The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-10-31
GOSSIP OF THE DAY.


lNcRRDIBLR q II may seem, the cost
Of water for running . steam engine In
New York city II at the present time
about two-thirds the cost Of fuel.
GIN. SToNRMAN derides ten. Ere
nonts scheme for turning the waters
Of the Colorado into the desert basin Of
California and Arizona. He says that,
presuming the connection canal 10 be
1000 feet wide and 10 deep and running
At i've miles an hour, II would take 300
years 10 ill the basin. After being ALI
ed 1t would, he asserts, require an adj
ditiOnl cutting Of the same depth and
go feet wide to compensate for evapora.
ton.
PEOPLE In the United States depend
upon the conscientiousness Of butchers
TO sell sound meat. In Germany, how.
ever, the laws regulating the sale of
meat are very rigid. A calf cannot be
butchered in that country before 1t il
first examined Dy q veterinary surgeon,
and II he pronounces 1t sound and in
proper condition to slaughter, q certif.
cate to this effect Is given by . msgis
trste. A superior quality of veal can
consequently be always obtained.
The president Of the Wesleyan Con.
ference In England has issued circular
70 the superintendents Of circuits sug.
costing that day should be set apart for
Humiliation and supplication before
Almighty God on account Of our
national sins, and with special refer
ence 70 the depression Of our sgricul-
tursl and our various manufacturing
interests, and the lAmentable wars in
which We are engaged, As we'll Is the
decrease In the number of members in
our society"
The Pittsburg, Pa, Commercial Gazette
thinks that 81, $50, 900 will settle all the
claims against Allegheny county for
damages to property resulting from the
railroad riots. This is putting the losses
of the Pennsylvania Railroad company
ut $l,S00,000. The company claims,
however, about 5000, 900, 20 the entire
bill will be almost 81, 0OO, 900, which the
Taxpayers will have to pay under the
recent decision of the supreme court OF
Pennsylvania. The present debt Of
Allegheny county Is 81, 750,0O0.
A Moscow letter in the Cologne
Gazette states that the canal between the
Caspian and the Sea Of Azof, 9 prelim.
mary survey of which Is now being
made for the Russian government, Is
estimated to cost 40, 900, 900 or so, 000, 900
rubles- Two rivers and q chain of lakes
facilitate the work, which, besides the
advantage for the coal beds on the Don,
would be Of greater Importance If con.
Joined with the restoration of the ANU
DArya to its old bed, it gave Q water.
way from the Euxine into Central Asia.
In January naxt next postage stamp
Of new design is to be issued in Great
Britain. 1t will bear a portrait of the
queen as she appears in mature age, and
not, as now, q Likeness of her majesty
when she had just entered womanhood.
The stamps at present in use are impres
sions from steel engravings but the new
issue will be printed by the ordinary letter.
press system, which, though not afford
ing so much protection against forgery
as the engraving method, is still consid.
cred sufficiently difficult of imitation to
render the risk very slight.
The establishment OF q system Of
horse passports Is under consideration by
the Russian government The measure
Is suggested, not in view of political
danger from the equine race, but In
order TO prevent misfortune that often
happens TO the horses themselves namely,
horse stealing. According to the curious
project, the birth, peculiar signs, and
death of every horse must be recorded,
and the proprietor of q horse or horses
is TO be furnished with horse passport
that will entitle him to the legal posses
sion Of said horse or horses. Now, as
horse thief cannot possibly steal both
the horse and its passport, he cannot
sustain his right to the possession Of q
stolen horse. This Is the essence of the
wit and wisdom OF the Russian officials
in this matter.
In the south the number Of small cot
ton factories Is increasing rapidly, es
peciAlly In Georgia and South Carolina.
They are mainly run by water power in
neighborhoods where there 10 Q small
population which would have no other
employment during certain seasons of
the year. 1t has been found that color.
ed boys and girls are quite dexterous at
the spindle, and that where the little
mills are located there Is much more
peace and order than In hamlets where
there Is no industrial attractions for the
idle. The cotton Ii near at hand, the
running power Is cheap, the workmen
are attracted by the novelty and by the
opportunity TO labor under sheltering
roofs, the warps command q ready mar.
ket and the profits, relieved OF much Of
the expense Of heavy freight, are far
from uncomfortable.
The first gold bullion from Alaska
recently left sitka in the steamer Cali
fornia for the San Francisco mint. For
many months 1t has been known that
gold existed throughout various portions
of the territory in paying quantities,
and various explorations for It have been
conducted. During the Russian occu-
patton of Alaska the Indians from the
interior frequently brought 10 the from.
tier trading'posts specimens of pure
native gold, and the explorations of the
country As have since been made have
resulted in substantiating the opinion
that the country was rich in placer
mines and probably In quartz minss.
The placer mines are said to be extraor.
dinarily rich, and certain indications
lead 70 the belief that discoveries equal
to those in Australia during the earlier
periods Of the gold excitement there will
ere long be made In Alaska.
The troubles In Ireland continue TO
q