbish and sold to patriotic Wash
ipetonian for tWenty-nine dollars.
There are over 7, 900 Americans study.
ing in German schools and universities.
The American consul at Wurtemberg
estimates that over 81, 500, 900 are thus
annually expended by Americans in
Germany.
Think of what an agricultural fair
must be in California, with cabbages
five feet in circumference, pumpkins
weighing hundred pounds, cucumbers
yard long and peaches and pears as
large as your head.
Mr.. Harper, who owns the famous
running horse Ten Broeck, says that he
shall not again enter him for race.
The animal is in excellent condition.
He has been removed from the training
stable to the stud farm. Not long ago
he weighed 1,142 pounds.
An immense grave or vault is being
made in the cemetery of Pere la Chaise,
in Paris, in which to place the remains
of all the forgotten combatants of the
war of 1870. It embraces an area OF
400 square feet, and will be surmounted
by monument, the design of which
has not been chosen.
A girl working in paper mill at
Delphi, Ohio, found $100 among the
waste she was sorting. The proprietor
of the establishment took them from
her, but she sued him for them, and the
supreme court has finally decided the
case in her favor, holding that the pur
chase of waste paper does not give the
purchaser right to unknown valuables
found in it as against the finder.
An Indianapolis Qnd.) man mas ap-
piled for patent for his air ship, which,
though buoyed up like balloon, is con-
nected with the ground over which it
travels. His aerial cor is 10 be seventy
five or one hundred feet long, is to &C
commodate more people than railroad
coach, and he is going to ask the city
council for permission to exhibit it on q
experimental line between the city and
the stock-yards.
Some Spanish newspapers have an.
nounced the marriage of King Alfonso
with the Princess Christine de Mont
pensier, eldest sister of the late Queen
Mercedes. Other journals have denied
the report. The Epoca, however, seems
to confirm it in announcing that the
king will remain some time faithful to
the memory of Queen Mercedes before
fulfilling the duties which are imposed
upon him by the exigencies of the
monarchy.
On the 5th OF October, 1854, Mr..
George T. Walker, of Santa Clara, Cal.,
gave Mr.. William Hood note, secured
by mortgage, for 81 $50 at six months
interest at the rate of three per cent.
per month, to be compounded and add
ed to the principal if not paid OF the end
of each month. Mr.. Walker went to
Mexico before the note became due, and
when he returned few weeks ago his
creditor sued him and got Judgment for
$9,000,0 900.
The observatory of Prof. PALMER,
the courageous savant, who has devoted
his life to the study of Mount Vesuvius,
is situated on long and narrow ridge
of rock on Mount Contaroni, almost at
the foot of the actual cone Of the volcano,
and about half mile from the hermit
age of San Salvatore-the extreme point
to which carriages can ascend the noun
tain. In spite of the risks the professor
has remained at his post and chronicled
features OF the eruptions of the last six
years.
In Germany school children are in
structed to distinguish the most COM
mon noxious from beneficial insects, and
to collect and destroy the former. In
the district of Segeberge, Holstein, the
number of May beetles taken by the
children last season amounted to IA 1876
kilogrammes (about 31,250 pounds),
besides 500 pounds weight OF the larvae
or grubs of the same insect. Taking
the number of beetles to the kilogram-
mo Mt 900, we have the astonishing
number of $4,000, 900 Of these enemies
of the farmer put out of the way OF
doing harm.
In his "Notes of Tour in America"
Mr.. Hussey Vivian, NJ. P, says: $50
far as I am able to Judge, America
promises every principal mineral, ex-
cept tin, in great abundance. Her coal
fields are gigantic. The quality appear
ed to me to be excellent, and the price
at which it is sold to the Pittsburgh
works proves that it is cheaply got.
There are, in fact, few parts of England
where coal of like quality can be pro-
duced at this moment at so cheap rate.
The cost and quality of coal is the basis
of almost every manufacturing industry,
and I cannot see, therefore, what is to
prevent America from becoming not |
only entirely self-supporting in all
branches of manufacture, but also a
largely exporting country, if frail men
will leave natures laws to have their
free sway. America possesses iron ores
of the finest steel.making qualities, and