The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-16
TIMELY TOPICS.

At Western Canadian mandatory is
being made an implement which is to
plant potatoes, at the same operation
marking out the drills, dropping the
manure, mixing it with the earth, and
covering the seed. 1t will also hoe and
hill the crop and pick potato bugs, and
in three minutes can be so altered that 1t
will dig 800 bushels Of potatoes in q day.
Could not the inventor, while his hand is
in furnish his machine with patent at
tachment for washing, pairing, cooking
and dishing up the potatoes?
One of the most ruinous habits of the
Russian peasants is displayed at marriage
celebrations. A peasant, to celebratethe
marriage of his son, procures twenty-five
gallons of whisky, to get money tor
which he sells his horse, cow or pigs, and
is ready to become pauper. He cannot
resist the practice, for custom requires
that the population of the village, men,
women and children, must get drunk.
A rich peasant at the marriage festival
will procure one hundred gallons of whis-
ky, and the neighboring villagers arc in
yited to take part in the carousal.
During terrific storm at Venice, the
square Of St. Marks, the piazzetta, and
principal streets were completely inun-
dated by the high tide. A large number
of people were held captive in restaurants
and in small by streets so elevated as not
to be covered by water, while in the
flooded parts masked revelers wading
about bare-legged, noisy uchins and
porters conveying on their back women
fresh from balls and dressed in all sorts
of finery and toggery, presented an anus
ing spectacle. Travel on the canals was
suspended. as the gondolas could not pass
under the bridges, and considerable dam
age was caused on all sides.
Pinto, the Portuguese explorer. who
has arrived at Pretoria, telegraphs to the
Portuguese government rs follows: In
concluding my journey across Africa,
struggled with hunger, thirst, the natives,
floods and drought. 1have saved all my
papers - twenty geographical charts,
many Typographical maps, three volumes
of notes, meteorological studies, drawings
and complete exploration of the Upper
Zambesi with its seventy-two cataracts."
Pinto left the coast October 25, 1877, with
400 followers, only eight of whom sur
vived the struggles with the natives and
the privations Of the march.
There was great lWe and cry over the
capture Of one poor fox near Dayton,
Ohio. Nearly 5000 men and boys from
all parts of the country formed a line
around an entire township in which
many foxes were known to dwell. The
arrangements had been carefully made,
and the discharge of heavy cannons ut
three points was the signal for general
movement toward the center. Every
person had horn or bell, OF something
else with which to make a din, the idea
being to drive the foxes to certain gucf,
and there dispatch them. But one division
did not start promptly, and agap was left
in the line, through which al the foxes
but one escaped. The lone victim hid in a
hollow tree, and was killed by dog.
A famine next year in Russia is pre-
dicted by Russian journals. Last year
about one-third of the crop was destroyed
by beetles and marlnots. so that the seed
has been deficient; and the cattle plague
took off nearly ninety per cent. of the cat
tie in many places. TO these things must
be added the extraordinary drought of
the past half year. Then in Russia there
are too many holidays (about one hun
dred in the year); drunkenness is also a
widespread vice, whose wastefulness is
greatly felt. Most of the land in Russia
is under mortgage to bankers, the pro-
prietors are hardly able to pay their in
terest, and the arrears are everywhere
about twenty per cent. The grain. which
is the chief article of export, and which
furnishes taxes and supplies, is devoured
by parasites while growing, after being
gathered, and on railroads.