The Osceola times., 1882-09-23
EUROPEAN ECHOES.
Matters and Things in the
Great World Across
the Sea
A Famous Bavarian Summer Resort Like-
Iy 10 be Turned Into n New On-Dorado.

No sooner had the Egyptian expedi-
ton been determined on than the Eng
lish authorities set about buying mules
leaving for a later day the adoption of
the Napoleonic idea OF camel trains.
Every part Of the world has been ran
sacked, even St. Louis furnishing num-
Der of the hardy animals to go to Alex
andria. Southern Italy has been chief
source of supply, for twp or three reasons.
II is near at hand, the stock with drivers,
can there be had on reasonable terms,
and the men and beasts are well accus-
toned to tropical heat much like that OF
the Egyptian sands. A great many mule
and ox-drivers have been enlisted at
Naples for eight months, their pay being
free passage to Egypt and back, and 81 a
day from the time Of their recruitment.
The volunteers have been required to
prove that they were capable mule
whackers and ox-drivers, and they have
also been required to bring certifi-
Gates from the local officials to the effect
that teaming was their trade. Fulfilling
these conditions they have been given
suitable passports. These teamsters, get
ting S240 and their rations for eight
months service, think themselves ex-
tremely lucky. A better class of men for
the work at hand can be found nowhere
These Italian drivers are models of econ
omy and sobriety, make little trouble fol-
their superiors when kept under proper
discipline, and will survive the hard
ships of the campaign much better than
the ordinary soldier or laborer Italians
from all over the country are jumping al
this chance to make their fortunes.
A new oil region has been discovered
at the famous Bavarian summer resort Of
Tegernsee. Borings were made there
many years ago, the presence of oil on
the surface of the lake, and the discovery
of a small spring from which oil oozed
out of the ground, encouraging the belle
that there might be valuable find. Fol
lack of capital or faith, however, no seri
ous efforts TO develop were put forth
The spring referred to has been known
for upward of 500 years, and its produce
has been thought by the country folk t.
have some miraculous qualities. Recently
some experienced operators" have beer
looking over the field. At depth o
ninety feet oil came up in considerable
quantities, and there is every prospect
that Pennsylvania will soon have new
rival.
The people of southern France, who
have to irrigate their vineyards, would
do well to send commission to Califor
MIA to learn how such work may be don't
on large scale. Differences in physica
geography, however, must alter methods
very largely. In some parts of the De
partment of the War water has had to bt
pumped up by engines out of rivers tc
drown the phylloxera. Even this enor
mously expensive process has been found
to pay well in increased crops and thrifty
vines. In some cases canals are con
structed from the head of falls or rapids
or springs have been tapped by associa
tions of proprietors of vineyards, but thu
work has never been thoroughly syste
matized. 1t has been discovered, as wa.
to be expected, that it pays well to resor
to weekly or semi-weekly irrigation be
tween April and September
The German railroads are so far behint
the times that agitation for some chang,
in management is always on foot. JUS
now leading journal is strenuously ad
vocating the adoption of fixed and uni
form mileage fares. 1t advises the aboli
ton of first and fourth-class distinctions
and the retention of second and third
class only, with rates of mark and 81
pfenings, respectively, irrespective of dis
tance, within the German Empire. There
are, of course, grave objections to so radi
cal change as this would be, and rail
road men take pains to point them out
to the public through sundry prints
whence it is fair to suppose that they be
lieve there is some fear of their enforced
adoption. Reform in the rules of opera
ton seems to be needed quite as much
as in tariffs. In June, with no serious
accidents, there were killed on the Ger.
man railroads, not including those OF
Bavaria, two passengers and twenty EN-.
ployes, while there were injured twenty.
nine passengers and fifty employees These
casualties occurred at the rate on one
killing and three maimings day
President Grevy is getting along in
years and every little ailment of his is
taken advantage of to affect the market
by the spectators on the Bours Now
and then these sharpers manufa ture lies
about him out of whole cloth. A fort
night ago the President celebrated his
10th birthday with family party of all
his relatives then in Paris and numerous
intimate friends. The next morning he
presided as usual at the cabinet meeting
and was never in better health, but all
the same it was bruited on Change in
the afternoon that grave illness had
overtaken him. There was not a word
of truth in the report, but it nevertheless
served its purpose of making some men
richer and others poorer. NJ. Grevy, by
the way, has a country residence in the
Voeges Mountains, to which he goes with
his family every summer, and nobody
seems to think that he violates the pro-
prieties by SO doing.