New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-20
GENERAL NOTES.

II Is proposed in Dresden to collect all the
old steel pens and sell them for the dement, OF the sdu
ton Of poor children 1t appears that these pens are
made out of the best steel which is available In making
watchsprngs fine knives and even In the manufaeturs
Of ink
The unfortunate Episcopal Church Of the
Eyangelsts I'm Philadelphia, has recently been rent
ssurder by internal divisions, and the trouble s likely
to eliminate on Wednesday next In the sale Of the
effects of the church The immediate cause OF the sale
is large debt which the church officers appear to Be
unable to pay.
The Santa Barbara Press, of California
tells of an interesting incident illustrating the affection
of an animal for its young. young seal pup was
caught by man who wished to take 1t home for pet
He tied rope around it's fms and secured It to boat
Ali the time the mother was swimming around barking
and bowling piteously. In this way the little captive
was taken eighty miles, and the devoted mother fol-
lowed 1t the whole distance At the end Of the journey
1t was taken on deck and put In large sack. Hearing
of its mother 10 the water t suddenly sprang
overheard and the mother soSn TORE ,ne sack 70 pci
with her teeth IL presumed tnst INC TWO swan back
to their old home
An English gentleman in The Galveston Ners
thus amusngly hits of of the minor annoyances Of
travelling In the West. "rm much pleased" he says
with the country, and very much enjoy travelling IT,
but do you know your railroad eating system
is very annoyingi Just a man sits down and per.
suades himself into nap negro comes along, shakes
him and says, Supper at Catfshi' You tell him yes
and arouse yourself You are, of course, very hungry
and every time the tram stops you expect to hear
one shout Catfish twenty minutes for supper but tho
train rolls on After while tue negro that aroused
comes along and you say How far Is 1t to Catashp
'SahP How FIR Is IL to Catfshf bout twenty-five
miles, sah' What made you arouse me back yondsrP
Wanted to know whuder yer wanted supper so could
telegraph ahead. Da only cooks WHAT'S ordered, sah'
Twenty miles a hungry man Is long distance and
you lo around with cigar awhile aud nnay drop on
70 aloa tar q W
TO get to station The negro comes through again.
far ia IL to Catdshi Yves dun passed dar, slh 'Why
didn't you wake mel Cause yer got mad when woke
yer afo, sah"
According to The London Telegraph for.
mdabe system OF fraud in the shipping trade has just
been brought light In Russia which may be OF soma
interest American merchants aud underwriters The
Straits OF Kertch Zenteae one OF the most dan
passages Of the Black Sea- and OF late years the
number of vessels wrecked the coasts have reached
an extraordinary aggregate English insurance con.
panies have paid indemntes amounting to many mill
ions OF rubles Attention has, however. been drawn to
the fact that great many OF these disasters occurred in
calm weather Other suspicious circumstances were
noticed such as the fortunes rapidly made by some OF
the piots Information sent TO London that an
individual named Francesca former pilot, OF Italian
origin. was the head Of band of pirates Of various
nations English, Italians, Greeks and Russians, wh9
made their living by the disasters OF the coast They
were in collision with the pilots and charged huge sums
for the vessels which the pilots suffered TO go
ashore. In less than two years fifty vessels were
stranded, and had recourse TO the assistance OF thse
pirate savors An English marine Insurance. company,
learning these facts sent one OF It's agents 10 Olsssa
lay the matter before the authorities and ask tle,
interference. preliminary inquiry has fully confirmed
the suspicons the public and t is said Govern
ment officials are compromised In the matter