The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-09-18
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.


dying out in China, judging from the
: fact that large number of temples in
Foo Chow are leased by the priest
hood to Europeans for dwelling or
business purposes.
L. II. Lardner, secretary of the New
Orleans Waterworks company, claims
to have clarified great reservoir of
Mississippi river water containing H.
. 10000 gallons, by continuously pour
! ing into the stream of water running
: into the reservoir a solution of iron.
!, 1t is said that the superintendent of
Yellowstone park is doing nothing
1 to prevent the slaughter of game by
| trespassers, and Gov. Crosby, of sSion-
2 tana, and Gov. Hale, of Wyoming, are
soon to go there and organize some
method for the prosecution of tres
/ passers.
The bureau of ethnology will make
a graphic display of al the races of
the earth at the Worlds fair at New
Orleans. The Egyptian mummies
who lived 5000 years ago will be rep
resented side by side with all the races
left of the mound-builders and other
peoples now extinct.
In 1871 Benjamin Franklin made
the city of Boston the trustee of
fund of 81 600, to be lent to young
mechanics, calculating that in 1891
the fund would amount to $5S2,0OO.
His figures must have been faulty,
however, for the fund now only
amounts to 1921, 900.
In sick'rooms where there is diph-
liberia, measles, scarlet fever, ETC., the
air should be impregnated with the
| I'D ~ rf SNf f,rr 4
carbolic acid. Half teaspoonful in
a kettle of boiling water from time to
time will be sufficient. 1t Will be
found to relieve the sufferer and pre-
vent the spread of the malady.
During the tenth century persans
accused of robbery were put to trial by
a piece of barley bread, on which the
mass had been said, and if they could
not swallow it they were declared
guilty. Sometimes a slice of cheese
was added to the bread. The bread
was to be of unleavened barley, and
the cheese made of ewes milk in the
month Of May.
States in 1880 was 80, los, 1888. of which
43, 4OI, $40 were white, 6,753,813 not
white. The total voting population |
now is about 12,500,000. In only |
three states-South Carolina, Missis- |
sippi and Louisiana-is the colored |
population equal to or greater than |
the white population. In 1880 there |
were cast for president 9,210,970 |
votes.
| When pure platinum is as soft as |
silver, but by the addition of iridium |
it becomes the hardest of metals. The |
great difficulty in manipulating plati- |
mum is its successive resistance to |
heat. A temperature that will make |
steel run like water and melt down |
| fire clay has absolutely no effect upon |
it. You may put piece of platinum |
wire not thicker than human hair into |
a blast furnace where ingots Of steel |
are melting down all around it, and |
the bit of wire will come out as abso-
lutely unchanged as if it had been in
an ice box.
| Americans who are wont to rejoice |
in the progressiveness of the country, |
doubtless delight themselves with the |
innumerable delays, appeals, new trials |
and stays, which criminal may and |
generally does obtain in courts OF law, |
except just after riot. In an En- |
glish criminal trial there are no ex-
ceptions, and after verdict of guilty, |
no matter how enormously the law has |
been laid down or how illegal the con-
viction, there follows no appeal ex-
cept for mercy at the home Office,
which is rarely granted.
In 1883 there were 107, 1853 miles of |
| operated railway in the United States,
having So, 456, 07S, 1876 capital stock, 49,
1874 Ais, POI funded debt, $685., 1854 ,359
total investment, the actual cost of |
railway and equipment being $780,
409,624. In states, Illinois had 1856 |
miles; Ohio, 1858; New York, 6,723;
Pennsylvania, 6,608; Indiana, 1856;
Missouri, 6,029. The total earnings
from passengers were $202, 40, 755;
from freight, $5o6, O67 ,257; from all
sources, 770,256, 762; the net earnings,
$3.50, PIG, 696; interest paid on bonds,
$l49, 295, $3.50; dividends on stocks, $1Oz,-
OBJ ,434.
Officers of the United States army
on the active list: One lieutenant gen.
eral, three major generals, fifteen
brigad1er generals, twenty three
aides-de- camp, one military secre-
tary, siXty-six colonies, eighty-five
lieutenant colonies, PAL majors, 81
captains (mounted), 301 captains (not
mounted), thirty-four chaplains. four
teen storekeepers, forty adjutants,
forty regimental quartermasters. adj
| jutant and quartermaster of engineer |
battalion, 2l8 first lieutenants (mount- |
ed), $50 first lieutenantS mot mount |
ed), 145 second GeutenantS (mounted), |
300 second lieutenants (not mounted), |
$50 acting commissarieS of subsist- |
ence.
The island of Mauritius is the home |
of witch craft. The London Times |
asserts positively that young children |
are frequently tortured and killed for
alleged magical purposes. One Picot |
was tried by the British authorities
and condemned to death. He coolly
told his judges that they could not
hang him. Nor did they. The house
of the chief judge was instantly
haunted by spirits, who threw stones.
Night after night the missiles ratified
about the states. No watchers could
discover the human hands of the flesh
and blood allies. Finally "the judges
lady was nearly frightened to DEATH"
says the Times, "and the judge him
self pleaded for Picot's life with the
executive council"
"Antiseptic flannel" prepared by
the eminent DR.. Burg, just deceased
in Paris, is claimed to be a sure pre-
ventive of cholera. Labouchere says
of it, in.London Truth: 81 gave
friend who was troubled with heat
rash, enough of it for an under waist.
coat, which he only wore for two days,
when the eruption disappeared. The
color is a delicate vert d. eau. Cur
tains of this stuff would not be re-
ceptacles for moths and microbes. By
wearing clothing of this flannel
hospital servants would not spread or
perpetuate contagious diseases. In
stead of poisoning ourselves with
'mitigated viruses,' it would be better
: to seek protection in sleeping the in
visible sides of floorings, walnscoting,
the under part of chairs and tables
and the shelves of presses with green
copper solution, and DOMINIC anti
septic flannel. The latter should be
washed with the best white soap in
cold or tepid water.
E The elective franchise appears to be
I worth something in Colorado, not
: from sentimental point of view or
2 with reference to what good may be
/ done for the country or posterity, but
: as being readily converted into cash.
The Greeley Tribune says: "Tbe
/ price for an expression of opinion by
!, an American citizea in Denver is 50
3 III each open market, but If man Is
: at all slow he can get So a vote. In