The Opelousas courier., 1884-05-03
us MATTERS.

nected with the University of Berlin
tells his classes that the nation which
will finally. take the lead in the world
will be the only one which will annu-
ally raise the LARGEST aElount of the
best fertilizers. The virgin soils of
America, Africa and the great islands
OF the sea will be all brought into cul-
tlvation in the course of the next
century or two, and all the nations
will have steam, electricity, and a
Whole patent office of labor-saving
machines. Then the balance will lean
toward the people that can put into
the soil the best and the most fertiliz-
ing ingredients.
The exact numbers killed and
wounded last year in the Isle of Ischia
calamity have now been obtained. On
the island the total killed and wound
ed (not counting those who were badly
bruised) amount to 3,075, of whom
1872 were killed and 762 were MAIN
ed the most of the latter for life.
About one-half of the fatalities occur
red at Casamicciola. This little town
contained just 1900 inhabitants, and
Of these 1874 were killed and 443
wounded-a fearful total. There were
672 houses at Casamicciola. Of these
537 were crushed and. crumbled into
ruins, 1874 were damaged, and only
n escaped intact! Of foreigners on
the island there were ff~ty-four killed.
If the same manner of obtaining a
wife prevailed in this country as in
Polynesia, the temptation to exagger-
ate about the number and size of the
fish caught by amateur anglers would
be greatly increased. When a young
Polynesian.wants a wife he goes to
the girls father and inquiries her value
in fish. He then sets out on a years
fishing excursion, and at the end Of
the trip reports to the old gentleman
what he has done. On the size and
number of his fish depend his matri-
monial hopes, and if he a present
paterfamilias with a dozen suckers
and a thirty-pound trout purchased in
a fish market, he makes himself "solid''
in that quarter. The engagement can
then be announced in the Polynesian
society papers.
1t has been for some time the habit
of a few small cattle men to take
Eastern cattle and sheep to the West
and raise them under more favorable
conditions of roll and climate there.
The success which has attended this
has led to a totally new cattle industry,
consisting of the shipping of poor
cattle from the East and fattening
them by Western grazing, after which
they are returned to Eastern markets
Last year, says a writer in the Chicago
Tribune, $4,000 head of old and young
cattle were brought out from the
East. n est Of which will be fatteneG
and returned, while this year the
number has increased to $4,000. The
trade is likely, says this writer, to be
come a distinctive one, and has beer
favorably spoken of by cattle mer
everywhere.
An unusual spectacle was witnessed
on the coast neal Brighton, England
recently. Wreckage had been WASHED
ashore for several days, and among
other articles were a dozen thirty-si1
gallon casks of wine and several caskI
of Burton ale. A large concourse O
| persons assembled purloining various
articles. and broaehing the casks. Al
extraordinary scene of drunkenness
| followed, numbers of men and boy
lying about helplessly intoxicated, ma
ny of them insensible. One boy 0
is and two others were found to be $
bad that they were removed to tn
Sussex County hospital, and wer'
detained, the stomach pump beinl
brought into requisition. Twenty pei
sons were found helplessly drunk th
next day, and had not other person
and several eoastguards arrived on tn
spot j number OF them must certainl.
have been drowned. They were r.
moved to the e~oastguard station, wher
q FIRE was lighted, and they were KEEP
till morning. when o portion Of ther
were permitted to take their depart
ure. IA man named Mockford, VIII
was found in a cave two days aftel
ward, having apparently been lying i
a state Of intoxication during tina
time, has since died.
What Is zero9
Perhaps not n in one hundred ca
taJl off-hand WHY d noint thirty-tW