The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-08-26
EDITORIAL NOTES.

Texas, settled as densely as New
York, would contain 100000 peo-
pie.
The celebrated Keene wheat
deal, which is now closing out, re-
suited in loss of several million
dollars to the operators.
Last December the London
Peabody fund of $2,5OO,OOO had
grown to S3,5O0,O0O. The trustees,
up to that time, had housed 1905
persons in 1855 separate dwellings.
The average weekly earnings of the
head of each family in q Peabody
house were $6,and the average rent
81.
The Chinese shoemakers are
leaving North Adams, Mass. They
have served the purpose of their EN-
ployers who took them there eight
years ago to break the backbone OF
the Crispin organization, and now
their places are to be filed by white
men.
Italy promises soon to have the
largest revenue ofany country in the
world. "The Italian Parliament" a
dispatch from Rome tells us, "has
decided to tax titles and decorations
on the following scale: (a) for title
ofprince, $4,000 lire Italian; (b) duke.
25 200; (c) marquis, 10000; (d) count,
$4,000; (e) baron, 10000; ~ for any
other title, 5000; for crests, 700; for
permission to wear foreign decora-
ton, 80 lire Italian" (The Italian
Ira, it may be said, is worth about
20 cents). The dispatch adds, some
what superfluously, that cit is sup
posed that more than one-half of the
owners of the above titles will be un-
able or unwilling to pay this tax"
but the pecunious survivors should
be sufficient in number to clear off
the Italian national debt and leave
the treasury full. The American
mother will at least be able under
the new regime to exact his permit
of her intending son-in-law, or per-
haps the government willissue some
thing neat but not gaudy in the way
of badges indicating that the wearer
is licensed to call himself and be
called duke or marquis. Unhap-
PLY for the title-loving of the world,
it is not in contemplation to turn out
an unlimited number of princes,
dukes and the like on compliance
with a mere financial formality. Sc
riously, however, when one consid-
ers how much the states of Europe
have, as rule, done for their titled
classes, he can hardly think the prop
osition unjust that now the titled
classes should contribute something
to the support of the state.
The annual resort of thousands
of people to the watering places OF
Europe and America seems to have
awakened a new interest in the
healthful art of swimming. This is
especially the case with ladies, who
now devote much attention to the
practice, some of them having be-
come experts. In New York there
are training schools for both sexes,
and those provided for females are
well patronized. A few weeks ago
young girl of seventeen, pupil OF
the Normal school, swan five miles
in East river. Several years ago an
English girl, Agnes Beckwith, swan
from London bridge to Greenwich
nearly four miles. Emily Parker
then swan from London bridge to
Blackwell, slightly exceeding Agnes
Beckwith's distance. Some time
after this Agnes remained afoat in
huge tank for thirty hours, Willing
away the monotony by singing, read.
ing and partaking of refreshments
occasionally handed to her. Mar.
vellous stories have been told of the
feats performed in the water by the
Kanakas of the Sandwich Islands
such as remaining afloat for days
women swimming miles with young
children in their arms or on their
backs, and the like. These, however
are not well authenticated. One OF
the most famous of swims was that
of Byron at Abydos, although the
distance was less than a mile. Many
modern swimmers, male and female
have eclipsed that feat. But of all
the exploits in this line of which we
have authentic records, certainly the
performances of Capt. Paul Boyton
are the most remarkable. In 1875
he swan across the English channel,
from Dover to Calais, twenty-one
miles. in twenty-five hours. In 1873
he swan, or rather floated in his In
dia-rubber suit, from Pittsburg to
New Orleans, more than two
thousand miles.