The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-28

the percentage Of dne stones is larger In South
America than In Africa. Thus. for instance. II
q thousand Brazilian stones three hundred fine
ones may be found. while the Cape will moi
yield more than hundred OF the same Quality
A vERITABLE SEA SERPENT.
Some fossil remains. which are pronounced
By Prof. Lockwood to be those Of a veritable sea
serpent. have recently been discovered In q
mari pit at Marlborough. a f-w miles from
L onR Branch. The professor thinks the mon
ster to which the bones belonged had body OF
great bulk. the most exposed parts OF which
were protected by email bony plates or scales
He had two paddles we'll forward and two be-
hind. the size and solidity OF the bones of which
indicate extraordinary propelliDg force. Elk.
to ndiDR far behind was the tail. stout. long and
serpentine. but little fattish, thus afYording
great aid In propulsion by sculling movement.
T he neck was long. yet thick. and sufficiently
o owerful to sustain The great head high out OF
the water when engaged In swallowing Its
. rey. AS to the length OF this fearful creature.
Prof. Lockwood says the bones discovered are
too few for safe conjecture. but he does not
think 1t was less than forty feet. and may have
been sixty. He states that on former occa-
sion he demonstrated the existence Of serpent
that was net less than eighty feet long. but It
had teeth Of twice the size of those Of the pres
emit specimen.
TIE MINES OF BoDIE.
Twelve months ago the reputation Of the
Bodie mining district Of California was merely
local: now It IL wide. and Its prominence prem
ises to be as great as that Of the famous Com
stock lode OF Nevada. which since 1859 has
added SSe6 600 600 to the worlds stock Of gold
and silver bullion. In 1879 the stock Of the
Standard mine. OF Bodie. was Gao per share.
Within year s6 IS Der share. or 81 per cent. has
been paid In dividends. and the stock has ad-
vapced to $50. or 80 per cent on cost. making q
total profit Of 81 per cent on the investments
made at that period. A short time ago Bodie
was small mountain town Of perhaps 1000
Inhabitants: now the population numbers be-
tween 1000 and 5000 There are thirty -one steam
hoistinR works. five newspapers. including
four dailies. banks. stores. etc.-in all. 450
places Of business. The estimated output of
bullion Ia about $780, 600 per month or nearly
IS. GOO. 900 per year. with steady increase. The
geology OF the Bodie district has been carefully
st udied by Professors Silliman and Blake and
o Their we'll known biologists. all Of whom con-
cur as to the permsnency Of the deposits. The
gold of Bodie carries percentage OF silver
differing In various Mines The Standard mine
ore averages about IS per ton In silver and SIS
per ton In gold.
MoRMoNIsM IN THE SOUTH.
A reporter Of the Chattanooga Tines has had
an interview with Elder Morgan. president Of
the Southern mission Of the Mormon Church.
and one Of Its most important and Influential
members. Mr.. Morgan says that the Mormon
religion Is daily gaining strength and favor In
the Southern States. He says that the people at
large are expressing more sympathy and
friendship toward the church. As they are be-
coming better acquainted with It's workings
and detail Of Its teachings this feeling becomes
the more manifest. They are now averaging
about thirty baptisms each month Ii. me South
ern States alone. and the number Is continual
" increasing. The demand for more elders 10
constantly coming from the South. and 1t has
at last become so persistent that at the April
conference twenty more elders will be ordained
and distributed through the South to propagate
the doctrines Of the Mormon creed. There are
low about forty missionaries Of that church In
the South. and In addition a number Of local
preachers. Elder Morgan says that the oppo.
sition which was formerly manifested. and
which last year eliminated in the murder Of an
ell der. Is now rapidly dying out. and they are
everywhere meeting with more favor and en-
cOura&omenL
COMBINATION OF TOBACCO DEALERS.
The retail tobacco dealers Of New York mum.
Der some 5000. and there are about 1000 more IL
the suburbs and adjacent cities. The CAPITA
in vested by these dealers amounts to hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars. A system Of compe
tition has existed heretofore among these PEG
pie very destructive to their interests. result
ing finally in complete Generalization O
trade and reduction OF prices below fall
standard Of values. Under these circumstance
an effort was msde recently to form Retail
Tobacco Dealers Protective Association, which
al pears to have been successful. At their las
meeting retailers price list was submitted
for their approval, and after amendment wa
adopted. The managing committee was EN-
powered to determine when the price lis
ado pied shall go into operation. The supposi
ton appears to be entertained By the associa
ton that the manufacturers who supply the re
tall trade will readily agree not to sell thei
goods to anybody who retails tobacco at les
than the schedule prices. The jobbers are ex