New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-16
GENERAL NOTES.

A yorng woman in San Francisco some
time ago gave her infant In charge OF another woman
promising to pay her for taking Of it. The mother
being unable pay promptly the mercenary care-taker
attempted to conscate the hapess infant by process OF
law But tender-hearted Judge decided that infants
could not be regarded as available assets in the eyes OF
the law and the mother bore away her cmd III triumph
The recently famous word dude has been
in common in the little town Of Salem, N H. for
the last twenty years The people there apply the word
to those lie SWANS who aspire to be the village tops
All such cOnceted and brainess young men are spoken
of as dudes" the word being pronounced In two sya-
bles the word became transported to the metrop-
oils and why it attained such sudden popularity are
questions that philologist alone perhaps can tuly
solve.
Captain Holsten, of the Danish army, has
invented for the use infantry soldiers shield which
Though weighing but seven pounds IA buet-proof and
handy 1t Is OF STEEL twenty inches long by eighteen
broad Two spikes the bottom enable the soldier to
fix 1t firmly in the ground, and hollow at the top can
be used as a rest for his rifle The experiments that
were made with the shield at Copenhagen short time
heated on larger scale before the Danish Government
decides as to its adoption for the army
According to English trade papers the I'M
portaton Of American manufactures into Australia though
small as yet rapidly increasing The Australians pre-
fer certain kinds of American goods to English goods,
because they are OF better quality neatly finished
ne made without any superhuOus material are packed
better for shipping and made withespecia reference
10 the market for which they arc intended English
manufacturers conservative and cling to the old
ways and traditions, even when their customers demand
something new ShOves axes, picks, and all kinds OF
edge tools purchased in this country said to excethe
same classes Of English goods
There is a historical dispute of long stand
ing as TO how the United States acquired its title to the
territory included the present limits OF the State OF
Oregon General Francis A. Walker in the Statistical
Atlas published in connection with the census of 1870,
marked part OF the Louisiana purchase made by
Jefferson in 1S03 but the accuracy Of that statement
has since been questioned. The principal authority for
regarding Oregon part of the Louisiana purchase is
the fact that 1t was marked In map prepared By
the negoator of the treaty on the part
OF France On the Other hand In MS history OF the
treaty he expressly states that the United States Gov
eminent did not purchase the territory referred to- but
| acquired it by simple act OF Appropriation
| The town of Cleveland, Tenn, during the
| past few weeks has been visited by epidemic of
smallpox So serious have been the rayages OF this
disease that tho civic authorities short time issued
an order prohibiting the various religious denominations
from meeting Sunday. The order was issued in order
that careless persons might not have opportunity to
spread the disease; and sensible people generally adj
| mlttei its wisdom. But the local clergy have shown
much bitterness seeing their occupation thus taken
away from them, and charge the town officials with
tyranny sacrege and all manner of wickedness. One
of them has written letter to The ChucDan Of this
in which he says: len years ago. when worse than
the present visitation of smallpox prevailed here this
simple community would have been shocked at such
omen and undisgused ceptcsm ass implied IN the act OF
closing churches Then, whatever the belief unbe
lief OF the officials have public opinion
required for the common faith IN the existence
merciful ruling Providence, the efficacy of prayer and
above all the right of religious folk to worship God under
| all circumstances without let or hindrance.
The following are given as the official statistics
of the Russian armies at the present time At the begin
ming OF 1881 the number Of officers 337S2, and Of
the rank and file 85S275 ut the close OF the year tho
numbers 33050 and Sl24S4 In the course OF the
year 1850 officers and 270lG1 rank and file left the
service while 1913 officers and 22i.37O entered
The dlmnuticn in the number Of officers is due chiefly
TO retlrements. OF the rank and file 2l0.I26 were
placed in the Reserves 205SS granted leaye Of alb
sence on OF their health and 1857
of the utterly unfit for service The number OF
recruits essened account OF the extension OF the
period OF service to five years for the feet the line and
field artillery and six years for the other branches As
to education, 160,S96 could neither read nor write;
while those whose learning entitled them to shorter
vice amounted only to 1855. In respect TO religion
Catholics 7,245 Lutherans. S,775 Jews 296 MahOm-
etans and 365 heahens besides others In small num-
Der The Dissenters are put down at 1880 but this
must be multiplied by fifteen to obtain anything like
the true figure ono hundred and seventy thOus-
and three hundred and twentythTee between
five feet and Ave feet ten and half height and
| % 1874 above this height.