The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-01-29
TIMELY TOPICS.


IF longevity, as national character
istic. be q fair test of the healthiness of
country or the tough vitality of its
people, then Greece may claim to beat
the civilized world on the score of its
sanitary perfection. Of all countries in
Europe it seems to possess the greatest
number of what may be called very old
people-that is to say, of people from
ninety years of age and upward; out
of population of l ,457, 1894, it has of
these veterans no fewer than 1893.
Emigration at the port of New York
for 1879 was larger than for any pre-
vious year since 1872. Returns of the
commissioners of emigration show that
for the year ending December 81, 1879,
there were landed, at Castle Garden,
total of 1859 emigrants, of whom
1876, ,O7O were aliens. In 1878 the total
arrivals were l2l, 1859, of whom 75,347
were aliens. The principal nationali-
ties of the emigrants who arrived last
year were Germany, 1854; Ireland,
90, ,624; England, 21,555; Sweden, l2,-
1894; Italy, 1920; Scotland, 6,087; Nor
way. 1898; Switzerland, 4,6s3; Russia,
3,l03; France, 1881.
A sportsman explains why he re-
ceives the many sea-serpent stories with
on the shores of a lake in the wilds of
Michigan, when he saw what ne be-
lieved to be a monster snake, fifty or
sixty feet in length, and ten or twelve
inches in diameter, with humps on its
back two feet in length. At first its course
was almost directly toward his place ol
concealment. When he was about to
run for his life, the " serpent" then a
few rods away, changed its course, and
resolved itself at once into colony oi
otter swimming in single file. His in
ference is that sea animals may some
times travel in the same manner, and
give sailors the opportunity of drawing
the long bow.
The suit of Budd Doble Us. the South.
ern Ohio Fair association, of Dayton
Ohio, has Just been tried before thu
United States district court for that dis
trict. The suit was brought to recover
S2,250 from the association on IL con
tract, in compliance with which tina
amount was to have been paid for al
exhibition of speed by Goldsmith Mait
on the track of the association, Sep
tember 80, 1875. The association
claimed that it was not an exhibition
of speed, the time being 2:29a, 2:24
2:4U4. The plaintiff made a plea for
judgment for n galdRtunt merutS, that is
for so large proportion of the con
tract price as the performance wa
worth, if not the whole amount. Th
Judge decided, as point of law, that n
such partition could be made in specia
contract, and that the claim must stan
or fall in its entirety. A great deal c
E expert testimony was taken as to tn
merit OF the performance, but the jur
failed to agree.
, The annual reports of tie English an
, Scotch co. operative stores are now bein
published. The profits divided anon
the members of the societies range frol
, one shilling three pence to two shilling
eight pence on the pound sterling of pul
f chases made during the year, and seel
to average about two shillings, or te
, per- cent. Stating the amount in do
! lars, member of one of these CO. oper;
tive stores, about which Mr.. Holyoal
: gave so much interesting informatiC
, during his late visit to this country, l.
ceivcs at the end of the year 81 in Il
+ way of profit for every $40 worth
p goods he las bought. This is clear ga
to him. for he gets his goods at the re
ular market prices, and is besides a
= sured that what he buys is of goo
quality and free from adulteration. T.
: Manchester Cooperative Wholes' le S
: cicty, from which the cooperate
n stores buy their goods, is a federati
o institution composed OF 584 societi
q comprising 305, ,l6l members. 1t ha;
e capital of S7O5, 900 on which it pays fl
y per cent. interest, and its profits are
: viGed among the branch societies in pl
portion to their purchases. Just rs t
societies divide their profits among t
individual members,