Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-06-17

railroad, which is intended TO facilitate
the intercourse of England with India.
The road will be over thousand miles
long, and will be very difficult to build.
The Hartford CouTd1t gives list of
parties who have been reported as killed
by lightning this season, and adds as
noticeable thing about the list that none
of the accidents occurred in cities or in
the presence of telegraph wires and nc
cumulations of metal. These seem TO
act as safeguards.
Previous to the current year, the
largest number of emigrants from Eu-
rope to the United States was in 1854,
when the records showed $4,000. From
this number there was decline to 55,-
600 in 1877. In 1879, the tide in this di-
rection began again, reaching $4,000,
and this year promises to APPROACH 400,-
600, or some have thought 100000.
The latest plan for crossing the Eng
lish channel is embodied in q model
now before the admiralty for n monster
floating railway station, which is to
carry trains from England to France
across the channel at the rate of four
teen knots an hour. 1t is stated that
each train would provide accommoda-
tions for 1900 passengers, which would
require sixty or more railway car.
riages.
Southern mocking birds well deserves
the name. They initiate not only the
SONGS of other birds, but human whist
lers as well. A lady of Macon, Ga,
relates that her pet mocking bird often
deceives all the inmates of her house
by its clever imitation of the post
mans whistle. They go out TO get the
letters, and find Jack on spray, near the
fence, blowing his whistle and looking
entirely innocent of any intention TO
hoax the family.
The German emigration is startling 10
the authorities of the empire. 1t is just
published that nearly 81, 900 emigrants
left the four ports of Bremen, Hamburg,
Stettin and Antwerp for America dur
ing the past year. But n small portion
has gone elsewhere. This report does
not include the Germans who left Brit
ish and French ports, who may be
roughly stated at 10000 persons. The
new German army bill, 1t Is feared, will
bring the emigration up to the proper
tions of that time succeeding the Franco
German war, when il averaged 1850
per annum. .
The gold and silver mining fever is
not altogether confined TO the United
States; 1t has just broken out afresh in
New Zealand, and TO degree which
indicates the dawning ofa new era upon
that country. The mineral resources of
the islands have, all at once, been
-.
coal fields have Deen opened; and gold
silver ard copper mines are revealing
wealth to an extraordinary extent. The
discoveries are not so much new: il is
the marvellous development OF the old
that is exciting attention both in the
colony and in Great Britain.
Superintendent Peaslee, OF Cincin-
natl, says that the greatest mistake that
is being made in the American schools
is the constant drive in arithmetic at
the expense of composition and litera-
ture. Mr.. Peaslec wants less examining
for per cents and more education-to
set before pupils higher aims for study
than monthly averages. His convic-
tons have led to the establishment in
the Cincinnati schools of" Poets Days"
and the systematic study of literature
The children are made TO not only
memorize poetic selections of the high
est character, but to learn something
about the authors, and TO talk about
them.
A considerable steel making industry
exists in the present day in China, on
the Upper Yangtze. whence the steel is
sent to Tien-tsin for shipment and dis
tribution. Itbrings much higher prices
than the Swedish steel imported into
the country. The Chinese metallurgists
recognize three kinds of steel, namely,
that which is produced by adding un-
wrought to wrought iron while the mass
IL subject to the action of fire, pure iron
many times subjected TO fire, and native
steel, which is produced in the south
west. The different names for steel are
ivan kang. or ball steel, from its rounded
form; kwan kang, or sprinkled steel;
wei tee, or false steel. The Chinese,
apparently have known how TO manu-
facture steel from the very earliest ages.
The important branch of American
commerce with India Is almost entirely
controlled by the cities of New York
and Boston. The former has now the
lions share, but which she did not pos
sess in times past. There are now 100
ships and barks bound to New York
from various ports in India and China,
and twenty. five ships and barks to Bos-
ton. All these have valuable cargoes.
In 1877 Boston had sixty East India
men to arrive. bringing over 1000, 600
baskets and bags of sugars. Boston has
latterly taken quite start in the ocean
steam trade. A new steam line has re-
Gently been starteds between Boston and
London. The steamers are 1850 tons
register.
1t is not generally known that panes
of glass can be cut under water with
ease to almost any shape by means of a
pair ofscissors. Two things, however,
are necessary for success: First, the
glass must be kept quite level in the
water while the scissors are applied;
and secondly, to avoid risk, 1t is better
- Ia.