National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-31

the Riviera this year is the carrying of suushades
covered entirely with natural flowers
A KENTUCKY farmer found n colony of
twenty-seven raccoous In one tree and their dep.
relations on his corn shocks and chickens had
nearly driven him into bankruptcy.
THE first of January inauguratod new
era IN the town of Metz namely, the official use Oh
the German language. The change has naturally
been eagerly greeted by the German population,
THE San Francisco reporter didn't get
anything new when he asked Chinaman how
the children of ConfuciuS kept Christmas. samee
like Miican man. was the rejoiner; "eat, drink,
and gled dunk"
SALvINGs domestic circle consists Of two
daughters and a son, Alessandro, the latter Of
whom is playing In this country. His home is Il
delightful villa situated in the suburbs OF Flor
ence, and made happy by the untiring devotion of
his daughters.
VERMONT physician, who found q neigh
Dor in the road too drunk TO walk and invited
him to crawl into the sleigh, was astonlshed by
the query: Say, doctor, my family physician is
DIR. -; do you think your carrying me home
| will make any dferencoY
THE two highest salaried governors of the
states are those OF New York and Pennsylvania,
| who receive $4,000 n year each Next come CALI
| forniG, Nevada and Illinois, ut 81, 900 each. The
| governors Of Colorado, Indiana Kentucky, Mis-
souri, New Jersey Virginia, and Wisconsin IRE paid
| $1,000 each.
AMONG the emigrants at Castle Garden
the other day were FIVE chubby children, ranging
| from 4 to II years, who had come from Ife.aud
| unattended. Each of the quintet was labeled ITO
be left till called for" Their parents who came
to this country year ago, called for them the
moment they arrived.
SIR JOSEPH BAZALGET TEs carefully COM
piled statistics about the water supply of the chief
cities of the world show the following per capita
distribution: Rome, 1GO.35 gallons per head day;
| Marseiles 1854; Washington, ll3; Chicago, 1925;
Boston, 1873: New York CO.'S Philadelphia. 54.15;
Hamburg 455; Paris, 30; London, 81 Berlin, 1873.
In Brazil, where the inhabitants take coffee
| many times day, alcoholism is unknown. En-
| igronts gradually contract foudness for coffee.
and their children fall into the habit, and never
contract q love for liquors that are so fatal in
| other countries. The number of cafes in the
large cities is enormous while tho drinking
saloons are very few.
IT is authoritatively stated that twenty of
the liberal newspapersin England are now owned
| by syndicate, with an American millionaire at
their head. The headquarters of the establish
ment are at Birmingham. and the editorial mana
ger boasts that he can speak to 100000 people
every day. One at least of the London dalies IS
believed to belong to the syndicate.
THE French national library, according to-
the annual inventory just completed, contains
100000 volumes. IN the cabinet OF manuscripts
are 90 800 volumes and la, 900 French and foreign
coins Of all periods. The print collection NUM-
bers upward Of 100000 examples kept In ii 500
volumes and 1000 portfolios. a special gallery /!
reserved for the most costly books, which number
some $4,000. \
FOR several years past an ordinary looking
box has been used for door step in the rear OF
the NJ. L. church at Birmingham. Ira Chatfeld,
who takes care OF the church, removed the box
from its resting place and, noticing something
peculiar about it, opened it and found that it had
been carefully packed with paper an6 contained
375 watch crystals of assorted sizes, jewelers.
anvil lot ofsiock springs gold ring with set out.
lot of clock keys, aud numerous other articles.
THERE was never week in the history of
Philadelphia, excepting perhaps, grand holiday
occasions when theaters did so well rs last week.
Booth crowded the Walnut street every night,
Mapleson never did well as he did with Pa I'll
at the Academy of Music, Lawrence Barrett had
an exceptionally good run, and four other thea
tiers were crowded nightly. The receipts for the
week are estimated at nearly 100000 This does
not seem like hard times.
A STRIKING exemplifcation of how we
return when angry to the vernacular is furnished
by the experience Of young Hungarian sailor,
who writes that lie has discovered in Arabia a
colony of Hungarians who emigrated after the
troubles of 1SiS-40 and married into Arabian
| families. The sailor would not have discovered
them but for the fact that who was engaged
, in some difficult task cursed in Hungarian. They
Hospitality entertained the visitor and drank toasta
, In wine Of their own making.
THE magnificent fleet of ironclads which
the Italian government completed a few years
ago at an immense cost proves much less formida-
, BILE than was anticipated. 1t seems that their
draught Of water was miscalculated and that they
D cannot carry their heavy guns with turrets with
out sinking too deeply. Their armament will
therefore have to be changed and the turrets
I be replaced by lighter ones. This will expose
0 them considerably more to the fire of an enemy,
and greatly lessen their capacity for attack or
/ resistance
The fashion of wealthy English yacht
owners spending their winters aboard their ves-
sells in southern waters increases every year. At
present there is no less than forty-three yachts
which fly the pennants of British clubs cruising
| in the Mediterranean. Among them are nineteen
steam ers. The Marquis of Alison has his elegant
steam yacht Tiiania at Leghorn, the Marquis Of
Butte is cruising in his schooner Lady Bird, and u
considerable portion of the upper house Of rlla.
ment is aioat. Among the peers who are thus en-,
> joying themselves are the Earl Caithness and
| Lords Wolverton, Ashburton, and Paget
+ THE third finger of the left hand was
chosen, as there was supposed to BIO vein upon
o | WnlCn the ring would press thhI was ulreclly
connected with the heart Rings OF dignitarlea
were worn on the third finger of the right hand,
:, thus expressing power and ability, but the third
y finger of the left hand has always been the one
most honored by the symbol o: love and trust.
The Germans wear the signet ring on the third
finger of the left hand, and all fingers and even
the thumbs have been honored ut different ages.
!, Now the use is confined to the third and fourth,
'. but occasionally set ring is worn on the first
y finger after the German style.
YOUNG lady recently addressed a letter
10 Ruskiu on the subject of art training, DESTROYS
Q of becoming an artist, and wishing good advice,
she thought she could do no better than apply to
so high an authority The reply was character
istic aud rather disappointing. The great critic,
without giving her any hint as to the right course
Q to pursue, told her "it would be better to write
Q | less and cultivate good and beautiful hand.
t writing. No one who writes MS you do could
- make good artist" 1t took five people to de-
cipher the hieroglyphics in which Ruskin clothed
Il these few words The young lady framed this Gu
c rious production and hung IL in her studio.
n A Mr.. LINFIELD, an Englishmap, has in
. vented method of steering balloon through
II the air and, should 1t prove success he expects
~ that in short time aerial travelling will be as
safe and as easy travelling by steamship or rail
pav md TINT n gnnnl nj al M Hos N hnur