Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-03-04
TIMELY TOPICS.

TIMELY TOPICS.
An Ohio mining company has dis
charged forty employees because they
are single men. The alleged objection
to the unmarried Is that they do not re-
turn rs much money to the corporation
store as married men. Whether this il
an argument in favor of getting married
does not appear, as the married en-
ployees of the company struck on ac-
count Of the discharge of the bachelors.
Ohio had sixty-three blast furnaces in
operation last year employing 5,985
workmen, and capable of turning out
1887 tons of iron manufacture. There
are forty-seven rolling mills in the
State, thirty-on of which are in oper-
alton, employing 1874 persons. Tho
production of coal during the year III
estimated Mt 100000 tons, employing
IA 900 persons. There are sixteen glass
manufactures in operation employing
operation in sixty-fve towns. with n
capital invested of nearly S9.0O0,O00
A review of the horse and mule
market in st. Louis shows an unpre-
cedented increase in that branch of busi-
ness. The receipts for the last month,
by river and rail, were 1900 head,
against 1900 the corresponding month
last year. In addition TO these receipts,
1t is estimated that enough animals
were driven into the city to swell the
total arrivals to $1,000. Buyers were
present from all parts of this country,
Canada, Mexico, the West Indies,
France, Germany and England, ali OF
whom bought literally at prices salts
factory to the sellers. The shipments
by rail alone, for the time mentioned,
were 500 head.
As evidence OF extravaganza in fash
ionable life in New York the present
season, it is stated in FoT,ley'S Progress
that the amount of money spent in balls,
parties and receEtions in New York
during recent week was about $780,
600. This estimate included entertain
ments in aid of deserving and charitable
objects, in which many fashionable
ladies participated, and especially one
in which they arranged n tableau de-
picting the presentation of Benjamin
Franklin at the court OF Louis XIV,
and employed in this undertaking u
large amount OF antique costumes and
glittering diamonds, which were more
costly than those displayed in the orig
inal scene.
A writer in the Hour. who lived Mt
Naples from 1870 to 1873. says that he
found all through that period that the
molten lava in the crater of Vesuvius
rose and fell with the phases of the
moon. At the time of new moon the
lava almost disappeared from the cra-
ter and the flashes of fire were few and
far between. As the moon grew toward
her full phase, the height of the lava
and brilliancy and frequency of the
flashes increased, and after she had
passed that point they gradually de-
creased. He suggests that these facts
tend to strengthen the theory held By
some scientific men that volcanic erup-
tions are caused by an inflow of the
sea to the bowels of the earth.
Glass sleepers for street railways are
now under trial. They are made by the
Sieman's glass toughening process.
which differs somewhat from The we'll
known La Bastie process. Under care
full experiment they have been found to
have very considerable strength. or, at
least. sufficient for light railways. So
far they have been made of rather
small pattern for longitudinal sleepers,
but there seems to be no reason why
they may not be made of the usual size
for heavy railway ties. The glass is of
the cheapest quality. They may even
be made from furnace Stag. as cheap
bottles are already manufactured, and
once in the road-bcd they would last
for centuries, as far rs mere decay is
concerned.
The city of Toxic, capital Of Japan
has been burned down for the third
time in seven years. though, considering
that it is constructed of the lightest and
1imsiest material, il might Just rs well
been the seventh time in three years.
Although l5,OO0 houses were destroyed
the loss Is not so severe as these numbers
would indicate, for they are cheaply and
quickly built up again. In Japan a fire
is checked by pulling houses to pieces.
and the firemen instead of pumping
water on the burning building. keep
soaking the men who are demolishing
the houses. Evidently. however, when
50, 900 people are made homeless and 100
perish in the flames the blaze has got as
much beyond their control as the ia
nous one in Chicago.
The year lSS0-will be memoI able in
naval and commercial annals for the
promulgation of new code of sea sig
nails and road rules. Great Britain
France, Germany, Russia, Austria. Italy,
the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark,
Belgium, Spain, Portugal. Greece. Chill
and the United States have agreed to
these rules. which include, besides sig
mailing with colored lights. n set of blasts
from the steam whistle or fog-horn,
whose numbers aud length OF duration
talk plainly. For example, steamer
sighting any vessel gives one short blast
to denote that she Is keeping to star
board. two ii she is keeping TO port. and
three If she IL going astern Other