Connecticut western news., 1879-01-15
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

have drawn water from 8 we'll in their cellar. The we'll was 40 feet deep, and the water therein never failed. The other night, during a severe storm and gale, the bottom of the we'll dropped out. During the night they heard tre- mendous noise in the cellar resembling Q miniature earthquake. The next morning the cellar was visited, and 10 the we'll had vanished. It must have sunk to considerable depth, as the pump was nearly buried out of sight. A portion of the underpinning of the house was undermined, and will have to be rebuilt.
 A statistical review of the battles fought by Austrian troops since 1495 has just beer issued by the military au- thorities, which shows that in that pc riod the aggregate losses in killed and wounded have amounted to 1,Os5, 1881, including 261 generals and 17,065 off, cers, while the prisoners taken by the enemy were 56 generals, 4, 174 other of- ficers and 2S9, 041 non-commissioned of- ficers and men. AS to trophies and cap- lures, the account stands Guns taken, 4,1C1 <; lost, 1s805; colors and standards taken, 2,O33; lost, 969; horses cap- tured, 13,6S2; lost, 129,227; wagons captured, Il, ,833; lost, 3,91O.
 On this side of the Atlantic over- production and over-im portation are charged as the causes of hard times, which have been aggravated by unem- ployed labor. 'Iu England political economists are tracing hard times to the immense standing armies, which are sustained mainly through the military influence of Germany. It is estimated that the European nations have now 7,- 500, 900 men under arms. These men are producers, and are taken from their legitimate spheres of daily toil. These men cost on an average $2OO per annum, or about four millions dollars each day, or total of fifteen hundred millions of dollars per annum, expenses for the services of men who do not add one penny to the products of the coun- try.
 Landlords as we'll and common peo- pie have their troubles. Mine host of hotel at Blairville. Iowa, had moro than his share. To inaugurate his new house he desired to have what he called a high-toned assemblage, but could not make up his mind how to draw the lines. At first he thought of inviting only wealthy families, but it turned out that some of the wealth1est of the resi- dents were very disreputable. He next adopted the plan of including only the old families of the place, but that would have counted in an ex-convict. The idea of restricting the attendance to the families of professional men was re- jected because it would limit the com pany to about forty persons. Finally, the hotel man offered the tickets for sale to whoever had the money to buy, and so few were sold, ill consequence of the bad feeling already excited, that the project was given up.
 A divorce suit of peculiar sort was decided in the Court of Common Pleas at Cincinnati last week. Buckner Robinson sought separation from his wife Harriet. He is seventy-two years old and she ffty-six years. They were married in 1874, and she left him the year after. Both were members of the same church. The old husband had several children. The stepmother as- serted her authority, and on ono occa- sion hurled butcher knife at the head of one of the daughters. Judge John son, in deoreeing the divorce, spoke very sharply. He said that the plaintiff at his age should not have married, hay ing no occasion for Q wife to take charge of his household affairs. His marriage without consulting his children showed very poor judgment and discretion. If he had the power he would enioin MT. Robinson from marrying again without the consent of his children. As it was, he should sever this unfortunate alliance, and so he granted decree against Mrs. Robinson for desertion.
 The English troops do not have the most pleasant time in their invasion of Abyssinia. A London Stardard corre- spondent, with the army, says: Further on soldiers were hauling wagons, whose bullocks had all died. This battery has had terrible time since it entered the Pass, and is not yet out as I write. The bullocks were utterly broken down at the end of the third days march, and those that remain will be useless for months to come. The deep shingle has cut their hoofs to pieces, and has liter ally torn their fetlocks. It is pitiable to see them tottering along, and almost unable to support themselves when harnessed to drag the wagons. Two oi the elephants have died on the road. As I rode forward I overlook wagon after wagon belonging to the heavy bat. tery 5-11, abandoned, with their bull locks lying dead or dying alongside Presently came on 4O-pounder siege gun, which two elephants and hundred soldiers were dragging painfully, witt halts at every ten yards distance.
 --Ihe average grain product of Flu ropeis reported at 5000, GOO, GOO bushels of which Russia raises one-thi-d, France and Germany 52O, ,OOO,OOO bushels each and Austria 50O,OOO,OOO. The United States produces 1,6O0, ,O0o, ,OOO bushels
 (about the same that Russia does,
 which, in proportion to our population is a much larger production than any other country can boast of. Counting