New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-17
GENERAL NOTES.

A mania for ostrich farming possesses the
settlers 10 South Africa and vast tracts OF sheepasturc
are being converted into for the more profitable
bpeds. result the price Of mutton has advanced
cents per pound
The petriied serpent" recently discovered
On the bank Of the OswegO River turns ont TO be fraud
Of palpable nature to be unworthy place beside
the Cardiff giant" which made of good. sn6stan-
ta stone while his enakeshp Is found 10 consist OF cay
moulded aud baked like rude pottery.
The town of Windham, Me-, boasts of an
aged minister ancient church the latter having
been organized early in the last century The pastor.
the Rev. Luther Wswe, is an Oc,OgenarHn, but still
remains in active service. On Sunday, the 14h inst.
he celebrated eghtieh anniversary OF his birth by
from The appropriate text am this day four
score years old"
A German correspondent OF The Pal Mall
Gazette writes that the financial distress Germany is
very great Selling prices and land rents are falling
frightuly low The result is that debtors on mortgage
cannot nav the interest OF their debts and dspos
sessed and their properties frequently sold a. half the
value they had time ago. This depreciation cannot
BE- attributed to foreign competition the importation
and other produce has been taxed I'll generally
believed that the fail prices is due Us the scarcity OF
cash.
Mother Symptoms venerable star is waning.
mghter sOOthsayer than she has arisen in the person
of Kingston Jamaica, philosopher, who deducts from
the second chapter OF St. Matthews gospel the startling
conclusion that Star of Bethlehem In its periodic
revolution OF about 315 years, will appear as bright
star in 1887 and earth will then undergo con-
WILSON'S physical and moral with civil strife notably
IN North America Strange too for that is not Pres
DENTAL election year. However, this s not the first
prophecy relating to 1897 The Rev. Abel Pierson, Of
Tennessee many years ago evolved from the book Of
Daniel formula by which he computed that about the
There evidently wide discrepancy between the two
prophecies. Probably moer people viii favor the atttr
one account OF it's more venerable age ITS greater
denteness of date and particularly its more agreeable
Character.
The popular impression tn at Newfoundland
is dependency Great Britain appears TO be erroneous
Lord Dunraven called attention to the fact that
by the treaty Of Utrecht still in force fishing rights over
the shore from Cape Ray to Cape John. comprising
about threeevenths Of the entire coast line OF the IL
land were secured to France and that country lays
claim TO strip land half mile In width along the entire
western cardboard day the settlement Of conflicting
claims OF the English and French Governments Will az
ford due field for diplomatic maueuvring. Mean
while uncertainty 10 serious bar TO the prosperity OF
fhe whole siaud The Government debarred from max
Eng any disposition Of 900 square miles OF land
Nobody carea 20 purchase attempt 70 develop the
Of the land Worse sim Is subject to no
authority IL has become tue refuge of criminals OF all
clRsses for wfits effective there but every man
does that which seems best 10 him in his own eyes,