The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1879-11-19

Repugnance to military life has in
duced among the inhabitants OF GER
tain village in the department of the
Seine, in France, a curious practice oil
atrophying one Of the great toes by some
secret method of muscular retrac ion
which has baffled the scrutiny of the
most experienced army surgeons. The
reformation prevents the foot from be-
irg brought fully to the ground. With
suchsuccess has this system of mutilation
been carried on for the past forty years
In one particular village, and so dis
creetly have the peaceful peasants kept
their counsels that in the whole period
only three conscripts were drawn who
were found able to march.
According to the Chicago Journal OF
Commerce the year 1879 will pass into
American history as year of wonderful
agricultural prosperity. The cotton
crop Is larger by half million bales
than ever before; the tobacco crop l2-
100000 pounds greater; and the sugar
crop exceeds by some 300. 600 hogsheads
all previous yields. These are crops
which belong almost exclusively TO the
Southern half ofthe republic. In behalf
of the Northern States the excess of pro-
ducts this year over the crops of any
previous year is 20.00O,O00 bushels of
wheat, and from 80, 000, 900 to 100, O0O, 900
bushels of corn. The hog crop is larger
this year than for number of years
past-if it be not the largest ever raised
John Weidleman, a boy of ten, living
in Marion, Ind. had his right hand and
forearm crushed into sausage meat In the
cogs of cane mill. He made no out
cry, and when the mill was stopped
withdrew the horrible mass, and, lay
ing it on block insisted that his mother
should cut 1t off. She showed what
stock he come of by seizingsan AK and
doing rs she was requested. They then
wrapped it up and sent for surgeon,
who desired to administer chloroform,
but the boy refused and the surgeon per-
formed the operation, which took ten
minutes, without calling out single
groan or exclamation from the lad, his
parents Witnessing the work without
showing any particular emotion.
Plans for rebuilding the town Of
Szegedin, in Hungary, dest, Dyed some
months ago 5y an inundation. have
been laid before a royal commission.
Among the most important are, OF
course, arrangements for preserving the
city from the danger of inundation. For
protection, it is proposed to raise the
level OF the city twenty-six feet; but
such awork would cost nine millions of
forms, and the execution of it would
extend over many years. The circular
dyke will be constructed at once, and
the embankment of the Tisza be raised
to thirty feet. The ground will be made
to rise from the outskirts to the centre
of the city, which would serve rs a place
ofrefuge in case of the dykes being rup-
tured.
The Nautical Magazine, alluding to the
popular notion that a great part of the
crust Of the earth is becoming used up
oy mining operations, and that If the soil
which has been dug out of the British
mines were piled up it would make quite
u mountain range, shows the absurdity
ofsuch an idea, by the following figures !:
A cubic mile is equal TO l47, I9SJmillions
Of cubic feet, and, allowing 29l cubic
feet of coal in the solid to weigh a ton.
the amount obtained is just 5000, 900 :
600 tons of coal in one cubic mile, and
this is q greater weight than all that
has yet been raised in the British islands.
According to the most reliable Stats
tics, the end of 1878 just about completed
the first cubic mile of coal, exclusive OF
waste in mining-the simple fact being,
therefore, that ifsaid fuel had been stored
in mountain heaps on the surface, instead
of being buried in the bowels of the
earth, very small mountain range in
deed would have been thus exhibited.