The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-01-21
TIMELY TOPICS.

While lecturing on snakes before the
London institution, Professor Huxley
said that few animals are endowed with
so many faculties. A snake can stand
erect. climb as we'll as an ape, swim like
a fish, dart forward, and do all but fly
in seizing its prey. The destructiveness
of snakes to man was illustrated by the
fact that twenty thousand lives are
yearly lost in India by their poison, and
it might safely be said that they are a
more deadly enemyto our race than any
other beasts of the field. The reason
why there were no snakes in ireland
was the multiplicity of its other plaques.
The United States secretary OF state,
desiring to secure, if possible, a good ex-
hibition of American goods at the Mel
bourne International exhibition, which
is to be opened October l, 1880, has ap-
pointed Mr.. Thomas R. Pickering, of
Connecticut, an agent on behalf of the
United States government to solicit ex-
hibits. Mr.. Pickering has opened an
office at Room No. 102 postoffice build
ing, New York city, where all informa-
tion regarding che regulations of the
Melbourne exhibition can be obtained.
The United States will not assume the
expense of shipping goods, but will,
through its commissioner, receive the
goods at Melbourne, assign them to a
proper space in the exhibition build
ings, and publish a catalogue of the list
of exhibitors.
Complete details ofthe attempt to blow
up the car and his suite give one n bet
ter idea of the amount of work done to
insure successful result. The young
man who purchased the cottage in Mos.
cow, which he decorated with the por-
traits of the czar, the czarina and pic
lures of the saints, contrived without
exciting suspicion to excavate with his
associates a passage over thirty yards
long and three feet high, and to brick it
from one end to the other. The use of
the bricks seems the most extraordinary
part of the whole scheme; but probably
it was found that nothing else would
keep the earth from tumbling in upon
the excavators. At tho end of the gal
lery thus run from the cottage, and five
feet from the line, chamber was built
sufficiently large to hold the explosives.
The first snowfall in Paris this season
was the heaviest Known there for many
years. The cold was intense and the
quantities of snow accu mulated in the
thoroughfares was so great that there
was little or no circulation for vehicles.
Omnibuses, though drawn by three and
in some cases by four horses, only moved
at funeral pace; the tramways and cir
cult railway ceased running, and very few
hackney carriages were in the streets.
In the suburbs the snow lay on the
ground to an average depth of foot,
but in places where it had been drifted
by the wind or accumulated by the ef.
forts of the armies of sweepers it was
three and four feet deep. The snow was
driven along the boulevards in binding
showers, the few cabmen out refused to
take fare at any price, and the be-
nighted had accordingly to make their
way as best as they could through the
deep snow and piercing northeast wind.
Among the allowances which the
New York board of health asks Of the
board of apportionment over last years
there is an item for three
additional inspectors of milk. at salaries
each of twelve hundred dollars year.
"This," says the Herald Ought to be
granted. There arc hundred and thirty
thousand children in the city less than
five years old whose diet consists ofmilk
in larger proportion than their elders.
For all these and the million other in
habitants only one milk inspector is pro-
vided. The board of health estimates
thatthe citizens are defrauded at the rate
o. ten thousand dollars n day by the sale
of SKINNED and watcred milk. But that
is not the worst. 1t omits to estimate
the quantity Of rotten milk which .is
served daily to the hundred and thirty
thousand children. Year by year sani-
tarians in other countries are becoming
more firmly convinced that next to de-
fective drainage unwholesome milk is
the most fertile agency of zymotic. dis
eases. If the board of health will pcnc-
trate to the sources Of this corruption
and cleanse them, by all means give it
the necessary inspectors for the purpose
and hold. it rigidly responsible for the
execution of the duty"