New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-11
GENERAL NOTES.

| Midway between the bridges which sna,
the Allegheny River at Sixteenth and Forty-thrd ,ts
Pittsburg, lies Hers Island; but the time 4, ,ureIy
| approaching when that statement can be no lon0e,
truthfully repeated. When Benjamin Herr purchassd
in 1897 the island which bears bis name 1t contained
32$ but the has worn it down to 25 acres
The main work OF destruction going on at the head
/ and along the Allegheny shore and some OF the
floods carried away fifteen feet OF the upper end OF teI
| village
The widest excitement prevails in Meldon,
Va, over the exploits OF wild man who been rang.
ing through the forests OF Pulaski County Ordinarily
your wild man Is the tamest In existence and
asks nothing better than to sit stump and ccnte.
plate the mseres of civilization But IN this particular
Instance he Is In very truth portentOus phenomenon
noHST'em hoTrs de- uVornie tngens, chi htmen Gdemp
tun 1t s positively certain that he is six feet two
inches tall anc has forgotten how to blush at being
caugnt stark naked. He Is known to have seized tho
birdie OF farmers horse, aud nobody prove that no
didn't beat to death May l. conductor the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Railroad. He is supposed TO DO
pursunga party OF young who started TO capture
hm on Monday, but is hoped that they will be able
Outrun him.
The immersion OF seven colOred women in The
Patapsco River at Ferry Bar Baltimore. Sunday
last drew immense thrOpg OF all ages and cOlors to
the spot AMI lifted the Rev James Jackson to unwonted
heights OF eloquence. when the day Of judgment
cOmes shouted the preacher "a voice will cry Come
We blessed and get ye cusssd tell you what. breth.
The Rev Mr. Jackson had Just pronounced this chass
and elegant eXordum when a large part OF hs audience
withdrew 10 witness a fight which seemed 10 be about
coming Of at a little distance The dispute having.
fortunately been settled without blOOdshed, public.
spirited citizen undertook 10 NIT safe the disappointment
by Offering TO bet giant from the Dime Museum ten
dollars that he eight feet high. But at this
meut the preacher shouted We're going 20 the river"
and there time 70 select a stakeholder The
women immersed without further interruption. and
so ended one OF the most indecent performances
enacted IN the name OF religion.
The extraordinary, ii might he said appalling
prevalence Of shortsightedne's among German children
is again made sr.kngiy apparent IN the facts recently
collected by Professor Pidser OF $4,000 children IN
schools Of all grades lately examined than haN
we're found tc b. suffering from short sight, while
some schools the proportion Of the shortsishtcd
20 80 per cent and IN oretho Gymnasium. at Helel.
berg-there actually not ono scholar with good
sight. The number Of naturally shOrt.s2htei students
tho other hand, is only 10 per cent by flr tbs
greater part Of tho mischief Is due 20 ismanagercnt
Among the causes OF TIE evil which Professor fdger
lays most stress bally-ghted scEO0.gOOms, icOn.
trlyed desks and FORMS and above al, excess Of study
and too little exercise. IN the uppc,gradc schools Of
Germany where the work = much TIE heaviest the pro-
portion OF shor; sigh ed students IS far tue greatest IL
has been said that the Almost universal Of eye
g}'Jes by Gcrm3n university students was IN measure
due 10 silly afeotatton and Tie students themselves
have ACKNOWLEDGED that this formerly the fact.
But by this time affect tE biless been rseded
by necessity for The rapid increase OF the visual defect
lds been It's most strlklEg feature.