The Newtown bee., 1879-06-17
TIMELY TOPICS.

About 5,00O.000 tons of slag are pre- duced annually in the Detroit and Cleve- land districts alone, and hitherto noth- ing has been done with this immense waste. Slag is produced at all iron works, and being lighter than iron it floats on the surface the melted metal, is drawn of, and, when cooled, looks something like colored humps of glass. It is now proposed to utilize this refuse material. This is already done in Eng land. Two companies are engaged in making bricks, concrete paving material and other articles from slag. Over 5000, ,000 bricks a year are sent to Lon don alone. In Northamptonshire glass works are in operation, where the slag is transferred into a coarse glass for bottles or other articles. It is now proposed to begin similar works in this country.
 The formal opening of a railroad in Tunis brought together thousands of Arabs to witness the ceremonies. Every class ofnatives seemed to be represented. There were the Hamals from the hill country, the Bedouins from the borders of the great desert, the superbly and gorgeo,isly-caparisoned horseman from the plains and the grave, dignified and gentlemanly merchant and official. It was worth a journey to Africa to look upon that wonderful collection of Orientals brought together to wit ness such an event and under such cir cumstances. Some of the displays of horsemanship by the mounted Arabs was wonderful. At one of the stations q company of horsemen started from the station with the train and kept abreast of it for at least-as we estimated-four or five miles, the train moving at the rate Of twenty-five to thirty miles an hour; and this on an uneven, broken and in places bushy plain. Not horse faltered or fell and the men sat grandly erect in their saddles.
 The freedom of discussion permitted by the imperial government of Brazil was strikingly illustrated recently by a speech of Dr. Freitas Coutinhe, member of the Brazilian Parliament from the Province of Rio Janeiro, who made a strong argument before the Chamber of Deputies in favor of a Republican form of government. His remarks were warmly applauded and at the conclusion he was congratulated by the members of the ministry. Tine idea of the progress sive party in Brazil is to change the government to republic as soon as the emperor dies. Some are in favor of not waiting so long. It is highly sig nificant of the affectionate esteem in which the Emperor Dom Pedro is held by all parties that these extremists pro- pose nothing more than that he shall lay aside his crown and take the position of first President of the Brazilian Re- public. If he will do this," says one of the Republican newspapers, he will become not only the first citizen of America, but the first citizen of the world. His name will be the symbol of liberty, and will be placed beside those of the greatest benefactors of hu- manity. He will be glorified by his country and admired by all free peoples. !"
 In 1872 the records of mortality in New York city showed that Is, lS6 chil- dren under five years of age had died during the year. In 1878, notwithstand- ing the great increase in the population of New York, the number of deaths of children under five had decreased to I2.4Io. Even this latter number indi- cates a fearful defect in the sanitary con ditions; but it shows an improvement, which is mainly due to the efforts of the Board of Health, and to the private charities which have labored to save the little ones. Every summer physicians and visitors go about among the tene- ment houses to give medical assistance to the sick poor, and to advise them how to take care of their children. Many arrangements are now made to give change of air for few days to in- fants, who in hot weather, suffering and weak, are shut up in stifled tene- ments. The '' Sick Children's Mission, :" the "Flower Mission," the Poor Chil- dren's Summer Home," and many other similar enterprises are saving hundreds of lives every year. A ''Sick Infants Retreat" is to be established upon the sea- shore near Coney Island, where poor mothers can take their feeble infants for a few days to breathe the invigorating air. The plan of sending older children into country homes for two or three weeks has been found most advan- tageous.