The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-07-12
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Miscellanv.

The First Congregational church of
Oakland, CAL, has made an innovation
in church work which might be Unlisted
with goodsefect elsewhere. It has de-
Glued to pay its Sunday school superin-
tendent a good salary and have him de-
vote his entire time to work among the
children. In large Sunday schools some-
thing of this kind will soon become nec-
essary if all the work required Of super
attendants by the orators ard theorizers
at Sunday school conventions, is to be
done.
Six members of the Methodist Epis-
copal church of Allentown, Pa, have
been placed on trial before the author
ites of the fh hg on 6at the charge thu
the habit of dancing, and
that the other one is not only in the
habit of dancing, but also attended a
certain entertainment known to the
world as the opera. A point made in
the favor of the accused is that they
contributed more than any other six
members toward the building of the
church ediiice, while they pay literally
toward current expenses.
Hotels are springing up like mnsh-
rooms In London just now, according to
Truth, of that city. The other day the
doorway in Victoria Street, with build
ing attached to it, which attracted so
much attention during its construction;
through its being erected without the
use of outside scaf1olding, was opened as
q hotel. 1t is fitted up with every mod
ern convenience, including a Turkish
bath, a swimming bath, and every other
descripto Of bath. A novelty, too, IS
that several of tho rooms are divided OF
into separate flats, so that visitors can
have the privacy of Il flat with the ad-
vantage Of the accommodation of hotel.
An enterprising young American Oh
ficer, Mason A. Shufedt, has secured
the cooperation of the secretary Of the
navy in the exploring expedition across
the great Island Of Madagascar through
wilderness whic has never yet been
penetrated. The plan is to start at the
mouth of the Betsibnok, a river on the
northwest coast, and, after following the
course of the stream for about l25 miles,
to push across the country to TaDanari-
vo, the capital, which has population
of lGO, 600, and from thence to Tamatave
on the east coast, where a government
vessel will be found in waiting. Master
Shufeldt will take with him a party OF
about twenty natives and one assistant.
Duplicate reports of the results OF their
researches will be sent to the naval de-
partm emit and to the Smithsonian Insti-
tute.
An official statement shows that more
than l54 900, 600 tons of coal were taken
out Of the British mines last year, and IN
doing this vast work nearly. hall q mil
lion persons were employees Sir Henry
Bessemer has made the calculation that,
if this coal were formed into cylindrical
columns of fifty feet diameter and 500 feet
in height, and if these were placed
in a row their own diameter apart, they
would make colorado eighty five miles
and $50 yards long, the product OF each
working day being sufficient to make
fourteen such columns. Or the coal thus
extracted would make wall 2i0 miles
long, 100 feet high. and about forty-two
thick-a mass exceeding that Of thelgreat
wall of China by enough to add 346
miles to its length.
The vegetation Of New South Wales is
noticeable for the large number ef dis
tinct species it contains, and for their
dissimilarity from the species Of other
countries. There exist about 10000 spe-
cies of Towering plants in Australia, be-
ing more than is contained in the whole
Of Europe. Over 1900 spacies of native
plants Haze been observed in the county
of Cumberland alone, and large number
remain yet to be recorded. All thcse
plants are highly organized. and capa-.
BILE of withstunding great extremes of
cold, Some of tile noble eucalyptus
trees, with their peculiar vertical branch
es and evergreen leaves, reach to a
height of l2O teet, with curve Of from
twelve to twenty feet. The highest tree
in the world, $50 feet, was discovered in
Australia, and several trees are now to
be seen over 400 feet high. There are
about 500 different species Of scacia, or
wattles, with evergreen branches.