Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-12-11
TIMELY TOPICS.

oGEtDs
Montenegro Is unique county in
regard To its postal business. Until
lately the mails were not sent to- any of
the cities or villages, but every citizen
had To go for his letters TO the capitol,
Cettinje. There has now been estab-
lished n postal department, and the mail
Is sent from Cettinje TO four other cities.
The mail carriers travel TO these four
cities on foot three times weekly.
Piece by piece have the relic-hunters
carried away the marble slab that once
was placed over the tomb of Gen. Dan
Morgan in Mt. Hebron Cemetery, in
Winchester. Va, until now nothing re-
mains 10 mark the place Of burial. But
the hero of the Revolutionary battle of
the Cowpens Is not forgotten. II is pro
posed to erect n monument that shall
be fitting memorial Of the worthy old
wagner.
Ostrich farming seems likely TO be in
troduced in San joaquin Valley, Cal.
Dwight Whiting, of Boston, spent six
months on nm ostrich farm in South
Africa. lie is convinced that the birds
can be raised in California, and will be
very profitable. At the price Of ostrich
feathers no stock will pay such interest
He proposes to return to Africa md TO
take TO California one hundred ostrichcs
To stock the farm.
The creditors of the Glasgow Bank
have received their third dividend,
making lbs. Id. on the pound out of the
total. That total IL in round numbers
fIl,000,O 600 (about S53, ,OOO.OOG Of
which e 400, 900 is paid and E3, GOO, 600
is still to pay. There is every proba-
bility that the I'll .OO0, 600 will be
liquidatcd to the farthing, but the in
tcrcst is doubtful. Two OF the directors
have cmigratcd to Australia; another
is living with his family in handsome
villa near the Italian lakes.
The Earl of 4 berdcen is about to build,
nj cost Of s275, ,OO0. a line of railroad,
ten miles in length, through his Scotch
estates. This young noblcman is grand
son Of the prime minister OF his time,
and brother Of the late earl. who pre-
ferred life before the mast TO that of
bclted earl, and WAS lost AT sen on an
American vessel The present peer.
too, is somewhat queer. but was iudici-
ously provided at the outset Of his career
some half dozen nohlemcn and gentle
men in the United Kingdom who own
short lines OF railroad.
OF the European nations Germany
stands first rs 10 fighting trim. She can
put in the field nj twenty four hours
notice |. POO. 600 men of the line, the re-
serve and the Landwehr. The grand
total Of the German army il :. 900. 600
men. exclusive of POO. O0d not reckoned
on the field strength. but deducted rs
garrisons. The strength of the second
Iandwehr and Landsturm Is generally
exaggerated; but they are thoroughly
efficient soldiers. the best in the army
France has "a nominal strength Of ,. 800
600 men, but practically il must be re-
duccd 10 1900. 600. and even of this total
very large proportion is still in pro-
grcss Of organization. II is not be-
licyed that France could place in the
first line more than SOC, 600 men.
Italian newspapers contain reports fo
audacious outragcs by bandits on the
highways and railroads of that uiCiur-
csquc country. In one case dozen
fellows brought n train To a stop by
hosting danger signal. They intended
Ia rob the passengers. but a large force
of soldiers happened TO be on the train.
and when the bandits saw them they
started for cover. The military sent a
volley after them, and some started in
pursuit. but IL was already growing
dark, and no captures were effected.
On the road from Sonafro to Isernia
twcnty-scven unarmcd travellers Were
robbed by thirteen brigands. and law
yer who proved troublesome was badly
wounded. Attempts were made 10
throw trains of the track, successful
robbcrics are frequent, and the police
are utterly inefficient and untrust-
worthy.
The wholesale and wanion destruc-
tion Of walrus by the whaling-ship