The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-11-12
TIMELY TOPICS.

Berlin is to have, next April, the first
international fishery exhibition that
there has ever been of any real conse-
quence or value. Europe will be well
represented, only Spain and of course,
France, having thus far failed to signify
their intention to participate. From
the Western hemisphere, the United
States, Canada, Costa Rica, San SALIVA
dor and Brazil will early send exhibits.
China, Japan, India and the Malayan
Archipelago are expected to make curl
ous and rare displays. Egypt will send
fish and fishing implements of the Nile.
The Neither lands, Denmark, Norway,
Sweden, Italy and Portugal show much
| interest in the enterprise, and so do in
dividual cities elsewhere. as Odessa
in Russia, Marseillcs in France, and
Trieste in Austria.
The "Colored Refugees Relief Board
organized in St. Louis about six months
ago to aid destitute colored emigrants
from the South, has made report OF its
transactions. The treasurer's report
shows that the receipts have been Sc, ,5Sl:
and the disbursements SO, ,239, leaving
the board S65s in debt. Besides this,
the commissary committee has issued
over 10, 900 rations, and distributed over
20, 1000 p; eces of clothing among the emil
grants, whicha goods are estimated tn
have been worth about $l2 900. The
report says that about twenty per cent.
of the refugees are still destitute, in
some cases sick and superannuated, and
even blind, and requiring constant help.
The committee on transportation report
having sent ,3l1 men, women and chill
dren to Kansas and other States.
We get q great deal of wind about
compressed air street car motors every
now and then. These aerial propellers
are in use on one street car line in the
United States and seen to give good sat
isfaction. 1t costs six and one-fourth
cents q mile to draw @ car by horse
power. The compressed air system is
said to cost but one and one-fourth cents
mile. The speed can be regulated up
to twenty miles an hour. The car can
be stopped at its highest rate of speed
within its own length; at least 80 it is
reported, although this would be rather
rough on the passengers if the car was
going at its twenty-mile rate. The ad-
vantage of this over any other motor is
that all the heavy machinery is left be-
hind ut the depot, where the compress
irg is done, and the cars start out with
concealed cylinders containing the air
compressed to twenty-five atmospheres.
Thus we may have windmills to drive
the street cars.
DR.. Spaulding. after examining the
ewes of EMPLOYEES on the Maine Central
railroad, recommends that in future
every man applying for the position of
fireman or engineer be rejected unless
his vision in both eyes, as well as his
perception of color, is perfect. In this
Recommendation, he says, he is borne
out by the recognized authorities
of Europe. In his recent examination
he found eight men defective. The cir
cumstance that no. accident has as yet
been actually proved to proceed from
blindness proves, he says, nothing
against the theoretical possibilities of its
occurrence, but only that color-blind
employees are shrewd enough to Judge
by the brightness of light whether it
indicates danger or safety, but there
NAV come time when dense and sud-
den fog will reduce the intensity, and
mislead IN engineer whose vision is de-
fective.
The commonness of inebriety among
French children is asserted by a writer
in the London Gentlenaan's Magazine.
"Again and, again at hotel tables" he
saws, II have seen children scarcely
more than babies suffering distinctly
from alcohol. It is, as travellers in
France know, tho custom in all districts
south of the Loire to supply wine gratis
at two meals, breakfast and dinner, at
which the residents in n hotel eat in
company. Repeatedly, then, in the
hotels in French watering places, I have
watched children of five years old and
upward supplied by !heir mothers with
wine enough visibly tC flush and excite
them. At Sables d'Olonne one little
fellow, whose age could not be more than
six. drank at each of two consecutive
meals three tumblers of wine slightly
diluted with water. The result was on
each occasion that he sprawled over the
table, and ended by putting his head in
his mothers lap and falling asleep"
1t appears from the official reports
that the experience of what are called
model lodging houses, such as the Pea
body buildings in London and other
large towns, combined with that of bar
racks, workhouses and schools, furnish
ed abundant evidence that what is
termed density of population is not so
detrimental physically as has usually
been assumed; because in such buildings
rs are referred to the rate Of mortality is
much less, with density of one thou
sand five hundred persons to the acre,
than it is in ordinary houses, with q
density of only two hundred and fifty to
the acre. Again, the health of a COM
munity is found to be much more de-
pendent upon food, clothing and personal
habits, than upon the arrangement and
construction of dwellings or workshops
for, however perfect the arrangement
and construction, these may be entirely
neutralized if the food is bad, the CLOTH
ing deficient and the personal habits
filthy.
An English giant has got even with a
pair OF tallOrS VINO maue 1un Ol ulu. IL
was ut Brighton that lie requested a
firm who advertised "Scotch tweed suits
at two guineas" to send some one to
measure him. When the messenger ar
rived at his house the giant jocularly
remarked that it would be a losing bar
gain. Responding in the same vein,
the assistant said it would be splen-
did advertisement for them. and that
they made the little ones pay for the big
ones. The clothes were then measured
for, and the giant went, rs arranged, to
try them on, but was met by the head
of the firm, who considerably less
pleased than his assistant, said they
were not accustomed to work for giants,
and refused to make the suit. He there
upon left the shop, obtained a suit else
where, ant. sued to obtain the difference
in the price-namely, thirteen shillings:
The defence was that no contract had
been made; but the court expressed
different opinion, and gave a
verdict for the amount claimed, with
costs.
Persons presenting claims to the
United States treasury on account OF