The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-05
mEsCELLANEOUs MATTERS.

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MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.
The boot and shoe trade of Boston
is more active at the present time
than for several years past.
In the German army more and
more attention is being paid to the
science OF arostalics, and officers are
being trained TO make balloon ascen-
sions.
Speaking of a rather soft young
swell, a Brooklyn girl said: "His
mind isn't altogether thin, but quite
thick i'll some places, like a porous
plaster"
1t has been decided by the doctors
that Geneva is the healthiest large
city in Europe. Its death rate is
seventeen to 1000. Edinburgh comes
next with death rate of eighteen
to 1000.
The committee appointed to con-
slider the question of substituting a
nickel coinage for the bronze coin
age now circulating in France, has
decided in favor of nickel, which
has already been adopted in Germa-
ny and Belgium.
The Israelites of Cincinnati pro-
pose the establishment of fund by
the levy of head tax of one dollar
upon each male of their faith over
thirteen years of age, to aid their
poorer brethren in settling on gov
eminent land as farmers.
1t is ascertaIned that large quanti-
ties of bogus tea, adulterated in
England, are sent to this country
and sold at low rates all over the
country. OF course, much of the
stuff is not tea at all, but what it is
made of can only be ascertained by
an analysis.
Prof. Bell claims to have perfected
the induction balance. which was
unsuccessfully used IN an attempt 10
locate the bullet with which Presi-
dent Garfield was shot. 1t was tried
the other day on an old soldier who
had carried a bullet in his body
since the war, and located the ball
instantly.
According to the London Specta-
tor, drunkenness is spreading in
India, or at least in the Bombay
Presidency. The figures are that in
Surat there are 100000 drunkards
"of the higher and middle class" of
whom $4,000 are females. Of the
lower classes there are $1,000 drunk
ards, of whom 1000 are women.
This is the way the Philadelphia
NeaUS puts it: The theaters are
opening, and before long the water
ing-place bellies, who have been rum
ming around bare-legged in the
presence OF thousands, will be sit
ting in the parquet and blushing
because ballet girls make similar
display in the presence of hundreds"
The "statistician of the senior
class at Yale college places the aver
age expense of each member for the
four years. course at $390l. Brown
university reports the average an
nual expense at $3.50, which would
give $500 for the four years. The
difference depends, in great part,
upon whether a man gaes to college
for "good time" or to work.
A waiter in Paris restaurant was
clever juggler, and his feats of
tossing plates gained him extra fees
from the amused guests. Stimulated
to fresh endeavors he acquired a
trick discerning to swallow fork
but at this he was not expert, and
spoon nine and a half inches long
slipped down his throat in dread
reality. A dangerous and difficult
surgical operation was all that saved
his lite.
A New York undertaken has in
augurated system of cheap funer-
ais. For thirty dollars he offers to
furnish a large coffin, plate, hearse,
one carriage and opening the grave,
When asked how he could afford to
do it so much less than the others,
he answered: "By putting my
prices down to the lowest possible
notch on a business basis, instead of
trying to reap an extraordinary
profit out of affection"
M. H. Geoffroy has brought before
the Academic des Sciences of Paris
a specimen of wire clothed with
asbestos and threaded through a
leaden pipe, for prevention of fires
where electricity is employed for
lighting. M. Henri Lippmann, en-
gineer to the Faure Accumulation
company, states that the copper con-
ductor has been entirely volatilized
in some experiments made by him,
without the loaden pipe being in the
least affected.
The Atlantic sea-coast has had
pretty rough experience, as far as it
went, of wlHi the deluge was in the
old days, and if it hadn't been for
the bow of promise which most peO-
pie have seen at some period OF their
lives, there might have been a panic
and rush for the mountain tops.
There was much loss of property,
some loss of life by flood and during
the last days of the COney Island
season the trains had to feel their
way through two feet OF water on
their tracks.
The recent earthquake shocks in
Panama, which have occurred at in
.tervals since the 9TH of September,
have shaken things up considerably
on the isthmus. In the city of Pom
anna $250,000 damage was done, but
no houses fell. The people went to
the plains, however, for safety. Re-
ports say that the course of the
earthquake was southwark, and if
so, it was not part of the Panama
disturbance that wakened up many
people in this city suddenly about 4
O'Clock yesterday morning.
The amount of mackerel landed
at the port of Wellfieet, Massachu-
sets, for the month of August, as
compared with the corresponding
month of last year, is as follows /:
The number of vessels engaged last
year was thirty, and the number OF
barrels landed was 1852. The num-
Der engaged this year is twenty-nine,
which landed 1922 barrels, while the
amount landed the past month is
over 1000 barrels less than last year,
The total amount landed thus far
this season is 28,868 barrels, against
1915 for the same time last year.