The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-08-30

fled by all these, and the result is the
combination of all these with the
physical, mental and moral tendencies
inherited from its parents.
EDITORIAL NOTES.
The California papers inform us
that the Chinese government is max
ing extensive purchases Of war MT
terial in this country. apparently in
preparation for the struggle forced
upon it by the French. a Pacific
mail steamer took out last week 500
cases of cartridges, containing 1000
rounds each of a total OF 100000
rounds, and also 5000 rifles, bought in
this country. These purchases of war
material have been going on for eigh-
teen months, and in that time 100000
rifles and 25,0C0,00O cartridges have been
shipped TO China by the Pacific Mail
steamers. In addition to this each
steamer takes out 600 to 800 bales of
heavy cotton duck, made in Georgia
and Alabama, for tent material.
After the inventors have been both
ering their heads to discover means to
store electricity in economical and
practical form it seems we are to go
back to first principles, the wind-milIs,
for power. 1t is suggested that upon
the flat roofs Of many manufactures
and stores there could be erected any
number of Wind-millS of say twelve
feet in diameter. Each wheel should
be connected with an air pump, and
each pump could connect with a COM
mon large reservoir. Whenever the
wind blew from any direction what
ever he pumps would work and the
storage Of compressed air in the res
eryoir would progress. A stiff breeze
could be made to lay up enough power
to last through a calm, and this power
could be utilized as desired by means
of the ordinary compressed air engine.
There may be some usefulness for the
prairie gale, and the Windmill may
come again into use for something be-
sides pumping water for the cattle.
Lord Kimberly recently declared
that he had passed through Elton and
Oxford without having any knowl-
edge of the geography of the modern
world. The time that should have
properly been devoted to that and
other practical studies was frittered
away on subjects which afterWard
proved to be comparatively valueleSs.
He was glad to know that in Eng
land to-day schools were springing
up in which the young were being
educated and trained for the actual
duties of life.
The greatest and least distances
of the sun from the earth are respec-
lively about 92,963,000 and 89,897 ,OOC
miles, the mean distances being about
81 100000 miles, though these figures
are being revised from time to time
as more accurate calculations are be
ing made. j
The descendants of the old Forty
miners are slowly getting their inter
est up to the migrating pitch over the
discovery of gold on an island in the
Gulf of California, about 100 miles
South of the mouth of the Colorado
river. If is isolated as no mans land
unSupplied with water and wilder
ness of rocks, consequently the pros
pect Of placer-mining is poor enough
for without water little can be done
in that line. Thus far the digging:
have been found in but one valley
and are confined to an area of five by
twenty miles. Several adventurer!
who have pushed forward to this new
| field have been driven back by wan
of even drinking water, which il
transported in small quantities a grea
. many miles, and only by the system
ic organization of larger parties cal
this gold find on the Pacific coast b.
profitably worked.
An alarm raised in a Milwaukee,
newspaper as to the prevalence Of
leprosy among the Scandinavian colo
nists of the Northwest proves to b.
altogether baseless. 1t is quite tru
that an exclusive fish diet combined
witt, some unsanitary habits ha
caused the continuance Of leprosy il
Norway after its extinction in othe
parts Of Europe. But it's victims are
isolated in the great leper hospi
tai at Bergen, and are not likely to b
found among our Morse immigrants
whose diet in America is too varies
to foster such tendencies. 1t woul
be painful to learn of the presence o
this plague among a class so estima
BILE for their industry, intelligence
and other fine qualities.
A comparison of the British wit
the French fleet shows that each con
tains just thirty-six first-class wa
vessels. In point of thickness o
armor and weight of guns two of tn
English are superior in offenSiv
power to any on the French list. Blu
in the next seventeen on each list tn
French are superior to the English
and in the whole list the French ar
superior in twenty-four, the Englis
: only in twelve. Besides this, tn
, English discarded breach-loading car
mons in the construction of their flee
on the ground that muZzle-loaders ar
easier to manage at sea. The Frenc
and other continental powers adopte
: the breach-loader, which are capabl
: of swifter and more effective hanC
) ling. Taking the two navieS through
, out, it appears that England is IA
: from possessing that pre-eminence o
the sea which she did in the day
when her wooden walls" were he
glory and her defense. Even Ital
and Germany now might challeng
comparison with her.
{ 1t has recently been ascertained i
S England that the food of pet dogs is
5 serious drain upon the edible necess
ties and Injuries of man. The absur
fashion of feeding pugs on toast an
tea and eggs and ordering lamb choI
for poodleS has raised "a mild prote:
from Labouchere, who acknowledge
! that for a long time his coaehma
] ordered beefsteak and two glasses {
: wine every day for the use of a favo
: lite dog. There is no limit to the mo
A bid appetites of these modern pet
E A critic slyly remarks that the
E acquire a taste for brandy and soc
e even when left to the care of tt
) Ehousekeeper. This is on the princip
/ Eof the cat that ate more than b,
s weight of butter. Feudalism being
! gorgeous system of rapine resting G
I: its spoils, its domestic hangers-o
3 naturally learn to feather their mes
!. without scruple.
E An exchange says: "If people wou
5 purchase green coffee and brown
4 in their houses. there would be few,