Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-11-16
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


The New York Financial Chronicle
notes the fact that the United States
government has paid of the national
debt more than one thousand millions Of
dollars in seventeen years. The gov
ernment debt was at its highest point
August 81, 1865. IL then amounted
TO 81, 2,756,0O0,00O. On October /, 1882,
the debt of every description was only
$1,6i4, 120,223.
General Terry Is convinced from his
success in working the Northern Chey-
enne Indians on their farms until they
are self-supporting, that this is the cor
rect way of disposing of the Indian
question. On these farms the men are
manly, the women chaste, and all are
anxious that the children shall be edu-
Gated like the whites. He insists that
cows will do more than soldiers in civ
lllLlUR the Ecu men.
Reports from South Africa tell Of a
financial collapse arising out Of the
mania for ostrich farms, which took
possession some time ago Of all sorts
Of members Of the community. Those
who could not pay cash gave bills,
Which were discounted by the banks,
but the bills fell due before the feath-
ers were grown, and birds bought for
$500 a pair were sold for $3.50 and less.
Besides this, heavy sums have been
lost in diamond speculations.
The report Of the United States
commissioner Of Indian affairs shows
scvcnty-four boarding and one hun
dred and one day schools attended by
Indians. The number Of schools is
substantially the same as year ago,
but the number Of pupils shows con
siderable increase Fair progress has
also been made in agriculture. The
report shows that the work Of civil
izing the aborigines is making cncour-
aging progress, and is ful Of promise.
The treasury department has decided
10 act in accordance with the decision
If the circuit court OF san Francisco
re'ative TO the right Of Chinese sub
iccts TO visit the United States under
the recent act Of Congress This de-
cision was substantially that the
statute must be made o. harmonic
with the Chinese treaty. ami that the
law cannot be construed "a forbidding
the landing Of merchants. travellers,
students. etc, they not being laborcrs.
Geological examination Of the delta
Of the Mississippi now shows that for
a distance Of aboIt 800 miles there are
buried forests Of large trees. one over
tho other. with interspaces Of sand
Ten distinct forest growths Of this
description have been observed
which il is believed must have sue.
cecded each other. OF these trees
known as the bald cypress, some have
been found over twenty-five feet in
diameter, and one contained 5.7OC
rings; in some instances. too. huge
trees have grown over the stumps Of
others equally large From these
facts, geologists have assumed tho
antiquity Of each forest growth at
10000 years, or 100000 for all.
The Cincinnati Price Current has
put lshed peanut number. and gives
some interesting statistics a. to the
cultivation Of this docile fruit. Few
people, SAYS the Price Current, have
any idea of the extent Of the peanut
business or its increase in the United
States. The consumption in ls77-s
was 100000 bushels. in ls7S-79 Il
was $4,000 bushels. in 1s79-S0 II
was 10000 bushels, and last year
2.l0S,000 bushels. The available sup
ply for the winter. according TO Mr.
Murray, the editor Of the Price Cur.
rent, who is a good judge Of peanuts. is
2.2S0.0O0, ont of which there are
10000 bushels from Virginia. 100000
bushels from Tennessee, and 10000
bushels from North Carolina.
The national government has won