Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-05
Here aud There.

Mercury + iirnily believed by Tho Chinese
to possess wonderful virtues. They hold
that Il not only prol0ngs me. but eNpels
bad yapors, poison, and the gloom ~ an
uneasy mind. The doctrine 81 the trans
mutation Of mercury INTO other metals
prevailed In China 1000 years ago. CHINA
bar was known to the Chinese in the seventh
century before the Christian eri.
The determination Of abalones by The
Chinese on the Pacific coast j. 20 be ,topp -.
A large number ~ them have been Tor
some time past in the habit 81 running
down the Pacitic-coasi side % Lower ttli-
fornia from San Diego. They ga Tor ara
lones. OF which they bring mp enormous
quantities. They >eiI the meat ior S4o and
the shells for $40 ton.
The Ministry Of Public Instruction in
Turkey is about 10 have richly bound. ln
Oriental covers. the collection Of Turkish
literature which his M,jesty the sultan has
presented TO the National Library OF the
United States through Mr.. Hewitt. mem
her OF Congress. Each volume will Dear
the IMPERIAL cipher on its cover. and also
dedication 10 Dir. Hewitt in the name OF
his Imperial Maiesey sultan Abdul Hanid
ii.
A redwood tree recently cut in Santa
Rosa county furnished all the timber Tor
the Baptist church IN santa Rosa, one ~
the largest churches in that section. the
interior of which IL finished IN wood. there
being no plastered walls. Sixty thousand
shingles were made from the tree after
enough was taken for the church. another
redwood tree kept two men busy FOR i've
year. in cutting il UP into shingles.
There are now at Rugby, Tenn, sj5 per-
sons, Of whom l3j are 81 American and no
Of English birth. The $1,000 acres which
compose the settlement. and were originally
purchased for farming purposes by the syn
dictate Of English and Boston philanthropc
gentlemen, OF which hT. Thomas Hughe'
is the head, haze been found better adapted
for the raising OF garden produce, fruit, ana
berries. for which there - ready market
A few nights ago a field Of dry sage on
the battlefield OF Missionary Ridge became
ignited. and soon the flames were spreading
with lightning.like npidity. A stump
standing in the battlefield blazed mp. ana
in few seconds roar like thunder reyer-
berated down che valley. and the stump
was blown into 10000 pieces. lnvestigl-
ton developed the fact that three shells
were EMBEDDED in the stump. and exploded
from the heat.
OF the 100 Chinese boys who studied Tor
several years in America, twenty-five arc
now in Shanghai, some OF them IN the tel,-
graph office, two in the arsenal. one In The
American consulate, and Others IN various
employments. Some are scattered about
the different cities Of China. and few are
in the diplomatic service at Lima On Homo
lulu. Four OF them who were serving -
sub-Iieutenants we're killed the other day
at Foo Chow.
Brigandage seems 10 revive again in
Macedonia, According 10 letters received
from Serras, all the country Of thi, import
ant district Is again Oycrrun by small bands
Of these malefactors, who keep on modest
ing the inhabitants. Fortunately. they have
not, as yet, dared TO commit any great
crime, being closely watched and pursued
by the gendarmere and flying detachments
OF regular troops whenever they make their
apDearancc.