The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-03-23
GENERAL ITEMS.

Father Gavazzi says that in twenty
years the United States will lead the world.
Cornelius Vanderbilt has given Sl4..
OOo for building at st. Johnland Long Island
for the Episcopal Charity Home, founded by
the late DR.. Muhlenburg
1t seems that at Corning, New
York, according to Bishop Coke, Roman Cath
o. one nuns teach public school in the dress of
their order as they do in New Mexico. In
both cases the whole course of instruction is
that of the Romish theology.
There were $50 divorce suits beonn
in Cook county. H., in the year 1880. being
one to every eight marriage licenses taken out
Inc number of divorces actually granted is not
yet reported.
The sixty accessions to a Southern
Methodist Episcopal church, at Nashville Tenn.
were chiefly students in the Medical Deparment
of the Vanderbilt University.
The results of Messrs. Moody and
Sankeys work in San Francisco are beginning
10 be apparent. Not only have the churches
been greatly quickened, but large numbers have
been added to them on confession of faith in
Christ, the accessions in some of the churches
this winter being in excess of the whole thirty
years of their previous history. The churches
them, though meetings are held in several each
evening Nor is the work of grace confined to
that city; 1T Is spreading TO all parts of the
Pacific Coast; The Bible is widely sought for
at all the bookstores, and the work seems to be
growing IN interest and power in all directions
continually. From San Francisco Messrs. Moody
and Sankey will go to New Orleans where we
have no doubt the same marvellous results will
be witnessed.
ON THE EARLY BRITISH Doc DOCS
are frequently found represented on the Romano
keltlc pottery OF England. especially on Duro-
orlvan ware. These dogs commonly fall under
one OF two types-they are large and fierce like
our present bulldogs and mastifs, or they
resemble fleet, slender hunting dog, such as
our greyhound. By comparison of the forms
still remaining at the different museums on
pieces OF pottery some particulars might be
obtained respecting the various breeds of the
early British dog, if we could be sure that the
artist dld not use conventional or imaginary
types OF dog life. At this point the we'll known
passages In the classics which refer to the ex-
cellence of the English dogs comesin. The
larger and fercer kinds were much EMPLOYED
both by the Roman sojourners in Britain and
their countrymen at home in chasing the wild
boar. Shepherd dogs, too, NAV bave been
needed to tend the magnus numeress pecor,,nn
OF which Cesar speaks, in our island The
luxury OF the Roman capital at York would be
almost certain to demand the smaller breeds Of
pets.-1he Antiquary.
RECENT DATE OF THE GLACIAL
AGE.-The freshness of the marks left bv tbo
Ice OF the glacial period have been noticed bv
nearly all observers Even Mr.. Croll whose
views concerning the antiquity of the glacial
period are extreme, expresses surprise las well
he may at the small amount of erosion which
has taken place since the so-called "kames
or glacial gravel ridges, of Scotland were de-
posted. The February number of The AD,eri-
can Journal OF Sctence publishes a short paper
read at the last meeting of the American Asso
citation for the Advancement of Science. bv
the Rev. q. Frederick Wright, which is the
most definite attempt yet made to formulate
this general impression of recentness referred
to, and which is made by even casual glance
at the kames and moraines of New England
cross section Is gwen, from accurate meas
urements, OF one of the bowl-shape denres
sions In Andover, Mass, characteristic of these
formations. The rim OF the "kettle-bole" ia
composed OF gravel and rises on every side
from 52 to " feet above the general outside
level. The diameter from rim to rim is $50
feet: The bottom of the kette-hole" is oc-
cupled by circular mass of neat az foot j.;
diameter, whose surface is so feet below tbs
top OF the surrounding rim. From the angle at
which the sides slant down to the peatbo9 il 10
evident that the original depression coulS not
have been more than "a feet greater than now
IN IN moving loo ieet horizontally from the rim
toward the centre, the descent is 80 feet. With
the same ratio, further horizontal movement
Of 48 feet, which brings one to the centre Of
the peat, would indicate a further ascent of II
feet, which would be the apex of the inverted
cone. Calling the depth "a feet, the entire
amount of sediment accommodating in This closed
basin since its formation would onlv amonnt
to a depth of eight feet upon the present sur.
face of the peat bog. If this kettle hole" is
10000 years Old the accumulation has been in
round numbers one inch in 100 years, which is
about as slow rate the imagination can
conceive. But, if, with Mr, Croll' we suppose
the glacial forces which made these peculiar
deposits to have ceased their action in New
England $4,000 years ago, the rate of deposi
ton - only one inch in 1000 years, which ap.
pears like an excessive demand upon onr
credulity, and should not be accepted unless
upon constraint Of mostcogent and positive evil
dence.-IndePendent