The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-03-04
GENERAL NOTES.

SENATOR BOCttls Oh OflifOfuih. WHO
wants to succeed himself In the United
States Senate, has a formidable oppc-
nent in General John Bidwell, ex-gov-
worth over 81 ,O0O, 600, most of his prop
erty being ia lands. Ills ranch at
Chico, In Northern California, where
President Hayes and his party were en-
tertained during their recent trip, Ia one
of the greatest of the many things OF
that State. On this place there are more
than one hundred miles of fences and 1t
is possible to ride for hours in any d.
rection without leaving General Bid
wells property.
Petroleum fountains and asphalt
mines, very rich, have been discovered
in Venezuela, South America. The
petroleum issues in streams from sand
bank full Of holes. One of the fountains
spurts petroleum and water at the rate
of $40 gallons per hour. The petroleum
is found to equal in value that imported
from the United States. Excellent am
thracite coal Is also found in the same
regions. The discoveries are near the
city of Maracaibo In the State Of Zulia.
The presence of the petroleum was
known sixty years ago, but there was
no method of refining 1t at that time.
1t now promises to become valuable
article Of commerce.
Twenty-six million dollars worth
more of grain was exported from this
country in 1880 than in 1879; yet that
was a good year for the foreign trade In
breadstuffs. The emigrants fiockipg to
the great West evidently do more than
find their own food; they find food also
for the lands from which they come.
The mouths that consume increase, but
with them comes an increase of hands
that produce. Each successive year of
good crops the great farms OF the coun-
try yield larger surplus OF grain for
export over the quantity needed for the
home supply.
DR.. Schweinfurth, the Soudan traveller,
has published at Vienna letter Just re.
ceived from Cairo, which stiRmatizes
in strong terms the recent increase
in the Egyptian slave trade. The re-
sumption of the traffic dates from the
deposition of the ex-khedive and the
retirement of Sir Samuel Baker but It
has increased more especially since
Colonel Gordon has left. In spite of the
English and French consulates, there Ia
every week a wholesale importation OF
little negro children into Jeddah, and
there Is no prospect of this lucrative
traffic soon coming TO an end.
There are many indications that In
the present condition of applied science
the time Is not fer distant when all our
telegraph lines will be under ground,
where they will least impair the beauty
of streets and be protected from ad-
verse atmospheric influences. And
it IL not improbable that after Q
few years experience of the cost, not tc
say the danger, Of elevated railroads In
cities, noiseless, smokeless, wellligbted
and Wholesome tunnel routes of CITY
rapid transit will be adopted. The ia,
cilities for both changes are even now
sTithin reach.
The Methodist Record derives very lit
tie comfort from the fact that, notwith
standing the widespread prevalence o
both diphtheria and scarlet fever, tn,
types OF the disease are not unusually
severe ct present. 1t contends that thi
Is by no means subject for coneratula
ton atthis season, in view Of the reason
able possibility of the increase OF boil
QAoCoAoC6 aui Tug tlAS bRl ing, huu bno pIOU
| able increase of their malignancy. Yer,
| few physicians have lost fifty per cent
of their cases of dipbtberis thus far
Even twenty per cent. would be q yer,
| high figure. Still, the prospect OF tn,
continuance Of this comparatively Low
ratio Of mortality Is far from promising
At least, the wise practitioner must b
on bis guard, and do everything he can
not only to treat promp IL and eflicientl,
all cases in hand, but prevent their In
crease. Whatever can be done by tn
physician to narrow the chances OF tn
spread of the contagion lessons IL.
chances of mortality even in mild cpl
denies.
Recently complaints have been mad
to the French authorities that oleomar
garine butter has been substituted TO
the genuine article in the asvlums o
Paris. The Paris Academy OF Medicin
has made vigorous investigation, undo
an order from the government. Th
report of the committee Is against tn
use of margarine in the asylums, and |
also adverse to its general use as
substitute for butter. The margarin
as originally prepared Is no lo1ge
an object Of commerce, being to-
dear. That which Is actually in use
an industrial product open to variou
frauds. Vegetable oils are especially
intoduced, and II 1t Is easy to decide b.
chemical analysis whether given pro
duct consists of butter or margarine, !
Is very difficult to affirm whether thi
margarine is pure or mixed with oils
and vegetable oils are known to
more difficult of digestion than anime
fats. 1t was found to be a miserabl
conglomerate Of peanut oil diluted mill
and beef.