The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-11-04
EDITORIAL NOTES.

News comes by way of Lisbon
that Buenos Ayres, where snow
rarely falls, was visited by terrific
snow storm on the 18th of Septem-
ber.. The damage consequence on
the storm was very great. 1t is be-
lieved that 100000 head of cattle,
100000 sheep and 100000 horses per-
ished in the storm.
On the ed instant the Treasury
transferred to the bull
lion fund at the New York assay
Office $30,000,O00 in gold coin to en-
able the superintendent to pay for
foreign gold bullion and coin which
is expected to arrive soon. This
makes $60,0OO,000 transferred for
of foreign gold since the
14th of August.
BY inoculating animals with vac
cine taken from an infected one, NJ.
Touissaint has succeeded in render
ing them secure against epidemics,
such as pleuro-pneumonia, etc. 1t
will be remembered that NJ. Pasteur
was lately successful in vaccinating
poultry, and thus protecting them
against attacks of the malady known
as chicken cholera.
An interesting experiment with
balloons in besieging operations was
made at Woolwich, England, the
other day. A captive balloon was
sent up to height of 800 feet, and a
gun aimed at it from the distance of
a mile brought it down with we'll
directed shell. The success of the
experiment was regarded as proving
it unsafe to ascend in war balloons
within 10000 yards of the enemy's
lines.
Mrs. President" Howe, and
Miss Crandall and Mrs. j. a. Gould,
the cashiers" of the Ladies' De-
post Company" of Boston, were ar
rested Saturday on charge of OBJ
tanning money by false pretenses.
Neither of the ladies succeeded in
procuring bail, and are in prison.
1t is probable that these women were
the mere instruments in the hands OF
a gang of Williams, who shared the
plumber with them.
Capt. Eads will sail from New
Orleans for Mexico ON November 4,
accompanied by aparty of engineers,
who will examine the Isthmus of Te-
hauntepec in order to verify the Cap
tain's ideas as to its adaptability to
the purposes of a ship railway. Capt.
Eads will, at the same time, endeav-
or to secure government sanction
for his proposed survey, and to as
certain what the Mexican Congress
will be willing to do if he decides
to make the railway.
THAT the death of Gen. Myer
has not interfered with the efficiency
of the signal service is apparent in
the report of his acting successor,
Gen. Drum. 1t is but a few years
ago that the bureau very pardonably
made little boast that seventy-tive
per cent. of the weather "Indica-
TONS" or, as they were then called,
probabilities" had proved to be
correct; but the service has since
then been so improved and extended
that over ninety per cent. of the
forecasts during the past year have
been fulfilled.
There are 40 cotton oil mills in
the United States, distributed as
follows: Louisiana and Mississippi,
9 each; Tennessee, 8; Texas, 6; Ar
kansas, 4, and Missouri, Alabama
and Georgia, 2 each. Statistics show
that these mills press about 10000
tons of cotton seed annually, which
yield 50 gallons of oil and $50 pounds
of oil cake to the ton. Our eXpOrta-
ton of cotton seed oil III 1877 and
1873 amounted to about one and q
half millions of gallons each year
in 1879, to nearly six millions, and
in 1880 it will probably much exceed
the latter quantity.
DR.. Tanner is going to London
to engage in fasting contest. He
says: "They may select six men, as
near my age and physical condition
as possible. They can take wine
beer, or any spirituous liquor during
the fast, and l will take water only
and will see what the result will be
l am sure they can't stand it; and
the reason is plain. When L tasted
lived on myself-on the decomposi-
ton of my tissues. l lost half q
pound day in tissues. 1t was as
nourishing to me as half a pound Of
any other animal tissue. Now, as
said, alcohol checks the decOmposi'
ton of tissue. Suppose I'd taken
alcohol into my system during my
fast. 1t would have stopped my
supply of nourishment, and I'd have
starved to DEATH"
-Left-handed marriages like tina
of Alexander III. have repeated!
occurred in the imperial family o
Russia, but they have always beer
kept secret. Thus the Empress Eliz
abeth was the wife of Count Cyri
Razumowski, and the late Duches
of Leuchtenberg, sister to the pres
ent Emperor, was married, with hi
permission, to Count Gregor,
Strogonoff. The correspondent add
that the Emperor Peter IL, who wa
then only fifteen years old, was be
trothed to a Princess Dolgorouk
He died few months later, and tn
princess was then banished to s.
IBERIA; she was, however, afterward
pardoned. The Dolgoroukis are
very numerous, and, it may b
added, a very ancient family, sine
they trace their descent from tn
Archangel Michael.
DIR. Tanner is temperance maj
and when taken to task about drink
ing wine after his fast, he said:
drank it simply as a medicine. If
h1 taken a dozen pledges l shout
have felt myself justified in drink
ing alcohol then. You see, after m
fast the microscope showed that IN
blood was decomposing. The ply
sicians said that it was owing to tn
fast; that the great decompositio
had produced this condition of m
blood. l Thought that it was OWN
| to the malarial atmosphere in whic
/ lived in that hall. However, on
| thing was certainty blood wa
decomposing. The thing to do wa
to stop il. Experiment has show
that any animal tissue placed in a
cohol does not decay or decompose
that alcohol taken into the systeI
has the effect of arresting .ecompC
sition of tissue. So, naturally,
took alcohol. took il in the forI
of the purest and best wines coul
buy. The effect was good. Now
am glad 10 be able TO make this e'
PLANTATION. for | have always take
strong temperance grounds. and
don't wan'tto appear inconsistent.
have differed with men of my ow
profession as to the value of alcoh'
as a medicine, claiming that it h;
been greatly overrated: for il is NJ
a nutriment, nor is il valuable as
stimulant. 1t is simply good in cast
of wasting of tissue; as an antisepti
as in cases of consumption, scrofnl
4 - - .ls-o.eo-