The Worthington advance., 1880-10-07
CURRENT TOPICS.

= CURRENT TOPICS.
WYOMING territory has been gaming
in population at great rate since 1870.
When the last census was taken
it only had little more than 5000 inhab-
itants, while now it has nearly $4,000.
The gain has been at the rate of 1873 per
cent. How new 1t was in 1870 is shown
by the fact that out of the 5000 inhabl-
itants only 800 were natives of the ter
>Itory.
A sTAr'sr1c1AS, curiosly inquiring, de:
clares the result of investigation as to the
products of the United States to he that
the agricultural products of one year
are nearly as much as the products Of the
minessincc 1s49. In plain words, or
rather figures, he sums up 81, ,594, 100000
the total value of the agricultural pro.
duction of the leading staples IN 1877,
whereas, the estimated yield Of all the
mines during twenty seven years-,hat
is 1s49-75- was 81 GIT 100000.
AGREAT Improvement has just been an
nounced IN tho audiphone
After long series Of experiments, says the
English scientific journal, Nature, Mr..
Thomas Fletcher has found the best ma
terial Of which the audiphone can be
made is brentwood veneer. Cut into an
oval disk, steamed and bent to a curve,
it can be conveniently held between the
teeth without consciousness of its pres
enc. For some persons any audiphone is q
more efficient help than the trumpet and
this last named modification of the in
strument promises to become boon to
thousands Of deaf persons.
PRUss1AN Generals seem to enjoy a
rare longevity. Without reckoning Mar.
shals Won Moltke and Won Room, there
10 found in the higher grades of the
army, a body Of veterans who began
their military career three-quarters of a
century ago. Gen. Won Schreibershofen,
born in 1885, entered the service in 1907,
and, after having risen through all the
intermediate grades in the long wars
which marked the beginning Of this Gen.
tury, was created Major General in
1929. On the first Of November last, he
celebrated the fftleth anniversary OF his
elevation to that dignity. To-day, at the
green old age Of 95, this veteran displays
an almost youthful v'gor.
The interesting old Flemish city Of
Bruges, which in the height of its pros
perlty had population of some 100000
souls, has, since the sanguinary persecu-
tions under Philip H., been gradually
declining in wealth and numbers, so that
at present it does not possess onc-tourth
the population 1t had three centuries ago.
The population Of the city, which in
1869 numbered 47,G21, fell to 44,950 in
1877. The lethargy Of the inhabitants is
attributed to the effect Of the number
less converts and the richly endowed
benevolent institutions, which, by per-
petually supplying the wants of large
numbers Of the inhabitants without any
exertion ON their part, have tenaed to
deprive them Of that energy and spirit
of independence which are indispensable
to success in commercial life.
-<0>
WABASH, Indiana, h as walked in adj
vance Of many larger and older towns by
introducing the electric light in its
streets. Four electric lamps OF 5000
candle power went into commission re-
Gently. The lamps, suspended midway
OF the iron flag staff on the court house,
which towers two hundred feet above the
business part of the town, were furnished
with electricity by No. generator
driven by seven-horse power engine.
According to contract the city was to
light one mile in diameter from the
courthouse, and he equal to gas-burn-
er $50 feet from the light. The council
placed men at different parts of the city
to observe, and they reported satisfactor-
lily. At Arbana, five miles north, the
light VISA said to be beautiful. The De-
troit Free Press says the test has given
general satisfaction.
THE lutte Prot. Faraday, it is stated,
held the theory that the natural age of
Is 100 years. The duration of life he be-
believed to be measured by the time Of
growth. Thus in tire camel, the union
takes place at eight years; in the horse
at five; in the lion four; in the dog at
two; in the rabbit at one. The natural
termination Is five removes from these
several points. Now, man being twenty
years in growing, and lives five times
twenty years that is 100; the camel is
eight years in growing, lives forty
years; and so with other animals. Prot.
F. divides life into equal halves-growth
and decline-aSd these into infancy,
youth, virility and age; infancy extend
ing to the twentieth year, youth to the
fftieth-because it is in this period the
tissues become frm-vir1llty from fifty
to seventy fve-during which the organ
ism remains complete-and at seventy
five old age commences.
MIR. WATHERsTON, an eminent London
|eweler, gave an interesting lecture lately
on gems and precious stones. He said
that, with the exception Of the diamond
III the glass cutter hand, they are intrin-
sically worthless, their high estimation
in olden times having been due to their
use as magical charms against evil, while
in latter times they have been priced as
concentrated expressions of wealth and
splendor. He said that the Braganza,
belonging to the crown of Portugal, and
still in tho rOnoh ia tho 1ornoef 1ionOn1