The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-06-17
TIMELY TOPICS.


The iron workers of England include
1i0, 600 laborers in furnaces sand forges,
l69, 900 in the manufacture of machin-
cry, $500 in steel works, $4,000 in ship
building, and about 10000 in various
branches of iron and steel manufac-
ture, making about $40, 900 in all. The
mining population is about $50, 900, and
the laborers in cotton mills about
100000
Twenty years ago the deepest mining
shafts in the world reached only about
1900 feet below the surface. The very
deepest, we believe, was metalliferous
mine in Hanover, which has been car
ried down to the depth of 1900 feet.
The deepest perpendicular shaft to-day
is the Adelbert shaft in a silver lead
mine in Prizibram, in Bohemia, which,
in May last, had reached the depth of
1000 meters-3,2s0 feet.
An incident which occurred recently
in Paris shows with what aversion COM
pulsory military service is regarded by
industrial classes in France. A young
seller of sponges, aged twenty-onc,
shot himself with revolver in prefer
ence to taking his turn of military ser
vice according to law. Death was in
Simultaneous.
Sherrard Clemens, who died in st.
Louis hospital short time ago, was a
notable figure in the politics of twenty
wears ago. He represented Virginia
district in the Thirty-fifth and Thirty
sixth Congresses and was one of the
most promising orators of his day. In
1856 he fought duel with o. Jennings
Wise, son Of Henry A. Wise, receiving
a wound that lamed him for life. Wise,
who was also man of brilliant talents,
edited the Richmond Enquirer, lived to
be killed in the Confederate service, at
Roanoke island. Clemens never for
gave himself for his part in the duel,
being at heart opposed to that method
of settling disputes. The last years of
his life were passed in obscurity.
Tristan d'Acunha is the name OF n
small group of islands lying midway be-
tween South America and the African
coast. Two years ago the ship Mabel
Clark was wrecked on one of these
islands, and the crew kindly rescued by
81
they received a suitable reward from
the United States government. These
islanders are estimated at 100 in num-
Der, mostly defendants of one Hayes, an
English corporal, and one of garrison
placed there by Great Britain while
Napoleon was prisoner at st. Helena.
There have been but four deaths there
| in thirteen years, says the Foreign Ms
sionary, and no death in infancy has
ever been known on the island, even
though no vermifuge or soothing syrup
| was ever known to those mothers and
nurses. The greatest want felt there is
| that OF IL miss ssionary or some clergyman
| whose services are much desired, and
for whom not few woulG-be brides
and bridegrooms ale anxiously waiting
| The Argentine Republic, in which
civil war is reported to have broker
out, is confederation of the Rio de Ia
Plata, fourteen states or provinces con-
tanning a population in 1870 of about
100000. Its area is some SAB, ,O0(
square.miles, and it is situated between
Bolivia on the north and Patagonia on
the south, the latter country being
claimed as part of its possessions
There are in the Republic about 20O,'
600 Observation-Disclosures, Italians
Spaniards, French, English, Swiss anc
Germans. Except the Andes, in the
west, and other mountainous range.
in the northwest, the whole region i:
composed of vast plains, covered alter
nately with rich pasturage and huge
thistles. The climates both temperate
and tropical. AS agriculture is yer.
backward, less than IL ZOO of the sol
being under cultivation, rearing liv
stock is the chief employment of tN
people. Millions of cattle Craze on tn
plains, along with great herds of mule
and horses. Mines of rock salt, which
plentifully incrusts the broad levels, ar
of much benefit TO the roaming beasts
The name, River of Silver, is a misno
mer, though silver, with gold, copper
sulphur and coal, is found to a moderat
extent near the Andes. Very littl
mining has yet been done.