The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-20
GLEANINGS.
Michigan University has 1897 students the
largest number of any American college Co

MlCnIRan unworthy mas Low stuuculS, ,lic
largest number of any American college. Co
lumbia pays sprotessors the largest salaries.
The last rail has been LAID on the Chicago
& Strawn road which is to form the Wabash
St Louis e Paciic's line to Chicago. 1t runs
from Strawn, H. on the Chicago & PadVcah
due northeast about 80 miles, to 10th street
when it strikes the Chicago & Western lndi
ana, over whose line 1t runs into Chicago
The line will not be opened for business until
about the middle Of May.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific are
equIpplng all their locomotives with the Ash
ton Blowback Valve, which avoids all noise
usually resulting from the escape OF steam,
and also effects large saving In fuel, by sup
plving hot instead of cold water to the boiler
This valve IS now on 1872 railways. The Rock
Island company have ordered 235 OF these
after having given the principle n test extend
ing over six months time.
That gold crosses are often hollow is well
enough known, but perhaps few persons have
discovered what French writer has-the use
to which this vacant space Is put BY English
ladies. 1t is filled, he says, with cordial, or
sherry, or brandy, for sIpplng in public places
and thus the religions symbol is made to adj
minister to creature comfort. This custom
can he observed nightly at the opera, where Il
charming young English lady is IN the habit
OF pressing to her lips at the most pathetic
passages an enormous gold cross" If this
story is an invention, il is at least ngenlous.
The words of Thomas Jefferson on n third
term of the Presidency cann0t be too often re-.
peated or too deeply impressed on the public
mind:
"If some termination" he sald "to the ser
vices Of the Chief Magistrate be no. fixed by
the constitution, or supplied by practice, his
Office, nominally for years Will in fact become
for life; and history sho,cs hO,c sasily that de-
generates into an inheritance"
Now termination to the services Of the
Chief Magistrate has been provided IN one Of
the two ways named by Mr. Jefferson: 1t has
been supplied by practice.
The business of the Pullman Palace Car
Co. is extending itself more than the public
generally are aware Of. An order has recently
come from Australia for the interior outfit and
furnishing of u number of dining room cars
for the government railways in that faroti
land. These are now making at Detroit The
London, Brighton Il South Coast Railway, of
England, is contemplating putting on a limit
ed Pullman train of parlor and dining cars,
as is now being run between London and Ply
mouth. Pullman rarlor cars have been placed
b1 W. l'u'tH Dli'N liillN ny bt'"t'll IuSlilHp
and Cologne Recently the great Northern
Railroad of England has placed Pullman cars
on its line between London and Edinboro.
A writer in the Voltaire, who signs himself
"UE Russo paints deplorable picture of the
terrors by which the Car is haunted and of
the precautions taken to secure his person
from injury. AT one time the Emperor Of All
the Russias was IN the habit of wearing coat
,,o;I Inl, 70 nd oppr,1o Int ll,
10 endure the weight, he has abandoned this
ark of safety. HIS uniforms, however, are now
specially prepared, and are said to be stepped
in particular wash which renders them bull
letproOf The carriages and sledges used by
the monarch are also plated with iron, and
such IS the mysterious secresy with which he
he is surrounded that even the most trusted
policemen are ignorant half an hour before
hand in what direction he is going. The cook
is watched at his work by two special employ
ees, and the kitchen door is guarded by two
sentinels. The viands are tasted by experts
and only offered to the Czaf when they are
convinced that no poison IS lurking IN them.
Fond as he is of good cigar, the Emperor is
obliged, from similar motives of prudence, to
iorego the pleasures Of smoking. Such is said
to be the life Of.the greatest autocrat IN the
world, who must now and then envy the lot
even of the meanest of his subjects,
In 1857 the town of Racine, in Wisconsin,
issued $50 900 bonds in aid of certain rail
road, and, subsequently, for some reason or
other concluded not to pay them. The citi.
zens, to avoid payment, forfeited their munich
pal organization and had their town divided
and apportloned between the two adjoining
towns of Caledonia AMI Mount Pleasant. The
municipality of Racine thereupon ceased toI
exist, and it was fanced that there was no body
that could be held responsible for the debt.
But suits were brought which, in due course
Of time, found their way to the supreme court
at Washington, and that body has decided
them in manner that must be a surprise to
the property holders of the extinct municipal
ity and of the two towns which swallowed il.
The decision is that the towns of Caledonia
and Mount Pleasant in succeeding to the ter
ritory Of Racine inherited its debts also, and
are bound to provide for the payment OF them.
The part of the joke that possesses greatest in
terest for the taxpayers is that the original
debt Of $4,000 has grown by the accumula.