Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-12-22
MATTERS AND Things.

lhe New lolk IHdfpshGeht gives naufcs
to show that SO, 600, 900 have been given
towards the cause of education by private in
dividuals during the past twelve years.
The oldest COW on record is owned by Il
citizen of lIawkinsvillc, Ga, who declares
that the crtter is a hundred years old, and
he knows IT, although he owes up to only
fifty years for himself. The bovine ccnten-
aiian, il is further asserted, gives down her
milk with Commcndabcre regularity.
London publishers have now undertaken
to push the sales in England OF another of
our American mouthlies. Mcisrs. Ward
Lock x Go have made arrangements for the
publication beginning with the new year of
the .lt!dAtc N0HMly, simultaneously with
the issue in America. 1t is one of the most
decided tiiumphs in literature, this success
of American magazines in commanding Eng
fish patronage.
The new building 10 be erected by the Mu-
tual Life Insurance Company, on the site of
the old New York postoilicc, will be eleven
stories high, and at one point it will reach
l6l feet from The ground. Its style will be
in the Italian Renaissance and il will be built
of granite, terra Gotta and buff brick. The
building will be fire proof, and will have six
hydraulic elevators. The structure will cost
about 81, 100000.
Do you know how many people die every
year? In order to know this we need only
examine the statistics Of the worlds popula-
ton. Asia has 800, 0O0,0 900 inhabitants ;
Europe, 305. coo, 900 Africa 204 900. COO :;
America, $4,000, 900 Oceanica. 5000, 600
These, remember, are low estimates, winch
give total OF only 400, 900, 600. Allow
ing 10 the inhabitants Of the earth an average
lite of 80 years we find that every yclr-3j,-
1876 000 people die which gives total
OF 30, go deaths per day, $3.50 deaths per
hour -G3 deaths per minute, or more than
every second. Thus, every second, as n
French author expresses it, IA leaf falls
from the vast tree of humanity, TO be forth
with replaced by n new one.
The German cmpcrorS diary must certain
" he one of the great historical treasures of
the age. For nearly fifty years Emperor
William has carefully noted down with his
own hand the chief events Of each day, such
us interviews, conversations, decisions rolit-
ical intelligence and domestic occurrences.
Every morning a fresh sheet of folio size is
laid upon the cmpeIor's desk, headed with
the date and sacred text, and the diary al
ready forms several volumes, which are to
pass intyNihe crown princes hands. The
diary is Illustrated by loose sheets bearing
wa,ercolor pictures of the chief occurrences
of the emptror's life Executed by renowned
German artists these sketches are drawn
from rough outlines furnished from memory
by the emperor, who also corrects the ar =
lists drawings previous TO their completion.
The Church of Humanity in London is
probably the smallest religious body in the
world. According to a recent computation,
there arc Just sixty members in the little
| dinsy hall in Fettcr lane where they meet To
woi ship an ideal humanity Even that num-
Der represents n large increase; for, some
years ago, Professor Jowctt, who visited
Them, said wittily that he found there only
''thIee persons and no God" Strange US it
may appear, though they are avowed aguos-
tics they aim ut ritual worship and make
an attempt to perpetuste the memory of
sanity characters, us the Christian church
does, by observing holy days. Recently the
FESTIVAL of Holy Women" was celebrated,
DR.. Congreve, the high priest of humanity,
officiating. He read George Eliot's famous
Positivst hymn, 80, might join the Choir
Invisible" aud recited passages from The
Imitation of Christ a prayer was offered
| TO the Great Power whom we here ac-
knowledge as the Highest Humanity"
There is also n ritual with prayers aud u
benediction as follows: "The Faith of IIu-
mainly, the Hope of Humanity, the Love of
Humanity, bring you comfort, and teach
you sympathy; give You peacel yourselves
and peace with others, now and forever,
| Amen"