The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1879-12-19
MANKATO FREE PRESS.
GOSSIP OF THE DAY.

Four thousand fg trees, imported
from Europe, Asia and Africs, have been
planted on Fairnie hill, near Pensacola,
Florida, this autumn. A ntighboring
zig orchard contains $500 trees.
BY the laws of Iowa, aliens, whether
they reside in the United States or not,
may acquire, hold, or transmit property.
In New York they must obtain special
act of the Legislature to enable them 70
DO this.
USDER q South Carolina law which
provides that money won at gambling
shall, upon proof, be restored fourfold,
firm of Charleston has entered suit for
5000 against the Iroprietors of two
fashionable resSrts-the amount alleged
IS having been lost by young men in
whom the firm was interested.
HENRY NJ. STANLEY is now ascending
the Congo, bound once more for the
heart of Africa, but by different route.
He has taken the name of "Swinburn
for some unknown reason. He has If
teen Europeans, sixty-four Arabs, and
several hundred natives under his orders.
His fleet consists of small river steam
er, with two cabins for thirty persons,
three steam launches, and three bGrges,
in which are slowed supplies and goods.
He is acting for the international asso-
cistion, of which tine King of Belgium
is president.
To be fed on rosebuds was the roman
tic fate of 8 number of convicts who es-
capped from the Nevada state prison
few winters sgo. The fugitives sought
safety in the forests of Mono county.
where nestles lake, until then nameless,
but now known as Convict lake. Snow
covered the ground and weighed down
the trees. Around the lake, made warm
by sulphur springs, the hslf-starved men
found few rosebuds and any number
of rose-spples, and on the buds and fruit
they managed t. live until the sheriff
trailed them to their hiding-place. The
conyicts resisted with stones and clubs.
A half dozen men were killed, but finally
the sherif's force made prisoners of the
surviving desperadoes and took them
back to Mammoth City.
OFFICIAL whippings are continued
regularly at Newcastle, Del, and are re-
garded as a matter of course by the
residents, though strangers are sometimes
shocked by the sight. On the last whip
ping day five convicted thieves were
punished. The first was 8 German, who
was not severely dashed, and he walked
sway smiling. The second was q misers
BILE tramp, who bore the ordeal without
finching. Two negroes, who came next
writhed and muttered under the pain o
severe blows. The fifth was a boy o
Is. He was so frightened that it wa
necessary to force him to the post, and q
the first stroke he desperately forces
himself loose by pulling his hands out o
the staples. A handkerchief was useC
10 fasten him, but he got loose again be
fore the prescribed twenty blows wer
completed, and pathetically begged tn
sheriff not to strike 30 hard.
THE troubled state of the relation
between China and Japan gives interes
TO an estimate of the strength of the Ian
forces of the former country, contribute
20 q German paper by well-informe
writer. He estimates the total strengt
of the army at 662, 900 of all ranks. c
these $1,000, in round numbers, al
cavalry; 1875, 900 form the field infantr
and artillery, while the remaining 800
900 constitute the garrison troops of th
two latter arms of the service. Although
however, the Chinese army may hay
this strength on paper, its actual numbe
are much fewer. In making any calcul
tion, also, of the armed strength I
China, it must be remembered that sue
troops as really exist are dispersed ov'
an immense area, embracing some 4, OOC
900 of English square miles, which
traversed by very few good roads; VIII
there are no railways to facilitate Il
concentration of large masses of men.
THE situation with regard to the ne
regulation concerning the size of be
barrels, reducing them to 81 gallo
wine measure instead of 81 gallons be
measure, as they now are, is simplift
TO this-either the law must be chang
or there must be new beer barrels. II
nj,
interests of the country, and the dife
ence, if the law holds, will be enormoT
In Cincinnati alone 6OO, 900 barrels
beer are made annually. Under t
Law each of these must contain one a.
3 half gallons less than now, making
difference of 100000 gallons, nearly 81
900 barrels. If the brewers could st
insist on the present prices, the difit
ence would be to their advantage in Il
end. AS for the government, it wou
gain 81 for every barrel gained, and t
coopers would reap q rich harvest.
is believed that congress will amend t
law.
The taxing district of Memphis
cursed with large number of decaye
and broken wooden pavements. II
A0aLdnche of that city, in speaking
the effect of these pavements on Il
health Of residents, says: "Until Il
era of wooden pavements Memphis W
healthy city. The enormous filth a
emulation of years in the vaults hs
however, become the greatest disea
breeding factor. While the vaults q
going through the process of eKtinguis
ment, the wooden paVements, the mel
nuisance in rank, mustnot be forgotte
The wooden pavement is doomed to de
tructioD. Another summers sun vi
never shine down ON that mass of deal
dealing, rotten wood. There must be-
Ifs or 'buts.' Better to be witRo
nnv Dayements than longer to tolerate