The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-12
FOREIGN NOTES.

A tunnel is projected under the
Elbe. between Hamburg and Stein
warder island, to cost $5,000,0OO.
A London poulterer has been fined
one shilling and cautioned for pluck
ing chickens before they were dead.
Queen Victoria has signified her
intentions of comforting the Victo-
ria Cross upon Israel Harding, the
gunner of Fl. NJ. S. Alexander, for
his bravery in picking up loaded
shell with the fuse burning on board
his vessel and immersing it in a tub
of water.
An official report recently made
to the English government shows
that steady progress has been made
upon railways in India during the
past year, 726 miles having been CON-
pleted, which makes total of 1915
miles in the whole empire. The
most healthy sign in the report is
that private companies are coming
forward with railway projects in
India for which they seek no pecun-
iary aid from the government.
Permission has been obtained
from the German emperor for the
opening of another Cologne cathe-
dral lottery to raise money with
which to purchase the houses at
present encnmbering the Cathedral
square. 1t is the intention to de-
molish these houses in order to
afford free, open space of proper
and worthy size for the cathedral,
which is the noblest gothic monu-
ment in the emperor's dominions.
The Italians are already making
preparations for the celebration in
March, 1888, of the four hundredth
anniversary of the birth of Raphael.
At Urbino, in the square in front of
the Palazzo Ducale, monument is
to be erected. 1t will be of white
Carrara marble, with reliefs in
bronze, and $4,000 lire have been
| fixed upon as the cost of the whole
work. Prizes of 1900, 1000 and 500
lire have been offered to the compe-
titors.
London's present topic of discus
sion in the newspapers Is the pro-
priety of shooting burglars. The
oloOuoSlOh w 90 oIdl OCth ny q OOlu duO
brutal robbery, in which the inmates
of house were beaten nearly to
death. Numerous writers say that
they sleep now with pistols under
their pillows, and will fire without
conjunction on any intruder; but
others raise the legal question
whether prosecutions for manslaugh-
ter may not ensue, and the moral
one whether the life of a thief may
be iustifiably taken except in actual
self-defense.
Some time ago well known ma
tive of Bombay offered to give a
new clock and chimes to the univer-
sity of Bombay, and deposited
large sum of money with the author
titles to carry out his generous inten-
ton. The gift has been manufacture
ed in London and is about to be
shipped to Bombay. Doubtless it is
such timepiece as India never saw.
The dials, of opal glass, are thirteen
feet in diameter; it is fitted with an
apparatus enabling it to telegraph
its time daily to the observatory and
to correct all the other clocks in the
Clty anu WI IL 10 d CulIu6
of sixteen bells which can play, au-
tomatically, sixteen tunes and $50
changes.
French enterprise is steadily per-
severing in the work of redeeming
the Desert of Sahara by means of
artesian wells. A large number of
wells have been sunk along the
northern border, more than $50
III the province of Constantine
alone, and the work is advancing
into the interior. One of the curious
phenomena which the digging of
these wells has brought to notice is
the existence of fish and crabs at
great depths. The learned engineer,
M. Jus, who for twenty years has
directed the work, AYERS that he
once boiled and ate a crab which
had been drawn up from q depth of
$50 feet, and that, moreover, it was
of an excellent flavor.
The revOlutionists of Paris, not
having any genuine grievances on
hand just at present, are trying to
keep up the interest of their follow
ers and dupes by holding numerous
meetings, and INDUCING in in
flammatory speeches. One day re-
Gently they held four meetings, the
principal one of which was convened
to discuss the erection of a monu-
ment to Blanqui. This, according
to the plan adopted, is to consist of
large block of stone, upon which
is to recline the figure of Blanqui on
his death-bed, and tracing with q
pencil the words: mi Dieu nj
Maitre." The harangues at all the
meetings were full of the most vio-
lent abuse of the existing order of |
society.
A Washington letter saws: A well |
known army officer of high rank, of |
Republican proclivities, who is well |
versed in New York politics, and |
has just returned from New York,
while discussing the political situa-
ton of that state this evening, said.
81 fear Judge Folger will be beaten
for governor, for this reason-the |
half-breeds and the lukewarm Re-
publicans of New York would rather
see fair-minded man elected even
if he is a Democrat, than see the |
stalwarts triumph. l have been
among them recently, and know
whereof 1 speak. Personally they
have nothing against Judge Folger,
and were he not what is termed the |
administration candidate, would be
the strongest person that either side
could put up, for he is very popular
the state. The Half
breeds know that if Folger is elected
the Stalwart party, against whom
they have been battling so long, will
be more oppressive than ever, hence
they will quietly remain at home on
election day and allow the Demo-
Gratis to elect their candidate. l do
not state this as prediction. Many
of the Half-breeus whom conversed
with on the subject assured me that
such was their determination. The
latter claim that they have as good
cause to revolt as the Independents
in Pennsylvania"
A Washington letter says: at is
considered as settled that two of the