The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-12-30
EDITORIAL NoIEs.

Letter postage in Italy has been
rednced from fourto two cents.
The pastor of the church oi
! Notre Dame, Montreal. has warned
his congregation not To witness
! Bernbardf'- performances.
-Russia J. this wear importing
grain. tallow and wool, the very
| things with which she has been ac-
customsd to supply half the world.
Spragues method of dealing with
I CoHkling is more effective than Bay
ards. Conkling is always ready 10
! answer speech, but he never talks
back to shotgun.
The Brooklyn blight of diphthe-
ria is something terrible to eontem
plate. More than fifty deaths per
week and no probability of ces=a-
ton of the awful seourge.
jay Gould is building line of
barges to float grain down the Mis-
sissippi river to New Orleans. and
thus hsmstring the rival railroads
east of the great river. Chicago Is
very indignant at this latest dcvel-
opment.
In France many professors of
the art Of cooking feed q family for
so much a day and an additional
sum for each guest. They bring the
provisions, submit menu, which
may be changed, and send a cook to
live in the house. All dinner party
they or their aids superintend They
are answerable for the cook.
-Ohcnbaehs last opera, "Belle
Lurette," is SO full Of bright, spark
full music, that it seems difficult to
realize that the airs were penned in
the intervals of q death agony. All
present sympathized with the actor
who, when naming the composer on
the fall of the curtain at the first
representation, was overcome by
emotion.
The promoters of mining enter
prises can learn thing or two from
VI. deLesseps, who is now putting
the Panama canal project upon the
market in Paris. A commemorative
medal, struck in gold, silver and
bronze, will be presented to the sub
scribers ofstock, the different grades
TO be given according to the amount
invested.
Comptroller Campbell shows
disposition for reform by dispensing
with fifteen of John helly's clerks
who did not seem to him necessary.
The new management of the excise
department has also dispensed with
twenty weight inspectors. and The
counsel 10 The board; whose salary
was four hundred dollars a month,
has been suspended. This is a kind
OF reform that the people rather like.
In Germany, including the free
Cilies. about eighty-five percent. Of
the population have incomes under
$500. In Berlin, Hamburg and Brc-
men li.6 per cent. have incomes from
$500 up Ia $1,000, and one-fiiih Of one
per cent. Chat l. Ia say. about 5000
persons in the three cities taken to-
oether) have incomes exceeding
$l5,00O per annum. This does not
give one a great idea of the wealth
of Germany.
1t is interesting 10 mole the
amount of expenditure annually in
tilis tOu1tiN iOI luANi ltS--lO ODtsilli
which there seems TO be no difficulty
despite the pressure of poverty or
hard times. During the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1876, the statistics
show that 1905, 063,000 cigars were
sold, costing the consumer an aver
age of ten cents each, and represent
ing a total of S190,506,300 spent in
this direction. During the same
period there were also consumed
23,312, 433 pounds oftobacco, costing
$l5,000,000, and 81 ,465, 600 gallons of
fermented liquors. The latter fig
ures indicate consumption of fer
mented liquors equal to seven gal
Ions per capita for population of
100000. According TO the report
for the year named, fermcnted and
spirituous liquors of the United
States S39G,O00.000 or $685. per
head.