The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-05-24
EDITORIAL NOTES.

The French in Tonquin have occu-
pied Namdin and have repulSed 1900
Annamese. who attacked the capitol
of the district. Elated with this vic
tory President Grevy has sent a mes
sage TO the king of AMMAN advising
him not to resist, but to recognize
Frances pfotectorate, in which event
the integrity of his doninions will be
guaranteed. If the king believes this
he must be credalouS indl gidual.
Judges are sometimes subjected to
Inconvenience from the operation of
their own decisions. In a Hamp-
shire, England, court lately judgment
was given against the proprietor of
one of the inns of the town. and the
bailiff was ordered to seize the first
thing he could, which happened to be
the omnibus plying between the inn
and the station. In the omnibus was
the judge who had ordered the execu-
ton, and as it was not permitted to
complete its journey to the station,
the learned gentleman was obliged to
get out and walk. and he missed his
train.
New York and Illinois have had
experiences in building state houses
calculated to deter any other state
from emulating their efforts at archi-
neutrality-suspicious.. The New York
capitol has already cost the nice little
sum of $24. 222, 1888. and it is estimated
that it will require about four and
three-quarter millions more to finish
the structure, making the cost when
completed only a few dollars short of
nineteen MILL MS. 1t hasa staircase
which cost $50 .porches which cost
100000 and single tower which
called for $4,000. 1t is thing OF
beauty. but whether it is Joy now
and will be forever, is matter of
which the Taxpayers are more than
doubtful when they read these monu-.
mental figures and count up their in
dividual contributions to the grand
total.
Acorrespondent of the Boston Post
gives, upon the authority of gentle
man intimately related to Daniel
Webster's family, some explanations
Of the circumstances attending the
utterances of the great expounder's
last words. He says that in answer
TO question from an attendant at
the bedside of Webster one of his ply
sicians said in substance: "You may
give him a spoonful of stimulant at
- o'clock; another at = O'Clock;
another at = o'clock; and if he still
lives another at : O'clock" These
directions were followed with exact
ness until the arrival of the hour last
mentioned, when the attendants
were undecided about administering
another dose. 1t was in the midst of
their doubts that the dying states
man partly raised his head and feebly
remarked: 81 still live"
The future supply of gold. even for
coinage purposes. is beginning to be
one OF more than common interest.
Ancient history is resplendent with
the prOdigal display of gold by the
barbaric peoples of the Orient. Ara
bia, Egypt and Africa, according to
this same authority, were prolific in
their production of this precious
metal. Pliny states that Cyrus re-
turned from his conquest with Sd, 900
Alexander the Great brought
100000 600 in gold from Persia.
But at the present time these great
fields, so renowned in history, are
barren so far as the production of
gold Is concerned, and it is evident
that Europe can be no longer de
pended upon to perform any appre-
ciable part in furnishing a supply of
gold to meet the demands of the
future Even in this country the
statistics of production show a con-
slant and marked decline in gold,
although the field is largely extended
and mining is more thoroughly prose-
cuted than ever before.