The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-11-11
TIMELY TOPICS.

A gloomy story Is told by the Times
| Of Indid concerning the ravages OF wild
beasts and venomohs reptiles in that
country. The total of deaths during the
last year caused by wild beasts and
snakes was no less than 10000. 1t ought
to be possible in some way to lessen
such an appalling mortality.
The Mormon temple, commenced at
Salt Lake City twenty years ago, is not
yet finished. They are still working at
it. Already over $4,000,000 have been
expended and the structure has hardly
assumed shape. IT is estimated that its
total cost will exceed 1923 100000. The
contract has yet sixty years to run. 1t is
to be built of Utah granite, and will be
the finest building in the United States.
The consump ton of mule and horse
| flesh is steadily increasing in France.
| The weight has risen from III, 300
pounds in 1866 to l,952, $40 pounds in
| 1877. In the principal cities of the
provinces the consumption of horsehesh
may be considered to have fairly taken
root. The average price of horse meat
is from twenty-five to thirty cents per
pound. Each horse furnished about 400
weight of meat, which is capable Of
being prepared in many ways, such as
pot-au- feu, boiled, roast, hashed, fiji ct,
haricot, jugged, etc.
Around Shanghai lie $4,000 square
miles which are called the garden of
China, and which have been carefully
drained for countless generations. This
area is as large as New York and Penn
sylvania combined; it is all mea -ow
land, raised few teet above the river
lakes, rivers, complete network OF
water communication. The land is
under the highest cultivation; three
crops year are gathered. The popu-
| lation is so dense that wherever you
look you see men and women in blue
pants and blouses, so numerous that you
fancy some fair or muster coming on,
and all hands turned out for a holiday.
There are frequent references in
Shakespeare and contemporary writings
to sea coal fires;" the term g sea coal"
being applied to the soft coal brought
by sea to London from Newcastle.
Early in the thirteenth century its use
was prohibited in London on account of
its unhealthfulness but the prohibition
was not long observed, and it soon be-
came the only fuel. Combined with
the thick and constant fcgs which now
hang over or inwrap the city, the smoke
and SCOT is increasing the death rate
every year, and has even caused some
fear of catastrophe which shall end in
sutfocating the whole city, and the
calamity Of Pompeii in different form
be repeated. One of the remedies pro-
posed is the importation of anthracite
from America, so that the old term OF
"sea coal" may come into use again.
There is now in process of construc-
tion a railroad across the 1sthmus OF
Tehuantepec, Mexico. The width of
| this isthmus from ocean to gulf is about
100 miles, but the projected route of the
railroad, being somewhat circuitous,
will he nearly thirty miles longer. The
eastern terminus Of the road is the
mouth of the river Coatzacoalcos, and
| from this point the railroad has already
been completed for a distance of about
ten miles, and the grading of another
section of nearly twenty miles is fin
ished. The terms of the concessions
from the Mexican government demand
that the entire road shall be completed
within two years from next January.
Native laborers have been employed
thus far; but Northern engineers will
survey the harbors and the interior, as
we'll as lay out the route OF the road on
the Pacific side of the isthmus. North
ern mechanics will also be generally en-
ployed in the construction of trestle-
work, cuIverts and bridges. The route
between New Orleans and San Francisco
will be shortened about 2,300 miles BY
tn, railroad across this isthmus, as COM
pared with Darien or Panama, thus
making an important saving of time and
money in commerce.
For the first time in America, in the
record of the settlement of large estate,
the expressed wishes of q rich man have
been literally followed by his heirs
rather than their legal rights as ex-
pressed in his will. Mr. Joshua L. Jeanes,
who died in January last in Philadel-
| phia, left an estate of about 81 100000,
bequeathing to his two brothers and two
sisters 100000 each, and to his sisters
additionally all his real estate in Phila-
delphia. 1t was the intention of the
testator TO make certain bequests to pub
| lie institutions and few friends, but
this he neglected to DO; but the brothers
and sisters decided not only to have the
wishes OF the testator carried out, but
consented to an equal division of the
estate between them after the gifts to
institutions and individuals and the ex-
penses incident to the transfer of the
property were deducted. OF the total
amount five gifts OF SO 600 each were pail
to individuals, and the following dona-
| tions were made: Working Home for
BindW omen, S5 600; Working Home for
| Bind Mer, s. 200; Women's hospital,
$40, 600; Academy of Natural Sciences,
$40, 900; Penn asylum, $4,000. The
very large sum of SAC, ,444. 40 was paid to
Register -of-Wills Taylor as a collateral
inheritance tax. The balance OF $674,-
2l4sI was divided into four equal
shares of $2lS 2l4 each, tor each Of the
surviving brothers and sisters. This
estate of nearly $1,000, 900 was settled up
within eight months of the time it was
taken into court.